Sick Halichoeres

[Meers]

Hi all,

I am in need of help. Yesterday I noticed that my 1,5 years old Halichoeres Chrysus was with its mouth open and also looked like having some infection on its side. Cannot really precise what, since it doesn't stop in one place so that I can properly observe it. Today I woke up to find my 2,5 years Halichoeres Melanurus with its mouth open also. I am quite worried and a bit lost regarding what to do as they are nearly impossible to catch without completelly emptying the aquarium. None of the other fishes seems to have any kind of issues. I run a 30W TMC UV lamp 24*7, but the lamp is perhaps already over 6 months old, but not by much, since I bought the full set this year.

Did anyone experience such problems with their Halichoeres? What have you done? Any recomendations?

Thank you all.

Cheers

 

[Meers]

Anyone?

 

[melypr1985]

Hi there! Could you post some pictures of what your talking about please? I can tell you right now, to save the fish with the infections, you'll need to pull them out for QT and treat with antibiotics such as Kanaplex or Furan-2. The fish with the open mouth.... is it always open or is it just yawning a lot? Is there anything growing on the side or inside the mouth?

 

[Meers]

Hi Melypr1985,

I will try to take some picture and post it here. The Chrysus I don't see it from yesterday night after I noticed the issue. I am pretty certain this was not there in the morning, as I fed them 4 times yesterday from around 8AM till 9PM, and I believe he was eating in the morning. He was with the mouth open all the time. I inspected my Melanurus well at that time and he was fine and eating. Today I found him also with his mouth open, permanently. He looked like he tried to yawn but could not do it properly. I could not see anything in the mouth, it only looks swollen. What is worrying me the most is the speed at which it is progressing, as yesterday the melanurus looked nice and eating fine and today is most certainly not ok.

Thanks!

 

[melypr1985]

For the swelling you can dose Epsom Salt directly in the tank.
How To Treat - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of aquarium water. Repeat only once, if necessary. Use only “USP” grade Epsom salt.
The infection on his side is worrisome. I'm going out of town in about an hour so I may not be able to help much further. Thankfully, we can put a call in to Dr. Fish aka @Humblefish, who is the MAN with this stuff and absolutely the best to consult. Here's what to do while we wait for him to come help: Set up a QT and get ahold of some antibiotics like i mentioned above. Get the effected fish out of your display, because odds are you wont be able to treat them in-tank. If your unable to get a good picture of the effected areas, please give us the best description you can of the infection (color, size, texture ect)

 

[Humblefish]

A pic of this would definitely help. It sounds like an infection of some sort but is it possible they might be eating bristle worms in your tank?

I'm also going to tag a wrasse expert to get his input as well. @evolved

 

[Meers]

A pic of this would definitely help. It sounds like an infection of some sort but is it possible they might be eating bristle worms in your tank?

I'm also going to tag a wrasse expert to get his input as well. @evolved

Thank you both for your help. I have tried a few pictures but neither provides much detail as for the issue. I cannot see the Chrysus from yesterday, it looked like there was something a bit readish and also looked like it had some kind of plumes on its side, but I couldn't really take a good look at it, so cannot give more details for now. As for the Melanurus, I only see the mouth swollen and nothing more. He is a big fat guy and I really love him. here are the pictures.

Thank you all for your support.

Cheers

 

[evolved]

The chrysus certainly sounds like a bacterial infection to me.

As for the melanurus, I'm not yet convinced these two things are related. I don't see anything troubling in those photos.

 

[Humblefish]

Do you have bristle worms in your tank they might have eaten? I know my Mel wrasse's mouth would sometimes look a little messed up after tangling with one of those things.

 

[evolved]

Do you have bristle worms in your tank

Who doesn't?

 

[Sabellafella]

I think every wrasse i owed mouths were gapeing at somepoint couldent figure it out until ive watched them try to eat bristle worms , it went away after 2 days atmost, sometimes there lips would become red wit a white pimple anything after that would be an infection nd need treatment

 

[Meers]

I have never noticed brisble worms in the tank, but wouldn't be surprise if I had some. What worries me the most is that I had the Chrysus show up yesterday with this infection and the mouth open and right the next day to have the melanurus show up with the mouth open also. He does not display any other sympthom beside this, but I don't want to lose him at all. I will also try to dig up the Chrysus and have it moved to quarantine. How to clear his infection though? @melypr1985: I will check my lfs tomorrow for the antibiotics you suggested: Kanaplex or Furan-2. Btw, what is USP grade salt? Are there any consequences for the inverts or other fishes to use it? Thanks!
@Humblefish & @evolved : any suggestions beside trying to move them to a quarantine tank? Do you think this could pass into the other fish? So far only seems to have affected this 2 Halichoeres, I have 1 other halichoeres argus, 3 Cirrhilabrus and 1 paracheilinus, besides several other fishes, and none seems affected so far. Any preventive course of action for the display tank? I am planning 2 water changes for tomorrow and Sunday, to clean up the system. RODI-DI is now working in preparation for it. Would this be fine? Any other treatment courses... Btw, here in Europe it is already 7PM, and the Halichoeres have all retreated to their bed under the sand. Thank you all for the help!

