Return clogged. Fish look sick.

[patrck17]

Hi again. Unfortunately I need to make another post requesting guidance.

Two days ago I noticed my porcupine puffer had one hazy eye which set me off to look at the fish more closely. There were white speckles on the puffer which I assumed to be Ich but then I noticed other fish seemed to have trouble breathing and acting odd. Namely my emporer angel and Kole tang. I have a few wrasses and diamond gobies that seemed fine. And the clowns seemed okay as well. Maybe a little agitated.

I freshwater dipped the puffer for 30 minutes. Later that evening I realized my return was clogged and it had not been cycling the display for maybe 3 days. I fixed it and went to bed.

Next day the fish looked a lot better but seemed to be recovering. Today the puffers eyes are much better and his energy is back as well. But the Angel and Kole tang still not looking so good.

I’m thinking maybe the stress from the return not working allowed something to get a foothold on them. Wondering is anyone has any ideas.

 

[patrck17]

Deleted - Accidental duplicate post.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi again. Unfortunately I need to make another post requesting guidance.

Two days ago I noticed my porcupine puffer had one hazy eye which set me off to look at the fish more closely. There were white speckles on the puffer which I assumed to be Ich but then I noticed other fish seemed to have trouble breathing and acting odd. Namely my emporer angel and Kole tang. I have a few wrasses and diamond gobies that seemed fine. And the clowns seemed okay as well. Maybe a little agitated.

I freshwater dipped the puffer for 30 minutes. Later that evening I realized my return was clogged and it had not been cycling the display for maybe 3 days. I fixed it and went to bed.

Next day the fish looked a lot better but seemed to be recovering. Today the puffers eyes are much better and his energy is back as well. But the Angel and Kole tang still not looking so good.

I’m thinking maybe the stress from the return not working allowed something to get a foothold on them. Wondering is anyone has any ideas.

These pics all point to bacterial and in alignment with lack of flow and filtration. They will have to be treated in a separate tank using Seachem Kanaplex for at least 10 days and an air stone added. Also monitor ammonia levels with a reliable test kir.
For the future , recommended freshwater dip is 5 mins, not 30 which can have huge impact on certain fish

 

[vetteguy53081]

Other thread has been answered

 

[patrck17]

Thank you for the reply. And wow I misfired on the dip. He seems fine but I won’t do that again. Sorry for the multiple post.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi again. Unfortunately I need to make another post requesting guidance.

Two days ago I noticed my porcupine puffer had one hazy eye which set me off to look at the fish more closely. There were white speckles on the puffer which I assumed to be Ich but then I noticed other fish seemed to have trouble breathing and acting odd. Namely my emporer angel and Kole tang. I have a few wrasses and diamond gobies that seemed fine. And the clowns seemed okay as well. Maybe a little agitated.

I freshwater dipped the puffer for 30 minutes. Later that evening I realized my return was clogged and it had not been cycling the display for maybe 3 days. I fixed it and went to bed.

Next day the fish looked a lot better but seemed to be recovering. Today the puffers eyes are much better and his energy is back as well. But the Angel and Kole tang still not looking so good.

I’m thinking maybe the stress from the return not working allowed something to get a foothold on them. Wondering is anyone has any ideas.

Looks like flukes to me. Both puffers and emperors are really prone to that, and the (too long) FW dip, but with improvement seen, backs that up.

You might consider a prazi treatment:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[patrck17]

I ended up going with PraziPro. I added about 35ml to my 150g display. I assumed its probably 140g or so of water volume after the rocks and with the refugium. I also added an air stone directly at the return pump.

I did these two at the same time and I observed the following:
1. Tons of air bubbles in the display.
2. The Emperor angel fish started to spaz a little. It has been darting around but now its leaning against the glass. Doesn't look good for him.
3. My euphyllia corals started sorta spitting out a little slime, the softies sorta closed up, and the anemone's also kinda closed up and spit up some slime as well. I moved the airstone away from the return so there are no more bubbles. They all seem to be doing better.

I am not sure if they were bothered by the bubbles or by the medication.

