Leopard Wrasse QT

[mr11]

Good to know. To tell you the truth I'm not to eager to run the TTM although I'll consider it. I know this is probably dumb but I haven't encounter any post from someone saying they got ich from a leopard wrasse. I guess my plan is to observe/get eating and still deciding if I want to prophylactically treat with prazi/metro.

@eatbreakfast out of curiosity, how long do you leave QT sandless? Did poor experiences with sand in QT drive you to use this method or is just something you've always done?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Good to know. To tell you the truth I'm not to eager to run the TTM although I'll consider it. I know this is probably dumb but I haven't encounter any post from someone saying they got ich from a leopard wrasse. I guess my plan is to observe/get eating and still deciding if I want to prophylactically treat with prazi/metro.

@eatbreakfast out of curiosity, how long do you leave QT sandless? Did poor experiences with sand in QT drive you to use this method or is just something you've always done?

I only keep it sandless for 2-3 days, then add tupperware container of sand. I used to skip qt with leopards and Anampses, then used to have sand available all the time in qt, now I don't let them have sand for a day or two.

One reason is peace of mind myself. I am able to see if they are eating or 'struggling' in captivity.

They also are getting used to my light schedule. This is important because younger individuals have a fast metabolism and a high caloric intake need. So even if they eat well, it only does so much if they are only awake for one feeding.

Keeping the sand contained makes it easier to see uneaten foods to clean up.

Because I don't use meds harsher than prazi, I can have a porous rock seeded in my sump and placed in the qt for pod hunting.

I haven't ever had an issue with ich making it's way into my dt, however my stocklist is pretty resilient to it, so I don't know that I would.

 

[mr11]

Alright my Potter's came in today and looks OK, is swimming around. I decided to ago without a sand container for the 1st couple days to get it to adjust and eat but he is definitely scanning around looking for some sand. I guess I should just observe? Is there any red flag that would make it obvious I need to add sand immediately?

 

[eatbreakfast]

If it keeps trying to bury, then add sand. You don't want it to damage it's jaw.

 

[mr11]

Thanks, now he's just laying on the sand breathing hard. No bueno

 

[Humblefish]

You can put sand in a glass pyrex bowl. There should be minimal absorption from that if meds are needed.

 

[mr11]

Yeah I abandoned QT. The ammonia spike within 8 hrs of having the fish in there. I used a filter sponge that has been in my sump for over a month and a second one just for good measure. Apparently that didn't work. I placed the Potters in my DT last night. He's just been laying on the sand breathing heavy. I'm thinking it's a lost cause at this point. Tips? Tricks?

 

[melypr1985]

He was already breathing hard in the QT laying on his side, so I wouldn't have put him in the DT and risk putting something bad in there. So, my advice would be to put him back in the QT. From what I understand he wasn't treated with anything up to this point right? So something is causing him to breathe heavy. A Fresh water dip would be helpful in determining if he has flukes in his gills causing labored breathing.

 

[mr11]

I agree it would have been easier. I dont have space to store any salt water and it takes 3-4 hrs to make a new batch when I'm actually home and can only make about 5 gallons at a time. So doing a 100% or even 50% WC daily (10g QT) to keep up with ammonia is just unreasonable. I was anticipated my seeded sponge to at least buy me a few days between WC.

I can try a fresh water dip. The vendor said he was doing OK and had him for a week. Would Flukes show up spontaneously like this if he wasn't showing symptoms before?

 

[FishRForMe]

What about a freshwater bath?

 

[mr11]

Is that different than a fresh water dip? Mixing up some FW now

 

[melypr1985]

I can try a fresh water dip. The vendor said he was doing OK and had him for a week. Would Flukes show up spontaneously like this if he wasn't showing symptoms before?

Well, they dont actually just show up. The flukes are there but we dont always see them. They are small and mostly live in and around the gills so it makes it difficult to see. There are behavioral symptoms like heavy breathing, yawning, head shaking, flashing/scratching that go with it, but it seems like he's just laying on the bottom of the tank breathing heavy so we dont have much to go on. Here's how to do the dip. I have pictures if you'd like to see them of what to look for.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes & "Black Ich", Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[mr11]

Wow thanks!

 

[melypr1985]

Wow thanks!

No problem. Here are those pictures. Figured I might as well post them for ya since it's easy to do This is a Kole Tang that I knew had flukes. The white circle-ish deals there are the flukes after they turn white and die. Some are really big but that's because they were floating around in the picture and were closer to the camera than the rest.