Fin rot?

[siniang]

Hello,

I made a major mess up a day ago. I had unplugged the thermometer for cleaning, and while I put it back in the tank, I forgot to actually plug it back in. Because it gets very warm during the day here in Hawaii, it's never on anyways during the day, so I didn't notice. However, two nights ago it got really cold and my reef triggerfish was actually "in stasis" when I woke up the next morning. Thermometer immediately plugged back in and some time - and he's fine. Acting and eating like normal.

However, already yesterday I noticed his caudal fin looked weird. I thought it might have been hit a little when he was trying to "shake awake" in his cave and hit rock while doing so. However, today it looks worse. I see discoloration and it looks very frayed around the edges. It's hard to get a picture, he hides when I get too close to the glass.

Upon googling, I read that too cold water may contribute to fin rot. This fish has otherwise always been healthy.

Should I start treating for fin rot immediately? With what medication? Should I wait another couple days and observe? Will it hurt my blenny? I don't have a QT. Please help. I've been beating me up since yesterday morning and if this will kill him, I'll never forgive myself.

Edit:

No, he does not have ich/velvet, he likes to decorate himself with sand. But you can see the frayed part, there are two whiter spots and also some white "lines" ...

Please, help. I'm freaking out.

 

[GoVols]

Put him in a qt tank and treat with API® FURAN-2

API® | FURAN-2™

API® FURAN-2 fish remedy contains two furan compounds to combat a wide variety of gram-positive & gram-negative bacterial diseases.

apifishcare.com

Best to get ahead then get behind on the treatment.

Read the instructions closely.

 

[Jilly92]

Hello,

I made a major mess up a day ago. I had unplugged the thermometer for cleaning, and while I put it back in the tank, I forgot to actually plug it back in. Because it gets very warm during the day here in Hawaii, it's never on anyways during the day, so I didn't notice. However, two nights ago it got really cold and my reef triggerfish was actually "in stasis" when I woke up the next morning. Thermometer immediately plugged back in and some time - and he's fine. Acting and eating like normal.

However, already yesterday I noticed his caudal fin looked weird. I thought it might have been hit a little when he was trying to "shake awake" in his cave and hit rock while doing so. However, today it looks worse. I see discoloration and it looks very frayed around the edges. It's hard to get a picture, he hides when I get too close to the glass.

Upon googling, I read that too cold water may contribute to fin rot. This fish has otherwise always been healthy.

Should I start treating for fin rot immediately? With what medication? Should I wait another couple days and observe? Will it hurt my blenny? I don't have a QT. Please help. I've been beating me up since yesterday morning and if this will kill him, I'll never forgive myself.

Edit:

No, he does not have ich/velvet, he likes to decorate himself with sand. But you can see the frayed part, there are two whiter spots and also some white "lines" ...

Please, help. I'm freaking out.

Looks like something might be nibbling him

 

[siniang]

Put him in a qt tank and treat with API® FURAN-2

API® | FURAN-2™

API® FURAN-2 fish remedy contains two furan compounds to combat a wide variety of gram-positive & gram-negative bacterial diseases.

apifishcare.com

Best to get ahead then get behind on the treatment.

Read the instructions closely.

Thank you! Hopefully they'll have it at Petco, tomorrow. Getting hands on things in Hawaii is challenging sometimes.

I don't have a QT - can I do this on my DT? I don't have corals - just a blenny.

So treatment would be something like:
1) First treatment tomorrow
2) Second treatment after 24 hrs
3) 25% Water change after another 24 hrs + 3rd treatment
4) 4th treatment after 24 hrs
5) 25% Water change after another 24 hrs? It doesn't say when to do the second water change + replace filter

I'll also increase O2 with a bubbler. I have a UV filter I run occasionally - should I run it or should I hold off on it for the moment?

Edit: Petco online doesn't have Furan ... no other pet stores on island. Amazon takes forever to get here at the moment.
Edit2: Just checked amazon, won't be here before Friday. No fast shipping options.

