What's up with my Angler

[jasonrusso]

My painted angler has a white sore on his lip and a bubble on the other side. He also has a white spot at the base of his tail. His breathing is a bit labored, but his still moving around and wants to eat.

I'm thinking something bacterial. I gave him GC a few days ago. Should I give him a Kanaplex/metro plex dose? Unfortunately it's a angler so I can only feed him 2 times a week at most.

 

[Big G]

Is that sore on the lip cottony, fibrous, or cauliflower looking in texture?

 

[jasonrusso]

Is that sore on the lip cottony, fibrous, or cauliflower looking in texture?

Maybe fibrous? It looks like a patch of skin is gone. It's sunken in but does have some strands in it I guess

 

[jasonrusso]

Is that sore on the lip cottony, fibrous, or cauliflower looking in texture?

He also has that bubble on the other side

 

[Big G]

Was hoping it was lympho. But it doesn't sound like it with the "sunken in" description. Bacterial infection is highly likely. I've never treated an Angler.

I just read this thread:

An addendum to feeding and meds

An addendum to feeding and meds in regards to lions and other predatory fish like scorps and anglers. Disclaimer: I am not an "internet expert" and these are just my observations over decades and 100s of examples of these types of fish, my "opinion" in other words, and everybody has one. Some...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[lion king]

It does appear bacterial, someone likely nipped him and a bacterial infection moved in, I wouldn't wait My 1st recommendation with predatory fish is live food and pristine water conditions.

How long has it been there, and have you noticed it getting worse, better, or saying the same. It may be hard to treat/manage in a community tank, he will likely be stressed because whom ever nipped him to begin with, may continue now that he is injured. How is the water quality, nitrates less than 30ppm?

While I've never seen success treating anglers, I would consider these options. One, you could put him in his own tank, with perfect water conditions, and feed him live mollies. If he has still been eating, he's still got promise to recover if the conditions are right.
Two, if it has been declining and been there for more than a week, you may consider treatment with an antibiotic. You would have to change his feeding schedule to get the meds into him daily. So mix a daily dose of antibiotics in a daily portion of food. It will not work if you are feeding once or twice a week.

 

[jasonrusso]

It does appear bacterial, someone likely nipped him and a bacterial infection moved in, I wouldn't wait My 1st recommendation with predatory fish is live food and pristine water conditions.

How long has it been there, and have you noticed it getting worse, better, or saying the same. It may be hard to treat/manage in a community tank, he will likely be stressed because whom ever nipped him to begin with, may continue now that he is injured. How is the water quality, nitrates less than 30ppm?

While I've never seen success treating anglers, I would consider these options. One, you could put him in his own tank, with perfect water conditions, and feed him live mollies. If he has still been eating, he's still got promise to recover if the conditions are right.
Two, if it has been declining and been there for more than a week, you may consider treatment with an antibiotic. You would have to change his feeding schedule to get the meds into him daily. So mix a daily dose of antibiotics in a daily portion of food. It will not work if you are feeding once or twice a week.

There was a bully who picked on him and my lion. He was removed a few months ago. I'm not exactly sure when I started noticing it, but yes. I believe it's getting worse. At least his labored breathing is something new. The "bubble" is new.

He did eat a big goby I had just bought. I didn't feed him for 2 weeks until his belly went down. I'm not sure if that is contributing.

Nitrates are around 15. I run a nitrate reactor after losing lions for no obvious reason, until I learned that lions are very sensitive to nitrates.

He had a live gambusia tonight. That's what I feed the lion every 3 days or so. I have to "chill" them to slow them down for the angler.

He is stick trained, so I was thinking about giving him a metroplex/kannaplex blend.

After eating the gambusia, his mouth looks like it didn't close properly on one side. I wonder if he hurt his mouth eating the goby.

 

[lion king]

I'm not the expert on choices of medications, but the challenge with these types of fish is getting enough meds in them, because of his feeding schedule. So what you have to do, just for the time of treatment, is divide his weekly food into daily portions. Medicate the food and feed him daily per instructions as to dosage. It sounds as if this is what you have to try, since it is declining, waiting is not a good idea.

It likely was spurred by an injury.

 

[jasonrusso]

I'm not the expert on choices of medications, but the challenge with these types of fish is getting enough meds in them, because of his feeding schedule. So what you have to do, just for the time of treatment, is divide his weekly food into daily portions. Medicate the food and feed him daily per instructions as to dosage. It sounds as if this is what you have to try, since it is declining, waiting is not a good idea.

It likely was spurred by an injury.

I agree. That's what I plan on doing. If he makes it, I'll be ecstatic. If not, I'll know I did whatever I can do.

I do Kanaplex and Metroplex because it supposedly treats gram negative and gram positive bacteria

 

[jasonrusso]

Any other input on this? #reefsqaud

 

[jasonrusso]

I agree. That's what I plan on doing. If he makes it, I'll be ecstatic. If not, I'll know I did whatever I can do.

I do Kanaplex and Metroplex because it supposedly treats gram negative and gram positive bacteria

Do you think it would be better putting him in his own tank and treating the water or should I try to feed it to him? I don't want to stress him out. Stress kills more fish than anything

 

[lion king]

That's a toss up, the move will add more stress. As long as you are sure no one in his current tank is stressing him, he may be better to stay. Thats providing he will take the medicated food from the stick. I have also seen these guys not handle the meds in the water column, so there's that. Makes it a difficult decision, but you really shouldn't wait one way or the other.

 

[jasonrusso]

That's a toss up, the move will add more stress. As long as you are sure no one in his current tank is stressing him, he may be better to stay. Thats providing he will take the medicated food from the stick. I have also seen these guys not handle the meds in the water column, so there's that. Makes it a difficult decision, but you really shouldn't wait one way or the other.

Yeah, no one pays any attention to him. The bully was a bicolor angel that I witnessed picking on him. I saw him nipping his feet when he was going for a swim. I gave him away.

He didn't want food today, but he had a live fish yesterday so that's not too uncommon. I just hope I'm not too late.

I've had him for nearly 3 years and he's never had any issues until now. He's always been "active" for an angler.

 

[jasonrusso]

Well, he stopped eating. And I think the sore js getting bigger/deeper. Today he refused a live fish right in front of him. I put him in his own HT. I was doing a water change today anyway. I just used the old tank water so I didn't have to acclimate him. I put Kanaplex in the water, so let's see what happens.

I'm my opinion, it's the difference between maybe dying by treatment or definitely dying slowly and possibly spreading to the other fish.

Fingers crossed.

 

[jasonrusso]

He didn't make it. He died tonight. FWIW, the infection did go away. I put carbon in the filter when I got home from work, but his breathing was very labored.