Disease or Skin Injury?

[TedsReef]

Hi everyone. I moved my tailspot from QT early and add him to DT about a week ago and I noticed some white blotches on his skin yesterday. I also added a large Pom Pom crab yesterday (body about the size of a nickel) and the tail spot was inspecting him and I believe he got swiped by one of it's nems - I was watching from the side of the tank and noticed the Pom Pom start waving it's nems when the tailspot got pretty close. The tailspot kind of sat there and then casual swam away so I wasn't sure if it got hit or not but a few hours later I noticed these spots on the side of the fish where the crab would have hit him. This was yesterday. This morning I noticed some flashing (literally only flashed against rocks twice). I've been observing him for a few hours and haven't seen any more flashing. I haven't had him long enough to pin down a behavioral pattern but he's extremely active, not shy, and eating.

I had to pull him out of QT early because I hadn't noticed my circulation pump took a dive and the flow was about 20% what it should have been. The water had gotten so dirty water changes couldn't keep up and he was beginning to look increasingly unhappy. He was in QT for about 17 days and the meds I use are: PraziPro, Paraguard, and his food is treated with Focus and General Cure. Throughout QT he showed no signs of disease.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

How many doses of Prazipro did he get?

 

[TedsReef]

How many doses of Prazipro did he get?

Two. I do Prazi and Para at the same time. I do the recommended dose of prazi at once (or over two days if I feel fish is too stressed) and the recommended Paraguard dose daily. After 5 days I do a 75% water change then do another recommended dose of Prazi and replace all of the Paraguard that was removed with the wc. After day 10 I do another 75% wc and just dose the Paraguard back up. Normally I’d continue Paraguard and medicated food for 21-28 days followed by a large wc and adding carbon filtration and then a week of observation.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I think I would do a 5 min FW dip just to ensure this isn’t a case of flukes. The odd spots could be injury but the flashing and the spot in his dorsal fin make me think otherwise.
Any other fish displaying any odd behavior or flashing?

 

[TedsReef]

I think I would do a 5 min FW dip just to ensure this isn’t a case of flukes. The odd spots could be injury but the flashing and the spot in his dorsal fin make me think otherwise.
Any other fish displaying any odd behavior or flashing?

Nothing else is acting oddly. I had two other fish in QT with him and they’re fine. Also, that spot in his dorsal in the picture isn’t actually a spot on his fin. I think it was just a well placed particle in the water. I just checked and his fins are clear.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Nothing else is acting oddly. I had two other fish in QT with him and they’re fine. Also, that spot in his dorsal in the picture isn’t actually a spot on his fin. I think it was just a well placed particle in the water. I just checked and his fins are clear.

That’s a plus! Is he still flashing?

 

[TedsReef]

That’s a plus! Is he still flashing?

I haven’t seen him do it again. I figured if it was from a sting the skin would probably be irritated so flashing wouldn’t be that abnormal.

 

[ngoodermuth]

It could be a sting, but I agree that a freshwater dip wouldn’t hurt... just to be sure. There are prazi-resistant flukes out there.

And when you say splitting the dose over two days... you mean you dose half one day, wait 24 hours, and then dose the other half?

Prazi generally does it’s work within about 10 hours... and it degrades pretty quickly. I don’t think you would be able to effectively eradicate flukes by splitting the dose that far apart. An hour or two perhaps, but I wouldn’t wait a full day, personally.

 

[TedsReef]

It could be a sting, but I agree that a freshwater dip wouldn’t hurt... just to be sure. There are prazi-resistant flukes out there.

And when you say splitting the dose over two days... you mean you dose half one day, wait 24 hours, and then dose the other half?

Prazi generally does it’s work within about 10 hours... and it degrades pretty quickly. I don’t think you would be able to effectively eradicate flukes by splitting the dose that far apart. An hour or two perhaps, but I wouldn’t wait a full day, personally.

I’ll try to catch him to give him a few dip. Thanks for the info on Prazi! I didn’t know that about it. I’ve only done the half dose once and it wasn’t for this fish and the second dose was all at once.

 

[TedsReef]

It could be a sting, but I agree that a freshwater dip wouldn’t hurt... just to be sure. There are prazi-resistant flukes out there.

And when you say splitting the dose over two days... you mean you dose half one day, wait 24 hours, and then dose the other half?

Prazi generally does it’s work within about 10 hours... and it degrades pretty quickly. I don’t think you would be able to effectively eradicate flukes by splitting the dose that far apart. An hour or two perhaps, but I wouldn’t wait a full day, personally.

