Amblygobius Phalaena big wounds and other problems

[Zachajst]

Hello everyone,


I have a 60-gallon tank with 11 juvenile fish. Salinity is 35 ppt, NO3 around 20, and PO4 around 0.25.
I don’t run a quarantine tank because I don’t have the space or access to medications.


Over time, all my fish have become quite skittish — I thought maybe I was just scaring them. A few days ago, my yellow wrasse started scratching against the sand and rocks repeatedly (about 10 times in a row). I had just installed a new internal skimmer that produced a lot of microbubbles, so I thought that might be the cause. The wrasse has also had white spots visible only under blue lights since the beginning.


Then suddenly, my Flameback angel started hiding and stopped eating, even though he used to be the boss of the tank and ate the most. I also noticed a nasty wound on my Tomini tang that has now healed. Since the beginning, my Flameback and Tomini have been fighting quite a bit — the tang often had small marks, but they always healed quickly, and the two seemed to finally tolerate each other. I suspect aggression might be an issue.


Yesterday, I noticed that my Sleeper Banded Goby developed a hole-like wound on its head, with a few marks near the fins and some irritated skin with small white hair-like growths near the mouth. The goby is still eating well but is very skittish and seems irritated.
Could this be a mechanical wound that got infected, or some kind of disease that caused tissue damage?


I’ve been in the marine hobby for about eight months, but honestly, I’m feeling really discouraged. I read about treatments like copper and PraziPro, but in eu, medications like that are banned, and my local fish stores say they don’t use any meds — only real live rock. So I can’t really use QT or copper treatments and need to belive in Paul B methods.
Do I just have to watch my fish suffer and wait for them to die? On the other hand, many fish die in QT as well, so it feels hopeless. I wish I had never started this tank — this hobby has so many unsolved problems, and it’s becoming really stressful.


What do you think is happening to my fish? I probably have multiple diseases like ich or flukes (and honestly, I think most tanks — even quarantined ones — have them). But do you think the Phalaena’s wound is something serious, or could it heal on its own?
Maybe my main issue is just aggression?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone,


I have a 60-gallon tank with 11 juvenile fish. Salinity is 35 ppt, NO3 around 20, and PO4 around 0.25.
I don’t run a quarantine tank because I don’t have the space or access to medications.


Over time, all my fish have become quite skittish — I thought maybe I was just scaring them. A few days ago, my yellow wrasse started scratching against the sand and rocks repeatedly (about 10 times in a row). I had just installed a new internal skimmer that produced a lot of microbubbles, so I thought that might be the cause. The wrasse has also had white spots visible only under blue lights since the beginning.


Then suddenly, my Flameback angel started hiding and stopped eating, even though he used to be the boss of the tank and ate the most. I also noticed a nasty wound on my Tomini tang that has now healed. Since the beginning, my Flameback and Tomini have been fighting quite a bit — the tang often had small marks, but they always healed quickly, and the two seemed to finally tolerate each other. I suspect aggression might be an issue.


Yesterday, I noticed that my Sleeper Banded Goby developed a hole-like wound on its head, with a few marks near the fins and some irritated skin with small white hair-like growths near the mouth. The goby is still eating well but is very skittish and seems irritated.
Could this be a mechanical wound that got infected, or some kind of disease that caused tissue damage?


I’ve been in the marine hobby for about eight months, but honestly, I’m feeling really discouraged. I read about treatments like copper and PraziPro, but in eu, medications like that are banned, and my local fish stores say they don’t use any meds — only real live rock. So I can’t really use QT or copper treatments and need to belive in Paul B methods.
Do I just have to watch my fish suffer and wait for them to die? On the other hand, many fish die in QT as well, so it feels hopeless. I wish I had never started this tank — this hobby has so many unsolved problems, and it’s becoming really stressful.


What do you think is happening to my fish? I probably have multiple diseases like ich or flukes (and honestly, I think most tanks — even quarantined ones — have them). But do you think the Phalaena’s wound is something serious, or could it heal on its own?
Maybe my main issue is just aggression?

This may be from scratching and associated with flukes. Can you provide a 20-30 second video using Bright white light intensity, no blue and showing all fish with marks?
Are the occupants breathing normal or labored?
Eyes clear or hazy?

 

[mcarroll]

UV and micron filters should be allowed.

