Sick Fish

[davelin315]

Today, I went into a LFS that was revamping its saltwater section, and the maintenance guy asked me if I wanted 3 sick fish. I asked what was wrong with them, and he said that he thought they had flagellates (I'm guessing these are dinoflagellates, the stuff I looked at under a microscope back in grade school). I am wondering if anyone has a good suggestion for how to cure them of this problem. They don't seem to have any manifestations of sickness except for the puffer, which has cloudy eyes, which I am guessing is due to a parasite. He suggested some medication called hydro something or other, but I am wondering if maybe copper treatment and some other stuff might work? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm just trying to save these fish since they were going to be left in a bucket until somebody took them (there was a picasso trigger, a yellow tang that is not doing well, and a puffer). They're in my old pond which was about to be dismantled, and last time I checked, they were doing ok, although the tang looked pretty bad (they were sitting in a bucket for who knows how long and the water temperature was well over 90 in my guesstimation from touching my water and then theirs). I did a freshwater dip on them for 25 minutes already, and am ready to medicate them if they survive the night. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Carpentersreef]

Dave, if they were mine, I'd get some coppersafe going in with them. I think FW dips are a one time shot - any more is too much stress IMO. But only one medication at a time.

Mitch

 

[davelin315]

A little update on the fish. The yellow tang died within a few hours, when I looked at its stomach, it was completely caved in and it had a swollen midsection, my guess, the sign of a very unhealthy fish. When I went to ask about copper, I was told that puffers don't do well with copper, and that they also don't do well with the freshwater dip (too late, he was really pissed off when I dipped him, swelled up, then went back to normal). I ended up adding some eucalyptus extract or something called melafix. It is something one of my good LFS uses regularly they said. It seems to be helping immediately. The puffers eyes have already cleared up, and the 2 remaining fish ate last night (3 shrimp between the trigger and puffer). The puffer did have trouble keeping it down, as did the trigger, but eventually, they ate it all, and are looking better today than they did yesterday.

 

[JennM]

Davelin, I think you were on the right track with the FW dip. I've treated MANY puffers with ich, trematodes and other ailments with FW dip. NO they do not like it and sometimes they puff up, but after they are returned to their tank they forget it happened.

5 minutes each day there are still symptoms will help and not harm. I'd avoid copper with any fish...but puffers in particular.

Sorry the tang didn't make it....sounds like he had something internal going on.

Your trigger should tolerate the dip nicely too.

Good luck.

Jenn

[ September 08, 2001: Message edited by: JennM ]

 

[jmeader]

Puffers are sensitive to copper. They are also more prone to bacterial infections than anything else. I think your best meds for it would be gram pos and neg antibiotics, like Maracyn and Maracyn2.

 

[JennM]

Apology accepted, with thanks

Takes a big person to do that...ditto here, I'm sorry my comments were not "heard" as I "said" them. Water under the bridge now...moving on...Let's get those fish healthy.

25 mins is a long time for a dip. 5 max 10 is enough to do what you want to do without undue stress to the fish.

I'm not a big medication user. I've got a Seahorse in treatment with Kanacyn (day 4..so far so good, 10 more days to go) for snout rot, but I'm a firm believer in prevention. I've dealt with lots of sick fish at work, from shipping stress, hobbyist error...etc. Even with that, I've found that many things can be helped with FW dip (parasite-wise anyway). Bacterial and fungal of course need meds, but they seem to happen after injury or infestation, as a secondary thing. I try to nip the infestation in the bud...

If it's parasitic, stick with FW dip and maybe some garlic soaked food. Vitamins will boost the immune system, as little stress as possible while you wait should help too. Then it's time, and patience.

Jenn

 

[davelin315]

My apologies for my reaction to your post the other day. It's in my nature to go ballistic once in a while. Also, when I posted what I did, I should have expected the reaction I got from the last time (I did, to a certain extent). Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for the advice, the first thing I did with the puffer was a 25 minute or so FW dip, and then I've been medicating it since then. I will try the FW dip again if he doesn't improve anymore. So far it has stopped floating near the surface, and is starting to swim around more actively. The trigger looks fine, but I don't know a whole lot about puffers and their habits, only that I often see them in stores crammed in between the wall and a drain most of the time, doing close to nothing. Anyway, I will update everyone on what happens with these two survivors.

By the way, I found the medication that was recommended to me, it's called hydroplex, and it was $149.00 for a small bottle - too rich for my blood, I might as well just go out and buy a healthy puffer and trigger. It's supposed to be the miracle drug, but not for that price for me.