Do these Chromis have a disease, or are they just killing each other?

[UncleSalt]

My wife bought 3 blue reef Chromis (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1634+113&pcatid=113)

Once they were introduced into her tank, they were fine for about a week. Then I noticed one with what appeared to be a lesion on the side of his body. Not a small one, but from the top of his body, to the bottom. - The next morning, he was gone and we were down to two.

Two days later, I notice the same thing on the next one - woke up this morning and he was dead as well.

Now we're down to one, and he also has the lesions on his body. I am not sure if they were fighting and he was the winner, or this is some sort of a parasite. It APPEARS like the dead ones were "open" at the lesion site, like whatever it was burst out them - but they were dead, major loss of color, and I just couldn't tell. Here are a few photos of the remaining one showing the lesions on him.....can anyone help me identify what this is?

As you can see, the lesion is a different color than the body, almost see through. Is this bullying or are they sick?!

Thanks for the help!

 

[snorvich]

Uronerma Marinum. You need to develop a quarantine protocol.

 

[snorvich]

I also suggest not buying chromis.

 

[ricks49reef]

Chromis will usually fight until only two remain.

 

[ThRoewer]

Uronerma Marinum. You need to develop a quarantine protocol.

+1

I also suggest not buying chromis.

I wouldn't go so far, but when buying Chromis, giving them a formalin bath before they even go into the QT is absolutely mandatory - you never ever want Uronema entering your system.

Ideally you should also do TTM with additional formalin dips at the transfers and dose the TTM tanks with Chloroquine Phosphate (NLS Ick-Shield Powder).
This should eliminate Chryptocaryon, Amyloodinium, Uronema, Brooklynella and a whole lot of other parasites and pathogens.

BTW, that tank with the sick Chromis is now contaminated with Uronema and the only way to get it out is to completely sterilize the tank with bleach and run all surviving fish through the process I outlined above.

 

[krullshards]

I also suggest not buying chromis.

Wow, really? How come? Because they are more prone to disease or what? I find blue/green chromis to be one of the most common fish I run into in the hobby.

 

[snorvich]

+1



I wouldn't go so far, but when buying Chromis, giving them a formalin bath before they even go into the QT is absolutely mandatory - you never ever want Uronema entering your system.

Ideally you should also do TTM with additional formalin dips at the transfers and dose the TTM tanks with Chloroquine Phosphate (NLS Ick-Shield Powder).
This should eliminate Chryptocaryon, Amyloodinium, Uronema, Brooklynella and a whole lot of other parasites and pathogens.

BTW, that tank with the sick Chromis is now contaminated with Uronema and the only way to get it out is to completely sterilize the tank with bleach and run all surviving fish through the process I outlined above.

I suggest not buying chromis because the vast majority of people will not, or cannot, quarantine appropriately

 

[krullshards]

BTW, that tank with the sick Chromis is now contaminated with Uronema and the only way to get it out is to completely sterilize the tank with bleach and run all surviving fish through the process I outlined above.

Wow, really? Man. I thought I had bad problem when I saw ich in my tank. Gah! So if you have a reef tank and you get uronema in your system, what do you do with your corals and inverts?

I'm just curious of the proper protocol here.

 

[ThRoewer]

You either make it an inverts only system or you cull everything and start over from scratch.
The 3. option is taking a chance and see which fish will survive.

 

[snorvich]

Wow, really? How come? Because they are more prone to disease or what? I find blue/green chromis to be one of the most common fish I run into in the hobby.

High risk of uronema which can be a major problem as it does not have an obligate fish host..

 

[krullshards]

You either make it an inverts only system or you cull everything and start over from scratch.
The 3. option is taking a chance and see which fish will survive.

I never realized the importance of quarantine when I started out in the hobby. Ich made me get my act together.

I now have:

2 x 10 gallon
2 x 20 gallon
2 x 29 gallon

tanks dedicated to QT/Hospital.

This is a splendid example of why it's so important. I just read up a little bit on Uronema and how it is free living/independent and feeds on everything from live fish and dead tissue to bacteria. Insane.

 

[snorvich]

I just read up a little bit on Uronema and how it is free living/independent and feeds on everything from live fish and dead tissue to bacteria. Insane.

In the last three years (at least) chromis have had a very high incident rate. It is now becoming fairly common with anthias as well. Of course chromis almost always reduce their brothers and sisters so more than one would be a waste.

 

[Brieninsac]

I had 5 Chromis in QT several months ago and each of them succumbed to UM one at a time. I'd treat them with Paraguard and they'd look ok for a couple weeks then it would come back. I'd treat again and a couple weeks later it was back. It was a long and wasted time of my QT going through this. Afterwards, the entire QT was sanitized and sat dry for 2 months before being used again. Nasty disease to deal with.

 

[krullshards]

In the last three years (at least) chromis have had a very high incident rate. It is now becoming fairly common with anthias as well. Of course chromis almost always reduce their brothers and sisters so more than one would be a waste.

Yeah, I found that out the hard way. I have to green chromis. I tried adding a third twice early on and it always got killed. Now I know better.

 

[ThRoewer]

I really don't get why so many people want green chromis - it is an utterly bland and uninteresting fish in my eyes.

 

[krullshards]

I really don't get why so many people want green chromis - it is an utterly bland and uninteresting fish in my eyes.

LOL, I felt the same way. The LFS recommended it to me when I started out. I can't remember if they were added during the cycling or right after. The LFS at different times told me to let the tank cycle with live rock and wait to add fish and also to cycle with a green chromis and sold me one.

Anyway, now that I know better, there is no cycling-with-fish business going on. Too stressful for me and the fish.

I started off with the one Chromis and got him two buddies later after the tank had cycled because I had heard they liked to school together. Well, that's when the third died. The two I've got have been been doing alright.

The good thing about them is that they are small and seem just right for the 29 Biocube I've got them in.

 

[coolxborg]

Ideally you should also do TTM with additional formalin dips at the transfers and dose the TTM tanks with Chloroquine Phosphate (NLS Ick-Shield Powder).
This should eliminate Chryptocaryon, Amyloodinium, Uronema, Brooklynella and a whole lot of other parasites and pathogens.

BTW, that tank with the sick Chromis is now contaminated with Uronema and the only way to get it out is to completely sterilize the tank with bleach and run all surviving fish through the process I outlined above.

At one point, I thought I had Uronema on my Anthias thats sharing the hospital tank with a few other fish. I dosed with Metroplex and Kanaplex. See attached pic. Its been 5-6 weeks since and she now looks normal.

Anyway, is it possible that I still have Uronema? (or possible that it was a bacterial infection)?

Also, as a general question, whats treatment for it? CP? Metroplex?

Sorry for the hi-jack.

 

[ThRoewer]

There is always a chance to have uronema in a reef tank as it can come as a hitchhiker on corals and other inverts.

Some LFS are actually stupid enough to put chromis into their invert systems - something like that should be illegal.

As for treatment: daily formalin baths and/or CP (may require double the normal dose)