what is happening with my fish

[marinelife]

I got this Emperor a while back and it seems to be going down hill.
I think Fin Rot but not sure. I have not seen anything going after it.
It eats Spectrum Thera+ A pellets but nothing else.

I treated it with paraguard about a month ago when I got it. Its now in my display tank. I tried to get it out to treat it some more but so for no luck.

What are your thoughts, dead if I do not get it in QT?

 

[melypr1985]

I do believe you need to get him into a QT. He looks pretty bad.

Bacterial infections:

Symptoms - Sometimes it's self-describing: Popeye/cloudy eyes, fin & tail rot, dropsy (bloated fish), etc. But some other bacterial infections, such as furunculosis, hemorrhagic septicemia, etc., can have varying visible symptoms. Any redness or open sores/wounds on a fish should be viewed with suspicion. Also, a white film or fungus-looking growth may denote a bacterial infection. It’s important to note that in many cases a bacterial infection is usually secondary in nature to a parasitic infestation such as ich, meaning if a fish has been battling ich for a while then his immune system has been lowered. This makes infection more likely for many opportunistic, harmful bacteria.

Treatment options - Broad spectrum antibiotic medication i.e. one that treats both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial diseases. Examples of this include Furan-2, Kanamycin aka Seachem Kanaplex, Nitrofuracin Green Powder, Triple Sulfa Powder, or a combination of using both Erythromycin & Minocycline. The latter can be accomplished (albeit expensively) by using freshwater Maracyn 1 & 2 and then doubling the dosage for saltwater use. When battling a particularly nasty bacterial infection, combining Furan-2, Kanaplex and metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) can be very effective (and safe). Props to “hedgedrew” for enlightening me of this.

 

[Humblefish]

The splotches on the skin could be him starting to change into his adult coloration. But the frayed fins are a sign of a bacterial infection, unless another fish in your tank is beating him up.

This article goes into more detail about bacterial infections: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

 

[4FordFamily]

The splotches on the skin could be him starting to change into his adult coloration. But the frayed fins are a sign of a bacterial infection, unless another fish in your tank is beating him up.

This article goes into more detail about bacterial infections: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

Can't flukes also attack the fins and damage them or am I completely mistaken?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I found this guy on facebook and asked him to post this here. I can't figure it out.

 

[Humblefish]

Can't flukes also attack the fins and damage them or am I completely mistaken?

Highly unlikely. Only one genus, Neobenedenia, is known to attack the body and it prefers the face, lips and eyes. Sometimes Neobenedenia can be seen with the naked eye (it will look translucent in SW - but becomes opaque and turns white once exposed to FW.) Below is a pic of a clownfish with Neobenedenia crawling over it's body. The fish is black, making the flukes easier to see in SW.

 

[Naiad]

I would really do all you can to get him in qt. He needs isolation to fix an infection or bullying anyway.

Highly unlikely. Only one genus, Neobenedenia, is known to attack the body and it prefers the face, lips and eyes. Sometimes Neobenedenia can be seen with the naked eye (it will look translucent in SW - but becomes opaque and turns white once exposed to FW.) Below is a pic of a clownfish with Neobenedenia crawling over it's body. The fish is black, making the flukes easier to see in SW.

One a side note I now know what kind of flukes infected my 120 years ago.

 

[4FordFamily]

I would really do all you can to get him in qt. He needs isolation to fix an infection or bullying anyway.



One a side note I now know what kind of flukes infected my 120 years ago.

120 years? What's your secret? You found the fountain of youth? Hook me up!

 

[Naiad]

120 years? What's your secret? You found the fountain of youth? Hook me up!

Crap I let my secret slip.. lol

 

[ZoaCollector]

That fin rot is pretty bad, he needs antibiotics fast. Sometimes that doesn't work quick enough either. Just make sure to keep ammonia levels at 0 while in qt or it will keep burning the fins.

 

[marinelife]

Thanks for the ideas and thoughts. I was thinking bullying that lead to an infection. Its still eating and I am working on trying to get a trap to see if I can get it out.

 

[monkiboy]

how did things go?

 

[marinelife]

lost her, put her in QT and did a treatment for fin rot. Did not make the night. I regret it, she was swimming around in the tank doing ok, once she hit the QT she went downhill fast!

 

[monkiboy]

sorry to hear about the loss but glad you were willing to learn and do what you could to increase your odds for the fish's health and its survivability.

 

[marinelife]

Next time if I see this happen I will not treat the fish in the same way. Most likely I would leave the fish in the tank and just feed more.

 

[melypr1985]

The problem is, he was already so advanced in his infection by the time treatment started. Antibiotics are slow to heal in fish, so the key is to identify the problem and start treatment early. I'm sorry for your loss, but just feeding more isn't always a good answer.