Yellow watchman goby white blotches around face

[Andreas' Reef]

My ywg has developed some blotches around the face. Any ideas of what it is? My cleaner shrimp is obsessively cleaning it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My ywg has developed some blotches around the face. Any ideas of what it is? My cleaner shrimp is obsessively cleaning it.

It appears to be bacterial and ironically the cleaner shrimp is trying to clean it. This can also have stemmed from a scratch or scrape and its healing making it look this way but slight redness behind gill suggests bacterial. You can use ruby rally pro which is reef save but best would be use of Seachem Kanaplex in a quarantine setting.
You dont want to place sand in quarantine but you can offer a bowl with sand in it and add aeration with an air stone.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

It appears to be bacterial and ironically the cleaner shrimp is trying to clean it. This can also have stemmed from a scratch or scrape and its healing making it look this way but slight redness behind gill suggests bacterial. You can use ruby rally pro which is reef save but best would be use of Seachem Kanaplex in a quarantine setting.
You dont want to place sand in quarantine but you can offer a bowl with sand in it and add aeration with an air stone.

Is it possible to just feed kanaplex?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Is it possible to just feed kanaplex?

No, not unless you calculate the dose carefully, it can be toxic….

Here is another thought - is the goby holding still for the shrimp? If so, you should consider that this could be flukes.

Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

No, not unless you calculate the dose carefully, it can be toxic….

Here is another thought - is the goby holding still for the shrimp? If so, you should consider that this could be flukes.

Jay

wow, i didn’t know that. How is it toxic to feed? Also for holding Still for the shrimp I’ll say sort of, beca it does pull away but it stays still for periods of time. Also, I don’t see any white spots.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The dose for kanaplex is 50 mg per kg of fish weight, so dosing in food for a fish this small is virtually impossible - and if you overdose it is toxic.
I can see some mild discoloration on the goby, that combined with cleaning by the shrimp may well indicate flukes. Prazipro is a reef safe fluke medication…..
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

The dose for kanaplex is 50 mg per kg of fish weight, so dosing in food for a fish this small is virtually impossible - and if you overdose it is toxic.
I can see some mild discoloration on the goby, that combined with cleaning by the shrimp may well indicate flukes. Prazipro is a reef safe fluke medication…..
Jay

Thanks. Is the goby in the early stages? And is there anything I can do right now? I dont know if I can get prazipro any time soon since I live in Canada but I have some metroplex. May that work?

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Also is the shrimp helping or no

 

[Andreas' Reef]

And how do we know it’s flukes and not bacterial

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Also is the shrimp helping or no

The shrimp won’t cure it if it is flukes, but it will delay worsening of the symptoms. Metro doesn’t work against flukes though.
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

I might do a freshwater dip if I can catch him

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

And how do we know it’s flukes and not bacterial

Can’t be certain, but fish don’t posture for cleaners for bacterial issues like they do for flukes.
Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I might do a freshwater dip if I can catch him

That would buy you some time if it is flukes, but not help if it is bacterial.
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

That would buy you some time if it is flukes, but not help if it is bacterial.
Jay

I did a fw dip and nothing fell off so I’m thinking it may be bacterial

 

[Andreas' Reef]

That would buy you some time if it is flukes, but not help if it is bacterial.
Jay

I have some ruby rally on the way but it won’t be here for 10 days

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have some ruby rally on the way but it won’t be here for 10 days

That product isn’t very effective against flukes, and 10 days is a really long time to start a treatment, even if it is something that rally pro works against like Brooklynelka or bacteria.
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

That product isn’t very effective against flukes, and 10 days is a really long time to start a treatment, even if it is something that rally pro works against like Brooklynelka or bacteria.
Jay

Do you think I should just cancel it then

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Do you think I should just cancel it then

To be honest, Bacterial infections will likely either get better or not in that amount of time. Don't forget, there will be some delay even after you add the medication, for it to work (up to 5 days for bacterial infections). If a fish can live for 2 weeks without a treatment, it likely wouldn't have needed one to begin with.

Flukes are slower to kill a fish (weeks or months).

Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

To be honest, Bacterial infections will likely either get better or not in that amount of time. Don't forget, there will be some delay even after you add the medication, for it to work (up to 5 days for bacterial infections). If a fish can live for 2 weeks without a treatment, it likely wouldn't have needed one to begin with.

Flukes are slower to kill a fish (weeks or months).

Jay

This fish is pretty tough and is eating well. It’s survived Armageddon in my tank so I’m hoping it’ll be ok

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Is it possible they can fight of bacterial on their own