Is there anything I can look for to know if it is working?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I ended up going with PraziPro. I added about 35ml to my 150g display. I assumed its probably 140g or so of water volume after the rocks and with the refugium. I also added an air stone directly at the return pump.

I did these two at the same time and I observed the following:
1. Tons of air bubbles in the display.
2. The Emperor angel fish started to spaz a little. It has been darting around but now its leaning against the glass. Doesn't look good for him.
3. My euphyllia corals started sorta spitting out a little slime, the softies sorta closed up, and the anemone's also kinda closed up and spit up some slime as well. I moved the airstone away from the return so there are no more bubbles. They all seem to be doing better.

I am not sure if they were bothered by the bubbles or by the medication.

Is there anything I can look for to know if it is working?

Don't put the air stone on the intake side of a pump, that can cause gas supersaturation. Only put air stones in the tank itself or in the output of a pump.

Corals and anemones often close up when you first add prazipro.

 

[patrck17]

Bumping this thread with some more information.

I treated with Prazi on Saturday. I’ve had the UV, Ozone, off, with the skimmer cup removed since then. I’m worried that those may have been keeping the parasites at bay.

The fish all seemed to have improved a little temporarily but now not so much. I grabbed a few more images and videos.

These guys seem to have it the worst. The yellow tang has spots mostly on one side. They are hard to see in the pic.

@vetteguy53081, @Jay Hemdal

Thanks again.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Bumping this thread with some more information.

I treated with Prazi on Saturday. I’ve had the UV, Ozone, off, with the skimmer cup removed since then. I’m worried that those may have been keeping the parasites at bay.

The fish all seemed to have improved a little temporarily but now not so much. I grabbed a few more images and videos.

These guys seem to have it the worst. The yellow tang has spots mostly on one side. They are hard to see in the pic.

@vetteguy53081, @Jay Hemdal

Thanks again.

Whoa! That's end stage ich on that emperor angel! The fish may well have had two issues at once.

Saving these is going to be very difficult. You will need to start a coppersafe or copper power treatment at 2.5 ppm ASAP. Of course, you can't do that in a tank with invertebrates present, and it is difficult to do in tanks with calcium substrates (that absorbs the copper).

 

[vetteguy53081]

As stated, use coppersafe or copper power in a separate tank. Do not interrupt this 30 day period monitored with a Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off and with any other occupants exposed, they too should go into quarantine.

 

[patrck17]

Do all the fish require the cooper or just the ones showing the worst symptoms?

 

[vetteguy53081]

All as they have now been exposed to the disease.

Do all the fish require the cooper or just the ones showing the worst symptoms?

You will need at least a 40 breeder, preferably a 55 gallon tank or large rubbermaid type tub

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Do all the fish require the cooper or just the ones showing the worst symptoms?

All exposed fish will need a full treatment, otherwise you are just kicking the problem down the road.

With severe ich, treatment can take 3+ days to start to work, and some of the fish may just not have that much time left.

The hyposalinity idea may be the most viable in that it also treats flukes. Here is a post I made about hypo:

Hyposalinity

Hyposalinity Jay Hemdal 2024 This term refers to a long-term bath treatment for marine fishes in which the salt content of the water is lowered and held below the point that certain parasites can survive. The salt level reached, and the time of the treatment are the two variables...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Freenow54]

I ended up going with PraziPro. I added about 35ml to my 150g display. I assumed its probably 140g or so of water volume after the rocks and with the refugium. I also added an air stone directly at the return pump.

I did these two at the same time and I observed the following:
1. Tons of air bubbles in the display.
2. The Emperor angel fish started to spaz a little. It has been darting around but now its leaning against the glass. Doesn't look good for him.
3. My euphyllia corals started sorta spitting out a little slime, the softies sorta closed up, and the anemone's also kinda closed up and spit up some slime as well. I moved the airstone away from the return so there are no more bubbles. They all seem to be doing better.

I am not sure if they were bothered by the bubbles or by the medication.

Is there anything I can look for to know if it is working?

Want this info hopefully not for future reference. Would like it if you both would write an article on this

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Do you mean an article on dosing prazi? I’ve got one here:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

www.reef2reef.com