Need help, Blue Damsel!!

[Homestead_Dad]

Ok, I have a freshly cycled 50 gal water parameters look good using API master test. Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate <5.

I have 2 turbo snails, 4 blue leg hermits, 1 condy anemone, and 1 blue damsel. I added these at the same time Friday. Drip acclimated. Bought damsel at PETCO. He looked fine then the next day I noticed a small grey spot just under dorsal fin on left side. Looked like a a few scales got damaged during the capture at store. Today the spot got bigger and turned black. Color loss on opposite side in same spot.

Please help. I know it's a cheap fish but I don't want it to die and even if it does I want to know what it is.

Could it be possible he got to close to the Anemone?

 

[DustyXB9Reefer]

You're best bet is going to be getting a picture up. Sounds like it has an internal viral infection, which I believe will be cleared up with erythromycin.

 

[Homestead_Dad]

 

[Humblefish]

That could be:

• A bad bacterial infection
• The beginnings of Uronema marinum (members of the damsel family are prone to this disease)

I would treat with Kanaplex + Metroplex in a QT.

 

[DustyXB9Reefer]

Also, I understand some people don't have local fish stores but try not to buy stuff from Petco if you can. They don't take very good, if any, care of their livestock.

 

[melypr1985]

That could be:

• A bad bacterial infection
• The beginnings of Uronema marinum (members of the damsel family are prone to this disease)

I would treat with Kanaplex + Metroplex in a QT.

+1. You'll want to act quickly with treatment. This guy doesn't have long.

 

[Homestead_Dad]

What's the odds of saving my tank from a Teardown?

 

[melypr1985]

What's the odds of saving my tank from a Teardown?

I dont know what you mean?

 

[Homestead_Dad]

I dont know what you mean?

Will I have to tear down my display tank to rid it of the parasite?

 

[melypr1985]

Will I have to tear down my display tank to rid it of the parasite?

No, you wouldn't have to do that. Hopefully it's just a bacterial infection. I see these quite often in these yellow tail damsels at the store. Get him into QT and treat asap and he might make it. You could leave the display fallow for 6 weeks to be safe, but I'm thinking you won't have to do that. Try purchasing fish from a reputable store and make sure to QT any new additions before they go in the display in the future.

 

[Homestead_Dad]

Yep, thanks this sucker is hard to catch.

 

[melypr1985]

Yep, thanks this sucker is hard to catch.

Yup. Just one reason why I try not to let a damsel be the first in the tank for my customers. They can survive almost anything and can be very aggressive. Then they are impossible to catch to remove them.

 

[Brew12]

Also, I understand some people don't have local fish stores but try not to buy stuff from Petco if you can. They don't take very good, if any, care of their livestock.

I have a few Petco fish in my system. Just like fish from any other source, you need a good QT protocol. Proactive treatment with copper and Prazi has worked well for me. I think Petco does a worse job of hiding the issues their fish have than most LFS.

 

[Humblefish]

If it's just a bacterial infection, you won't have to do a teardown.

If it does turn out to be Uronema, the infection should turn red or white before he dies.

Practically speaking, only damsels, clownfish and anthias seem to be affected by it so I would try just avoiding those species before tearing down your tank.

 

[Humblefish]

Metronidazole is a proven treatment for Uronema, and there is some anecdotal evidence that it is also reef safe. However, you could just return your inverts to Petco while using it if you wanted to be totally safe.

Seachem Metroplex and Fishvet Metro-MS both contain metronidazole.

 

[Homestead_Dad]

Cool, I tried to catch him and he went inside a big pile of rocks so I tore it down to the base rock siting on the glass and couldn't find him. This little guy knows how to hide. I put everything back for now hoping he will come out on his own.

 

[Humblefish]

Shoot a few mysis into a bottle trap

 

[Homestead_Dad]

Metronidazole is a proven treatment for Uronema, and there is some anecdotal evidence that it is also reef safe. However, you could just return your inverts to Petco while using it if you wanted to be totally safe.

Seachem Metroplex and Fishvet Metro-MS both contain metronidazole.

So I could treat the whole tank?

 

[Humblefish]

So I could treat the whole tank?

Yes; some have already dosed metro in a DT for dinos: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-dinos-a-possible-cure-follow-along-and-see.253917/

My chief concern has always been encountering a coral/invert intolerant of metronidazole. But since you only have 2 turbo snails, 4 blue leg hermits and 1 condy anemone you are in a position to return those to Petco and then "sanitize" your DT by dosing metro. There's not even an ethical dilemma here, because you would just be returning those to the diseased environment from whence they came.

 

[Homestead_Dad]

I tore all my rock down looking for him and nothing, I finally found him in my overflow. I had pieces of my structure held together with great foam but they fell apart so my aquascape is destroyed and just spent a couple of hours working on it to get it kind of secure but looks like crap.