Got a Koran angel a while ago and he seems sick now. He is kind of turning white no spots but loosing his color and not swimming much. The water is good ph 8.0 nitrite, ammonia zero. And nitrate is around 10 but that shouldn't be to high. Salinity is 1.025. Not sure what it is so don't know how to treat it any help would be great
Sick angel
- Thread starter talon
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Got a Koran angel a while ago and he seems sick now. He is kind of turning white no spots but loosing his color and not swimming much. The water is good ph 8.0 nitrite, ammonia zero. And nitrate is around 10 but that shouldn't be to high. Salinity is 1.025. Not sure what it is so don't know how to treat it any help would be great
Piranhapat
Active Member
Is he eating? Second how is his breathing? Sometimes it might be good to remove him to a QT so you can start some medication. But it can stress him more. Need more information, how long you have him and when did you see him eat last. I think I see ick on his body and fins. You need either to treat the DT or remove him to a hospital tank.
I can move him or treat him in the dt. It's a new tank I had him for 3 days. The tank just got done cycling. He ate last night now this morning he looks terrible and won't eat or swim he is not looking good I will try to move him to a 30 gallon I have and treat for ick first I guess
sawdonkey
Valuable Member
He definitely has ich. You can see the salt-like white dots on his fins and in some places on his body.
There is tons of info on this site on how to treat it. I would recommend cupramine, but some people recommend snake oil. The "wait and see" method will surely end in the death of this fish, so you need to act now.
Good luck.
There is tons of info on this site on how to treat it. I would recommend cupramine, but some people recommend snake oil. The "wait and see" method will surely end in the death of this fish, so you need to act now.
Good luck.
Great. I got him out of the tank and am going to set up a qt tank for him and start treating. I only have one decent saltwater fish place within 1 1/2 hours and this is the second fish I got from there that had issues. I guess I will have to go back to ordering online. Hopefully I can save him. I also got a trigger and a snowflake eel. The eel seems good and I can't find the trigger so i am guessing he is dead already. What a shame
^^This. Although if the trigger has already died, velvet is a real possibility as well. The angel, and all other fish in your tank need to be treated with Cupramine. Eels are somewhat copper sensitive, but I've treated at least half dozen with Cupramine before.
The splotches on the body highly suggest velvet as well. You need to move fast in order to save this fish. The eel probably has more time due to it's thick mucous coat protection, but it will need to be treated as well.
Velvet (Amyloodinium):
Symptoms - Because velvet can be such a fast killer, key behavioral symptoms will often prelude visible ones. A fish with velvet may breathe heavy, seek relief by swimming into the flow of a powerhead and act reclusive (velvet makes them sensitive to light).
If visible symptoms do manifest; velvet appears the same as ich, except the fish will usually be covered in “dust.” This dust may look gold colored if viewed at the right angle and under the right spectrum of light. Velvet is often misdiagnosed as ich and is the main “tank killer” in our hobby. It can wipe out all your fish in less than 72 hours and cannot usually be “managed” as ich sometimes is.
Treatment options - Chloroquine phosphate is the treatment of choice for velvet, but copper also works if symptoms are caught early on. Tank transfer and hypo does notwork with velvet. A freshwater dip or formalin bath is recommended before treatment begins, due to the severity of this disease; however these would only provide temporary relief and will not eradicate velvet.
Velvet (Amyloodinium):
Symptoms - Because velvet can be such a fast killer, key behavioral symptoms will often prelude visible ones. A fish with velvet may breathe heavy, seek relief by swimming into the flow of a powerhead and act reclusive (velvet makes them sensitive to light).
If visible symptoms do manifest; velvet appears the same as ich, except the fish will usually be covered in “dust.” This dust may look gold colored if viewed at the right angle and under the right spectrum of light. Velvet is often misdiagnosed as ich and is the main “tank killer” in our hobby. It can wipe out all your fish in less than 72 hours and cannot usually be “managed” as ich sometimes is.
Treatment options - Chloroquine phosphate is the treatment of choice for velvet, but copper also works if symptoms are caught early on. Tank transfer and hypo does notwork with velvet. A freshwater dip or formalin bath is recommended before treatment begins, due to the severity of this disease; however these would only provide temporary relief and will not eradicate velvet.
I would also suggest a FW dip and/or formalin bath before (or while) the fish is placed in QT. "Quick Cure", "Aquarium Solutions Ich-X" and "Kordon Rid-Ich Plus" all contain formalin - so that's better than nothing. If you can't find formalin, acriflavine is a suitable alternative. "Ruby Reef Rally" contains acriflavine if you can find that. See below for more info.
Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, 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”.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Formalin: Treats Brooklynella and provides temporary relief for Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium). Also may be used as temporary relief, or even as an alternative treatment, for worms such as flukes and black ich.