I just read Humble’s repost on flukes and prazi. I got a pink streak wrasse yesterday and he died within hours in QT. I didn’t know they have trouble with Prazi[emoji22]

 

[ngoodermuth]

I just read Humble’s repost on flukes and prazi. I got a pink streak wrasse yesterday and he died within hours in QT. I didn’t know they have trouble with Prazi[emoji22]

Wrasses are sensitive to over-dosing, but I've used prazi on many wrasses at the appropriate dose without any issues. I do usually try to give them a few days to settle in QT before adding any medications, though, since wrasses can "stress" easily. There may have been something else going on there... how was he acclimated? Was there signs of flukes initially?

 

[TedsReef]

Wrasses are sensitive to over-dosing, but I've used prazi on many wrasses at the appropriate dose without any issues. I do usually try to give them a few days to settle in QT before adding any medications, though, since wrasses can "stress" easily. There may have been something else going on there... how was he acclimated? Was there signs of flukes initially?

I used the float and pour method to acclimate him. Takes about 20-30min. I dose 1.5mL in 5 gallons of water for Prazi which is slightly above the recommended dose of 5mL per 20gal. I had a white spotted pygmy filefish added to QT at the same time and he’s doing great. My original thought is that he was just too stressed. He kept jumping into the glass lid so I replaced it with Saran Wrap. I have multiple rocks, plants, and caves (all fake) in my qt for hiding and cover. I turned off all of the lights to the tank and even in the room. I kept hearing him tank sides and it was really sad.

Update on the tailspot: No new lesions and the current ones look like they’re healing. His fins still look clear. I actually got a video of my pederson’s shrimp cleaning him! I’ll upload it later if people want to see it. I really can’t say enough about those little shrimp. They’re really social, curious, and never bother anything.

 

[TedsReef]

Wrasses are sensitive to over-dosing, but I've used prazi on many wrasses at the appropriate dose without any issues. I do usually try to give them a few days to settle in QT before adding any medications, though, since wrasses can "stress" easily. There may have been something else going on there... how was he acclimated? Was there signs of flukes initially?

Any suggestions on capturing the fish? He's very good about coming to the glass when I'm near but as soon as I put a net in the tank he's back in a hole. I noticed a few spots on him today - any chance those spots are not a parasite? Although I've been adding coral and inverts - this tank has been fishless for over 5 months so I'm really going to be bummed if parasites pop up within a week of adding fish again...

 

[ngoodermuth]

Any suggestions on capturing the fish? He's very good about coming to the glass when I'm near but as soon as I put a net in the tank he's back in a hole. I noticed a few spots on him today - any chance those spots are not a parasite? Although I've been adding coral and inverts - this tank has been fishless for over 5 months so I'm really going to be bummed if parasites pop up within a week of adding fish again...

Do you have an updated photo... if the last coral/invert added was less than 76 days before the fish was added...it could be parasites.

I would try a fish trap, with really good bait...

 

[TedsReef]

Do you have an updated photo... if the last coral/invert added was less than 76 days before the fish was added...it could be parasites.

I would try a fish trap, with really good bait...

A lot worse today. Noticed him nipping at his tail yesterday a few times and he’s doing it more today. There are also white streaks in his top fin.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Looks like a bacterial infection for sure, were you ever able to give him a freshwater dip to check for flukes?

 

[TedsReef]

Looks like a bacterial infection for sure, were you ever able to give him a freshwater dip to check for flukes?

I’ve had no luck on catching him. Trying lights out method and I made a bottle trap.

 

[TedsReef]

Looks like a bacterial infection for sure, were you ever able to give him a freshwater dip to check for flukes?

Caught him in a bottle trap yesterday. He’s been in QT with the Pygmy filefish. All spots and issues are gone after 24hrs. Is this normal?

Also, the shark nose goby that would always hang out with him vanished last night and I still haven’t seen him in any of his usual hiding spots. Is it normal for fish to freak out when a tankmate vanishes?

 

[ngoodermuth]

Could any of his tank mates have been picking on him? The marks could have just been aggression damage. Do you have any closer photos now that he is in QT?

 

[TedsReef]

I don’t think he was being picked on. He may have gotten stung by a couple things - I have an rbta, Pom Pom crab, and Hollywood stunner which I saw him on while tentacles were out. I just took apart my sump and pulled out my return pump to inspect the tubing checking for the goby. No luck - hopefully he’s still alive in the DT somewhere.