Coral Beauty with lump on side, irregular swimming

[Projects with Sam]

I was at the LFS and I saw this great looking fish having troubles. After talking with the clerk and determining they were just punching the clock so to speak I drew their attention to the poor fish. They were indifferent, I asked If I could have him at a serious discount and he said he'd have to talk to the manager. She came over and offered 40% off. I refused and was going to leave after buying a Neon Dotty back but I offered one last time a super low price and said I had all the meds and that I may be able to save the fish.
She accepted and now I have this fish that'll probably die.
I've put it in a 10 Gallon QT with Melafix, VitaChem, MetroPlex and Maracyn in the water. I've also put a mysis/brine shrimp slurry dosed with Focus and KanaPlex but I dont think the fish can eat.

His eyes seem clear and he is fighting...
Here are some pics and a video. Any advice for further treatment? Have I overtreated?

 

[Projects with Sam]

I am also going to increase the temp to 28 degrees C

 

[Projects with Sam]

after 2 hours at 28 degrees the fish seems to be doing much better! not sure if it was the meds or the temp killing the parasites. not sure how long I should keep him at 28.

 

[Projects with Sam]

After 3 hours the fish was swimming much better but was still in bad shape. 5 hours later I lowered the temp to 26 after seeing no further improvement, but rather a little decline.

 

[Projects with Sam]

Checked fish this morning and he is swimming upright! Looks to be fighting off the parasites now but I see white spots so I bet he has ich too. (still has clear eyes)
Do I start copper now? freshwater dip? I don't know what will be less traumatic on the fish. I have yet to see him eat but at least now he is in a position where he can eat.

 

[Projects with Sam]

He is still doing ok. Added VitaChem, Focus, and Kanaplex soaked red algae clip into his tank and another dose each of metroplex and Maracyn in the water. I plan todo a 90% water change and re-up the meds again later. Or would a 15 minute RODI dip and tank change be better for him?
The white spots are gone - may have been some of the old meds powder floating on the surface. I think he rests on his side at the top of the tank when I'm not in the room... at least when I came up fast on the tank last time I thought he was doing this then made a quick move to get upright...

 

[Projects with Sam]

After observing (staring at) the fish a bit longer, it looks like he got a scrape on his side. perhaps this is a bacterial infection and not a parasite?

 

[Projects with Sam]

Saw something unusual in the bottom of the tank earlier. A little white blob that wasn't there before. The fish doesn't have the bump on his side anymore.



Now the fish seems much more alert and hungry; though it doesn't eat pellets (3 different types), seaweed clip or brine/mysis shrimp. The fish comes to the front of the tank when it sees me looking; (QTs are in my office/shop) seems as if it is foraging.
Now the fish has a long white poop as seen in the below images:

Isn't white stringy poop indicative of parasites?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Saw something unusual in the bottom of the tank earlier. A little white blob that wasn't there before. The fish doesn't have the bump on his side anymore.



Now the fish seems much more alert and hungry; though it doesn't eat pellets (3 different types), seaweed clip or brine/mysis shrimp. The fish comes to the front of the tank when it sees me looking; (QTs are in my office/shop) seems as if it is foraging.
Now the fish has a long white poop as seen in the below images:

Isn't white stringy poop indicative of parasites?

This one is going to be a heartbreaker I'm afraid. There are two unrelated issues: the fish is really emaciated and it is breathing pretty fast. The white feces can be a sign of parasites, but it is also a sign of starvation. The fish's thinness indicates that is the case. The rapid breathing is a sign of a gill infection. Trouble is, that can be bacterial, viral, protozoan or flukes/worms.

Normally, I would suggest doing a 5 minute FW dip to try and buy some time if it is parasites in the gills. Trouble is, I don't think this fish is strong enough to survive that.

Sorry!

Jay

 

[Projects with Sam]

Thanks for taking a look at this post! Just noticed your signature regarding the posting guidelines, pardon my ignorance. I will update my original post with the pertinent information, time permitting. Haha and I was blathering on about unimportant stuff.

The fish seems much stronger this morning. I still have not seen it eat. I will try the FW dip because I cant just watch it die and I don't like using Eugenol. I didn't mention it but I've been running ParaGuard in the tank too so that may be helping with the gill issues. I got the fish for $10 so its all gravy - it most likely would've died at the LFS. I've been throwing the kitchen sink at it because I'm a newbie and don't know any better. Didn't want to mention the ParaGard for fear of judgement.

It'll be awhile for me todo the setup... will have to put him into a bucket after the dip till I can sterilize his tank. And his new QT will be chemical filtration only... didn't prepare to setup so many QT so I lack the media to setup filters... will get more scrubbies ASAP...

 

[Projects with Sam]

Remedial Information about the QT tank and issue in general:

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Quarantine tank
Aquarium water volume: 10Gallon
Filtration type: HOB
Lighting: Ambient
Established on: Mid December - running fallow
Image of the tank:


Water quality
Temperature: 26C
pH: 8.2
Salinity / specific gravity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.5ppm

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? No
Are any invertebrates affected? Na
Respiration rate of affected fish: 120
Are the affected fish still feeding? I have not seen it eat
What remedies have you tried so far? Focus (in food),
Kanaplex (in water and in food),
Metroplex (in water and in food),
ParaGuard,
Maracyn,
Melafix,
28C for 5 hours


I just added an air stone to the tank.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Remedial Information about the QT tank and issue in general:

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Quarantine tank
Aquarium water volume: 10Gallon
Filtration type: HOB
Lighting: Ambient
Established on: Mid December - running fallow
Image of the tank:


Water quality
Temperature: 26C
pH: 8.2
Salinity / specific gravity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0.5ppm

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? No
Are any invertebrates affected? Na
Respiration rate of affected fish: 120
Are the affected fish still feeding? I have not seen it eat
What remedies have you tried so far? Focus (in food),
Kanaplex (in water and in food),
Metroplex (in water and in food),
ParaGuard,
Maracyn,
Melafix,
28C for 5 hours


I just added an air stone to the tank.

