Purple firefish missing dorsal fin with red lesion

[lone reefer]

#fishmedic I’ve had a pair a purple firefish in my tank for about a year and within the last couple days I started noticing some discoloration along it’s back and yesterday I noticed it’s missing most of its top fin. The other firefish seems normal and so do all the other fish in the tank. There are several tangs, a couple clowns, anthias, wrasses, cardinals. The tank is stable and haven’t seen any bullying from the other fish. Ive posted a couple pictures and help would be much appreciated.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This may be damage from aggression after seeing both the tail and presence of anthias who would be very capable of doing this
What other tank occupants are there?
This fish will obviously have to go into isolation or even quarantine. To assure no flesh damage or infection, treatment with seachem kanaplex or neoplex is best
Have you noticed the anthias chasing it mainly at feeding time?

is fish eating?

 

[lone reefer]

I haven’t noticed any aggression from the anthias. They’ve been in there together for most of the year. There are 5 tangs, Achilles, hippo, yellow, purple, whitetail. I have seen the whitetail be aggressive towards other fish but not so much the firefish. And the other firefish looks 100%
Other fish
1 mail lyretail, 2 females
1borbonius
1 leopard wrasse
1 mystery wrasse
2 pajama cardinals
2 pyramid butterflies
1 flame angel
I got it into the acclimation box last night after I noticed it wasn’t eating. I can get it into a qt today and pick up some kanaplex. I have general cure on hand. Not sure if that would be useful. It wasn’t eating yesterday so I’m trying not to stress it.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I see you have it isolated, good first step. How did the other fire fish get along with it? I wonder if they started fighting as they got older?
Jay

 

[lone reefer]

I see you have it isolated, good first step. How did the other fire fish get along with it? I wonder if they started fighting as they got older?
Jay

Thanks, they were pretty much a mated pair from the time I got them. I qtd them together when I got them back in February. They’re always hanging out together peacefully. It wasn’t eating yesterday, that’s when I put it in the isolation box. Tried to feed it some mysis and live white worms but didn’t seem interested. I got some kanaplex. I can set up a 10g qt and add some kanaplex if you think that would help?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks, they were pretty much a mated pair from the time I got them. I qtd them together when I got them back in February. They’re always hanging out together peacefully. It wasn’t eating yesterday, that’s when I put it in the isolation box. Tried to feed it some mysis and live white worms but didn’t seem interested. I got some kanaplex. I can set up a 10g qt and add some kanaplex if you think that would help?

Yes, that’s a pretty serious injury so the risk of secondary infection is substantial.
Jay

 

[jabberwock]

Could it have gotten caught up in a wave maker? I worry about my gobies getting in the wavemaker when it is "paused" for feeding, and then not making it back out again.

 

[lone reefer]

Yes, that’s a pretty serious injury so the risk of secondary infection is substantial.
Jay

Ok, put it in a 10g with some kanaplex. Thankfully it ate a couple bites of food so hopefully it’s a got a chance.

 

[lone reefer]

Could it have gotten caught up in a wave maker? I worry about my gobies getting in the wavemaker when it is "paused" for feeding, and then not making it back out again.

I don’t think that’s what happened in this case, just because they really don’t hang out around the power heads and I saw signs of the the fin deteriorating the day before last so I’m thinking it’s possibly a bacterial infection brought on by aggression from another fish? I have seen other people that have lost a firefish from getting caught in a power head, but I have the guards on mine and these fish are a little too big to get caught in there.

 

[lone reefer]

Could it have gotten caught up in a wave maker? I worry about my gobies getting in the wavemaker when it is "paused" for feeding, and then not making it back out again.

I also don’t turn my power heads off during feeding. I’ll turn off my return pumps but I just let the power heads blow the food around the tank during feeding. Rarely I’ll turn them off if I’m spot feeding corals, but that’s probably less than once a week. Never actually seen any of my gobies swim into the power heads, and I have 2 larger purple firefish in one tank and 2 small helfrichi firefish in another tank with a couple mandarins.