Bartlett's anthia eating badly

[EthanHawaii]

So I've had my anthia for about 2 months or so and it has been eating amazingly well, and today it started to spit it's food out and sometimes won't even go after the food. The weird thing is that it will eat pellets and frozen copepods, but without the usual enthusiasm.

It seems to be acting normal, it may have a tiny amount of fin clamping going on with its pectoral fins (I honestly don't know if it was like this to begin with though) but all of it's other fins look open and healthy.

Do you have any idea why my anthia is not eating?

Thanks

 

[EthanHawaii]

So today it looks like my anthia is trying to eat large chunks of mysis, but it always spits them out, it will go for the smaller sized mysis with no problem, but it is really weird why it is suddenly having trouble eating large chunks of mysis like it ate before.

 

[EthanHawaii]

The anthia is spitting everything out, it seems to want to eat but just can't keep it down.

A response would be most appreciated.

 

[Swensos]

Is he pooping?

 

[EthanHawaii]

Yes, it looks white, but only in the past day, I also notice that the male clownfish is spitting out mysis as well, I may have to take all the corals and invertebrates out of the tank and treat with copper. BTW I can't see any white or red spots that indicate ick.

 

[Swensos]

White poop could be a sign of internal parasites. Long and stringy?

 

[Swensos]

I wouldn't use copper in your display tank, and I don't think it would do anything for internal parasites.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Yes, it looks white, but only in the past day, I also notice that the male clownfish is spitting out mysis as well, I may have to take all the corals and invertebrates out of the tank and treat with copper. BTW I can't see any white or red spots that indicate ick.

That is a horrible idea. Never, ever put copper in a tank with inverts, even if you take them out. Secondly, copper doesn't do anything for internal parasites. Try prazi pro mixed with food or directly in your tank (very reef safe) or you can try Dr. Tim's parasitic frozen food.

 

[EthanHawaii]

White poop could be a sign of internal parasites. Long and stringy?

Not long and stringy, it looks like normal poop that is white.

 

[EthanHawaii]

I wouldn't use copper in your display tank, and I don't think it would do anything for internal parasites.

Ok.

 

[EthanHawaii]

That is a horrible idea. Never, ever put copper in a tank with inverts, even if you take them out. Secondly, copper doesn't do anything for internal parasites. Try prazi pro mixed with food or directly in your tank (very reef safe) or you can try Dr. Tim's parasitic frozen food.

I was talking to the president of the aquarium society here, he specializes in fish diseases and he said this:

"Copper will only work if the fish are infected with protozoan parasites. If this is in fact the case, then your tank will be infected and treating a single fish will not solve the problem in the long run. Have a close look at the fish and look for little white spots on the fins or sides of the body."

I can't see little white spots.

And if this is true, that I may have to treat the DT to solve the problem, wouldn't my tank crash with all of the snails and other inverts I can't get out decaying and causing all sorts of spicks in the water chemistry?

Not to mention that somehow if the LFS even takes my corals (so they aren't in the DT) that they would be in a tank at the LFS with all sorts of new fish arriving and possibly infecting them and then causing my tank to explode with more parasites when I reintroduce the corals??

 

[Marshall O]

Copper in a reef tank, even without corals and inverts, is not a good idea. Your tank would likely have a major ammonia spike from all of the die off. You can certainly pull all of the fish out and keep the tank fallow for a period of time. However, before you do anything like this, have you dosed the tank with prazi-pro?

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[EthanHawaii]

Copper in a reef tank, even without corals and inverts, is not a good idea. Your tank would likely have a major ammonia spike from all of the die off. You can certainly pull all of the fish out and keep the tank fallow for a period of time. However, before you do anything like this, have you dosed the tank with prazi-pro?

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Ok thanks, that's what I thought.

No I have not dosed any PraziPro yet, I actually have some that is still sealed so should I start dosing?

The anthia is still interested in the food but just won't keep it down and after a few tastes it is uninterested.
I changed their food a while back but I'm already half way though the package so I don't think it is the food.

If this wasn't a fish that needs to eat 3+ times a day then I would wait it out and see what happens, but I think I need to act soon as I don't know how long they can live without food.

 

[Marshall O]

I would, yes. It is basically reef safe (only some worms may be affected). Just follow the directions to a tee.

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[EthanHawaii]

I would, yes. It is basically reef safe (only some worms may be affected). Just follow the directions to a tee.

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The other alternative is to take the fish to my LFS so they could treat it with copper (in their copper tank). I'm not afraid of the fish being exposed to other diseases from other fish because it is a totally separate system.

 

[Marshall O]

But again, if it's internal, which it sounds like it is, then copper won't help anyways.

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[EthanHawaii]

But again, if it's internal, which it sounds like it is, then copper won't help anyways.

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Forgot about that. I'm just going to wait for a response from the aquarium club president as well to make the final decision.

Thank you everyone for the help.

 

[EthanHawaii]

3 days ago I did a 12 gallon water change on my 55 gallon that has about 40 gallons of actual water, should I do another 12 gallon water change before I add PraziPro?

 

[EthanHawaii]

So today I went to the LFS and asked for something that anthias love to eat, and when I tried it the anthia ate and didn't spit it up!!

 

[BigBlueTang]

It still sounds to me like you're not listening to the people telling you it's probably internal parasites. The easiest thing, and safest thing to do is treat with Prazi, it's mostly reef safe other to some select worms and you can dose it straight into the display. I always treat with prazi when Qt'ing and have never heard of anyone losing a fish to prazi. It's really light. I would do that ASAP even if the fish are eating...