Uronema marinum

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Uronema marinum
uronema.jpg


What You Need To Know:

* These are the red sores most often seen on chromis damsels; however it can afflict any fish.
* Treatment of choice is a 45 minute formalin bath (e.g. Quick Cure), followed by transfer into a new/sterile QT.
* Once in QT, it is very important to do followup treatment to ensure all of the parasites have been eliminated. This can be accomplished by dosing and food soaking metronidazole (e.g. Seachem Metroplex) for 10-14 days.
* There is no fallow period for Uronema. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease can survive in there almost indefinitely.

uronema1.jpg
uronema2.jpg
uronema3.jpg
uronema4.jpg


Additional Information

Uronema marinum is a ciliate parasite with a direct life cycle: It lives, feeds and reproduces directly on the fish (no encysted stage). However, there always exists the possibility that parasites can drop off into the water column and infect other fish. Having no encysted stage makes this pathogen easier to eliminate, but do not underestimate how fast killing Uronema can be. Especially with chromis damsels.

Two additional caveats to know about Uronema:

1. A fish infected with Uronema should also be fed food soaked with metronidazole because the disease can spread internally. Seachem Focus can be used to bind the medication to the food.

2. Uronema is a “free living” parasite which does not require a fish host. It can subsist off bacteria, dead tissue and (mainly) detritus. So, going fallow will not eradicate it. Most fish seem protected from it via their natural immune system; but for some reason, chromis and some other fish are not always afforded this protection. This is one pathogen you never want in your display tank. Probably the best way to manage its presence is to maintain a very clean aquarium with minimal detritus and avoid chromis damsels. This should keep the number of parasites low because you are eliminating the pathogen’s two main food sources.

Treatment OptionsA formalin or Ruby Reef Rally bath are the two best options for providing relief to an infected specimen:

Formalin (45 min bath): https://humble.fish/formalin/

Rally (90 min bath): https://humble.fish/acriflavine/

Post bath, transfer the fish into a clean/sterile QT to prevent reinfection. Then dose Chloroquine Phosphate once (60 mg/gal) or metronidazole every 48 hours for 10-14 days thereafter. This is to ensure all of the parasites have been eradicated. Remember to also food soak metronidazole during the QT period in order to eliminate the internal parasites as well.

A 5 minute freshwater dip may provide temporary relief if you are unable to locate any of the aforementioned medications right away. It is a wise course of action to always transfer the fish into a new/sterile QT following each freshwater dip to prevent reinfection.

*** UPDATE:

If a fish is showing active signs (red sores) of Uronema, DO NOT use formalin or H2O2 on that fish. Both chemicals will burn the sores, and ultimately do more harm than good. (Formalin and H2O2 are still appropriate for fish you suspect may be carriers of Uronema, but not yet showing red sores.) If a fish is showing active signs (red sores) of Uronema, you have two options:
  1. Euthanasia: How to euthanize a fish
  2. 5 min freshwater dip + dose Metronidazole (Flagyl) every 48 hours for 14 days in a QT.
To be honest, option #2 only has a slight chance of working because usually by the time you see the red sores on the fish it's too little, too late. :( I personally just euthanize the fish to prevent the disease from spreading.
 
Last edited:

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,553
Reaction score
85,878
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Great info!
 

Duke4Life

Just a crazy eel guy, LMAS
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
3,571
Reaction score
4,238
Location
Winterville, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Came across this looking for other info. Never having used any of the meds mentioned but also knowing enough that you shouldn't use them with live rock. What about the live rock and corals in a tank that has this? This seems like 1 of the worse diseases.
 
OP
OP
H

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Came across this looking for other info. Never having used any of the meds mentioned but also knowing enough that you shouldn't use them with live rock. What about the live rock and corals in a tank that has this? This seems like 1 of the worse diseases.

Metro might eradicate the disease in a DT and there are reports that metro can be reef safe. I'm not certain of either, however.
 

BoneXriffic

GO BLUE!
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
1,525
Reaction score
1,190
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Metro might eradicate the disease in a DT and there are reports that metro can be reef safe. I'm not certain of either, however.
Its a shame that there is only one way to test this theory. Not a happy ending if the theory is disproven
 
OP
OP
H

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Its a shame that there is only one way to test this theory. Not a happy ending if the theory is disproven

It's being tested to treat dinos in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-dinos-a-possible-cure-follow-along-and-see.253917/

But I'm still hesitant to declare it "reef safe" as metro will target anaerobic bacteria, and could thus eradicate anaerobic regions of a DT. This would probably only be a threat to systems which utilize a DSB for filtration. Plenums also encourage anaerobic areas. I'm sure deep inside rock, anaerobic bacteria exists, but aerobic bacteria near the surface probably provides the bulk of biological filtration.
 

