Regal angel issues

VikS · May 15, 2021

Hi all,

I have a new regal from NY aquatics for a week now. It is showing bruises on its sides and has stopped eating any food. Is this any particular disease? I have a hospital tank set up and was going to start prazo. After reading a few threads here, i did notice it shaking its head a number of times when it was out and about.

Any help will be appreciated. Pics attached.

GoVols · May 15, 2021

@Jay Hemdal

Would you mind diving in?

Thank you!

Jay Hemdal · May 16, 2021

Oh, that really looks like Uronema. It is fairly common with this species, and show about right about this time after purchasing a fish. You say however, it has lesions on both sides? Are they in the same relative location?

It could also be a bacterial infection, but based on it not feeding, I'd still say Uronema. Almost everyone who has a fish with this comments that their fish "has a bruise" - so that is really diagnostic.

The trouble is, I do not have a treatment to suggest for you. Prazi won't help, neither will copper. There was some ideas that chloroquine would help in minor cases, but we can't get that drug now in the US due to Covid. Some reports say that formalin dips can sometimes be used in early cases.

The problem is that this protozoan lives in the fish's muscle tissue and medications added to the water can't reach them, and medicated foods aren't strong enough to kill them.

Here is an article I wrote about this:

Uronema / Red Band Disease - Hemdal

Red Band Syndrome in Marine Fishes: Caused by the Protozoan; Uronema sp. Jay Hemdal Introduction: This moderately common disease of certain species of marine fish is so often misdiagnosed that most aquarists apply incorrect treatment methods...

www.reef2reef.com

Sorry that I couldn't be of more help.....

Jay

Mywifeisgunnakillme · May 30, 2021

I had some chromis in qt that I thought had uronema. I treated with everything combo of antibacterial meds and the like. Some of them got better for a while to the point i stopped treating. It took a few months but none made it.

Keep it in qt... even if not uremona i think some pretty bad crap can look like it... and i believe urenoma basicslly never leaves a system so that fish should not gp in your sweet diaplay tank..