4 Lyretail Anthias died last night in QT. Is it Uronema? pics attached.

[Ozzyfrank]

These 4 female lyretail anthias were in QT (cuz I got them online). Today I went to do a 100% water change, and I found these 4 dead. I am not sure what killed all of them. The ammonia levels were around .25ppm Nitrite was at zero. 3 of the dead anthias had injuries (as you can see in the photos). There was no redness around the injuries; could that be Uronema? Or is it possible the injuries were from aggression between the anthias?

Today when I did the 100% water change, I added Seachem Kanaplex and Copper Power (at .77ppm which I will slowly raise each day.) Today was the 1st time I added meds to the tank, meaning the anthias did not die due to medications.

I have 1 remaining female lyretail that did not die and seems healthy and eating. As well as a firefish goby and sailfin tang.

Thanks!

 

[blaxsun]

#fishmedic

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The vertical lesions and black bellies sure looks like Uronema. Putting a fresh biopsy sample under a microscope and looking for protozoans is the only way to know for sure. The only thing that doesn't quite match up is that very often, fish dying from inter cellular Uronema often die with their mouths wide open, and these didn't do that....but that isn't definitive.

Aggression from other fish would more typically show fin damage, and not large lesions like this.

Of course, a 100% water change, if not done exactly right, can cause acute fish loss (but not lesions like this).

In the end, I'd say this is Uronema. Despite what you might read, inter cellular Uronema is not treatable (by any means we now know). Once the lesions erupt to the surface of the skin, the fatal damage has already been done much deeper down. I've been able to control external Uronema in seahorses and sea dragons with formalin....but that may end up being a totally different species of Scuticociliate that just looks like this type of Uronema.

The best thing to do now is to get the copper ramped up to full dose and see how the other one does. The other species are not likely to be affected.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree on uronema which they are often susceptible to.
Problem is they look very normal at LFS and within days the marks show up. Any time I get anthias and suggest same for chromis fish- Give them a 60-90 ruby rally bath