Heniochus Black & White Butterflyfish looks to have a cut or infection

[emmabrown]

Hi Guys
I have a Heniochus Black & White Butterflyfish I got about a week ago - he looks to be doing well other then this cut looking thing on his body

when it was delivered from live aquaria he had a black marking on his body the exact spot what now looks to be like a cut or infection and I dont know what it is - you can see it in the attached pics

the fish is swimming normally around the tank and looks to be eating as well Mysis and a veggie cube

would something like API MARINE MELAFIX Saltwater work for this
any help you can give would be helpful
thanks

 

[Eric Cohen]

Great pics and sorry to see this.....fish needs to be in medicine immediately.....Im hoping Im wrong, but looks like it might be too late. Treat for uronema as the most likely condition.....check out the medication forum for help if you need. Time is of the essence

 

[emmabrown]

so here is the prob I do not have a qt tank set up
I am still new to the hobby
what should I do - can I tweet it in the display
what meds work the best
are my other fish at risk - 2 wrasse - 2 clown - 1 royal gromba

 

[Eric Cohen]

Yes your other fish are at risk. Usually they won’t be infected if they don’t have any skin wounds, scratches etc. Petco has cheap glass tanks. Small heater and air pump for a sponge filter. Buy a 10 gallon tank for a qt setup. Treat in that and do water changes. You can also ask your local fish store if they can help you or call some local maintenance businesses to see if they have holding.

 

[emmabrown]

unfortunately I do not have a qt tank set up and the soonest I can get one will be this weekend.... I know moving forward to QT all new fish - (fish only tank)

the butterfly looks to be getting worse and is now not swimming much and breathing hard

I started with API MELAFIX yesterday and Seachem Metronidazole in the food
but I dont think its going to save the fish

if the fish is getting worse should I just let him go :-(
thanks

 

[Eric Cohen]

unfortunately I do not have a qt tank set up and the soonest I can get one will be this weekend.... I know moving forward to QT all new fish - (fish only tank)

the butterfly looks to be getting worse and is now not swimming much and breathing hard

I started with API MELAFIX yesterday and Seachem Metronidazole in the food
but I dont think its going to save the fish

if the fish is getting worse should I just let him go :-(
thanks

I typically like to use a tranquilizer to put the fish to sleep but do whatever you think is as peaceful as possible.

 

[emmabrown]

so then its time to take him out and put him down

 

[Jay Hemdal]

so then its time to take him out and put him down

Sorry to see that. Almost assuredly Uronema. I’ve never been able to treat a case like that. It is a protozoan that lives internally to the fish, when it shows up on the skin is the first symptom you can see, but then it’s too late.
It isn’t super contagious, but royal gramma are also susceptible to it.

Jay

 

[piranhaman00]

Is this a new fish? I was just reading on HF forum about an increase in uronema cases recently

 

[emmabrown]

yes it was a new fish and I put him down today
I am going to start a qt tank and put new fish in qt before

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Is this a new fish? I was just reading on HF forum about an increase in uronema cases recently

Yes, that started back in 2020 and seems to be related to a longer supply chain due to Covid. Nobody has "crunched the numbers" but we have all seen an uptick in cases, to the point where I no longer recommend SE Asian green chromis or yellow "coris" wrasse.

Jay

 

[piranhaman00]

Yes, that started back in 2020 and seems to be related to a longer supply chain due to Covid. Nobody has "crunched the numbers" but we have all seen an uptick in cases, to the point where I no longer recommend SE Asian green chromis or yellow "coris" wrasse.

Jay

I will be QT some fish soon, during a 14 day prazi treatment can I dose metro every 48 hrs for uronema?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I will be QT some fish soon, during a 14 day prazi treatment can I dose metro every 48 hrs for uronema?

Depends on your metro dose, 25 ppm every 48 hours for three treatments is standard. You can dose the prazi on alternate days. I am not confident that metro will cure an internal uronema infection, but it *may* reduce free swimming ones in the tank.

Jay

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Very sad..

 

[Eric Cohen]

Sorry to see that. Almost assuredly Uronema. I’ve never been able to treat a case like that. It is a protozoan that lives internally to the fish, when it shows up on the skin is the first symptom you can see, but then it’s too late.
It isn’t super contagious, but royal gramma are also susceptible to it.

Jay

Depends on your metro dose, 25 ppm every 48 hours for three treatments is standard. You can dose the prazi on alternate days. I am not confident that metro will cure an internal uronema infection, but it *may* reduce free swimming ones in the tank.

Jay

This stuff is really giving us headaches.....Metro, CP, Paraguard dips etc....we throw everything at it when we see it. Even Hydrogen Peroxide dips too....

 

[Jay Hemdal]

This stuff is really giving us headaches.....Metro, CP, Paraguard dips etc....we throw everything at it when we see it. Even Hydrogen Peroxide dips too....

I was able to control it with CP in a Petri dish, but not when it is growing inside the fish.

I think there may be a supply chain component to this - I don’t recall ever seeing it in fish that didn’t come from Haiti, Indonesia or the Philippines.

Jay

 

[piranhaman00]

I was able to control it with CP in a Petri dish, but not when it is growing inside the fish.

I think there may be a supply chain component to this - I don’t recall ever seeing it in fish that didn’t come from Haiti, Indonesia or the Philippines.

Jay

So Uronema is not curable? I know when showing disease it’s too late but what about early stage?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So Uronema is not curable? I know when showing disease it’s too late but what about early stage?

Uronema has two forms (maybe two species?) seahorses and sea dragons get external white lesions, I’ve cured that with formalin dips and hypersalinity. This internal Uronema isn’t curable that I’ve ever seen. By the time you see symptoms it is too late. You can possibly limit spread by using metronidazole or chloroquine.
Uronema is not an obligate parasite, it is found in many aquariums where it feeds on bacteria. I’m on my phone and can’t link it for you, but I have an article posted here on red band disease/Uronema.
Jay