Sad day: blue spot jaw future help..

[Michael43]

<---- So my avatar BSJ I believe has passed. My favorite fish.. sucks.. I do believe about a month or so ago he got the description of the BSJ disease. He has some patchy white marks on his one side behind his head. He never tho stopped eating or showed signs of weakness at all. never stopped turning sand or anything. Last night I got home and I can find him. Looked for a solid half hour. He definitely didn't jump out because I have a custom artfully acrylic lid on the tank with no more than 1/4" gap anywhere. He was at least 3" and I know they can be escape artists but no way unless he flattened himself out could have squeezed out and still I did thoroughly examine around the tank for a body. No trace. Back to the tank tho, this morning I cant find him either. I have to assume he passed and the crabs and CUC etc have taken him to the crevices.. I will keep my fingers crossed he may show back up but I think the disease got the best of him. No other fish show any signs(knock on wood) of anything. I will not rush into getting another but I would like to give it another shot. My tank stays cooler on the 76-76.5 or so area. My candy basslet likes those temps as well. I did buy him from a more reputable LFS but who knows. I'll give it at least a few weeks and wait for Live aquaria to put one in the diver den section. Anything I can do to prevent tragedy again? Some say these fish just aren't meant for tanks and I have also heard others have them for a couple years.. Would love to hear some feedback from everyone with experience

 

[Humblefish]

I've successfully treated BSJ disease a few times now by combining Kanaplex + Metroplex. These fish seem so prone to it that I would advise prophylactically treating all new BSJ with that combo.

 

[Michael43]

So you would do that when it initially getting them as preventative measure?

 

[Humblefish]

So you would do that when it initially getting them as preventative measure?

Yes. I've only treated fish with active infections, and it took between 2-3 weeks (dosing metro one day, Kanaplex the next) for symptoms to completely clear. So, I cannot say if 2-3 weeks would still be required if treating as a preventative.

I suspect BSJ disease is a bacterial/protozoan hybrid of some sort; which would explain why an antibiotic (kanamycin) combined with a antiprotozoal agent (metronidazole) works to treat it.

 

[Michael43]

Do you think it will be free floating in my system now and a new fish would automatically get it?

 

[Humblefish]

Do you think it will be free floating in my system now and a new fish would automatically get it?

Possible but unlikely. With every BSJ I've treated, it doesn't seem to transmit to any of the other fish. And post treatment, it doesn't return even if the BSJ is returned to the exact same DT when he first showed signs of infection. Without needing to go fallow (all 3 specimens came from local member's reefs.)