Australian Harlequin Tusk cyanide poisoning help please!!!!

jcricket

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Hey Folk,
I recently found a tusk on divers den. Sold as a phillipine HT. However, I am 90% certain it is an Australian. I received it two days ago. I did a three hour acclimation into a 29gallon QT. Salinity is 1.025. Thanks has enough filtration for a 120gallon - HOB and sponge. Well established about 6 months. Nitrates are about 3ppm. nitrates and ammonia are undetectable. I did have copper in this tank but did a 60% water change the day before arrival. CU now reads .12ppm.

The fish came in highly stressed, maybe slightly more than I normally see. After the acclimation I released it and watched it for a few minutes. I twas breathing very rapidly and hard. I turned the lights out and waited overnight. The next day the fish is considerably less stressed but still breathing hard. It was mostly sitting on the bottom of the tank. It eye were alert and the fish showed signs of anxiety when I approached. Today the fish is lying on its side, eye are not as alert and the signs of anxiety are gone. The fish is lass alert. That is my assessment.

I did a quick dip in methylene blue, but I found i my dose was way too small for a dip. What I want to do is treat the tank to a level of 3ppm as recommended for poisoning.

The issue. There is still a little copper in my tank. I think another water change might be just too stressful forthe fish. Can I treat the tank with MB while copper is still present? advance for the help!!!!!
Thansk
 

MnFish1

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Hey Folk,
I recently found a tusk on divers den. Sold as a phillipine HT. However, I am 90% certain it is an Australian. I received it two days ago. I did a three hour acclimation into a 29gallon QT. Salinity is 1.025. Thanks has enough filtration for a 120gallon - HOB and sponge. Well established about 6 months. Nitrates are about 3ppm. nitrates and ammonia are undetectable. I did have copper in this tank but did a 60% water change the day before arrival. CU now reads .12ppm.

The fish came in highly stressed, maybe slightly more than I normally see. After the acclimation I released it and watched it for a few minutes. I twas breathing very rapidly and hard. I turned the lights out and waited overnight. The next day the fish is considerably less stressed but still breathing hard. It was mostly sitting on the bottom of the tank. It eye were alert and the fish showed signs of anxiety when I approached. Today the fish is lying on its side, eye are not as alert and the signs of anxiety are gone. The fish is lass alert. That is my assessment.

I did a quick dip in methylene blue, but I found i my dose was way too small for a dip. What I want to do is treat the tank to a level of 3ppm as recommended for poisoning.

The issue. There is still a little copper in my tank. I think another water change might be just too stressful forthe fish. Can I treat the tank with MB while copper is still present? advance for the help!!!!!
Thansk

I had a harlequin tusk that I bought at the LFS - it was perfectly healthy - was driven home (15 minutes) and in the tank in another 15 minutes.

It literally drifted down to an area on a rock and did not move for 3 days - not for food not for anything - except if I poked near it with something - he would swim just a little - and then go right back and lay there - hes fine now - I posted about it - here - and was told its common for them to behave 'oddly' - at first - hopefully - that is all that is going on.
 
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jcricket

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I had a harlequin tusk that I bought at the LFS - it was perfectly healthy - was driven home (15 minutes) and in the tank in another 15 minutes.

It literally drifted down to an area on a rock and did not move for 3 days - not for food not for anything - except if I poked near it with something - he would swim just a little - and then go right back and lay there - hes fine now - I posted about it - here - and was told its common for them to behave 'oddly' - at first - hopefully - that is all that is going on.
lets hope you are right. My only concern then is that he is still showing labored breathing he is breathing larger and a little fast than normal.
 

MnFish1

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lets hope you are right. My only concern then is that he is still showing labored breathing he is breathing larger and a little fast than normal.
Yes - I'm not saying not to pay attention to it - (i.e. ask others) - maybe more information etc - but - just giving my experience - do you know the salinity of the water the fish came in for example? B TW - I dont know about methylene blue and copper I dont think the 'reefsquad' hash tag works - but lets try @HotRocks @4FordFamily @Brew12
 

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I wouldn't do anything else at this point. I have only ever quarantined a couple of them. IME they laid around with almost zero activity for the first few days. Even the low concentration bath probably would have been effective to some degree. Anything else you do at this point may just add stress. Just give the fish some time.

If the fish came from divers den I don't think you would be dealing with cyanide side effects anyway because of the amount of time that has passed between collection and the time it hit your door. They probably had the fish in their care for at least 3 weeks.

I am not a fan of drip acclimation due to the risk for ammonia exposure, but I know that is what LA/DD recommends. 3hrs is an especially long duration IMO.

I also would advise against mixing Methylene Blue and Copper.
 

MnFish1

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I wouldn't do anything else at this point. I have only ever quarantined a couple of them. IME they laid around with almost zero activity for the first few days. Even the low concentration bath probably would have been effective to some degree. Anything else you do at this point may just add stress. Just give the fish some time.

If the fish came from divers den I don't think you would be dealing with cyanide side effects anyway because of the amount of time that has passed between collection and the time it hit your door. They probably had the fish in their care for at least 3 weeks.

I am not a fan of drip acclimation due to the risk for ammonia exposure, but I know that is what LA/DD recommends. 3hrs is an especially long duration IMO.

I also would advise against mixing Methylene Blue and Copper.
Thanks for replying
 
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jcricket

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I wouldn't do anything else at this point. I have only ever quarantined a couple of them. IME they laid around with almost zero activity for the first few days. Even the low concentration bath probably would have been effective to some degree. Anything else you do at this point may just add stress. Just give the fish some time.

If the fish came from divers den I don't think you would be dealing with cyanide side effects anyway because of the amount of time that has passed between collection and the time it hit your door. They probably had the fish in their care for at least 3 weeks.

I am not a fan of drip acclimation due to the risk for ammonia exposure, but I know that is what LA/DD recommends. 3hrs is an especially long duration IMO.

I also would advise against mixing Methylene Blue and Copper.
Thanks for the help from both of you!!!

I went the LFS and asked, they could not offer any advice either. He does still look a bit lethargic, but his breathing seems a little less labored.

I'll post more in a few days, as I know more.
 

MnFish1

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Thanks for the help from both of you!!!

I went the LFS and asked, they could not offer any advice either. He does still look a bit lethargic, but his breathing seems a little less labored.

I'll post more in a few days, as I know more.
Yes - please do - its always good to hear the 'rest of the story'
 
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jcricket

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I c
Yes - please do - its always good to hear the 'rest of the story'
Checked on the fish today. I used a flashlight to look down a pvc tube. The fish gave me a startled and "quit bothering me" look.:)

I feel that is a definite improvement over yesterday. He is upright, sitting on the bottom and breathing mostly normal. Here is hoping he is good!!!!

Thanks again for the help folks!!
 
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Well folks, things did not end well. :(

We kept it alive until last night. It was dead this morning. After examining it closely, it had been badly wounded. It was sliced right behind the right pectoral fin. Kind of deep. Not deep enough to go to the organ, but significant. I would think I would have seen that if it had happened in my care. But there was never any blood. So I don't know what happened.
Ragglfratzin and shniglefritz.:mad:

Time to start looking for another one.
Thanks again for the help!!!
 

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So unfortunate...I know how much you care so it’s tough when you lose such a nice fish....did you ever get another one as I’m thinking of getting one..thx
 

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