What is wrong with my firefish?

[kwandrsn]

I noticed my firefish isn't swimming around like he used to

I noticed his fins look tore up or something



Only thing new in my tank is a pistol shrimp

I also have 2 clowns and 2 chromis

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[kwandrsn]

bump for help

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Captain Nemo]

I would say that something Is beating him up. Your pics aren't loading by the way


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Mr. E Wrasse]

Chromis can be very aggressive, also he could be trying to pair up with the pistol shrimp which they do a lot and its either not working out and hes getting beat up by the shrimp or it could be a cramped area and hes trying to wedge himself in. I only say this because my firerfish did the same thing with my blood shrimp and at first was a little beat up but was fine later on.

 

[kwandrsn]

He lost almost all his tail fins and top spike

He is just kinda hanging in one area but he ate when I fed them. Not once have I seen anything nip or harass anything except for my two clowns doing their thing ya know. I added the shrimp a week or so ago. I know the firefish sleeps in the rock and that is where the shrimp is

Someone said to buy stress coat with aloe is this reef safe. I have over 25 types of coral
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[kwandrsn]

Anybody have any suggestions?

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

It looks like the fire fish is getting beat up. Can you QT the fish? Stress coat is not going to heal the fish.

 

[kwandrsn]

he won't let me near he goes inside my rock and I don't have a qt tank

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[NanaReefer]

Highly doubt it's the pistol shrimp doing the damage. I'm more inclined to think it's fin/tail rot.

Wikipedia:
Fin rot can be the result of a bacterial infection (Pseudomonas fluorescens, which causes a ragged rotting of the fin), or as a fungal infection (which rots the fin more evenly and is more likely to produce a white 'edge'). Sometimes, both types of infection are seen together. Infection is commonly brought on by bad water conditions, injury, poor diet, or as a secondary infection in a fish which is already stressed by other disease.

Fin rot starts at the edge of the fins, and destroys more and more tissue until it reaches the fin base. If it does reach the fin base, the fish will never be able to regenerate the lost tissue. At this point, the disease may attack the fish's body directly.

 

[kwandrsn]

Out happened in one day and part of it is completely gone to the skin

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[kwandrsn]

So I never got a answer is there any reef safe medicine that may help him?

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[NanaReefer]

No! Especially if its gone beyond the fins, sorry.

 

[kwandrsn]

Well he was gone this morning no trace I tore all my rock out. The lfs that a got the shrimp from is pretty sure it was his doing and is refunding the shrimp. I have to take all my rock out and get him out somehow though. They put on hold for me a new firefish and a six line wrasse that are together in a tank. They had the shrimp in a tank for a very long time and said he would chase or force other shrimp and fish out of the rocks and seeing as the firefish lived in there he probably got him

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Llyod276]

I understand this an ancient thread, how ever mine is doing the same ****. The long caudal and anal fins are deteriorating, and like wise nothing is picking on him. Hes claimed the anem's old spot. Only thing I can think of is crabs are picking on him...but you'd think head move away. Also hes getting pale splotches on him, like the color is bleeding away. Not panting. I did have a bout of brook which killed all my clowns, and currently am clown free for the next few months. Definitely not ich. At least not like any pics I've seen. I used to put in melafix, but I'm beginning to suspect that stuff is snake oil... haven't noticed any kind of improvement.

I'm gonna pick up a uv sterlizer in the next week, speaking of which anybody recommend a not quite break the bank quality uv sterlizer?

still eats, although he won't if the boss comes around, the sailfin. He doesnt move around much, prefers to hover near his spot and hide in his hole when I come by to say hi.

 

[britnicole1724]

I understand this an ancient thread, how ever mine is doing the same ****. The long caudal and anal fins are deteriorating, and like wise nothing is picking on him. Hes claimed the anem's old spot. Only thing I can think of is crabs are picking on him...but you'd think head move away. Also hes getting pale splotches on him, like the color is bleeding away. Not panting. I did have a bout of brook which killed all my clowns, and currently am clown free for the next few months. Definitely not ich. At least not like any pics I've seen. I used to put in melafix, but I'm beginning to suspect that stuff is snake oil... haven't noticed any kind of improvement.

