Sick Hippo. Been trying for months to help her.

[ChaosPaws&Fins]

I started my 60 gallon tank at the beginning of the year. I added a blue hippo (I know now that 60 is too small), a few days after adding Blue hippo tang visible white spots showed up and she lost a lot of her color. Then the other fish showed signs. Even at the beginning she didn’t eat a lot. It was like she couldn’t close her mouth. I went to a FB forum (I know now, not to do that anymore), and they said ich. Did some more research and Started QT and had DT fallow for 80 days and treated fish with Copper. Tested daily.

When I migrated back to DT the tang looked better. Still a little diluted in color but no more ich. I’ve tried multiple different foods, brands etc. Still can’t get her to eat. All my other fish are fine. But the blue hippo looks like a dead fish swimming.
last readings yesterday

77degrees
1.026 salinity
0 no2
20 no3
7.8 ph
500 cal
1560 mg
12.6 dkh

FB forum has said ich again, HLLE, brook, etc.
Im still completely new. I’ve already been told off because it’s a tang in a 60g, and that I should have never bought a hippo and that I should be hit in the face for letting her get this bad.......

Ive Literally been trying to get her to eat and get healthy since the beginning of March. I know she looks awful. It breaks my heart. I feel awful.

I’ve already been cheeed up and spit out in the FB forum for asking for help. I don’t need any more of that. I need clear directions on how to make her better. I can’t allow this suffering...

 

[Flippers4pups]

@Big G, looks like multiple things going on. Bacterial for one.

#reefsquad

 

[4FordFamily]

Oh my word. I’m so sorry for you and the fish. Generally, poor nutrition, HLLE, and other parasites lead a hippo to look this bad. They’re known for deteriorating in the home aquaria under most people’s care, despite popularity. Even my own has a few “marks” on it as it’s gotten older from likely HLLE.

In that condition I cannot tell if it’s devoid of parasites, truly no way to know unless it’s behaving strangely — swimming in to power heads, scratching, flashing, etc.

Feed lots of mixed frozen foods fortified or loaded with nutrition such a CA or PE Mysis, spirulina brine, redworms, etc. soak foods in selcon, zoe, and/or vita chem. This seems to help with HLLE over time. That fish will unfortunately likely never look “beautiful” again, but in time it could improve dramatically.

 

[andrewey]

@4FordFamily, in addition to increasing nutrition, would you suggest the OP start on some broad spectrum antibiotics for possible secondary bacterial infections, or would that not be necessary in this case?

 

[4FordFamily]

@4FordFamily, in addition to increasing nutrition, would you suggest the OP start on some broad spectrum antibiotics for possible secondary bacterial infections, or would that not be necessary in this case?

If the fish is noticeably worsening yes. If stable, no. It looks to me as if it’s been in this condition for a bit.

 

[ChaosPaws&Fins]

I just want to make her feel better. She can be beautiful in her own way but this is just breaking my heart!!! Someone said to buy polyp -booster. Is this a good suggestion?

 

[ChaosPaws&Fins]

If the fish is noticeably worsening yes. If stable, no. It looks to me as if it’s been in this condition for a bit.

So I should get her back in QT by herself?

 

[Big G]

How long and what process did you use with the copper? How long ago was the treatment?

Has the fish ever been treated for internal parasites?

 

[ChaosPaws&Fins]

QT/Copper was March, April. Then they all stayed in QT for DT to be fallow for 80 days. I’ve only done the copper.

 

[Aardvark1134]

If you already did copper you could try
Paraguard
plus metroplex and kanaplex with focus in food.

 

[4FordFamily]

How long and what process did you use with the copper? How long ago was the treatment?

Has the fish ever been treated for internal parasites?

This is a good question/point. I'd also soak food with general cure and focus for ~20 days or so. Frozen foods strained/drained with the additives in my previous post and meds. This could lead to poorer nutrition and hexamita for example might also be at play.