Emperor Angel not eating

[jeremyg]

I have a 2.5 year old Emperor Angelfish that recently stopped eating. No major changes to the tank since adding new fish 12 months ago. Fins are a little beaten up but not sure who did it, or if it happened in its own.

The emperor occasionally shakes its head, but I may be seeing things that aren’t there. I pulled it from my DT and it is in quarantine since yesterday does with PraziPro and nothing else.

I had 2 other fish die a few weeks ago. A Picasso Trigger that spent 23 hours a day in hiding after 2 years of acting normal and a coral beauty that dies the same week after 5 years. No obvious signs of distress on the CB.

What could be the issue and the best course of action?

Two short videos:

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 2.5 year old Emperor Angelfish that recently stopped eating. No major changes to the tank since adding new fish 12 months ago. Fins are a little beaten up but not sure who did it, or if it happened in its own.

The emperor occasionally shakes its head, but I may be seeing things that aren’t there. I pulled it from my DT and it is in quarantine since yesterday does with PraziPro and nothing else.

I had 2 other fish die a few weeks ago. A Picasso Trigger that spent 23 hours a day in hiding after 2 years of acting normal and a coral beauty that dies the same week after 5 years. No obvious signs of distress on the CB.

What could be the issue and the best course of action?

Two short videos:

Hard videos to work with. One was dark and the one top down shows reflection from surface and near impossible to see body. White bright light intensity is of best help and the breathing is elevated. Aggression and flukes /both are my suspect for distress.
If tank is not medicated, I recommend prazi Pro at 85% of recommended dosage allowing to remain in tank one week, do water change and add one more application lasting in tank a week and add air stone for added oxygen

 

[W31Olds]

Agree with Vetteguy, looks like flukes to me also, especially with the high respiration and tattered fins. I would probably do a FW dip. I've done them emperors before, and they seem to tolerate them well. It's not a cure but if your fish improves that would confirm flukes. There is a risk so aerate heavily.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I agree, it *could* be flukes, but in watching the fish closely, it seems to bump into things. That could be because it is so ill that it cannot navigate properly, but it could also be blind. The eyes do have some moderate exophthalmos (popeye).

 

[MnFish1]

I agree - most likely flukes. I would not do a fresh water dip. Since - the likelihood is that it's going to cause more stress - and what are you going to do differently? I would think all the fish in the tank should be treated with Prazipro as @vetteguy53081 mentioned. The blindness issue is interesting - the reason I think Prazipro is the way to go is merely the 2 other unexplained deaths and its low risk.?

 

[jeremyg]

I agree, it *could* be flukes, but in watching the fish closely, it seems to bump into things. That could be because it is so ill that it cannot navigate properly, but it could also be blind. The eyes do have some moderate exophthalmos (popeye).

I was just going to add that yes, it is definitely bumping into things.

 

[jeremyg]

Hard videos to work with. One was dark and the one top down shows reflection from surface and near impossible to see body. White bright light intensity is of best help and the breathing is elevated. Aggression and flukes /both are my suspect for distress.
If tank is not medicated, I recommend prazi Pro at 85% of recommended dosage allowing to remain in tank one week, do water change and add one more application lasting in tank a week and add air stone for added oxygen

You’re referring to dosing the main tank (which the emperor is of course not in right now) with prazipro, right?

I have a wet/dry sump, which aerates a lot. Do i need an airstone too?

Btw, it’s a 170 gallon tank with a dozen other fish (angels, tangs, rabbits, triggers, clowns, damsels). No risk to dosing them all?

 

[vetteguy53081]

You’re referring to dosing the main tank (which the emperor is of course not in right now) with prazipro, right?

I have a wet/dry sump, which aerates a lot. Do i need an airstone too?

Btw, it’s a 170 gallon tank with a dozen other fish (angels, tangs, rabbits, triggers, clowns, damsels). No risk to dosing them all?

I recommend in the QT tank which its currently in and add air stone, yes. No risk to fish listed
Dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval lasting for 7-8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

 

[jeremyg]

I recommend in the QT tank which its currently in and add air stone, yes. No risk to fish listed
Dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval lasting for 7-8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

Ok, QT already has Prazi and an airstone, which I dosed yesterday.

I will give 85% dose to the display tank now as well, then do a water change in a week and dose again. is 15% water change enough (my usual amount)?

Also for the QT, same procedure? Water change in a week and dose again? What then after 2 weeks in Prazi (assuming it survives)?

 

[ga2040]

Looks flukes .Freshwater dip in a dark container should be able to confirm the sesame seed like things fall off to the bottom and give the fish a relief.
If it is then good aeration and two rounds of 7 days each on prazi pro should take care.

 

[jeremyg]

Do I need to remove carbon and UV too? I will remove the skimmer cup for just 24 hours?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do I need to remove carbon and UV too? I will remove the skimmer cup for just 24 hours?

Carbon and skimmer cup and Do not dip this fish who is already distressed

 

[jeremyg]

Carbon and skimmer cup and Do not dip this fish who is already distressed

Not dipping. Just to confirm, the UV is ok to leave on?

 

[ga2040]

Uv needs to be turned off. The prazipro instruction will state that.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Looks flukes .Freshwater dip in a dark container should be able to confirm the sesame seed like things fall off to the bottom and give the fish a relief.
If it is then good aeration and two rounds of 7 days each on prazi pro should take care.

Just to clarify - you're describing how to check for just one type of fluke, the capsalids. The gill flukes and gyrodactylus body flukes are too small to be seen without a microscope, and then, they can be difficult to identify even then, they contort into like balls of mucus.

 

[W31Olds]

Jay, what is the best way to identify Flukes if you have a Microscope? Are they easier to see by doing a skin scrape? I have not had and luck finding these small ones after a FW Dip.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Jay, what is the best way to identify Flukes if you have a Microscope? Are they easier to see by doing a skin scrape? I have not had and luck finding these small ones after a FW Dip.

I always do a skin scrape on live fish. I don’t suggest that to people here though because it is difficult and risky to do without MS-222 anesthetic. It takes a lot of practice.

I’ve even done gill biopsies on larger fish, but those make me nervous……

 

[coralmonsters.judy]

My opinion is leave the emperor alone in the main tank. If there are no visible signs of disease and it simply stopped eating moving the fish to a separate system only stresses it out more.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My opinion is leave the emperor alone in the main tank. If there are no visible signs of disease and it simply stopped eating moving the fish to a separate system only stresses it out more.

But if the condition that caused the fish to stop feeding isn’t resolved, then there is little expectation that it will just start feeding again on by its own.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This

My opinion is leave the emperor alone in the main tank. If there are no visible signs of disease and it simply stopped eating moving the fish to a separate system only stresses it out more.

allows a disease if present to gain hold of the fish leading to a negative outcome. Disease is on us, not the fish