Lfs had uronema

TriggerFinger · Mar 25, 2019

When I was at the lfs getting salt I took a quick peek at their livestock. They had 1 tank with 10 small lemon damsels and a few tiny gobies and there was 1 dead damsel that looked like it had the typical uronema wounds. The owner has told me before that this wall of tanks has copper in them and the fish stay there for 14 days before he moves them to different non medicated tanks.

Is this tank always going to have uronema present in it? He keeps a shallow substrate and a small amount of rock in his copper tanks. Is it safe to assume ALL his tanks are going to have uronema if any of the damsels get put in any other tanks?

This is an old store with a previously crappy owner who now has a new owner and I really like this new guy and his wife, they are good people. I prefer to support lfs before buying online but if his tanks are infected then I can’t take that chance.

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 25, 2019

TriggerFinger said:
When I was at the lfs getting salt I took a quick peek at their livestock. They had 1 tank with 10 small lemon damsels and a few tiny gobies and there was 1 dead damsel that looked like it had the typical uronema wounds. The owner has told me before that this wall of tanks has copper in them and the fish stay there for 14 days before he moves them to different non medicated tanks.

Is this tank always going to have uronema present in it? He keeps a shallow substrate and a small amount of rock in his copper tanks. Is it safe to assume ALL his tanks are going to have uronema if any of the damsels get put in any other tanks?

This is an old store with a previously crappy owner who now has a new owner and I really like this new guy and his wife, they are good people. I prefer to support lfs before buying online but if his tanks are infected then I can’t take that chance.

It is safe to assume all LFS and online distributors have Uronema as it is present throughout the fish distribution system. Most fish do not succumb to it though and are able to fight it off with their immune system. If you properly QT any new fish it should not be a problem. There are certain species of fish that are more succeptible to it like, Anthias, Chromis, Pygmy Angels, Wrasse,etc.
if you. Purchase a succeptible species I would specifically treat and target Uronema just to be safe.

TriggerFinger · Mar 25, 2019

Thanks for the quick reply. I do assume this about parasite and disease in general and did QT the one fish I have and plan to do with future fish. I’m more scared of uronema, isn’t this the one that doesn’t require a host to complete its life cycle?

Frtdrmrose7 · Mar 25, 2019

Yes, it does not require a host to survive. This is why QT is so important because the fish distribution system is rife with disease.

TriggerFinger said:
Thanks for the quick reply. I do assume this about parasite and disease in general and did QT the one fish I have and plan to do with future fish. I’m more scared of uronema, isn’t this the one that doesn’t require a host to complete its life cycle?