Another sick powder blue tang

[DrMMI]

Yesterday I noticed my powder blue was just hanging out in the corner of the tank and wasn't really swimming around much. I put some nori in and he picked at it a little, but moved away when any of the other fish went to the clip. This morning, he was laying on the rocks in the same corner. This tank went through a fallow period of over a 100 days. All original fish were treated with therapeutic copper safe (2 rounds) and 2 rounds of general cure. The powder blue was purchased from tsm aquatics who quarantines and treats all their fish. No other fish is showing symptoms, including my hippo tang. I feed pellets through an autofeeder twice a day, a full sheet of nori soaked in kent marine zoe daily, and mysis soaked in selcon three times a week. I've attached a video so you can see what he looks like. Sorry for the dirty glass.

 

[Dom]

So when you made the purchase, you placed it right into the display because the seller quarantines for you? Also, was that video taken when the lights were out?

 

[deepblue68]

I would just give it some time if not showing any symptoms tangs can get easily stressed at times and may take a few days to settle in and get use to its tankmates. Any aggression from other tankmates?

 

[DrMMI]

I forgot to mention, this tang was purchased about 6 weeks ago. He was totally fine until yesterday. No aggression between any of the tangs at all. And yes, tsm has a great reputation of fully quarantining fish. I've lost powder blues in quarantine before so I didn't want to take the chance. Also, I had to add all my tangs at the same time when my fallow period ended.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yesterday I noticed my powder blue was just hanging out in the corner of the tank and wasn't really swimming around much. I put some nori in and he picked at it a little, but moved away when any of the other fish went to the clip. This morning, he was laying on the rocks in the same corner. This tank went through a fallow period of over a 100 days. All original fish were treated with therapeutic copper safe (2 rounds) and 2 rounds of general cure. The powder blue was purchased from tsm aquatics who quarantines and treats all their fish. No other fish is showing symptoms, including my hippo tang. I feed pellets through an autofeeder twice a day, a full sheet of nori soaked in kent marine zoe daily, and mysis soaked in selcon three times a week. I've attached a video so you can see what he looks like. Sorry for the dirty glass.

The PBT is breathing normally, but it is emaciated and has a swelling at the back of its abdomen. To me, that implies an internal blockage or infection, and that isn’t something that any quarantine process can prevent. It is unlikely to be contagious, but also unlikely to resolve.
Jay

 

[DrMMI]

The PBT is breathing normally, but it is emaciated and has a swelling at the back of its abdomen. To me, that implies an internal blockage or infection, and that isn’t something that any quarantine process can prevent. It is unlikely to be contagious, but also unlikely to resolve.
Jay

Thank you so much for your help Jay. I don't seem to have much luck with these PBTs. So there's nothing I can do to help? Do you think some antibiotics would help at all?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you so much for your help Jay. I don't seem to have much luck with these PBTs. So there's nothing I can do to help? Do you think some antibiotics would help at all?

Prazi pro or Kanamyacin may help with internal issue but I say .......MAY

 

[rirun]

The PBT is breathing normally, but it is emaciated and has a swelling at the back of its abdomen. To me, that implies an internal blockage or infection, and that isn’t something that any quarantine process can prevent. It is unlikely to be contagious, but also unlikely to resolve.
Jay

I haven’t tried it but have you checked out using an epson salt bath to relieve constipation in a fish?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I haven’t tried it but have you checked out using an epson salt bath to relieve constipation in a fish?

Just to clarify. Epsom salts are only useful in marine fish orally. It is a freshwater treatment that got misapplied to marine...magnesium sulfate is the fourth highest salt in our seawater mixes, adding a little more to the water has no more affect than raising the salinity by a small amount.
Jay

 

[DrMMI]

Right after I took that video he went behind the rockwork and hasn't come out since. My wife is home now and says she can't find him
If he's still alive, he's probably laying down between the rocks somewhere. If by some miracle he's still alive by the time I get home tonight, how do I give him epsom salt orally? Should I soak some nori in it?

 

[rirun]

Just to clarify. Epsom salts are only useful in marine fish orally. It is a freshwater treatment that got misapplied to marine...magnesium sulfate is the fourth highest salt in our seawater mixes, adding a little more to the water has no more affect than raising the salinity by a small amount.
Jay

good to know. since the op mentioned it took a couple of bites of food with it be worth trying it orally or feeding it some peas?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Perhaps, but the pea idea is from fancy goldfish and has just been extrapolated over to marine fish as well.
Yes - Epsom salt bound into the food or in Focus at 3% by weight can also help.
Jay

 

[rirun]

Right after I took that video he went behind the rockwork and hasn't come out since. My wife is home now and says she can't find him
If he's still alive, he's probably laying down between the rocks somewhere. If by some miracle he's still alive by the time I get home tonight, how do I give him epsom salt orally? Should I soak some nori in it?

Any update on your PBT?

 

[DrMMI]

By some miracle he's still alive! Had to tear apart the third of my tank to get them out from between the rocks. I thought I was recovering a body. I didn't expect him to still be alive

 

[DrMMI]

Tail is tattered, abdomen is very swollen, but he doesn't appear to be breathing fast. He feels very frail when I picked him up. I have him in a magnesium sulfate bath now. Hoping that'll kick start something. I'm going to put him in an acclimation box in the DT for the night. I'll start soaking food in epsom salt for him but I don't think he's going to eat much at this point.

Jay, do you think a freshwater dip would help at all or is he too far gone? Would it even do anything for internal parasites if that's what's causing this?

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

FW dip isn't going to do anything for an internal issue and is likely to stress him even more.

 

[rirun]

@DrMMI - any updates? Hoping for good news

 

[DrMMI]

@DrMMI - any updates? Hoping for good news

Unfortunately he didn't survive the night. I think he was too far gone. In retrospect, I guess I had noticed the swelling in his stomach days before but I just thought he was a little skinny and I was just seeing him after a big meal. I never thought that there was some kind of blockage because he was otherwise acting normal. I'm taking a break from powder blues for a while. I don't seem to have any luck with this fish.