Edit3: Is this any good while I try to get my hands on Furan?

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-bacterial-remedy

 

[GoVols]

Edit3: Is this any good while I try to get my hands on Furan?

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-bacterial-remedy

I would go with this option, it does not disrupt your bio-filtration, can dose in a fish only tank and the reviews look good for fin rot.

Sorry that your trigger got stressed out with the drop in temp.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

How cold did the tank get? I'm concerned that is a red herring, and that something else is in play here.

I am pretty "hands off" when it comes to adding antibiotics to a DT. If that were my fish, I'd get hold of the meds, but then wait to see if the condition worsens before adding them. Don't forget in many instances where antibiotics were added and the fish recovered, the fish would have recovered anyway!

Jay

 

[siniang]

How cold did the tank get?

I genuinely don't know. I was so freaking out of it I didn't look at the thermometer. He was all stiff and I had thought he'd died, but then he was breathing and flapping flippers....took him a while to get fully mobile again, though.

The blenny was completely fine. It was so weird.

I'm concerned that is a red herring, and that something else is in play here.

Like what?

The fish is eating and acting normal.

I am pretty "hands off" when it comes to adding antibiotics to a DT. If that were my fish, I'd get hold of the meds, but then wait to see if the condition worsens before adding them. Don't forget in many instances where antibiotics were added and the fish recovered, the fish would have recovered anyway!

How do I know when worse is "worse enough" for AB treatment? His fin looks even more frayed this morning.

I'll be getting the bacterical remedy today, but I just don't know how fast I can get hands on Furan-2.

If (please please please ) fights this off, will the fin regrow?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I genuinely don't know. I was so freaking out of it I didn't look at the thermometer. He was all stiff and I had thought he'd died, but then he was breathing and flapping flippers....took him a while to get fully mobile again, though.

The blenny was completely fine. It was so weird.



Like what?

The fish is eating and acting normal.



How do I know when worse is "worse enough" for AB treatment? His fin looks even more frayed this morning.

I'll be getting the bacterical remedy today, but I just don't know how fast I can get hands on Furan-2.

If (please please please ) fights this off, will the fin regrow?

If the fin erosion stops before it reaches the hypural place (where the scales are) the fin will regrow.

Definitely, if it is getting worse, have the antibiotics on hand and ready to dose. If you see any new symptoms, start the dose. You should try to find a good broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic. Furan is one. Maracyn II would be another. Seachem has some good products, but I'm guessing you would have to order those from the mainland.

Jay

 

[siniang]

I went to Petco and our one other local pet store ... neither of them have any medication. I called every veterinarian on island, but neither of them cary fish medication. Googled, but none of the online stores have fast shipping, unless I'm willing to pay $500 ...

I just ordered Furan-2 from Amazon, but it's not estimated to get here before 09/26 - which is next Saturday. I don't think, if it gets worse, he'll have till then.

I'm so desperate :'(

Bought the bacterial infection remedy and will start treating today, of course.

Anything else I can do at this point?

What would be new symptoms I should be watching out for?

In theory, can fish fight off fin rot on their own? Everything I see online states it must not be left untreated.

Edit: just called the LFS on the other island and they're gonna send something over, hopefully it'll get here by Wednesday.

I'll also check with one more local pet store tomorrow that's been closed today, though I'm not hopeful since it's even smaller than the other one. I'm really surprised Petco doesn't carry anything at all, not even other brands.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry - what is the “bacterial remedy” that you have?

 

[siniang]

Sorry - what is the “bacterial remedy” that you have?

This one: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-bacterial-remedy

If I were to get a tank for QT, would 10 gal be enough? I'm worried about trying to catch him might be even more stressful than letting he be put where he is.

