Well established mandarin NOT doing well

[Biff0rz]

This mandarin is mature and came from another tank over 1.5y ago. It's been happy and eating in my tank for those 1.5y. It eats mysis, pods, and pellet foods. My wife fed the tank last night while I was out and said he wasn't eating. I went to check on him today and he's sitting in a low flow area, refuses to eat, and his tail fin is NOT looking good.

Nothing has been added to the think for 6 months other than corals which have all come from quarantine systems.

No other fish are displaying similar symptoms.

This Mandarin is a fairly large mandarin. He's about 3 in Long, and I got him from a well-established tank and the owner didn't know how old he was but he was at least 5 years old I'm saying this because I'm wondering if age is a factor here.

Help!

 

[Reefer Matt]

#fishmedic

 

[Biff0rz]

I went on a work trip for 3 days and the wife fed the fish each night. She knows what to look for and told me the mandarin ate each night. When I got home I went to softball. While at softball (and not vacation thankfully) a large rock structure tumbled over in the tank. I fixed it with reef epoxy. It's possible the rock fell and hit the fish somehow. That's the only thing I can think of.

 

[Cell]

Looks like it hasn't been eating for awhile.

 

[Biff0rz]

Looks like it hasn't been eating for awhile.

This happened very suddenly. It ate two days ago.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

This happened very suddenly. It ate two days ago.

It may have been sliding downhill for some time - it takes quite awhile for a fish to get that thin. For example - freshly collected mandarins are not fed for up to two weeks while in the supply chain, yet when they arrive, they are not that emaciated....

My guess is that it has a chronic illness, probably mycobacterium. This is what kills most fish due to "old age". Unless there is some fish in the tank that bit its tail fin, that erosion is just from the fish losing a battle to chronic disease.

Sorry - I don't know of anything you could do to reverse this.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

This mandarin is mature and came from another tank over 1.5y ago. It's been happy and eating in my tank for those 1.5y. It eats mysis, pods, and pellet foods. My wife fed the tank last night while I was out and said he wasn't eating. I went to check on him today and he's sitting in a low flow area, refuses to eat, and his tail fin is NOT looking good.

Nothing has been added to the think for 6 months other than corals which have all come from quarantine systems.

No other fish are displaying similar symptoms.

This Mandarin is a fairly large mandarin. He's about 3 in Long, and I got him from a well-established tank and the owner didn't know how old he was but he was at least 5 years old I'm saying this because I'm wondering if age is a factor here.

Help!

Fish is thin and if I see right, tail shows sign of aggression from other tankmates. Fish likely starving and becomming weak

 

[Biff0rz]

It may have been sliding downhill for some time - it takes quite awhile for a fish to get that thin. For example - freshly collected mandarins are not fed for up to two weeks while in the supply chain, yet when they arrive, they are not that emaciated....

My guess is that it has a chronic illness, probably mycobacterium. This is what kills most fish due to "old age". Unless there is some fish in the tank that bit its tail fin, that erosion is just from the fish losing a battle to chronic disease.

Sorry - I don't know of anything you could do to reverse this.

Jay

Crud. This fish has always looked this way (the body / thinness) since I got it 1.5yrs ago. The front area is pretty wide compared the the back but it's always been like that. Initially it worried me but he's been eating regularly and seemed fine.

My guess is the fish is likely 10yrs old based on its size and the history.

No other fish bothers this one at all. Sigh.

 

[Biff0rz]

Fish is thin and if I see right, tail shows sign of aggression from other tankmates. Fish likely starving and becomming weak

No fish bother it, I can confidently confirm that.

 

[Uncle99]

I have concerns with the tail, other fins shown in the pic looks fine.
It’s not a new Mandy, so age maybe?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Crud. This fish has always looked this way (the body / thinness) since I got it 1.5yrs ago. The front area is pretty wide compared the the back but it's always been like that. Initially it worried me but he's been eating regularly and seemed fine.

My guess is the fish is likely 10yrs old based on its size and the history.

No other fish bothers this one at all. Sigh.

Thay are eating machines and need a constant supply of food- mainly copepods. As for tail, if not aggression can be fin rot

 

[nereefpat]

No fish bother it, I can confidently confirm that.

What other fish are in the tank?

 

[Biff0rz]

Thay are eating machines and need a constant supply of food- mainly copepods. As for tail, if not aggression can be fin rot

Plenty of pods and I feed a lot. It eats mysis and pellets when I feed.

 

[Biff0rz]

What other fish are in the tank?

CBB, 3 tangs, 1 wrasse, clown, trigger, and pygmy angel

 

[Uncle99]

CBB, 3 tangs, 1 wrasse, clown, trigger, and pygmy angel

Sure resembles a chased tail nip.
Could that happen in the dark?

 

[nereefpat]

CBB, 3 tangs, 1 wrasse, clown, trigger, and pygmy angel

What kind of wrasse and trigger?

 

[Biff0rz]

Sure resembles a chased tail nip.
Could that happen in the dark?

I know, but it absolutely isn't.

 

[Biff0rz]

What kind of wrasse and trigger?

Leopard wrasse
Blue throat

 

[MnFish1]

Crud. This fish has always looked this way (the body / thinness) since I got it 1.5yrs ago. The front area is pretty wide compared the the back but it's always been like that. Initially it worried me but he's been eating regularly and seemed fine.

My guess is the fish is likely 10yrs old based on its size and the history.

No other fish bothers this one at all. Sigh.

Given the age of the fish, my opinion is it died of 'old age'. Mandarins in the wild live about 10-15 years, shorter 2-4 years in aquaria on average. As @Jay Hemdal there was unfortunately not much you could do.

 

[Biff0rz]

Just to close the loop here my mandarin passed 3 days later. The night prior to passing he was laying on his side (still alive) and crabs, snails, and bristle worms were all over him, it was rather sad but I knew he was gone. I'll get another one soon, I'll let the pod population rebound a bit first lol.