Sick dottyback

Hhaynie · Apr 30, 2023

I need advice! I got this dottyback a few weeks ago, and I saw some white patches on its side yesterday! Above its anal fin looks weird too. I just put it in a spare 5 gallon, and am planning on using kanaplex with 90 percent weekly water changes. Is this enough? Any idea what the cause is? This fish hid the day I put it in the tank, and I’ve only ever seen flashes of it. There are no tankmates. The corals and anemones look great, so I don’t think the parameters are off.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 30, 2023

Hhaynie said:
I need advice! I got this dottyback a few weeks ago, and I saw some white patches on its side yesterday! Above its anal fin looks weird too. I just put it in a spare 5 gallon, and am planning on using kanaplex with 90 percent weekly water changes. Is this enough? Any idea what the cause is? This fish hid the day I put it in the tank, and I’ve only ever seen flashes of it. There are no tankmates. The corals and anemones look great, so I don’t think the parameters are off.

Looks like scrapes, bites or both.
What other fish were in the tank with it?

Looks like you have it in quarantine. While it may heal without treatment, I would medicate with Seachem Kanaplex to prevent infection

Hhaynie · Apr 30, 2023

There are no tankmates, I’m already dosing kanaplex. I was told it looked like velvet. Is 5 gallons enough for a qt tank?

Hhaynie · Apr 30, 2023

I’m worried because it hasn’t acted normal, I’ve never seen it eat, and it hasn’t left the bottom of the rockwork, even after Several weeks!

Jay Hemdal · Apr 30, 2023

Hhaynie said:
I’m worried because it hasn’t acted normal, I’ve never seen it eat, and it hasn’t left the bottom of the rockwork, even after Several weeks!

Is it breathing fast? Having not eaten for several weeks is of course a really bad sign. It sure looks like it got beat up, but without other fish in the tank, that isn’t the case. Flukes can make a fish look bedraggled like this, but the fish should still be eating.
Jay

Hhaynie · Apr 30, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
Is it breathing fast? Having not eaten for several weeks is of course a really bad sign. It sure looks like it got beat up, but without other fish in the tank, that isn’t the case. Flukes can make a fish look bedraggled like this, but the fish should still be eating.
Jay

It is breathing fast. I don’t know if it hasn’t eaten, because I’ve got all sorts of bugs and worms. I just did a 5 minute bath with R0DI and I didn’t see anything leaving the gills.

Hhaynie · Apr 30, 2023

Will kanaplex treat invert parasites?

Jay Hemdal · Apr 30, 2023

Hhaynie said:
It is breathing fast. I don’t know if it hasn’t eaten, because I’ve got all sorts of bugs and worms. I just did a 5 minute bath with R0DI and I didn’t see anything leaving the gills.

You won’t see gill flukes after a FW dip unless you use a microscope.
See if it improves tomorrow, if it does, that indicates flukes and you should do a prazipro treatment.
Jay