Sick/dying royal gramma. Any ideas on what this could be?

[lba4590]

My royal gramma is currently in QT with copper power. Was doing well until last night, didn’t come out to eat. Pulled him out of the tank this morning to take a look and saw this. He’s not doing so great. Breathing hard, very lethargic. I just finished a 10min hydroplex dip on him and didn’t see anything other than a few scales that fell off. Sort of looks like an injury to me but I can’t think of anything he could have injured himself on. Bacterial infection maybe? Since he’s not eating, should I treat the water column with Kanaplex maybe? You can see in the top down picture fleshy prices hanging off of him.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’m sorry, but this looks like Uronema to me. It starts intercellularly, so you don’t see it until the lesion breaks through the skin. Once it gets to this point, I’ve never really been able to cure it. Additionally, the meds to use are formalin or chloroquine, and both are difficult to acquire right now. The only up side is that Uronema is found in most/all aquariums, so it isn’t like ich, where it will kill every fish. The worst fish for this malady are chromis, then anthias, then butterflyfish. Grammas do get it, but not super often.
Jay

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I’m sorry, but this looks like Uronema to me. It starts intercellularly, so you don’t see it until the lesion breaks through the skin. Once it gets to this point, I’ve never really been able to cure it. Additionally, the meds to use are formalin or chloroquine, and both are difficult to acquire right now. The only up side is that Uronema is found in most/all aquariums, so it isn’t like ich, where it will kill every fish. The worst fish for this malady are chromis, then anthias, then butterflyfish. Grammas do get it, but not super often.
Jay

Jay, how do you treat for this ahead of time? Or you don't? I read once it gets in your tank it is there indefinitely.

 

[lba4590]

I’m sorry, but this looks like Uronema to me. It starts intercellularly, so you don’t see it until the lesion breaks through the skin. Once it gets to this point, I’ve never really been able to cure it. Additionally, the meds to use are formalin or chloroquine, and both are difficult to acquire right now. The only up side is that Uronema is found in most/all aquariums, so it isn’t like ich, where it will kill every fish. The worst fish for this malady are chromis, then anthias, then butterflyfish. Grammas do get it, but not super often.
Jay

Oh no, not what I wanted to hear Thanks so much for the input. I do have an anthias in the tank as well, so that worries me. I read euthanasia is probably my best bet to prevent spreading - should I treat the others with metroplex? Would really hate to lose all my fish to this.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It’s really always in every tank, it normally feeds on bacteria. Low salinity can bring it on, as can getting new fish that are prone to it. Finally, established tanks develop something called a microbiome - where all the microbes tend to balance each other out. New tanks, and most QT do not have a well developed microbiome, so issues can develop in them.
Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Oh no, not what I wanted to hear Thanks so much for the input. I do have an anthias in the tank as well, so that worries me. I read euthanasia is probably my best bet to prevent spreading - should I treat the others with metroplex? Would really hate to lose all my fish to this.

Metroplex might help protect the anthias, worth a try.
Jay

 

[DrMMI]

Metroplex might help protect the anthias, worth a try.
Jay

Hi jay, I seem to be having a similar issue in my Royal gramma. He used to swim around and be very active and today he's been hiding all day. He didn't eat this morning at all. This is the same quarantine tank that my powder blue died in. When I fed this afternoon, he start the dart in and out of his pipe to grab food. I don't see any lesions on him. I tried to take a video of him.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Your gramma is eating ok, and it is breathing deeply, but not too fast. Something is scaring it. Is that an algae blenny in the back? What is the tanks ammonia level? It may have been scared from you observing it, try dimming the room lights.
Jay

 

[DrMMI]

Your gramma is eating ok, and it is breathing deeply, but not too fast. Something is scaring it. Is that an algae blenny in the back? What is the tanks ammonia level? It may have been scared from you observing it, try dimming the room lights.
Jay

That's a bullet goby. It's been in there in quarantine with it since the very beginning and never seemed to have an issue with it before. The royal gramma was always out and swimming around until this morning. The only other fishing quarantine with them is a fire fish . There doesn't seem to be any change in its behavior. It stays in hidden in its little corner under the bubble filter and darts out for food and then goes back and hides. The ammonia level is zero. Cooper is 2.24.

 

[lba4590]

Metroplex might help protect the anthias, worth a try.
Jay

Thanks. Unfortunately my linespot flasher wrasse has developed a similar lesion on one side, only visible with a bright light. Still very active and eating well. I’m putting both Kanaplex and Metroplex in their food now. Is there anything else I can do? Would a reef rally bath be too stressful for an already sick fish?

This is my first batch of QT’d fish and feeling very defeated Already had ich and thankfully managing that, RG died, blenny looks ok but is flashing, just hoping these guys can pull through.

 

[lba4590]

Took a few pictures after he died because he had all these spots on him.. are they flukes? Did a FW dip and they were still attached after 10 mins or so?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

That really looks like Uronema to me. The linear lesion is the telltale for this malady, sorry.
Jay

 

[lba4590]

That really looks like Uronema to me. The linear lesion is the telltale for this malady, sorry.
Jay

Thank you Jay, I definitely think you’re right. Unfortunately thinking I may lose my anthias. He’s got a small spot near his tail but can’t get a good picture. Still eating, medicating their food with both metro and Kanaplex.

Do you think the spot on this wrasse is cause for concern? Hard to tell due to his color. Still acting normally and eating well.