If you can catch the fish fairly easily I would give each one a dechlorinated freshwater dip for 5-10 minutes....this will knock off most parasites that are on them......keep in mind the UV/micron filter or they will quickly be reinfected when back in the tank.

Do you have anything like Ruby Reef's products available there?

 

[Zachajst]

Better pics

 

[Zachajst]

Thank you so much for so quick responses.
I think in this danged eu (Poland) only Preis Coly and eSHa gdex is avaible. What are Micron filters? I have 9w UV.

This may be from scratching and associated with flukes. Can you provide a 20-30 second video using Bright white light intensity, no blue and showing all fish with marks?
Are the occupants breathing normal or labored?
Eyes clear or hazy?

Fish can hurt themselves like that by scratching?
Phalaena and Salarias Fasciatus have pretty hazy eyes but isnt it normal with these spiecies? All other fish have clear eyes including Yellow Wrasse who scratch the most.
Some breathe normal, some labored like Flameback. Goby breathe normal.

Water change will help?

I'll try soon make video under white lights and show all the fish with problems and they behaviour, thank you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you so much for so quick responses.
I think in this danged eu (Poland) only Preis Coly and eSHa gdex is avaible. What are Micron filters? I have 9w UV.

Fish can hurt themselves like that by scratching?
Phalaena and Salarias Fasciatus have pretty hazy eyes but isnt it normal with these spiecies? All other fish have clear eyes including Yellow Wrasse who scratch the most.

I'll try soon make video under white lights and show all the fish with problems and they behaviour, thank you.

Somewhat hazy is normal yes, I should rephrase- cloudy in better terms

 

[vetteguy53081]

Better pics

Still heavy with blue lighting.... need pure white at brightest intensity

 

[Zachajst]

Here is the wound on goby head.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is the wound on goby head.

Keep an eye on it for healing and not turning red or sore being infected. If so, treat in separate tank using Ruby rally pro or Waterlife Myxazin which should be available in your country

 

[Zachajst]

Thank you. So it could be from scratching? And that scratching is probably due to flukes? If the wound is more white than before it's a good thing?

 

[Zachajst]

Tomini marks.

 

[Zachajst]

Yellow wrasse looks like this

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello everyone,


I have a 60-gallon tank with 11 juvenile fish. Salinity is 35 ppt, NO3 around 20, and PO4 around 0.25.
I don’t run a quarantine tank because I don’t have the space or access to medications.


Over time, all my fish have become quite skittish — I thought maybe I was just scaring them. A few days ago, my yellow wrasse started scratching against the sand and rocks repeatedly (about 10 times in a row). I had just installed a new internal skimmer that produced a lot of microbubbles, so I thought that might be the cause. The wrasse has also had white spots visible only under blue lights since the beginning.


Then suddenly, my Flameback angel started hiding and stopped eating, even though he used to be the boss of the tank and ate the most. I also noticed a nasty wound on my Tomini tang that has now healed. Since the beginning, my Flameback and Tomini have been fighting quite a bit — the tang often had small marks, but they always healed quickly, and the two seemed to finally tolerate each other. I suspect aggression might be an issue.


Yesterday, I noticed that my Sleeper Banded Goby developed a hole-like wound on its head, with a few marks near the fins and some irritated skin with small white hair-like growths near the mouth. The goby is still eating well but is very skittish and seems irritated.
Could this be a mechanical wound that got infected, or some kind of disease that caused tissue damage?


I’ve been in the marine hobby for about eight months, but honestly, I’m feeling really discouraged. I read about treatments like copper and PraziPro, but in eu, medications like that are banned, and my local fish stores say they don’t use any meds — only real live rock. So I can’t really use QT or copper treatments and need to belive in Paul B methods.
Do I just have to watch my fish suffer and wait for them to die? On the other hand, many fish die in QT as well, so it feels hopeless. I wish I had never started this tank — this hobby has so many unsolved problems, and it’s becoming really stressful.


What do you think is happening to my fish? I probably have multiple diseases like ich or flukes (and honestly, I think most tanks — even quarantined ones — have them). But do you think the Phalaena’s wound is something serious, or could it heal on its own?
Maybe my main issue is just aggression?

As with many cases that we see here, it is probable that the symptoms that you are seeing are not all closely related. The wound on the goby's head is likely an injury, while the wrasse scratching is most likely flukes. Difficult to say what the issue is with the angelfish, but since it stopped eating, that is by far the most serious symptom. Flukes don't cause a fish to stop eating, at least not until they are near death.

