Anthias on the bottom of sand

[SolarEclipse]

Hey everyone,
I have two anthias. I have had these two for about eight months or so, and yesturday or today i noticed the male has been on the sand and cannot swim upwards, i'm guessing swim bladder disease. ( I can pick him then he swims off and floats to the bottom). Anyway to treat it? Figured you guys didn't need my parameters since i pretty much narrowed on it, but if you do will glady give them. :rollface: Thank you!

 

[SolarEclipse]

Just realized i put this in reef fish instead of fish disease, sorry. If a mod could move it that would be awesome!:thumbsup:

 

[TripleT]

Got pics? Any other symptoms?

How are your other fish doing?

What have you been feeding, and how often?

When was your last water change?

 

[SolarEclipse]

Don't got pics cause i don't got a camera . Other fish are doing great swimming around gobling up food. I feed flake food, normally twice a day. On water changes I usually do 10 gallons once a week, but today will actually be two weeks since i have done one. Been kinda busy and im one of the people that has to take the ro filter out and hook it up to the hose and fill up 5 gallons pour it in a bucket wait fill it up again. I do that for twenty gallons, so it will be good for two weeks. So sometimes procrastination gets the better of me. I will do a water change tomorrow, need to add one more five gallon bucket of ro water to get the specific gravity where it needs to be.

 

[TripleT]

What kind of anthias? In general, anthias have greater feeding requirements than other fish. And some more than others.

Is he eating currently?

I'd skip the flakes altogether, and switch to PE mysis, and frozen preparations for carnivores and omnivores, today.

Soak everything in Selcon or Zoe, and feed 3 or 4 times a day, smaller quantities.

A larger water change can also boost immune systems. But make sure to match the ph, salinity, and temp exactly.

Are there any other symptoms? Discoloration? Flashing? Sores?

I'd start with better nutrition and water changes, and keep a close eye on him for new or changing symptoms.

Also, when you say you you can "pick him and he swims off", do you mean you can pick him up with your hand?!?

 

[SolarEclipse]

He is a dispar anthias. He is flashing his dorsal fin. No discoloration out of the ordinary I can see for him. And yes picked him up very gently and held hum in my hand and he just kinda hung out. Some of the smaller fish ie: chromis, female dispar flutter their fins at him don't know if it's an act of aggresion or something else. This behavior of the otherfish is very rare to see so it doesnt happen all too often.

 

[rekn]

were they full adults when you got them? if you dont know or even can guess the age he might just be old.

 

[SolarEclipse]

He Is definatly not an adult.I got him when he was a young one probably and inch and a half.

 

[MCCOOL]

Is he currently eating?

 

[SolarEclipse]

No he is not.

 

[TripleT]

He is a dispar anthias. He is flashing his dorsal fin

If you are saying that he is raising his dorsal fin, he is very likely feeling threatened by other fish.

Flashing is usually used to describe a fish scratching itself against rock or substrate, which is often a sign of attached parasites. If he is doing this let us know.

And yes picked him up very gently and held hum in my hand and he just kinda hung out

Obviously a terrible sign.

Combined with the behavior above, it sounds like this fish needs to be put in QT ASAP to reduce stress. Otherwise, it's probably a short matter of time before the other fish start going after him. And then he'll be a goner in short order.

This behavior of the otherfish is very rare to see so it doesnt happen all too often.

If you see it at all, there is a chance it is happening with more regularity when you are not near the tank. And this is an avoidable stressor, if you get him into QT.

If it is swim bladder disease, there are numerous causes cited in "The Marine Fish Health & Feeding Handbook". Virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and more. And it also refers to it as very difficult to treat.

Since he is not eating, he is not going to last much longer. I'd go to your LFS now, and pick up a variety of foods, mostly frozen. New Life Spectrum pellets as well. Selcon or Zoe supplement.

If you don't get him into QT, and eating, he won't be around much longer.

And after he's in QT, you can decide if administering meds is the next step.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Sorry I meant raising his dorsal fin. His breathing is noraml, not fast. Yeah I definatly need to start feeding them better food.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Also when I mean I can pick him up and hold him and he just hangs out. He is very alert, he is not lying on his side or anything. He uses his fins to stabilize himself. He presses his fin on the side of the glass to help him down. Only problems right now is that he can't swim and he isn't eating. Went out and bought New Life Spectrum pellets, and he didn't seem to go after them, other fish liked em'. I have cyclopeeze too, but since he is in the corner I don't know if he is going to get his pick at them. Is there a certain way I should give them to him?

 

[TripleT]

Went out and bought New Life Spectrum pellets, and he didn't seem to go after them, other fish liked em'. I have cyclopeeze too, but since he is in the corner I don't know if he is going to get his pick at them. Is there a certain way I should give them to him?

A QT tank is a must in this hobby, and will pay for itself many times in the long run.

Currently you would be using it to house your anthias, and to try different foods.

If you set one up, you can start it with water from your tank. Keep the water quality in check with 10% water changes every few days, or as testing dictates.

It doesn't have to be sexy or very expensive:

I'd recommend a 10-20 gallon tank for small fish, and a sponge filter like the Lee's filter in the pic, or my preference which is an AquaClear hang on filter. They are cheap, have a flexible basket for holding whatever filter material you like, and have adjustable flow.

And the next food I'd try, PE Mysis:

I soak mine overnight in a shot glass with Zoe:

Also:

 

[TripleT]

And until he's in QT, a few small PVC tees might help add a little separation between him and the other fish:

 

[MCCOOL]

A few weeks after getting my trio of dispar anthias from liveaquaria, the smallest female decided to stop eating, and she would just rest on the bottom without swimming. If I tried to touch her, she would swim off and perch somewhere else.

Luckily they were in qt, so it was easy to remove her and give her, her own qt. I treated her with Maracyn for the recommended 5 days and then placed her back with the other 2.

I have no idea what her problem was, nor do I know if it was the maracyn or just the time alone that helped, but after being put back in with the others, she was swimming and eating normally.

 

[Angel*Fish]

Whatever you do, I wouldn't pick him up again except to move him. That's bound to add an extreme amount of stress. I seem to remember that I've seen anthias resting, but not to the point of letting you pick them up.

 

[SolarEclipse]

What is Maracyn used for? And is it reef safe?

 

[MCCOOL]

It's used for numerous problems, I used it as a last resort, not really expecting it to work. I doubt it's reef safe, I certainly wouldn't try. My anthias were in QT at the time.

 

[SolarEclipse]

Ah, I see. I do not have a QT, nor do I have a place to set one up. I'm guessing my only option is to try to get him to eat and let this run it's course.