What’s ailing my damsel

[Triinsept]

I had 3 azure damsels in quarantine for 3 weeks doing well. My lfs got 4 more in so I snagged them and added them to the quarantine tank. I put a divider in the quarantine just I case. The four recently added have slowed died over the course of a week and a half. I’m not sure what’s causing their death but would like to prevent whatever they had from spreading to the otherwise 3 healthy ones. There are no visible spots or sloughing. They seem fine then the next day they are at the surface gasping and have a slightly sunken belly with a black spot at the base. I have tried fresh water dips but haven’t noticed any parasites or worms coming out. Thoughts?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What have you been treating with during quarantine? The general rule is if you add fish to an on going quarantine he timer resets to zero. Is that fin damage on the one fish? Rapid breathing can be a sign of velvet.
Jay

 

[dedragon]

i dont like the paling on its stomach, possible uronema Jay?

 

[Triinsept]

No fin damage, just the sunken in stomach in the lower part and the black. It’s what has happened w all four. I haven’t treated them with anything aside from a fresh water dip. I didn’t know what I was treating. It doesn’t look like velvet at all to me aside from the quick deaths. There have been no spots or dusting on any of them. I’m generally in the park of quarantine - observe - treat if necessary.

 

[Triinsept]

It’s not quite paling, more like sunken in. …

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

i dont like the paling on its stomach, possible uronema Jay?

Perhaps, but I don’t see that too often in non chromis damsels. Two key diagnostics would be open lesions on the fish and fish dying with their mouths wide open.
Jay

 

[Triinsept]

I guess copper it is then? Should I put anything w the copper?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Do you have any pics or videos of the living three? Perhaps we could more easily identify a sickness that way.

 

[Triinsept]

Honestly the surviving original three look great. Readily eat, swim around midway in the tank, are active with no visible signs of distress. Color is good, no frayed fins, gasping or rapid breathing. It would be a preventive treatment in case whatever the four had is now in the water column.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I would just qt...
D