Have you lost any fish recently?
Do you have a treatment tank available, or one that you could move any invertebrates into?

 

[Zachajst]

Unfortunately, neither Ruby Rally Pro nor Waterlife Myxazin is available but I assume that any antibacterial medication will work more or less?

Thankfully I didn't lost any fish yet.

I have 30 gallon spare tank, and some additional heater and filter, but as I mentioned I don't have acsess to any real meds. Workers at my LFS looked at me like I'm crazy. "Just like rock and frozen food, noting else. We dont sell any meds. All fish healthty". They had Preis Coly for internal parasites and Iodine tho.

ESHa gdex is available online and it is supposed to be for flukes, but I've read enough threads where fish survived copper treatment in QT yet couldn't tolerate eSHa gdex and were dying after that, so I'm afraid to use it.



With Angelfish is that when I first got him he also didn't want to eat because he was bullied pretty bad by Goby and Lawmoer Blenny. I remember I got him to eat back then by removing these two for a few days.

Now maybe it's because he can stand Tomini Tang when he's near almost any cave in aquarium? Tomini tang isn't aggressive at all towards Flameback, but when attacked he protects himself.

It's been I think aroud 5 days. Angel is still fat, so maybe I'll just watch him for now?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately, neither Ruby Rally Pro nor Waterlife Myxazin is available but I assume that any antibacterial medication will work more or less?

Thankfully I didn't lost any fish yet.

I have 30 gallon spare tank, and some additional heater and filter, but as I mentioned I don't have acsess to any real meds. Workers at my LFS looked at me like I'm crazy. "Just like rock and frozen food, noting else. We dont sell any meds. All fish healthty". They had Preis Coly for internal parasites and Iodine tho.

ESHa gdex is available online and it is supposed to be for flukes, but I've read enough threads where fish survived copper treatment in QT yet couldn't tolerate eSHa gdex and were dying after that, so I'm afraid to use it.



With Angelfish is that when I first got him he also didn't want to eat because he was bullied pretty bad by Goby and Lawmoer Blenny. I remember I got him to eat back then by removing these two for a few days.

Now maybe it's because he can stand Tomini Tang when he's near almost any cave in aquarium? Tomini tang isn't aggressive at all towards Flameback, but when attacked he protects himself.

It's been I think aroud 5 days. Angel is still fat, so maybe I'll just watch him for now?

If you end up wanting to treat for flukes, you can also use hyposalinity:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hyposalinity.880546/

 

[Zachajst]

Oh thank you, I'll check it out. But how can I be 100% sure that the scratching is caused by flukes? FW bath?
Besides scratching, is it possible for healthty fish to live normally with flukes? Like they can with ich?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Oh thank you, I'll check it out. But how can I be 100% sure that the scratching is caused by flukes? FW bath?
Besides scratching, is it possible for healthty fish to live normally with flukes? Like they can with ich?

A FW dip can help diagnose one species of fluke (Neobenedenia) but the other two types of flukes are too small to see in the dip water without a microscope.

Fish that scratch multiple times a day have some sort of irritation - healthy fish just don't scratch. Most often, that irritation is from flukes. Ich rarely causes fish to scratch. Sometimes, particles in the water will cause a fish to scratch, but then, you would see those.

I have seen chronic fluke infections in a few cases - where the fish had flukes but didn't die from them. This is usually seen in huge tanks, the cases I saw were all in public aquariums.

 

[Zachajst]

I have particles in water column beacause my goby is stirring the sand all the time, and microbubbles from new skimmer. Could that cause irritation?
Is hyposalinity generally safe for fish if salinity is measured correctly?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have particles in water column beacause my goby is stirring the sand all the time, and microbubbles from new skimmer. Could that cause irritation?
Is hyposalinity generally safe for fish if salinity is measured correctly?

Yes, it could be dust stirred up by the goby - you would be able to see that.

Hyposalinity is generally for reef fish (not sharks or rays!) down to a specific gravity of 1.010. It gets a bit more risky at 1.009 and you want to avoid 1.008. Flukes can be treated at 1.012 (but not ich).

 

[Zachajst]

Thank you very much for your time Jay. So I need to do something with these particles, think about hyposalinity teatmeant and make Flamback to eat again. He ate some flakes today but become pretty lethargic and got white spots on the head. Wound on the goby is healing I think.