When can he go into DT?

[Mariette]

This guy began dropping scales like mad days after I got him. He’s been through 2 doses of Prazi, 2 weeks of copper and he’s done 1 week into his 2 week treatment of General trio (same meds as the trifecta). Scales stopped dropping days after antibiotics . He’s eating like a pro and is swimming around normally. Scales can take years to grow back. No idea what caused it but he appears fine now. Antibiotic treatment ends in a week. How long after antibiotics finished would you put him on DT?
@Jay Hemdal care to weigh in? You helped me get him to this point

 

[DeniseAndy]

I would say with that treatment, he can go in when antibiotics are done. Just give it an acclimation box so not bullied by others in the tank and hopefully it all works out great.

 

[Mariette]

I would say with that treatment, he can go in when antibiotics are done. Just give it an acclimation box so not bullied by others in the tank and hopefully it all works out great.

Thanks Denise. I was thinking he’d need some kind of observation period after meds are done no?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This guy began dropping scales like mad days after I got him. He’s been through 2 doses of Prazi, 2 weeks of copper and he’s done 1 week into his 2 week treatment of General trio (same meds as the trifecta). Scales stopped dropping days after antibiotics . He’s eating like a pro and is swimming around normally. Scales can take years to grow back. No idea what caused it but he appears fine now. Antibiotic treatment ends in a week. How long after antibiotics finished would you put him on DT?
@Jay Hemdal care to weigh in? You helped me get him to this point

As I think I mentioned, Uronema can cause scale loss, but then, the fish typically die (sigh). I don't have any experience with scale loss from bacterial infections, but I can't rule that out. In my experience, it is either caused by Uronema or aggression...one thing is the fish will have some difficulty maintaining proper osmotic balance with seawater with that much of its skin damaged. The common response to that is to lower the salinity of the tank so that it is more isotonic with the fish's blood - so perhaps a specific gravity of 1.020. Just be sure that you take time to bring the fish back up to full salinity - I like to raise it .002 specific gravity units or less per 24 hours.

You say scales can take years to grow back? I'd think that they can regrow faster than that - weeks or months perhaps. As a matter of course, I always wait a minimum of two weeks after the last symptoms were observed (or the last treatment was concluded) before moving a fish from a QT to a DT.

Jay

 

[Mariette]

As I think I mentioned, Uronema can cause scale loss, but then, the fish typically die (sigh). I don't have any experience with scale loss from bacterial infections, but I can't rule that out. In my experience, it is either caused by Uronema or aggression...one thing is the fish will have some difficulty maintaining proper osmotic balance with seawater with that much of its skin damaged. The common response to that is to lower the salinity of the tank so that it is more isotonic with the fish's blood - so perhaps a specific gravity of 1.020. Just be sure that you take time to bring the fish back up to full salinity - I like to raise it .002 specific gravity units or less per 24 hours.

You say scales can take years to grow back? I'd think that they can regrow faster than that - weeks or months perhaps. As a matter of course, I always wait a minimum of two weeks after the last symptoms were observed (or the last treatment was concluded) before moving a fish from a QT to a DT.

Jay

Thanks Jay. He’s been doing great at salinity of 1.22. I will raise the salinity slowly, thank you. I’m thinking it’s not uronema. Lots of visible skin where scales are lost. Not red. Not inflamed. Have had uronema twice before. Fish don’t last long. Doubt it was aggression because it’s on both sides all over the body. He’d have to be attacked pretty bad for such dramatic scale loss everywhere. Can’t figure out what caused it. Assuming bacterial infection. He looked great when I got him. Water conditions were kept pristine. No signs of parasites. Such a mystery. I’ll see how he does once off antibiotics. I’m thinking you’re right: 2 weeks observation at a minimum once meds done. If no further scales are lost in that timeframe, he’ll go into DT. There are no aggressive fish there to pick on him. Glad scales grow back faster than I thought. That’s reassuring. Thanks again

on another note: the Midas blenny he was quarantining w has developed a white sheen on patches of his skin. Still eating and active. Only thing I’ve been able to find that can cause it is a bacterial infection. Blenny will begin antibiotics too. Could it be that one of them had/got an infection and spread it? Where would it have come from? I test qt water parameters often and do daily water changes. Only thing I can think of is poor water quality due to lack of cycling in a bare bottom tank w no live rock. I use water from my display tank at every water change.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Midas blennies seem to have a lot of issues! Was this one taken through the same antibiotic treatment as the wrasse? If so, it seems that a bacterial infection would be less likely. I wonder if this could be flukes, I see that on these fairly often. Have you used Prazi on these fish yet?

Jay

 

[Mariette]

Midas blennies seem to have a lot of issues! Was this one taken through the same antibiotic treatment as the wrasse? If so, it seems that a bacterial infection would be less likely. I wonder if this could be flukes, I see that on these fairly often. Have you used Prazi on these fish yet?

Jay

Blenny started showing signs 2 days ago. He’s been through the same 2 doses of prazi and 2 weeks of copper as the wrasse. Copper treatment ends tomorrow. Wrasse was pulled from that qt and moved to his own tank for antibiotic treatment. Blenny has not had antibiotics yet. I will have a tank free for him tomorrow so he can start antibiotics. I’m terrified of freshwater dips. Never had any luck. Can’t match ph. no visible flukes for what it’s worth. I did have another wrasse in there w them that died days after I got him. Corpse was missing scales but assumed other picked at him after he died. Freshwater dipped the corpse. No flukes.

Midas blenny has been eating and active since day 2. Day 1 was traumatic. No one ate.

on another note: about 40% of the discolouration has disappeared in 2 days. He seems to be improving with no intervention. Weighing pros and cons of treatment at this point ...

 

[DeniseAndy]

I agree with Jay that you should have at least 2wks of no symptoms before adding back to display. I may have read the post incorrectly. I thought the fish was fine after the copper and two weeks of antibiotics. I will sometimes do an observation watch for two weeks too. This tank I make more like the home tank.

Good luck with your fishies.

 

[Mariette]

I agree with Jay that you should have at least 2wks of no symptoms before adding back to display. I may have read the post incorrectly. I thought the fish was fine after the copper and two weeks of antibiotics. I will sometimes do an observation watch for two weeks too. This tank I make more like the home tank.

Good luck with your fishies.

Thanks Denise. i typically do a 1 mth observation in a nice 45g tank after treatment before display tank. He’s been showing symptoms for 2 weeks. He was done w Prazi at that point and hadn’t started copper yet. I suppose it could be related to parasites but I see no other signs. No flashing. No heavy breathing. No visible spots.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Blenny started showing signs 2 days ago. He’s been through the same 2 doses of prazi and 2 weeks of copper as the wrasse. Copper treatment ends tomorrow. Wrasse was pulled from that qt and moved to his own tank for antibiotic treatment. Blenny has not had antibiotics yet. I will have a tank free for him tomorrow so he can start antibiotics. I’m terrified of freshwater dips. Never had any luck. Can’t match ph. no visible flukes for what it’s worth. I did have another wrasse in there w them that died days after I got him. Corpse was missing scales but assumed other picked at him after he died. Freshwater dipped the corpse. No flukes.

Midas blenny has been eating and active since day 2. Day 1 was traumatic. No one ate.

on another note: about 40% of the discolouration has disappeared in 2 days. He seems to be improving with no intervention. Weighing pros and cons of treatment at this point ...

Oh - my general rule is if a fish is improving on its own, not to change anything. Bacterial issues often resolve on their own.

Jay

 

[Mariette]

Oh - my general rule is if a fish is improving on its own, not to change anything. Bacterial issues often resolve on their own.

Jay

Awesome. He is now looking great