Powder Blue Tang - Help

[RichardL]

Hi R2R,

After my yesterday's thread, the PBT looks like . What should I do to help him?

 

[tzabor10]

What are your parameters? I don’t usually see an air stone in a saltwater tank. Is that a QT or your decision? Are you running UV sterilization? PBT have a reputation for being very susceptible to flukes.

 

[RichardL]

What are your parameters? I don’t usually see an air stone in a saltwater tank. Is that a QT or your decision? Are you running UV sterilization? PBT have a reputation for being very susceptible to flukes.

Hi, all parameters are correct except yesterday in the QT the copper concentration is much higher(the hanna checker issue as in my yesterday post) so I put it in a established QT. No UV. because it looks breathing heavily.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The PBT is pretty thin and looks “bedraggled” - both can be symptoms of a fish with flukes.
A FW dip would normally be something to try to buy some time, but with a weak fish like this, it could be lethal. What happens is all the flukes drop off, leaving hundreds of open holes in the skin and the fish bleeds out. Still, not a lot of options here. You won’t see flukes in a dip except for one large species, but if the fish makes it, you should probably dose the whole tank with praziquantel.

Just a double check here; the fish haven’t gone through any salinity rise in the last two days? You confirmed that the copper wasn’t too high?

 

[RichardL]

The PBT is pretty thin and looks “bedraggled” - both can be symptoms of a fish with flukes.
A FW dip would normally be something to try to buy some time, but with a weak fish like this, it could be lethal. What happens is all the flukes drop off, leaving hundreds of open holes in the skin and the fish bleeds out. Still, not a lot of options here. You won’t see flukes in a dip except for one large species, but if the fish makes it, you should probably dose the whole tank with praziquantel.

Just a double check here; the fish haven’t gone through any salinity rise in the last two days? You confirmed that the copper wasn’t too high?

He just arrived 8 days ago, and already began to eat nori, even yesterday morning he ate nori. And suddenly become thin with in a night. Salinity is 1.025, in both tank. I haven't have time to confirm copper concentration and he already looks like this

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

He just arrived 8 days ago, and already began to eat nori, even yesterday morning he ate nori. And suddenly become thin with in a night. Salinity is 1.025, in both tank. I haven't have time to confirm copper concentration and he already looks like this

Fish will dehydrate suddenly from a salinity rise. If that didn’t happen, I’m not sure how to account for overnight thinning. Maybe it was getting thin over time and it just became really apparent over the past day?

 

[RichardL]

Fish will dehydrate suddenly from a salinity rise. If that didn’t happen, I’m not sure how to account for overnight thinning. Maybe it was getting thin over time and it just became really apparent over the past day?

The stripe along the body from head to tail appeared yesterday (the symbol of thinning). But yes it is not fat from fish store, although I think it is relatively fat compared to other PBT in the store.