Please help my little boxfish!

[BoxfishRacer]

Hi,

My boxfish whom I love so so much is really sick and I just don't know what else I can do. It started with a 3 day blackout to get rid of algae, he was fine every day until I turned the lights back on (gradual ofcourse) and I just knew something was off. It was late at night but for the first time ever, he didn't eat. He seemed less reactive too. I go to bed and wake up the next morning with him stuck against the power head.

At this point, I've already said my goodbyes to the little guy as I have never ever seen a fish recover from being so weak that the powered got them. I turned the head off and off he swam, floating at the bottom of the tank hiding. Usually a fish in my experience is at deaths door at this point so I tried diagnosing and the only thing I could think of was perhaps fluke or some other parasite that perhaps was encouraged to breed during the dark period. I read somewhere that ich parasites propagate and their eggs release when lights are out. So I dosed the tank with fluke solve just incase. Again, I'd already said my goodbyes. This was for the other fishes safety.

Anyways, he seemed to perk up a little bit after awhile. His colour returned to him and he started exploring the tank a little bit. I tried frozen mysis food dipped in garlic and he was chasing it, but never biting.

That was yesterday, and today its more of the same. His colours still there and he's exploring the tank more, but he just isn't eating. He seemed a little less interested tonight in his food which is really sad as I started to get a little hopeful.

Please please please suggest things that I can do to help him eat or maybe any other things to make him feel better. Please.

Tank params are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and now 7.5 nitrate. Ph is 8.2.

Pictures can been seen over on the reddit Post here: https://reddit.com/r/ReefTank/s/TOWMGHb5Gw

 

[MnFish1]

Hi,

My boxfish whom I love so so much is really sick and I just don't know what else I can do. It started with a 3 day blackout to get rid of algae, he was fine every day until I turned the lights back on (gradual ofcourse) and I just knew something was off. It was late at night but for the first time ever, he didn't eat. He seemed less reactive too. I go to bed and wake up the next morning with him stuck against the power head.

At this point, I've already said my goodbyes to the little guy as I have never ever seen a fish recover from being so weak that the powered got them. I turned the head off and off he swam, floating at the bottom of the tank hiding. Usually a fish in my experience is at deaths door at this point so I tried diagnosing and the only thing I could think of was perhaps fluke or some other parasite that perhaps was encouraged to breed during the dark period. I read somewhere that ich parasites propagate and their eggs release when lights are out. So I dosed the tank with fluke solve just incase. Again, I'd already said my goodbyes. This was for the other fishes safety.

Anyways, he seemed to perk up a little bit after awhile. His colour returned to him and he started exploring the tank a little bit. I tried frozen mysis food dipped in garlic and he was chasing it, but never biting.

That was yesterday, and today its more of the same. His colours still there and he's exploring the tank more, but he just isn't eating. He seemed a little less interested tonight in his food which is really sad as I started to get a little hopeful.

Please please please suggest things that I can do to help him eat or maybe any other things to make him feel better. Please.

Tank params are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and now 7.5 nitrate. Ph is 8.2.

Pictures can been seen over on the reddit Post here: https://reddit.com/r/ReefTank/s/TOWMGHb5Gw

Suggest you post pictures, and parameters. My strong guess is that the parameters In the tank are off a bit since that change.

 

[BoxfishRacer]

Here's the pictures. Params are stated above, 0 ammonia, nitrite and 7.5 nitrate. Ph 8.2.

 

[BoxfishRacer]

Here's the pictures. Params are stated above, 0 ammonia, nitrite and 7.5 nitrate. Ph 8.2.

1.025 salinity too, sorry.

 

[MnFish1]

1.025 salinity too, sorry.

Don't see a picture

 

[BoxfishRacer]

Don't see a picture

They're posted just above and it appears to now be approved by the moderator. I can see the post on a separate machine. If not click the reddit link in my first post.

 

[MnFish1]

Here's the pictures. Params are stated above, 0 ammonia, nitrite and 7.5 nitrate. Ph 8.2.

unfortunately white light would be far better

 

[BoxfishRacer]

unfortunately white light would be far better

Unfortunately I can't get a picture and control the lights at the same time due to the stupid app that controls the lighting. It will have to be tomorrow in about 12 hours time (midnight here) when I can use my wife's phone to take the pictures.

Is there nothing we can work with here?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here's the pictures. Params are stated above, 0 ammonia, nitrite and 7.5 nitrate. Ph 8.2.

This is the typical disease they get and scales which are honeycombed will swell and develop slime, fish loses appetite and weaken
You can attempt water change, add aeration and treat with ruby rally pro or general cure which may or may not help

 

[BoxfishRacer]

This is the typical disease they get and scales which are honeycombed will swell and develop slime, fish loses appetite and weaken
You can attempt water change, add aeration and treat with ruby rally pro or general cure which may or may not help

What disease is this? I'll try a water change tonight. Is it a grim prognosis? Thank you.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What disease is this? I'll try a water change tonight. Is it a grim prognosis? Thank you.

Often it’s fungal but may be bacterial similar to dropsy symptoms
Will take a closer look when I get home

 

[BoxfishRacer]

Often it’s fungal but may be bacterial similar to dropsy symptoms
Will take a closer look when I get home

I really appreciate that thank you. It's looking like the boxfish won't make it through the night. 2 days ago he was fine. Its such a cruel cruel life.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I really appreciate that thank you. It's looking like the boxfish won't make it through the night. 2 days ago he was fine. Its such a cruel cruel life.

Ok, I was able to get a better look on larger screen. It looks like there is a bacterial mass near its eyes and surrounding area and I sold these at my LFS and often wondered why they were even sold as few hold up well. As you notice, they are very slow swimmers, yet need food source regularly. Often when annoyed by tankmates in which they should not have many tankmates, they can emit a secretion from dermal structure and when scared or annoyed can release this mucus often called a toxin