Advice Requested - Droopy Ritteri

ca1ore

Grizzled & Cynical
Recently traded for a ritteri that had been living happily in another tank for about six months. No damage to the base of the nem, no sign of any necrotic tissue or black stuff, still sticky and in-place on a rock, but he is quite droopy. Transit time from old tank to my tank less than 2 hours. He has been in the tank for two days now. Water parameters are very good - no ammonia, nitrites or phospates, nitrate under 5. Temp is 78.

I have kept these animals successfully in the past, but am concerned about this one. What is the prevailing wisdom about when/if to isolate him and begin cipro treatment (I have fish flox at home)?
 
Pics might help. Also if you could give some further details on your system, like lighting and flow. :)
 
Nem is on a high rock under 150w 14k MH. Tanks is 90g with MP40 on far end and a few voyager pumps along the back. May be that the nem has too much direct flow.

Never did figure out how to easily post pics - will figure out how.
 
If he deflates after a few days, I would start treatment ASAP. Once there are significant internal damage from infection, they will not recover. Good luck with him.
 
Is actually looking quite a bit better in my DT. Given the short transit into my tank, I'm thinking (hoping?) that there is not an infection brewing, and that perhaps it is just getting used to higher light, flow, and somewhat more active clowns (although too many for one tank). Will give him a couple more days to perk up (that will be 5 in the new digs) before starting treatment.

BTW, if the nem is really rooted onto a rock, do u just put the rock into the HT as well? And then return it to the DT after treatment? I'd assume so, but .....
 
I had a mag that looked great for a week did deflating during the day but looked great otherwise then one day I came home from work and it was a pile of goo in the corner. If I knew of cipro back then I would have started treatment as soon as I saw a couple cycles of deflation. And Ive seen everyone so far use the rock they are on and return it to the display tank. That's because cipro degradeds in light quickly. They just kept the nem in the tank for a day or two after for observation and the cipro is gone:) Good luck I love mags and hope to have one again someday.
 
Not a pile of goo yet!




Nem seems to be doing better. No full deflation, though some areas of tentacles do wilt a bit form time to time. He is also starting to move back up to the top of his rock into higher flow and light.
 
Last edited:
What do you guys think?



HT is all set to go, but am reluctant to move him if indeed he is just getting used to the new tank (as opposed to fighting a bacterial infection).
 
Could it be underlit? I'm seeing a lot of green coralline. It might be at the top of the rock because it isn't getting the amount of light it wants.
 
Was interesting. These animals generally will, when healthy, find the highest point in the tank and stay there. My tank has a spot specifically designed for that which is where I initially put him. But, then he moved down which I thought meant that the light levels in my tank were actually brighter than where he had come from. Now that he is slowly moving back up I am thinking he has become used to the higher levels. Also, my picture-taking skills are not very good - the green algae on the rocks is far less apparent in person than on these photos.
 
After having looked a lot better for a couple of days, came home today to find him flat as a pancake. He is now in the HT with 250 mg fish flox. Hope I didn't wait too long. Mouth remains tight, and no sign of any black discharge or disintegration. Doesn't look good tho.
 
2 hrs travel/ship time. Is a ritteri that bad to ship?
I hope the cipro treatment goes well.

I know! Very strange! Although 10 years ago I sold a Ritteri that had been in my tank for 4 years and had gotten too big - guy who bought it was an experienced reefer, but the nem died within 2 weeks, so no question they are really twitchy. Kudos to OrioN for having the sense to try out this HT/Cipro routine.

In this case, perhaps the process of removing from prior tank caused an unseen injury. Good news is that after only 18 hours in the HT, he is looking better than at any point since I've owned him. Last two days by midafternoon he was significantly deflated, but not today. Cautiously optimistic.
 
Back
Top