Meds application w/o QT or HT

[mikemathis555]

Hello all,

have a Fluval 13.5 with a small clownfish and Firefish. Just added two small blue green Chromis, and unfortunately one of the Chromis quickly developed red discoloration and passed within 20-30. Guessing it was uronema…and now I’m concerned about the other Chromis and my other two fish.

I don’t have a QT nor a HT, can I use a specimen container to target dose my fish with Metroplex, or is there a better way to do it?

my only other quick option would be a bucket, fresh salt water, and an extra pump I have.

thoughts?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello all,

have a Fluval 13.5 with a small clownfish and Firefish. Just added two small blue green Chromis, and unfortunately one of the Chromis quickly developed red discoloration and passed within 20-30. Guessing it was uronema…and now I’m concerned about the other Chromis and my other two fish.

I don’t have a QT nor a HT, can I use a specimen container to target dose my fish with Metroplex, or is there a better way to do it?

my only other quick option would be a bucket, fresh salt water, and an extra pump I have.

thoughts?

Did the chromis die with its mouth wide open? If so, that would help confirm Uronema.
Uronema isn’t easily treatable unless you have chloroquine. And even then, the success rate is low, and you can’t dose that in your tank. It also is unlikely to spread to anything other than your other chromis. Uronema can be isolated from many mature aquariums, it almost never affects fish except newly acquired chromis, wrasse or anthias.
Jay

 

[mikemathis555]

Hello,

Thanks for the response…yes mouth was open, and clear angular red marking going almost the entire length (vertically) of his body. Was acting fine all day yesterday, but at about 9pm noticed him swimming very oddly out of the corner of my eye. When I got to the tank he was basically just floating with the current of my return flow. Scooped him up into a specimen container and isolated him, but he didn’t make it too much longer.

I did not take a picture before disposing unfortunately, but had a pretty good understanding of what it was.

Im monitoring the other Chromis who was his paired addition from my LFS. He seems to be acting differently but I’m not sure if that is not having the other Chromis or Uronema. He has been hiding most of the day, but did come out for morning feeding, and I did not notice any visible red marking.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello,

Thanks for the response…yes mouth was open, and clear angular red marking going almost the entire length (vertically) of his body. Was acting fine all day yesterday, but at about 9pm noticed him swimming very oddly out of the corner of my eye. When I got to the tank he was basically just floating with the current of my return flow. Scooped him up into a specimen container and isolated him, but he didn’t make it too much longer.

I did not take a picture before disposing unfortunately, but had a pretty good understanding of what it was.

Im monitoring the other Chromis who was his paired addition from my LFS. He seems to be acting differently but I’m not sure if that is not having the other Chromis or Uronema. He has been hiding most of the day, but did come out for morning feeding, and I did not notice any visible red marking.

Uronema in chromis is a deep seated infection, so you won’t see the red lesion until near the end I’m afraid.
Jay

 

[mikemathis555]

Update; the second Chromis did pass a few mins ago. He stopped swimming and I quarantined him…was gone in only a few mins.

interestingly - no easily identified red markings. Once he was gone, I put him in freshwater just to see if he had flukes or something - but no flukes.

Is Uronema possible without markings?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Update; the second Chromis did pass a few mins ago. He stopped swimming and I quarantined him…was gone in only a few mins.

interestingly - no easily identified red markings. Once he was gone, I put him in freshwater just to see if he had flukes or something - but no flukes.

Is Uronema possible without markings?

Yes - as I mentioned, Uronema starts as an inter-cellular infection, usually deep in the fish muscle tissue. It can kill without showing visible external signs, but usually, the fish's mouth will be wide open, and this one's mouth is not....

Jay