When/if I start treating with AB, what side effects to watch out for? Especially for my other fish (lawnmower blenny) if I keep him in my DT? I'd rather not move the trigger to a QT if I can avoid it, but if AB treatment would jeopardize my blenny, will definitely consider it of course.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

This one: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-bacterial-remedy

If I were to get a tank for QT, would 10 gal be enough? I'm worried about trying to catch him might be even more stressful than letting he be put where he is.

When/if I start treating with AB, what side effects to watch out for? Especially for my other fish (lawnmower blenny) if I keep him in my DT? I'd rather not move the trigger to a QT if I can avoid it, but if AB treatment would jeopardize my blenny, will definitely consider it of course.

I wouldn’t add that product to my tank. I couldn’t find any ingredients listed for it. Would you take medicine from a doctor if they wouldn’t tell what is in it? If nothing else, this is like chicken soup when you have a cold, it isn’t going to cure the cold. Sadly, the is no oversight for aquarium tonics, no regulations or laws, anything can be claimed for them.
So, go ahead and add it, but try to get a true antibiotic as soon as possible.
Jay

 

[siniang]

I already added it :-/

Unfortunately I won't get the antibiotics before Wednesday, the earliest. They can't ship it before tomorrow because the post office is closed. And Wednesday is hopeful...things sometimes take time inter-island.

His fin looks bad and seems to be going fast. Also just read something while googling where they lost two triggers to fin rot within 48h.

I'm freaking out. I'm freaking out so much, actually sitting here crying. I desperately want to help him and am limited by the limitations of living in Hawaii.

Still behaving normal and just ate some krill. Like a little pig. What other symptoms to watch out for?

Edit: Just a random thought: could it be that tissue has died off from being too cold?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The fact that it s still eating is a very good sign.

Can you post another picture so I can get some idea on how fast the erosion is progressing? It is night here, so I won’t be back online for another 9 or 10 hours.
Jay

 

[siniang]

Sorry, really can't get a better picture. He's "stupid" like that.

I'm particularly worried about that lower part and the white "lines" reaching all the way to the base. Also exposed rays that weren't exposed yet, yesterday. Obviously very frayed overall.

 

[siniang]

Also harder to observe because it's moving more and faster, but I do think he also has something going on on his left pec fin. You can kinda guess a white edge on the picture I posted and I've been observing him and I think it might be a little milky and a small piece missing. Nothing like the caudal fin, though, but obviously needing to keep an eye on it.

Still acting like a normal humu. Hovering. Inspecting. Sifting sand. Eyeing for food. Triggering.

 

[siniang]

I'm going to do a ~35% water change, tomorrow, as well. Couldn't get any saltwater yesterday or today or would've done it already. Also increased oxygen already with an additional bubbler.

The bacterial infection remedy says to do it every other day, but when I'm doing a water change, I'm obviously loosing some. I added it today at 3. If I add half of the dosage again tomorrow evening, do you think it'll be fine? Or should I hold off and re-add on Tuesday?

Hopefully he won't deteriorate until I can get Furan-2 by Wednesday or Thursday.

Just found a little white spot at the base of his dorsal fin. Definitely not a peck of sand

Still acting hungry.

Edit: Just checked live pictures from yesterday and I think that white spot was already there, at least yesterday, and hasn't grown in size (also no new white spots, hence probably not ich/velvet). Maybe just a scratch. It's hard to see and you have to get really close (which he just doesn't like). His fins obviously continue to worry me.

 

[siniang]

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok, that last photo definitely shows fin rot, and not some simple abrasion. I think it should be ok to partially redose the tonic after a water change, but I’ve never used that myself, so can’t say for certain.
Jay

 

[siniang]

Ok, as soon as I'll get the Furan-2, I'll start treatment.

Is there anything I need to consider except following the instructions? What parameters to watch? Anything I can do to help my fish through it? From what I understand AB treatment is hard on the fish too? What about the blenny that doesn't show any signs of bacterial infections?

I don't want to make it worse while trying to make it better

Fish is up and awake this morning, behaving normal. Haven't fed yet, still waking up.