Sick orange shoulder

[prsnlty]

My os was good yesterday and today looks and acts terrible. What is this? I've never seen it before.

 

[Humblefish]

Acanthurus tangs will sometimes get splotchy, but I don't think what I see on yours is normal. Three possibilities:

1. He scraped himself up in your rock work. I had a PBT that liked to explore tight spaces and would sometimes get herself wedged in-between two rocks. :eek:
2. Sting from a coral (LPS sweeper possibly?) or anemone.
3. The onset of a bacterial infection. An infection could set in if either of the above two scenarios preceded it.

How long have you had this fish? Notice any rubbing or scratching? Any ich/small white dots?

 

[prsnlty]

No ich but has some frayed fins. He hasn't been doing anything out of the norm until today. He's been in my tank 1 year next week. He's about 5.5" in size. Was eating nori yesterday. Only thing in my tank that's changed is I have some ha and am doing Melve's treatment for it. Hannah says I have 0 po4 but have ha starting to pop up everywhere. .5 no3. I keep a very clean tank. None the less I have ha. Could the phosphate rx have done this? All reactors were turned off also for the treatment. But the treatment is the only thing that has changed.

 

[Humblefish]

Is this the stuff: http://www.marinedepot.com/Blue_Lif...ditives-Blue_Life_USA-BL2131-FIADSAPR-vi.html

It's kinda hard to say if it could cause any problems because the "manual" provides very limited info: http://www.f3images.com/IMD/UserManuals/BL2131.pdf

I'd need to know the listed ingredients. o_O

 

[prsnlty]

Yes. Doesn't give any ingredient information on either the bottle or package

 

[Humblefish]

Yes. Doesn't give any ingredient information on either the bottle or package

I don't think the Phosphate Rx stuff would do that to just your tang, and yet all your other fish still look fine (I assume)? Is the tang still eating or has he stopped?

 

[prsnlty]

All the other fish are fine. He's just about dead now. Not eating. Upside down:(

 

[Humblefish]

All the other fish are fine. He's just about dead now. Not eating. Upside down:(

Sorry to hear, put him in acclimation box or QT if you can. If he went down that fast, there wasn't much hope in saving him. Now you gotta hope this was due to physical damage of some sort, and not a fast spreading bacterial infection. I would definitely step up food soaking with vitamins, and probably even soak your fishes' food with Kanaplex (antibiotic) and Focus (binder) if you have those on hand.

 

[prsnlty]

Yes I have begun feeding both of these

To hopefully cover both bases.

He's been in qt with melafix since I found him this morning. Atm he's at the water surface on his side fighting to right himself :(

 

[143MPCo]

Wow that's horrible news Jackie I think I remember when you got that fish really hope it makes it!

 

[prsnlty]

Thank you Alex. Yes my daughter and son-in-law gave him to me as a thank you/ mom gift after their wedding just one week shy of a year ago. The one that it's bag split on their way home from the 45 min drive lfs and he rode the rest of the way home in a large coffee cup with what little sw they salvaged. He's special to me so that makes this so tough :(

 

[Humblefish]

Treating the QT with acriflavine (ex. Ruby Reef Rally) might be a better option than Melafix right now. Acriflavine is an antiseptic which might halt the progression of the infection (if one exists), and also treats external protozoan and bacterial infections. If he lasts in that for 24 hrs, I would next use the "hedgedrew combo" on him: Furan-2, Kanaplex, Metroplex.

 

[prsnlty]

I can't get any of those locally. I do have erythromycin. Will this be better than the melafix?

 

[Humblefish]

I can't get any of those locally. I do have erythromycin. Will this be better than the melafix?

Erythromycin only treats gram positive infections, which are unlikely to take a fish down this fast. Can you get a hold of some minocycline (old school Maracyn 2) or even tetracycline? Those treat gram negative and can be safely combined with erythromycin to widen the spectrum of treatment.

 

[prsnlty]

Maybe tetracycline... I'll check now. Thanks :)

 

[prsnlty]

Ugh, they have the phone off the hook... going to take a drive there and see
All other places are well over an hour away. I transferred him to a larger containment with the ethromyasin in it. Going to the store now. Thank you, will let you know what happens

 

[Humblefish]

Good luck!

 

[prsnlty]

Got the tetracycline :) I hope it's in time

 

[Humblefish]

Got the tetracycline :) I hope it's in time

Probably his only chance if it's a bacterial infection.

 

[prsnlty]

These are the active ingredients in the dr g's antibacterial food. I'll be feeding this to the rest of them as a precaution.

I looked up his symptoms and it looks like fish tuberculosis, wasting disease. He could have had it from purchase. Says they can look ok for up to a year then bam... also says it's possible for the other fish to get it so they're being treated also. At least they actually like the food and gobble it up. If I had know this yesterday or sooner he would've made it. Now I'm not thinking he will. But there's always hope