just bought a small flame angel yesterday and i acclimated him for an hour with a six line wrasse and a few hermits and he was doing good yesterday when i put them in now all day he has turned hes not swimming, hes weak losing color but he swims when i touch will little energy he has, i just did a 15 gallon water change in all hopes that will try and help him, i dont wanna take him out yet and let him die as i say hes still swimming when i touch him but other than that he isnt doing anything
saving a dying flame angel?
- Thread starter akashi
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Pugfishluv3
Active Member
Doesn't sound good at all #reefsquad @Humblefish what are your parameters please
ammonia, nitrate and nitrite are all zero tested with salifert and api kits, hes just laying against my gyre for support i guess and not using his fins, but when i touch him with my finger he starts using his fins and swims awkwardly
redfishbluefish
Stay Positive, Stay Productive
Staff member
Super Moderator
Reef Squad
Partner Member 2024
Excellence Award
Article Contributor
NJRC Member
Hospitality Award
I'm including @melypr1985 in case @Humblefish doesn't jump on this.
melypr1985
totally addicted
This isn't good. Dwarfs seem to either make it or not. It's a tuff call as to why and depends on the circumstances. Is he breathing heavy? White spots, dusty appearance or red or white patches on the scales?
Sabellafella
7500 Club Member
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Reef Of The Month
Reef Squad Emeritus
Reef Master
My Tank Thread
My Aquarium Showcase
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2015
- Messages
- 7,593
- Reaction score
- 12,048
Aw little fella, can you get a photo?
hes in like a weird angle laying on the backside of the rockwork, hes on his side and i see his gils still moving hes doing heavy breathing idk, fighting off my shrimp from getting him
melypr1985
totally addicted
Alright, we'll want a picture for sure. The breathing heavy can point to several things.... Flukes, velvet, ick, poor acclimation or travel, ammonia poisoning ect. Those are the big ones that would cause this and the most likely problems. I fear a freshwater dip at this point my push him over the edge, but it might help flush out whatever is causing him problems with his breathing. It could buy him and you time. If it makes you feel better about it ( it will sound a bit harsh)... if he dies during the dip, he wasn't savable.
Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes & "Black Ich", Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.
How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.
Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.
For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.
Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.
Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.
melypr1985
totally addicted
I'm so sorry. He looks like he's going to be a goner. He might have had velvet or something that prempted this but it almost looks like a very fast infection set in... if it's that fast it could be gram negative which is very difficult to treat and can pass to the other fish if their immune systems are compromised. Sometimes even if they arn't.
melypr1985
totally addicted
I'm sorry hun
Watch the rest of your fish for rapid breathing, white patches or fading, white spots or dusting. Anything out of ordinary for the next two weeks or so.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
X2. It could also just be poor husbandry before you got it. Dwarf angels are very fragile until established (2 months or so)
maybe, the lfs said they had him for a week, so i took that risk with it i really wanted a flame angel at the time, i think im gonna wait a month or so make sure it wasnt velvet or anything, im checking and scanning my fish every morning