 

[Humblefish]

Btw, what is USP grade salt? Are there any consequences for the inverts or other fishes to use it? Thanks!

Epsom salt aka Magnesium sulfate. The USP grade just means it's safe for human consumption/use; so USP grade Epsom salt would also be safe to use on your fish/in your tank. Epsom salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gals) can often be used to relieve swelling due to injury. And because it's just Magnesium sulfate, it's also safe to use in a reef.

@Humblefish & @evolved : any suggestions beside trying to move them to a quarantine tank? Do you think this could pass into the other fish? So far only seems to have affected this 2 Halichoeres, I have 1 other halichoeres argus, 3 Cirrhilabrus and 1 paracheilinus, besides several other fishes, and none seems affected so far. Any preventive course of action for the display tank? I am planning 2 water changes for tomorrow and Sunday, to clean up the system. RODI-DI is now working in preparation for it. Would this be fine? Any other treatment courses... Btw, here in Europe it is already 7PM, and the Halichoeres have all retreated to their bed under the sand. Thank you all for the help!

Your best bet to catch a wrasse is a bottle trap. It's impossible to say if other fish are in danger when it comes to a bacterial infection. It depends upon whether the infection is localized or being caused by harmful waterborne bacteria, whether the bacterium is gram positive or gram negative, the health of the immune system of your other fish in the tank, etc. etc.

Being you live in Europe, you might be able to get the following in powder form direct from a chemist (without a script): kanamycin and/or nitrofurazone.

 

[Meers]

Epsom salt aka Magnesium sulfate. The USP grade just means it's safe for human consumption/use; so USP grade Epsom salt would also be safe to use on your fish/in your tank. Epsom salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gals) can often be used to relieve swelling due to injury. And because it's just Magnesium sulfate, it's also safe to use in a reef.



Your best bet to catch a wrasse is a bottle trap. It's impossible to say if other fish are in danger when it comes to a bacterial infection. It depends upon whether the infection is localized or being caused by harmful waterborne bacteria, whether the bacterium is gram positive or gram negative, the health of the immune system of your other fish in the tank, etc. etc.

Being you live in Europe, you might be able to get the following in powder form direct from a chemist (without a script): kanamycin and/or nitrofurazone.

Thanks HumbleFish. Will look all of that up in a pharmacy tomorrow. So far no other fish seem to be affected. Hope it keeps that way... :S

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Who doesn't?

I don't. lol.

 

[Meers]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the lack of news. I was yesterday all day doing some major cleaning and restructuring of the aquarium, but could not manage to catch those halichoeres. The good news is that my chrysus showed up and there seems to be nothing else wrong beside the swollen mouth. My melanurus also still has the mouth swollen but no other symptoms. I took the opportunity to do a project I was meaning to do for a long time, and removed all corals from the sand and moved them into a small aquarium that was staying around the house. Mostly mushrooms and zoas. For now the aquarium is looking mostly like a frag tank, but it is in my plans to build a zoas and mushrooms only aquarium properly organized. This allowed me to do a better cleaning of the sand, and prepare the aquarium for 2 angels in quarantine and expected to move into the display tank as soon as they have cleared and get enough size to deal with the other bullies. While doing so I did find 3 large worms that I believe were bristle worms. So it might really be that the 2 wrasses decided to play with an adversary they were not ready for... I am keeping them under surveilance and, in case the situation doesn't improve or goes worse, stronger measures to catch them will be taken... As for the antibiotics, I would not find them in my LFS and here it is not possible to buy them without medical prescription. So am limited to wait till tomorrow when other LFS in Vienna will open to check if I can find them. Do you keep antibiotics at home as preventive measure? Or just buy them on demand? Do they last long? I always like to be prepared, speacially now that I moved into the quietness of the country side and shops are a bit farther away.

Thank you all for the kind help.

Enjoy your Sunday

Cheers

 

[Humblefish]

Do you keep antibiotics at home as preventive measure? Or just buy them on demand? Do they last long? I always like to be prepared, speacially now that I moved into the quietness of the country side and shops are a bit farther away.

I personally always keep the following antibacterial meds on hand: Furan-2, Seachem Kanaplex, Seachem Metroplex. Like where you live, they are sometimes difficult to find in the US in a LFS. So I order them from an online source. Sometimes even Amazon carries them.

 

[4FordFamily]

Have you added any fish recently? generally useful to know although in this case probably less so

 

[Meers]

I personally always keep the following antibacterial meds on hand: Furan-2, Seachem Kanaplex, Seachem Metroplex. Like where you live, they are sometimes difficult to find in the US in a LFS. So I order them from an online source. Sometimes even Amazon carries them.

Thanks Humblefish. Will look for this online. Really don't want to be caught off guard again.

Have you added any fish recently? generally useful to know although in this case probably less so

Hi 3FordFamily, I added 2 angels to my refugium, but I have a 30 watts lamp running there and this has been working as my wannabe quarantine tank, till I get one properly set. I have in the mean while moved them into a new tank set for all my zoas and mushrooms. He is was looking better today in the morning when I left to the office. Still with the mouth open, but looked less than previously.