Ailing wrasse

[john511178]

I apologize for asking a question that may have been answered somewhere. I am new to the site and am having trouble navigating. I found a link for "cloudy eyes, popeye" under fish disease treatment, but the link said it was temporarily disabled.

My problem:
I have a 35 gallon, reef/fish tank. Yesterday I noticed my red velvet wrasse has a cloudy/swollen eye. Also there is puffiness just under the eye under his scales so I don't believe it is strictly popeye. You can barely see it just to the right of his eye in the photo. He gets very excited during feeding and has jumped out of the tank twice in the last month. Luckily I was there to put him back in but fear he compromised his protective coating and caught a bacterial infection. It didn't occur to me at the time to address the posibility.

I checked my paramters:
Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia are 0. Alk/pH good, SG 1.023, and temp 78.

I did a 15% water change anyway. I dropped the SG to 1.021 to make it easier on the fish to stay hydrated. I read to add epsom salt, I added 4 tsp for the 35 gallons. I also added 15mL of Melafix. I had to turn off my skimmer and carbon filter.

He still has a great apetite so I fed him frozen shrimp and garlic soaked in selcon to help his immune system.

I read about fresh water dips for parasites, but do not believe that is the cause and don't want to remove the fish yet. I also read about Maracyn 2, penicilin, ampicilin, tetracycline but don't want to use chemicals if not needed. I don't want to affect the corals or live rock.

Can someone please tell me if I'm doing the right or alternatively what I should be doing. I have only been in the hobby 2 years and this is my first problem so I feel a bit lost.
Also, how long can I leave my filters off while using the Melafix, I don't want to create more problems.

Thank you in advance, John.

 

[billsreef]

Since he's prone to being excitable and banging into things, good chance it's a simple scratch that's infected. Often, though not always, such things will heal on their own. IME melafix doesn't do much other than make things smell funny, but at least it doesn't seem to hurt anything either. For right now I would just watch the fish carefully and see if it gets better on it's own. Should it not show signs of improving in a few days, or shows any signs of getting worse I would than get proactive and remove the fish to a hospital tank and treat with either Nitrofuran or Marnacyn 2.

 

[john511178]

Thanks Bill, I appreciate the help.
The melafix required that I turned off my skimmer and carbon filter. Am I better of discontinuing use so I can turn them back on?

Also, now there is a strange spot on my yellow tang above the head. I'm hoping it is a coincidence. I read the thread on red streaks and blotches on YT's. Does this look like the blotching that you were referring to? It is difficult to see, but it is gray in color and about the diameter of a pen. I've had him for 2 years and he has never had any type of discoloration before.

If there are excessive organics in the water, would this show up in NO2, NO3, or ammonia levels? They were all 0.

Finally, how soon can I do another water change? I normally do 15% once a week.

Thanks again, John.

 

[billsreef]

My opinion of melafix is such that I would suggest go ahead with the water change (the single bet thing you do with sick fish) and get the skimmer and carbon going. Water quality is important. If the melafix, or any other organics contain N, than yes they can lead to increased ammonia and nitrates.

With the tang, that slight discoloration is most likely coincidence. However, keep a close eye on it to be sure.

 

[john511178]

It is 5 days later and the wrasse is back to normal. However, the gray spot on the yellow tang has gotten a little darker and has developed tiny dark spots around the edge of the discoloration. I have no idea what this is.
At what point should I panic? Ok, it is too late for that. I would hate to think he is treatable today and tomorrow might be too late. He is very fast and shy when I tinker with the tank. In addition, he has a cave in the rocks in which to hide. Trying to fish him out will be traumatic if not impossible if I need to remove him for treatment. Does this look like anything you have seen? At what point should I take some action?
Thanks again, John.

 

[billsreef]

Since the spot on the tang has progressed into an obvious infection in the past week, I would work on getting him out and treating with a good antibiotic such as Nitrofuran or Maracyn 2.