Help! Benngai Cardinal issue

GalaxyBenny · Jul 15, 2022

Well dang it all, I have more darn fish problems. I was doing water changes today (a big change because I actually had to slide the tank to put some flooring down, but that’s another story). Anyway, once the tank was back I was checking out all the fish to make sure they looked okay (clearly a little stressed). BUT I noticed what looked like a white growth on the right side of my smaller Benggai Cardinal.

The growth seemed to be about 1/8” out from its body. As I was trying to get better pictures she swam off quickly and the white thing fell off.

I pulled it out and it was squishy. And the spot where it fell off is now really red.

Thoughts? I lost a Sixline Wrasse to a red splotch in a similar part of his body, but that was more skin level. It never had the big white growth. But I’m definitely worried about losing another fish. I currently have no coral in the tank, but I do have some inverts (pistol shrimp, two Trochus, one Babylonia snail) if that would change anyones recommendation on treatments.

Thanks in advance!

vetteguy53081 · Jul 16, 2022

Looks like possible damage during water change or lesion
Need clearer pics to assess clearly

Jay Hemdal · Jul 16, 2022

GalaxyBenny said:
Well dang it all, I have more darn fish problems. I was doing water changes today (a big change because I actually had to slide the tank to put some flooring down, but that’s another story). Anyway, once the tank was back I was checking out all the fish to make sure they looked okay (clearly a little stressed). BUT I noticed what looked like a white growth on the right side of my smaller Benggai Cardinal.

The growth seemed to be about 1/8” out from its body. As I was trying to get better pictures she swam off quickly and the white thing fell off.

I pulled it out and it was squishy. And the spot where it fell off is now really red.

Thoughts? I lost a Sixline Wrasse to a red splotch in a similar part of his body, but that was more skin level. It never had the big white growth. But I’m definitely worried about losing another fish. I currently have no coral in the tank, but I do have some inverts (pistol shrimp, two Trochus, one Babylonia snail) if that would change anyones recommendation on treatments.

Thanks in advance!

Sorry - I can't access any of the pictures hosted on that other site, it asks me to login.

Jay

GalaxyBenny · Jul 16, 2022

Oh shoot, sorry. When they pasted across I thought they’d just work. Sorry. Here are all the pictures.

And this last one was the morning, right after the lights came on. They always seemed to have that muted color overnight. But you can see the massive red spot seems to be filled in again with white?

Jay Hemdal · Jul 16, 2022

Well, yes, this is similar to the other case. I don’t know how that one ended up.

This lesion seems to be eruptive, that is, starting internally and then reaching the skin. If so, those are very serious as extensive tissue damage has occurred even before it breaks through the skin.

I cant tell you the cause of this - could be bacterial or fungal.
Jay

GalaxyBenny · Jul 16, 2022

That’s okay, I really appreciate you looking. You think there is any point in soaking some food in metro/focus to try to help if it is internal? Or do you reckon if it’s already this far it might just be too late so just observe and see if it gets better?

I guess most importantly, would you see any reason to try to catch this fish and put it back into a hospital/QT tank just to prevent potential transfer to other fish?

Jay Hemdal · Jul 16, 2022

GalaxyBenny said:
That’s okay, I really appreciate you looking. You think there is any point in soaking some food in metro/focus to try to help if it is internal? Or do you reckon if it’s already this far it might just be too late so just observe and see if it gets better?

I guess most importantly, would you see any reason to try to catch this fish and put it back into a hospital/QT tank just to prevent potential transfer to other fish?

No - Metro + Focus is often suggested, but it is really just for protozoans and anaerobic bacteria. In addition, if you just mix those together, you have no idea if you have a proper dose or not - it needs to be made up at 5000 ppm in food.

Jay

GalaxyBenny · Jul 16, 2022

Got it. Thanks Jay. I didn’t realize that about the combination I thought the focus was supposed to help bond the metro to the food or something. Learn something new every day.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 17, 2022

GalaxyBenny said:
Got it. Thanks Jay. I didn’t realize that about the combination I thought the focus was supposed to help bond the metro to the food or something. Learn something new every day.

Focus does that, but unless you have a micro gram scale, you can’t weigh out the correct dose.
Jay

GalaxyBenny · Aug 2, 2022

To provide an update on this case, I’m feeling hopeful for the Benggai. I think it was maybe some sort of physical damage during the water changes (maybe the in-rushing water pushed him against a rock? In either case, he still seems okay and the spot is getting more and more healed looking.

Fingers crossed. Thanks for all the help guys.

chandavi · Aug 2, 2022

Hoping he makes it!! B Cardinals are tuff but I think not too clever. I was siphoning my sand bed once and my cardinal never even swam out of the way. He ended up being attached to the tube I was using to siphon. I broke the siphon immediately and he fell off to the sand and on his side breathing rapidly. He would not move even with gentle prodding. Then after an hour he tried to swim but only achieved crooked circles. Over the next two days he finally returned to normal and is fine ever since.