I've lost 2 of 9 Longspine Cardinal Fish

[Pdash]

I don't know, here's a better picture I hope.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I don’t think those are flukes, you can still do the RRR bath for its antiseptic qualities. I would keep running the antibiotics you are running just realize they are slow to act especially on fish in copper as it suppresses the immune system.
Obviously you are also dealing with internal parasites and a diminished appetite but it is important to try to get them eating the med laced food as internal parasites can make them stop eating altogether.

 

[Pdash]

I'm using Chloroquine phosphate, not copper. Agreed, I am also doubting flukes. Is the extra stress worth it for the bath? I'm trying to get them eating anything 3 or 4 times a day, netting the food out once it just sits on the bottom.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I'm using Chloroquine phosphate, not copper. Agreed, I am also doubting flukes. Is the extra stress worth it for the bath? I'm trying to get them eating anything 3 or 4 times a day, netting the food out once it just sits on the bottom.

Whoops I misread in the CP, I would probably skip the bath for now. I would focus on getting them eating it’s a fine line your on with internal parasites and getting them to eat medicated food before they stop eating from it.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I'm using Chloroquine phosphate, not copper. Agreed, I am also doubting flukes. Is the extra stress worth it for the bath? I'm trying to get them eating anything 3 or 4 times a day, netting the food out once it just sits on the bottom.

I will say if you can single out the one shaking it’s head I would definitely do a FW dip on him.

 

[Pdash]

Okay, I'll try again tonight, and again tomorrow morning with assorted frozen+ selcon. Then hopefully live brine tomorrow. Is it better to get them eating using unmedicated food as it is more palatable, or to just offer medicated stuff?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Try dropping some live in and a little medicated. Maybe the live will induce a strong feeding response and they’ll eat the medicated food. The problem is the internal parasites can get bad enough To where they won’t even eat live foods and then they waste away.

 

[Pdash]

At least some of them ate some small amount (a couple mouthfuls) of the medicated frozen I offered tonight, but part of the problem is they are so skittish they won't leave that corner of the tank even to feed, and won't feed at all if they can see me.

 

[4FordFamily]

This is some great advice given here.

I’d also start feeding them metro or general cure and focus in their food. CP treats most things external, this will work on the inside.

Sometimes when fish itch they twitch a bit as well. Those don’t look definitively like flukes to me, either.

 

[Pdash]

This is some great advice given here.

I’d also start feeding them metro or general cure and focus in their food. CP treats most things external, this will work on the inside.

Sometimes when fish itch they twitch a bit as well. Those don’t look definitively like flukes to me, either.

They accepted some metro + focus lrs tonight, but not in amounts that really inspire confidence. Apologies I should have been much more precise, when I said he shook his head/spasmed, I mean he flared both his gills out and shook his head violently 1 time, this was less then at minute after I dosed GC and furan-2 into the water after the water change today. I dosed both 1 time before,(furan-2 daily as well thou) on 4/20/19 . I haven't seen anything like this from them before or since.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

They accepted some metro + focus lrs tonight, but not in amounts that really inspire confidence. Apologies I should have been much more precise, when I said he shook his head/spasmed, I mean he flared both his gills out and shook his head violently 1 time, this was less then at minute after I dosed GC and furan-2 into the water after the water change today. I dosed both 1 time before,(furan-2 daily as well thou) on 4/20/19 . I haven't seen anything like this from them before or since.

It may have been a gill fluke, Prazi makes flukes spasm and release from the fish. What you saw may have been a fluke reacting to the Prazi in the GC.

 

[Pdash]

Some took medicated food this morning, they are all still very shy, except one who is about 10x as bold as the rest and he is one of the smaller ones, kinda interesting, no more losses though.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Some took medicated food this morning, they are all still very shy, except one who is about 10x as bold as the rest and he is one of the smaller ones, kinda interesting, no more losses though.

Good news! Any medicated food they eat is a plus.

 

[Pdash]

Some of them ate some this afternoon, but one of them looks worse. She is breathing heavy and her fins look quite ragged can't tell if its worse but definitely not better. Maybe try the RRR on her?
Here is a picture. Her anal fin should be continuous. You can also see some of the damage on the tail. Its been a bit challenging getting decent photographs.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Some of them ate some this afternoon, but one of them looks worse. She is breathing heavy and her fins look quite ragged can't tell if its worse but definitely not better. Maybe try the RRR on her?
Here is a picture. Her anal fin should be continuous. You can also see some of the damage on the tail. Its been a bit challenging getting decent photographs.

A RRR might be beneficial and TBH it’s probably better than not doing anything with this fish. Have you checked for ammonia lately?

 

[Pdash]

Yeah no ammonia per the badge, but I'll double check per a red sea kit.

 

[Pdash]

So, I'm just getting back into the hobby after a 10 year break due to school/life circumstances. I had never quarantined before, and with otherwise decent husbandry managed to stock a 60 cube without losing a single fish. For my new tank I qt'd a pair of clowns right before these cardinals (my girlfriend insisted on clowns), they also had internal parasites, and I suspect latent velvet since they were swimming into the flow of the power head, the girlfriend thought they were playing, for the first few days and then stopped after that. I guess my point is exactly how prevalent are sick fish currently? Am I a bit unlucky or is this par for the course?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

So, I'm just getting back into the hobby after a 10 year break due to school/life circumstances. I had never quarantined before, and with otherwise decent husbandry managed to stock a 60 cube without losing a single fish. For my new tank I qt'd a pair of clowns right before these cardinals (my girlfriend insisted on clowns), they also had internal parasites, and I suspect latent velvet since they were swimming into the flow of the power head, the girlfriend thought they were playing, for the first few days and then stopped after that. I guess my point is exactly how prevalent are sick fish currently? Am I a bit unlucky or is this par for the course?

Velvet is extremely prevalent these days along with brook and Uronema. It is wise to QT these days.

 

[jessezm]

I think there is definitely an increase in sick fish in the industry, and more variety in diseases than we used to deal with (my unscientific opinion).
Those cardinals do not ship well, though. At least in my experience. I ordered 14 long spined cardinals from LA's California facility, followed routine QT procedures and they died one by one until I was down to two over a period of a week. I saw white stringy poop but that was the only outward sign of sickness. They all seemed to eat ok as well. In the end, I ended up with two that have gone in the main tank and have been doing great ever since (a few months). I didn't use GC, but just Prazi, and then later a course of metroplex (or the other way-round, I can't remember at the moment).

 

[Pdash]

I think there is definitely an increase in sick fish in the industry, and more variety in diseases than we used to deal with (my unscientific opinion).
Those cardinals do not ship well, though. At least in my experience. I ordered 14 long spined cardinals from LA's California facility, followed routine QT procedures and they died one by one until I was down to two over a period of a week. I saw white stringy poop but that was the only outward sign of sickness. They all seemed to eat ok as well. In the end, I ended up with two that have gone in the main tank and have been doing great ever since (a few months). I didn't use GC, but just Prazi, and then later a course of metroplex (or the other way-round, I can't remember at the moment).

I was aware of their reputation for not shipping well, but when they all came in alive, and looking decent I figured I was past the hardest part. I'm a bit disheartened to have them come in and then slowly die off. I just feel like there should be something I can do.