BoneXriffic

GO BLUE!
View Badges
Joined
Mar 10, 2016
Messages
1,525
Reaction score
1,190
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's being tested to treat dinos in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dinoflagellates-dinos-a-possible-cure-follow-along-and-see.253917/

But I'm still hesitant to declare it "reef safe" as metro will target anaerobic bacteria, and could thus eradicate anaerobic regions of a DT. This would probably only be a threat to systems which utilize a DSB for filtration. Plenums also encourage anaerobic areas. I'm sure deep inside rock, anaerobic bacteria exists, but aerobic bacteria near the surface probably provides the bulk of biological filtration.
I assume it would come to a point where finding the neccessary dose to iraadicate this disease, and if thay much os safe in the dt
 

Congaken

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
1,251
Reaction score
409
Location
Livingston Manor, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Uronema marinum:

Symptoms - These are the red sores often seen on chromis damsels. The disease seems mostly confined to damsels and clownfish, but I have seen some exceptions to that.

Treatment options - This is a very difficult disease to treat. Possible treatment options include: Metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex), acriflavine (ex. Acriflavine-MS), Chloroquine phosphate and copper. The problem is the fish can never be returned to the infected tank from which it came. Uronema is a “free living” parasite which does not require a fish host. So, going fallow will not eradicate it. Most fish seem protected from it via their natural immune system; but for some reason, chromis and some other fish are not always afforded this protection. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease can survive in there almost indefinitely.

Formalin bath or freshwater dip may provide temporary relief for Uronema.

attachment.php
Meredith or Humble...my young lattice bf has a red spot right before the beginning of his right pectoral...he seems normal in every way, eating, swimming, etc...should I jump to meds ... I have ParaGuard on hand, can get metronidazole and also have CP ...should I QT him right away...he was QT'd for a month before putting him in the DT...that with CP...since he otherwise seems well, should I wait and observe or go for something...Help...
 

Congaken

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
1,251
Reaction score
409
Location
Livingston Manor, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Meredith or Humble...my young lattice bf has a red spot right before the beginning of his right pectoral...he seems normal in every way, eating, swimming, etc...should I jump to meds ... I have ParaGuard on hand, can get metronidazole and also have CP ...should I QT him right away...he was QT'd for a month before putting him in the DT...that with CP...since he otherwise seems well, should I wait and observe or go for something...Help...
o_O
 
OP
OP
H

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Congaken Can you post a photo, showing the red spot on him? Being it's a butterfly, the spot is more likely to be something bacterial than Uronema.
 
OP
OP
H

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Does it look anything like this? Maybe just not as severe?

bacterial-infection-orly20-jpg.464513
 

melypr1985

totally addicted
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
15,113
Reaction score
23,543
Location
Dallas area
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just a millimeter or two spot at the base of the fin...now seems to be gone...we'll see tomorrow...thanks...;)

I would lean more toward bacterial as well, in which case it can heal on it's own or get out of hand. If it's gone already, that's a good thing but let us know tomorrow if it comes back or gets worse
 

Congaken

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
1,251
Reaction score
409
Location
Livingston Manor, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I would lean more toward bacterial as well, in which case it can heal on it's own or get out of hand. If it's gone already, that's a good thing but let us know tomorrow if it comes back or gets worse
Well...the right one is gone, but there is a small one on the left side...odd, eh?...so lets see what happens...any antibiotic that will work in a fowlr with motile inverts?...If he needs treatment, I really hate to take him out unless no choice...do have a QT set up...but:confused:
 

drawman

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2016
Messages
3,536
Reaction score
3,604
Location
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Humblefish could you make the case to prophylactically treat all incoming fish with acriflavine and/or API general cure (over PraziPro) to keep Uronema from ever entering a system? Or would one acriflavine bath and two applications of general cure not successfully knock it out. I say this for those who don't have access to CP or have CP sensitive fish.
 
OP
OP
H

Humblefish

Dr. Fish
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
22,424
Reaction score
34,844
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well...the right one is gone, but there is a small one on the left side...odd, eh?...so lets see what happens...any antibiotic that will work in a fowlr with motile inverts?...If he needs treatment, I really hate to take him out unless no choice...do have a QT set up...but:confused:

You could soak an antibiotic (ex. erythromycin, kanamycin) in with his food, if you also used a binder (ex. Seachem Focus) to prevent the medication from leaching out.

@Humblefish could you make the case to prophylactically treat all incoming fish with acriflavine and/or API general cure (over PraziPro) to keep Uronema from ever entering a system? Or would one acriflavine bath and two applications of general cure not successfully knock it out. I say this for those who don't have access to CP or have CP sensitive fish.

Treating with General Cure or just metronidazole (ex. Seachem Metroplex) would be a wise course of action for Uronema prone species i.e. any member of the damsel family. You can safely mix metro with most other medications.
 

Congaken

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
1,251
Reaction score
409
Location
Livingston Manor, NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You could soak an antibiotic (ex. erythromycin, kanamycin) in with his food, if you also used a binder (ex. Seachem Focus) to prevent the medication from leaching out.



Treating with General Cure or just metronidazole (ex. Seachem Metroplex) would be a wise course of action for Uronema prone species i.e. any member of the damsel family. You can safely mix metro with most other medications.
I have MetoPlex and Focus...so whatever the infection seems to be...I'll start a course tomorrow...of course, other fish will eat it too...the bf generally eats live little-necks and cyclops...because of his small mouth...which do you think will be best...other fish are chromies, Kole, firefish, Singapore, Niger and diamnd goby...
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.3%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 31 17.0%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 28 15.4%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 94 51.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.6%
Back
Top