I'm gonna pick up a uv sterlizer in the next week, speaking of which anybody recommend a not quite break the bank quality uv sterlizer?

still eats, although he won't if the boss comes around, the sailfin. He doesnt move around much, prefers to hover near his spot and hide in his hole when I come by to say hi.

Did you ever find anything out regarding this? Mine looks like this practically overnight but I don’t think it’s fin rot. The last couple of days the back end hasn’t gotten worse but now it’s dorsal fin is starting to go. Tried getting him out but he just dashes underneath the rocks. Still eating and swimming. Tested water, calcium is slightly high but nothing that would do this.

 

[LaxFrags]

@Humblefish

 

[Llyod276]

I never did find a cause. Maybe it was some kind of agression I wasn't seeing. He disappeared/died about what, a month after that post. He was hiding in the same space as my yellow watchman goby. So maybe they had a territory dispute. In the end he had nothing but a stump. And by the time I went to get it out it was too late. Never seen it since. Nice fish but I'd recommend either a peaceful tank no clowns damsels etc. Or watch em die due to bullying. It was a cool fish. Were my tank peaceful I'd definitely get one again.

Instead of netting.l, try a clear container. Also red light really helps. Turn off blues and whites if possible. Surprise the fish with the red light, otherwise it'll dart into its hole.

 

[britnicole1724]

I never did find a cause. Maybe it was some kind of agression I wasn't seeing. He disappeared/died about what, a month after that post. He was hiding in the same space as my yellow watchman goby. So maybe they had a territory dispute. In the end he had nothing but a stump. And by the time I went to get it out it was too late. Never seen it since. Nice fish but I'd recommend either a peaceful tank no clowns damsels etc. Or watch em die due to bullying. It was a cool fish. Were my tank peaceful I'd definitely get one again.

Instead of netting.l, try a clear container. Also red light really helps. Turn off blues and whites if possible. Surprise the fish with the red light, otherwise it'll dart into its hole.

Mine didn’t make it either. No other fish were affected. So weird.

 

[Llyod276]

Darwinism.

 

[i cant think]

Well he was gone this morning no trace I tore all my rock out. The lfs that a got the shrimp from is pretty sure it was his doing and is refunding the shrimp. I have to take all my rock out and get him out somehow though. They put on hold for me a new firefish and a six line wrasse that are together in a tank. They had the shrimp in a tank for a very long time and said he would chase or force other shrimp and fish out of the rocks and seeing as the firefish lived in there he probably got him

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

This was definitely a Fin rot case that wasn’t solved fast enough.

I understand this an ancient thread, how ever mine is doing the same ****. The long caudal and anal fins are deteriorating, and like wise nothing is picking on him. Hes claimed the anem's old spot. Only thing I can think of is crabs are picking on him...but you'd think head move away. Also hes getting pale splotches on him, like the color is bleeding away. Not panting. I did have a bout of brook which killed all my clowns, and currently am clown free for the next few months. Definitely not ich. At least not like any pics I've seen. I used to put in melafix, but I'm beginning to suspect that stuff is snake oil... haven't noticed any kind of improvement.

I'm gonna pick up a uv sterlizer in the next week, speaking of which anybody recommend a not quite break the bank quality uv sterlizer?

still eats, although he won't if the boss comes around, the sailfin. He doesnt move around much, prefers to hover near his spot and hide in his hole when I come by to say hi.

White blotches isn’t aggression. That to me sounds like a fungal disease brought with fin rot.

Firefish are the worst gobies for catching diseases such as fin rot. I personally stay away from them and just watch their curiousity in the LFS (I also try get uncommon/rare species of goby so that’s another reason why I stay away from the whole genus).