Mandarin Goby Parasite

[Sonam]

Hello All,

Our mandarin Goby of 3+ years had some kind of parasite on its face. This was not sand.

I did a fresh water dip and it did come off.

The mandarin is just sitting at the bottom of the tank now. Not sure if there's anything else we can try. She's a lovely fish.

We have a healthy supply of copepods (we grow our own).

 

[4FordFamily]

Can you please provide another photo or two? You said that he parasite came off, what did it look like?

@melypr1985 @Humblefish

 

[Sonam]

Here is a photo from before the dip

 

[melypr1985]

From that picture he is severely emaciated. It doesnt' look like he has been eating. I also think that is a grain or two of sand on his face. Nothing to worry about there. If it were ich, it wouldn't have come off in the dip.

 

[Sonam]

There's that thing on its head that looks almost like a starfish. But from a profile view it look like a tiny hair sticking out. Our Sand Sifting Goby had something similar but our cleaner shrimp took care of it.

 

[Sonam]

 

[Flippers4pups]

Most likely sand. I totally agree with @melypr1985 that this Mandy is emanciated. I would supplement pods, A LOT OF PODS ASAP. Hopefully it can bounce back.

Good luck and hoping for the best.

 

[melypr1985]

There's that thing on its head that looks almost like a starfish. But from a profile view it look like a tiny hair sticking out. Our Sand Sifting Goby had something similar but our cleaner shrimp took care of it.

I see it in the picture, but it just looks like sand stuck to him. I'm not saying your wrong, I just don't have an idea of what else it could be. Mandarins don't usually come down with lympho... even if it was lympho, it wouldn't have come off in the freshwater dip.

 

[Sonam]

We just put two bottles of pods in the tank over the weekend. And we put that quantity in regularly (weekly) in addition to some from our own culture. There are lots of pods in there - we can add more tomorrow.

 

[Sonam]

We had an incident a few weeks ago when a friend did a water change while we were away and the salinity was crazy high. Some of our corals died. It took 4 days of diluting through water changes to bring it back down (we keep it at 1.026). The Goby was visibly stressed by this but seemed ok until yesterday. The water had been stable for over a week and we'd added a few loads of pods.

 

[Sir Chris]

I have a spotted mandarin and it's eating 24/7. If it's not picking it's searching or sleeping. How long has ur tank been going. Do u have a fuge? Are the copapods 2 large for it. They like tiny 1s. Basically baby's. So hats y a fuge is important. Gives em all types. Not just 1. He's smart. And when ever I pulled my phone out he'd dip out. Took 5 mins I choose spotted so it won't deplete its own food. Been a year now

 

[melypr1985]

I have a spotted mandarin and it's eating 24/7. If it's not picking it's searching or sleeping. How long has ur tank been going. Do u have a fuge? Are the copapods 2 large for it. They like tiny 1s. Basically baby's. So hats y a fuge is important. Gives em all types. Not just 1. He's smart. And when ever I pulled my phone out he'd dip out. Took 5 mins I choose spotted so it won't deplete its own food. Been a year now

That's a healthy looking mandy you have there!

 

[Sonam]

We've had this one for 3 years. We use the pods from our LFS but also have two tubs of active cultures here (we lost a mandarin years ago - again after traveling for a few months and the person who kept our tank didn't think we needed to add pods as often and it died). Our live cultures here are several sizes (we have 4 sieves of different diameters) some extremely small and we put those in the tank weekly. We do also have a fuge. We will definitely step up feeding. But I'm worried it's too late. Our mandarin did use to float around the tank on its delicate fins and peck the rocks all the time. Now not pecking at all. Not looking good since that bad water change. Other fish did fine.
Thanks to all for your support.

 

[Jongalt26]

Ive had better success with Mandarins after getting them to eat bloodworms and other similar frozen foods. I've found that pods are only useful when they are juveniles.

 

[Sonam]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am afraid it's too late for this one. He's still alive and pecks a little here and there. But I'm pretty sure he's going to die.
Maybe if we get another I will try that.

 

[Sir Chris]

I have never dosed pods. I can see pods between my frag rack and glass always so when I can't see them there I know there thinning out. I'm lucky and my spotted and that's the reason I got a spotted he eats the brine shrimp from my lps when I spot feed and actually sometimes I chase him away with more food in an open spot so the corals can eat in peace. But again I've never added pods only chato is in a media bag and sits behind a powerhead so it's kinda hidden as I'm HOB till 75s up. Oh and lose strands of chato get stuck places and I let it and it grows into a refug and have 4 mini fuges haha. But 3years with 1 then it passes slowly is odd and looks like a astria star. For 3 years old it should b 3 inches long almost. Mine had sand between his eyes a lot and would freak till it blew off since there slime coat is heavy. Hope he's still hanging in. Is anything else odd in the tank. I know I'm late sorry. I only have a mandy and clowns pompom crabs and a harlequin baby for my peat astria stars.

 

[Sir Chris]

This is what I ment as a pod checker basically. Since I feed my corals there's a little fuge there as well. So I have plenty of places for pods 2 multiply

 

[40B Knasty]

Has it always been that thin? I can't see the immune system being very good on a fish that emaciated. I have a fatty of a spotted mandarin. He eats twice a day any frozens or thin sliced and diced scallop or clam. Plays for the rest of the day. Hardly hunting on the rock work.

 

[Sir Chris]

Took the advantage of it picking up scraps. Love watching him. He's so attentive as soon as I pull my phone out it turns and goes back then put it down and he returns. I'd say 1 of the smartest fish. 40B urs is a lot bigger then my baby. And is urs male?

 

[Sir Chris]

Has it always been that thin? I can't see the immune system being very good on a fish that emaciated. I have a fatty of a spotted mandarin. He eats twice a day any frozens or thin sliced and diced scallop or clam. Plays for the rest of the day. Hardly hunting on the rock work.

Ur is georgous. It looks male?