One thing - raising the water temperature is one of those things that is often recommended, but it actually isn’t advisable in marine tanks. Dissolved oxygen is lower in saltwater. Marine ich actually has a preference for warmer water. The entire idea stems from freshwater ich where raising the water temp is beneficial.
Jay

 

[Projects with Sam]

The wonderful thing about the internet is the availability of information; that is also its downfall. Thanks for clarifying that so I don't fall prey to selection bias (temp spike seemed to help the most). I saw it on a page and it seemed plausible to me because one of our bodies' reactions to infection is to raise temp. I didn't raise the temperature for ich, but rather I thought it may impede any internal parasites.

What should I be trying to feed him? He keeps swimming around it seems he is looking for food. He almost took a bite of a pleco wafer - I've tried 3 different types of algae on clips, 2 different frozen shrimp, 4 different pellets, tetra flaked food, pleco wafer (some with & without VitaChem). should I buy garlic? Can I just cut open a garlic clove and smear the juice on pellets?
He looks at the food and doesnt eat.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The wonderful thing about the internet is the availability of information; that is also its downfall. Thanks for clarifying that so I don't fall prey to selection bias (temp spike seemed to help the most). I saw it on a page and it seemed plausible to me because one of our bodies' reactions to infection is to raise temp. I didn't raise the temperature for ich, but rather I thought it may impede any internal parasites.

What should I be trying to feed him? He keeps swimming around it seems he is looking for food. He almost took a bite of a pleco wafer - I've tried 3 different types of algae on clips, 2 different frozen shrimp, 4 different pellets, tetra flaked food, pleco wafer (some with & without VitaChem). should I buy garlic? Can I just cut open a garlic clove and smear the juice on pellets?
He looks at the food and doesnt eat.

I know that is super-frustrating. Live adult brine shrimp or live blackworms might entice it to feed. Other species of fish will often start feeding on mussels on the half shell, but not so much with this species. Here is a link to an article I wrote on fish anorexia. It won't answer your question directly, but it may give you some ideas:

Chronic Anorexia in Aquarium Fishes

Don't fall into the trap of assuming the fish will begin feeding when it gets hungry enough, or conclude it must be eating something, just not when you are watching.

reefs.com

Jay Hemdal

 

[Projects with Sam]

TLDR...


haha just kidding. great article. Garlic smeared on various food items doesn't seem to elicit any different response. He occasionally seems interested in the thermometer (old school glass tube stick on the side variety,) specifically the red part on the bottom. He checks out each pellet I drop in front of him; more so then Brine/Mysis shrimp; but still doesn't take any. I'm going get some red pellets and see if that makes any difference.
Do you think food color would make any difference?

*Edit* After thinking about it, they probably live deep enough that red light doesn't make it down so everything is blue/green/black. *Sigh*

*Edit* *Edit* Wouldn't have seen pellets in the wild... only in a tank when and if he was trained to eat them so maybe red will make a difference.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I got this frozen Angel & Butterfly Formulated food. I put some in the tank and.... nothing. I have not seen this fish eat. perhaps its been to Swedish finishing school and wont eat in front of guests... I don't know. Its not dead yet so cheers to that. Perhaps I'm just missing feeding time.
The side with the cut/damage and lump still seems tender to the fish and it seems the fish doesn't straighten out unless its trying to turn the opposite direction, otherwise, it relaxes crooked.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I got this frozen Angel & Butterfly Formulated food. I put some in the tank and.... nothing. I have not seen this fish eat. perhaps its been to Swedish finishing school and wont eat in front of guests... I don't know. Its not dead yet so cheers to that. Perhaps I'm just missing feeding time.
The side with the cut/damage and lump still seems tender to the fish and it seems the fish doesn't straighten out unless its trying to turn the opposite direction, otherwise, it relaxes crooked.

Did you try a FW dip? It may not help, but I don't think this fish is going to just start feeding on its own at this point.

Jay

 

[OrionN]

I also think the fish is too thin, and if not eating, will not make it, even if he is not infected.
consider force feed him. use a small catheter and pump puree food into him. I never done it but some people did it successfully save a fish. Usually the fish is larger than a small angel in this case.
If you able to give him live food, this will help.
Good luck

 

[Projects with Sam]

Did you try a FW dip? It may not help, but I don't think this fish is going to just start feeding on its own at this point.

Jay

I did not perform the dip. I have more time to do it today or tomorrow. I will do this and will order brine shrimp eggs. I have a few bubbler caps from my FW days.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I also think the fish is too thin, and if not eating, will not make it, even if he is not infected.
consider force feed him. use a small catheter and pump puree food into him. I never done it but some people did it successfully save a fish. Usually the fish is larger than a small angel in this case.
If you able to give him live food, this will help.
Good luck

I'm a big guy with big sausage fingers... I wouldn't want me performing that kind of operation if I were the fish!
I'm going to try live brine shrimp to get him started. It could also be that he is eating when no one is around. I leave a bunch of food in the tank for him.