Descaled patches Tusk

[Painted skin]

Well a new problem came up. As some of you know I have been QT my fish in hypo treating for ich. Now, in the last 4 days I've been noticing the Australian Tusk been hiding or chilling out in between a pump and glass and not eating. The first 2 days I thought nothing of it as he has done this before just catching up on his rest. Then the 3rd days still not eating and so I was starting to get concern. Visually he was fine until today I saw him swimming around and so great I thought, but when I went in for close up look I notice both side near dorsal and anal fine there is patches of missing scales.

I don't think it a parasite infection, but I'm no expert when it come to fish diseases. The only thing I have experience with is ich, fin rot and popeye.
I also notice other large angels and cleaner wrasse are picking at that spots.
So what is it? Is it just a matter of him being bulled when I'm not looking?

 

[Painted skin]

Here is another pic

 

[Mrscribbled]

If aggression was the cause I'd think his fins would be tathered. Was the fish through fluke treatment? Don't want to point flukes at everything, but lately I've had some odd stuff like this arise on new arrivals and prozi pro straightens it out. One of my tinkers had a growth on its mouth and two open sores on its body that were red. I thought for sure bacteria, but ended up being flukes.

 

[Painted skin]

If aggression was the cause I'd think his fins would be tathered. Was the fish through fluke treatment? Don't want to point flukes at everything, but lately I've had some odd stuff like this arise on new arrivals and prozi pro straightens it out. One of my tinkers had a growth on its mouth and two open sores on its body that were red. I thought for sure bacteria, but ended up being flukes.

In fact his dorsal fin near the rear and his anal fin is tattered and I know My emperor angel is very fond of him, but normally nothing overly aggressive. I though for a short moment that could it be fin rot, but fin rot would cause something like that would it?

He was swimming near the top yesterday gasping at the surface, so I did a WC and gave him another hiding spot he's now hiding there. Oh, it's in treatment for ich. Also I have had this fish for a good 3 months now.

 

[MrTuskfish]

This fish looks very undernourished to me. I don't know if this is the cause or the results of its problem.

Almost missed your FU post. He could also be having a reaction to copper, if that'ts what you're using to treat ich. IMO, no fish should be exposed to a therapeutic dose of copper for more than 4 weeks. Loss of appetite is a common symptom of too much copper. I'd get the Cu out ASAP. If you want to continue CU this long, and I know the reasoning, the fish should have Cu free periods every 4 weeks.

 

[Painted skin]

Sorry, but what do you mean by "FU post" ? The fish is under hypo, no copper. I have been feeding fish in QT with NLFS pellets and flakes for last approx. 3 weeks. I haven't used my cocktail of frozen as I was a bit concern of ammonia spike in a 77 gal with all those fish..

Lets say if it was aggression would the scales come back and how long should it take. I never had any luck with fish being this beat up.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I guess I have my own acronyms sometimes and I skim-read a lot.. I missed the follow-up post regarding ich treatment. I don't know how long the fish has been in hypo; or the effects of having a fish in hypo for more than 4 weeks or so. I kept many fish for years at 1.018 without a problem, but 1.008 for longer than 4 weeks? Regardless, the fish looks very thin; Aussie HTs are usually very thick and robust fish. I hate to say it now, but I have very little confidence in hypo anymore.

 

[Painted skin]

I see what you mean the picture is some what misleading, before I had ich and up to 4 days ago he started to hide in the corner he was eating like a champ. he may not he the thickest HT out there through I've not seen any others in person, he is thick in my eyes for his size. The video is when I first got him about 3 months ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edWlcALq8p8

 

[Painted skin]

Ok through further observation, last night I notice that the anal is swollen and this morning I notice the belly seem concave. The Tusk is not doing well, but still kicking. From the what I'm seeing and read, it's sound like Dropsy. I have as of last night dosed it with maracyn 2. Anyone wants to chime in on that?

Now here is a probably really really stupid question, forgetting what I said above for a moment.. Is it possible for ich to enter into a cavity like the anal and so on and cause problems internally like the digestive system?

 

[MrTuskfish]

Again, how long has this fish been kept under hypo ,conditions? There are countless fish parasites, not just ich. I suppose one could show the ability to enter the fish wazootaly. The infection is probably internal and the result of the over-all condition of the fish.
Has the fish been treated for flukes, as Mrscribbled asked? Again, how long has this fish been kept under hypo ,conditions? This fish may be beyond help; but we can't help at all without your answers to our concerns.

 

[Painted skin]

Again, how long has this fish been kept under hypo ,conditions? There are countless fish parasites, not just ich. I suppose one could show the ability to enter the fish wazootaly. The infection is probably internal and the result of the over-all condition of the fish.
Has the fish been treated for flukes, as Mrscribbled asked? Again, how long has this fish been kept under hypo ,conditions? This fish may be beyond help; but we can't help at all without your answers to our concerns.

The fishes has been under hypo approx. 3 weeks and to be honest I've never treated it for fluke as it was in my DT prior for 3 months with no indication of any issue or sickness until I recently ich out break. Even when he was in the QT for there was no symptom for anything other than ich.

 

[Painted skin]

dbl post

 

[Mrscribbled]

Flukes can show up anytime, to be honest I haven't used an antibiotic for years and I acquire roughly a dozen fish a week. Just seems your fish are most likely on the breaking point due to stress. Is your powder blue and all the angles from the video in the qt together?

 

[Painted skin]

Flukes can show up anytime, to be honest I haven't used an antibiotic for years and I acquire roughly a dozen fish a week. Just seems your fish are most likely on the breaking point due to stress. Is your powder blue and all the angles from the video in the qt together?

Yes all fish in same QT as I am only equipped for only 1 QT. It's kinda funny, actually not you asked about the powder blue. Last time recently I had to deal with ich just not too long ago and going through hypo I almost lost my powder blue. My powder blue was in pretty much same condition over night I think I might even had a post previously about that. The powder blue actually recover, but very skinny due it wasn't eating for a very long time in the QT. I wonder if hypo had anything to do with it as it's kind of odd both times something like this happened to fish with ich and in hypo.

I ended up selling at huge discount due it condition which the buyer was aware of.

 

[Painted skin]

R.i.p

R.i.p

This morning the Tusk was still breathing, within couple hours went back and checked the Tusk took it's last breath.

Times like this I really feel it why some people thinking of packing it in, I've lost over $2000 bucks all together. I know some of you may think that's nothing as some of you have lost that in just one fish. The first time was do to me being a newbie, second was me being stupid lazy, but now me being much more experienced it still unavoidable. A $250 cost flushed down the toilet (figure of speech) it happens even to the best of us that's what sucks. It's not only the cost, but it was one of my favorite fish.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Sorry he's gone. My favorite fish too. I think most of us have been there; learn from it, go very slowly QT everything, and start with easy fish.

 

[Painted skin]

Thanks for being able to relate. I really wish there was something that I can pin point to learn from, my best guess is that it was dropsy base on symptom how fast it reacted . 99% of the time even way back when I was in FW I make it a rule of thumb not to buy difficult to care fish and only stick with easy to moderate. 100% never buy any damaged or sick fish and try to wheel it back to health like some people do. Though I had taken chances 3 times, twice on powder blue that didn't work out too well and the other was a Regal angel worked and working fine. What I mean by difficult are fish that are finicky eaters, fishes that are sensitive to water parameter and or require specialty diet. IMO all fishes are acceptable to infection and diseases; yes some a bit more than others.