Help save stubby!

[Mini Coop]

i posted a week ago about this cardinal getting his tail chopped off. I separated the two for a day then the bully escaped and my husband never could catch him while I was out of town. I have seen no aggression since the temporary separation. And Stubby’s tail has been growing back quickly and nicely!

He has been eating well and not hiding like he was before.

Tonight all of the sudden the is hiding, not eating (which he would at least eat the last time) and breathing a little heavy. When he did come out, he was int he front corner of the tank.

I’m thinking he looks discolored. Wondering about a bacterial infection possible?

Thoughts?

Questions:
1. If he got a bacterial infection, can it spread to the other fish in QT with him?
2. If not - same question as before - where do I treat and what with?
I have 3 QT tanks
1. Corals and inverts
2. 2 cardinals and 2 gobys with their coral banded shrimp.
3. 2 clowns currently on day 3 of prazi pro

Where do I treat him? In the coral/invert tank? (Not sure if antibiotics effect them or not).
In his tank and take the coral banded shrimp out and put in coral tank?
Or put him with the clowns? (This makes the least sense).

Help asap appreciated.

 

[Mini Coop]

@jsker @4FordFamily @melypr1985 #reefsquad

Trying to keep him from dying tonight. I have furan, kanaplex and metroplex on hand

 

[Big G]

How does the wound area appear? Any redness, white filmy areas?

 

[Triggreef]

I would wait to see how he looks tomorrow. Don't just throw a bunch of meds at it preemptively. Doubt any bacterial infection since the tail is growing back with no issue. Maybe worth checking parameters, small hospital tank can change quickly. Check all the basics first, SG temp ammonia etc.

 

[Triggreef]

Also I see the ammonia badge, maybe still worth a test those things are not perfect.

 

[Big G]

Did you dose him with Epsom Salts for his wounds originally?

 

[Mini Coop]

How does the wound area appear? Any redness, white filmy areas?

No - nothing around the tail. I thought his "insides" looked kind of dark - and he is really not acting right. I know there is something wrong. Salinity is 1.026, Ammonia 0 - nitrates, 10, nitrites 0 - all other fish acting great.

 

[Mini Coop]

Did you dose him with Epsom Salts for his wounds originally?

No - just watched to make sure all looked good, and didn't look like infection.

 

[Big G]

Of the 3 meds you have on hand, Furan 2 will treat both gram positive and negative bacteria. Has Stubby been through prophylactical QT?

 

[Mini Coop]

Of the 3 meds you have on hand, Furan 2 will treat both gram positive and negative bacteria. Has Stubby been through prophylactical QT?

Ok - I am not sure what gram positive and negative bacteria means - so would love to learn!

No - because of the bonded Coral banded shrimp with goby's I was trying to do observation QT only in that tank with the gobys and cardinals. I did not do prazi or copper.

And just tested nitrates again - nitrates are HIGH! Like 40 ppm. My test earlier didn't show that. I don't know if it was off or what!!! I have water mixing for a 50% water change now.

 

[Big G]

Nitrates at those levels would not injure Stubby. But the labored breathing is a concern. Can you do a freshwater dip to check for flukes?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.286639/#post-3487082

 

[cmcoker]

Gram staining determines gram neg or point of sale.
Its a 3 step process where the outer membrane or wall of the cell dictates how it takes up the stains.

Gram negative are harder to kill because they have a membrane that protects the cell wall and is harder to penetrate with antibiotics.

 

[Humblefish]

You could give him an acriflavine bath instead of dosing antibiotics in the QT: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acriflavine.282887/

This would give him the benefit of brief (90 min) exposure to an antiseptic, instead of long-term exposure to antibiotics in QT (assuming a bacterial infection is even the culprit here.)

I think a parasite (such as velvet) or flukes is a more likely explanation. Has he been treated with copper or Prazipro/General Cure?

 

[Mini Coop]

@Big G - I could do a freshwater bath. I do have heated RO water ready (was waiting to mix some this weekend for the main tank. Although- I don't know what I am looking for when it comes to looking for flukes in the bucket.

@Humblefish I don't have any acriflavine on hand but can get some tomorrow. He has been in QT for 3 weeks with no issues. How would he get flukes? Can they take that long to show?

I did not treat this tank with prazi because of the bonded red banded shrimp with the gobys in the tank - was hoping for 6 weeks of observation only. However, I have a coral/invert tank I can move him to if you think the bond will be ok. Then I can treat all with prazi. I can also do the FW bath if need be.

What do you think?

 

[Humblefish]

Does he look like he could handle a 5 min FW dip (to check for flukes)?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/freshwater-dip.248898/

 

[Mini Coop]

He probably can!

I can give it a try. Can the other fish in that tank get them if he has them?

Also can flukes travel airborn?

Just curious. Getting ready for FW now.

 

[Big G]

At about the 2-3 minute mark, if he has flukes, they will begin to fall off. Look for little sesame seed white things. Helps if the container is dark colored.

 

[Mini Coop]

Here he is now.

 

[Mini Coop]

OK, I did the freshwater dip. I see a few white specs in the bottom of the dish, but wondering if they could be just remnants of what was in the ball even though I rinsed it out or something I got off the net in the tank because there were some white Ford clearish things flying around as well. But those were more flaky then they were sesame seed type. I would say I saw 2 to 3 things that could be considered sesame seeds.

So, I guess we go with Flukes. He seems to be doing well back in the main tank. Do I now treat the entire tank with prazi pro in case of flukes?

 

[Big G]

Prazipro or General Cure. General Cure has the plus of giving him a dose of metronidazole for internal parasites and the praziquantel in it is a lower dose but does the job nicely.
Chances are they all have flukes. Stubby probably had the weakest immune system due to his injuries and demonstrated symptoms first.