Unhealthy fish, please help!

[bugiguy]

Fellow hobbyest I'm in need of your best guidance!

I recently lost a barbonius and have a few other fish that are not looking or acting healthy. I'm not seeing obvious signs of parasites on the fish, however, I am seeing fin recession and chalky, pail coloring. I would post pics but the fish are keeping their fins clamped to their sides and the wrasse won't sit still long enough to capture his tail fin condition.

I know it's important to identify the condition before treatment but it's hard to sit and wait for the disease to reveal itself which may wipe out my tribe of fish. I can confidently say it's not ich, but I can't say the same for flukes. I've done some research but feel I'm still lacking the insight necessary to make a solid diagnosis. That's why I'm looking to you guys for help.

I have a 120G reef/fish display. My water parameters are in good condition. I'm looking now to buy a QT set up and hope to have it running within the next couple days.

Questions:
Is there a way to test for fish diseases?
Can you recommend a proven process to identify fish diseases?
If some fish show signs of compromised health should I only QT them or all fish in the system?

Thank you in advance for all your help!

 

[Brew12]

@Humblefish or @melypr1985

You guys available to help?

 

[Humblefish]

Sounds like flukes or possibly even velvet. Can you catch one of the fish to check for flukes (see below in red)? Also, when was the last fish/coral/invert added to your aquarium?

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”.

 

[Humblefish]

If your fish have flukes, you should see these drop out (especially out of the gills) within the first 5 mins.

 

[bugiguy]

If your fish have flukes, you should see these drop out (especially out of the gills) within the first 5 mins.

@Humblefish or @melypr1985

You guys available to help?

This is fantastic, thanks for your help!
Do you recommend me establishing a QT environment to do a deeper treatment? Also, should I treat all fish with dip or just the ones that are showing obvious signs of flukes?

 

[Humblefish]

This is fantastic, thanks for your help!
Do you recommend me establishing a QT environment to do a deeper treatment? Also, should I treat all fish with dip or just the ones that are showing obvious signs of flukes?

IF flukes show, you can dose Prazipro right in the DT. It's one of the few reef safe meds that actually works.

 

[Brew12]

This is fantastic, thanks for your help!

Oh... I almost forgot! Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[bugiguy]

Hey there, I fresh water dipped one of my blennys that showed the most fin damage and obvious health issues. I didn't see any signs of worms in the dip water. That was yesterday, today I dipped one of my larger wrasses the has some fin recession and flashes a lot. I saw two or three things that looked similar to what is in your pictures. However, I can't confirm whether is worms or debris from the catching of the fish. I'm trying to catch my Desjardini, he looks so weak and swims off balance, but he's still fast as lightning and impossible to catch.
Do you think I should go ahead and dose the tank with Prazipro or should I do more to confirm the presence of worms? I have the Prazipro ordered and set to arrive, hopefully, tomorrow.

 

[jsker]

Dose the tank.

 

[Humblefish]

Dose the tank.

^^Agree

 

[bugiguy]

Okay guys, I've dosed the tank with Prazipro. Didn't see any parasites reveal themselves. I did notice an increased degree of flashing initially. Some fish that never flashed before started flashing. That has all slowed but 3 days later from dosing I'm seeing my wrasse flashing several times an hour, sometimes he'll flash 7-8 times in a row. Any thoughts?

 

[Humblefish]

Okay guys, I've dosed the tank with Prazipro. Didn't see any parasites reveal themselves. I did notice an increased degree of flashing initially. Some fish that never flashed before started flashing. That has all slowed but 3 days later from dosing I'm seeing my wrasse flashing several times an hour, sometimes he'll flash 7-8 times in a row. Any thoughts?

You need to treat with Prazipro again, 5-7 days after the initial dosage.

 

[Brew12]

You need to treat with Prazipro again, 5-7 days after the initial dosage.

And make sure you aren't running carbon, right?

 

[bugiguy]

Yes, no carbon and no protein skimmer. When you say "running carbon"" do you mean carbon reactor? Also, how long should I not run the protein skimmer, and how long should I be dosing the tank for? Sorry lot's of questions.

 

[Humblefish]

No carbon (in a media bag or a reactor). You dose the tank with Prazipro just once. You only need to leave the skimmer off for 72 hrs, but you might find it will be a week or two before it stops over skimming.

 

[bugiguy]

Is there any other reason not to do activated carbon during Prazipro dosing because it pulls the medication out of the water or are there other concerns? How long to I wait to put carbon back in my system?

 

[Humblefish]

Is there any other reason not to do activated carbon during Prazipro dosing because it pulls the medication out of the water or are there other concerns? How long to I wait to put carbon back in my system?

The only other concern with running carbon is it's of good quality. Cheap carbon can cause HLLE.

 

[bugiguy]

Thanks for the information! Is there a carbon source you recommend? I'm reading your Do's and Don't of QT thread now. It's comforting to know there's some well experienced and vetted veterans deeply involved with helping people in the hobby they love.

 

[Humblefish]

Is there a carbon source you recommend?

I only use Rox 0.8: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-premium-rox-0-8-aquarium-carbon.html