Skin Flaking Off

Instigate · Dec 8, 2017

So I made a mistake and bought a fish that was not healthy. I didn't get a good look at him in the store. I wasn't planning on buying and fish that day, just stopping in real fast for some dry goods. I had coral frags from another store in the car and didn't take the time I should have. Anyways. It's a Randall's Goby. His dorsal and tail fins are pretty badly tattered. But otherwise looked ok for the first few days. But now I'm seeing large pieces of skin flaking off. He's in qt with two banggais. I'm working on getting some decent pictures for ID. Thinking it's a bad bacterial infection and I should dose furan/kana/metro. Or if it's velvet I need to do copper. Or maybe it's brook? Idk please advise. Pictures coming soon.

Also, he was eating but stopped yesterday. He did eat one bite that went by him durring both feedings today. Yesterday didn't eat anything. And the banggais seem unaffected. Which further makes me think bacterial infection. Should I separate them?

Instigate · Dec 9, 2017

There just isn't enough light in there to get a clean photo tonight. I'll have to try again in the daylight. But here is the best I could do right now.

Instigate · Dec 9, 2017

Maritimer · Dec 9, 2017

It honestly looks as though something was beating this guy up. That having been said, injury opens pathways for bacteria to colonize, so have those antibiotics on hand, in case they show up.

~Bruce

Humblefish · Dec 9, 2017

^^ Agree; but I would probably still begin Furan-2 + Kanaplex + Metroplex on this little guy. The latter also treats brook, just in case that disease is in play here.

Humblefish · Dec 9, 2017

Another option would be to give him either an Acriflavine or Methylene Blue bath, and see if he starts to heal following that. If not, go to antibiotics next.

Instigate · Dec 9, 2017

Thanks guys! I'll update as I go. Thinking I'll set up a 10g HT for the antibiotic treatment. Since I don't have the dips on had. I figure I'll put him in the antibiotics and can always give him a dip along the way once I get the MB or acriflavine.

Instigate · Dec 9, 2017

Btw any change his fins will fully grow back?

Maritimer · Dec 9, 2017

Pretty likely.

Unless they've been ripped right to the root, soft fins almost always grow back just fine. Spiny fins, less so.

~Bruce

Instigate · Dec 9, 2017

Maritimer said:
Pretty likely.

Unless they've been ripped right to the root, soft fins almost always grow back just fine. Spiny fins, less so.

~Bruce

Good to know. Thanks

Instigate · Dec 10, 2017

So he's still looking pretty bad off but he ate more today so hopefully that's a good sign.

Instigate · Dec 11, 2017

Definite improvement today. To my eyes the infection looks like it's going away, harder to tell in pictures. He also ate better than he has in several days. Selcon soaked mysis.

Maritimer · Dec 11, 2017

What's easy to tell in the photo is that his attitude has improved. He looks much more interested in life in general.

~Bruce

4FordFamily · Dec 11, 2017

Maritimer said:
What's easy to tell in the photo is that his attitude has improved. He looks much more interested in life in general.

~Bruce

Agree! Well-done, op!

Instigate · Dec 14, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Agree! Well-done, op!

Thanks! How long should I be continuing the treatment? He's looking pretty good now.

4FordFamily · Dec 14, 2017

Continue antibiotics for 14 days.

Instigate · Dec 15, 2017

So he was not looking too hot today, I was looking at him real close and I thought I saw what looked like flatworms crawling on him. So I did a 5min FW dip and sure enough 6 of the little jerks dropped off.

What would be the best course of action now? Some of the redness around his cheeks returned but the open sores have healed up as far as I can tell. I have him in a 10g hospital tank with the metro/furan/kana mix right now. He came from my 20g QT that I treat with copper in. The 20g has a sapphire damsel and two banggai cardinals, with an eggcrate and screen divider just in case. The goby was originally in with the banggais so I feel like I should treat the 20g tank for flukes as well. Should I put the goby back in the 20g and treat all of the fish for flukes right now? Or should I finish the antibiotics on the goby first then treat all of them? Or I could treat the damsel and cardinals for flukes right now and treat the goby in the HT once he's done with the antibiotics.

The cardinals have been hiding and skittish, showing their dark coloration. The damsel has been pretty normal but today he did snub the mysis but ate well later when I fed fish frenzy. He was also observed rubbing on the pvc pipe. So I'm not sure which route I should take. Planning on treating for flukes with prazipro.

Also, the goby stopped eating today and I noticed he has a bit of a stomach bulge so I was going to start feeding GC, but we wont eat anything now. Maybe he will eat tomorrow because he feels better from getting some of the flukes off him I hope.

Instigate · Dec 15, 2017

Maritimer · Dec 15, 2017

General Cure can be dosed in the water as well as in food - since half of it is Praziquantel and half is Metronidazole, it works on flukes. I've used it during antibiotic treatment, replacing a dose of Metroplex with a dose of General Cure for that day, to hit flukes as well as bacteria. Followed up with a second dose (still during "trifecta" antibiotic treatment) of GC, again replacing a dose of Metroplex, after six days.

~Bruce

4FordFamily · Dec 15, 2017

Maritimer said:
General Cure can be dosed in the water as well as in food - since half of it is Praziquantel and half is Metronidazole, it works on flukes. I've used it during antibiotic treatment, replacing a dose of Metroplex with a dose of General Cure for that day, to hit flukes as well as bacteria. Followed up with a second dose (still during "trifecta" antibiotic treatment) of GC, again replacing a dose of Metroplex, after six days.

~Bruce

Great suggestion!