How To Treat - Formalin is very interesting because its potential is not fully known. It is best administered in a bath solution for 30-45 minutes, following the dosage instructions on whatever bottle you use; or at 150 ppm if using "100% formalin" (ex. Formalin-MS). The bath should be done in a large glass bowl or container, and temperature should match the tank the fish is coming from. A bucket is not advised as plastic may absorb some of the medication and then leach it back out during future use. It is imperative that you heavily aerate the bath solution for at least 30 minutes before and also during treatment to compensate for oxygen depletion. The fish should be placed in a premixedbath solution. DO NOT add more formalin after the fish is already in the bath.
For Brooklynella, multiple baths may be required (so long as symptoms persist), but it’s important to give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths. Formalin has also been used as alternative treatment for external worms such as flukes and black ich. However, at least 2 baths are required (7 days apart) for the same reason described when using Prazipro. For all of the above, post treatment, the fish should not be returned to the same tank/water he came from to prevent reinfection.
You can dose formalin directly in a quarantine tank, but this can be risky due to the harshness of formalin and how quickly it can deplete the water of oxygen. Providing additional gas exchange to the QT is a must! A fish being treated must be monitored closely and should be removed if showing signs of distress - this applies when treating in QT or in the bath solution.
Pros - Treats or provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases. In some cases, formalin can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.
Cons/Side Effects - Formalin contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Therefore, precautions must be taken when using it. Preventing your skin from coming in contact with it by wearing water proof gloves and not breathing in any fumes by wearing a face mask is highly recommended. Formalin also can be harsh on the fish and will quickly deplete oxygen from the water. In some areas, the purchase of formalin is prohibited.
Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, 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”.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Formalin: Treats Brooklynella and provides temporary relief for Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium). Also may be used as temporary relief, or even as an alternative treatment, for worms such as flukes and black ich.
How To Treat - Formalin is very interesting because its potential is not fully known. It is best administered in a bath solution for 30-45 minutes, following the dosage instructions on whatever bottle you use; or at 150 ppm if using "100% formalin" (ex. Formalin-MS). The bath should be done in a large glass bowl or container, and temperature should match the tank the fish is coming from. A bucket is not advised as plastic may absorb some of the medication and then leach it back out during future use. It is imperative that you heavily aerate the bath solution for at least 30 minutes before and also during treatment to compensate for oxygen depletion. The fish should be placed in a premixedbath solution. DO NOT add more formalin after the fish is already in the bath.
For Brooklynella, multiple baths may be required (so long as symptoms persist), but it’s important to give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths. Formalin has also been used as alternative treatment for external worms such as flukes and black ich. However, at least 2 baths are required (7 days apart) for the same reason described when using Prazipro. For all of the above, post treatment, the fish should not be returned to the same tank/water he came from to prevent reinfection.
You can dose formalin directly in a quarantine tank, but this can be risky due to the harshness of formalin and how quickly it can deplete the water of oxygen. Providing additional gas exchange to the QT is a must! A fish being treated must be monitored closely and should be removed if showing signs of distress - this applies when treating in QT or in the bath solution.
Pros - Treats or provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases. In some cases, formalin can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.
Cons/Side Effects - Formalin contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Therefore, precautions must be taken when using it. Preventing your skin from coming in contact with it by wearing water proof gloves and not breathing in any fumes by wearing a face mask is highly recommended. Formalin also can be harsh on the fish and will quickly deplete oxygen from the water. In some areas, the purchase of formalin is prohibited.
I found the trigger he is just hiding in the rock. The eel still seems fine and is eating. I moved the angel to qt And am treating for ick. I hope it's not velvet he hasn't had any of the symptoms u stated other than maybe the dust I guess I will try treating that too though. Thanks for the help not a good dAy
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
I agree with this. Velvet is a real epidemic right now in fish distribution
Thank you so much for the help and info I never delt with velvet before this is a new one for me. I got both the fish in qt but I can't catch the eel. Do I need to get him out he seems fine so far but from what I read I need to leave the tank empty for 6 weeks now so I guess I will have to find a way to get him.
jdl513
Valuable Member
I suspect it is too late for a FW dip. The angel is highly stressed and he may not survive it. I would QT in hyposalinity and maybe an antibiotic for the secondary infection. Keep the lights dim and monitor from a distance so you don't add to the stress. Just my 2 cents...good luck.
Just a word of caution... hyposalinity is a viable option if this is just ich. However, hypo does not treat velvet.
Bruce Burnett
Valuable Member
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It is best to qt upfront, it is also a good idea to have your lfs hold the fish for a week they are stressed when they get them so at least a week if they succumb to a disease you know not to buy. Some already do that before they sell them. I have a lfs I showed her one of her fish had ick or velvet. The next day everything on the same water was currently not for sale and she had more infected fish. She had started treatment after I had showed her the one fish. None were for sale until they all appeared disease free. Just remember if your tank is stable and healthy that is the best thing to keep fish disease free.
