Fox face Disease ID

[mcozad829]

This started with what looked like basic ich a few days ago, all fish were moved to hospital tank yesterday. Was planing on running a hypo treatment but now the fox face no longer has the white spots, they are all black sores. Before I continue lowering the SG in the hospital tank I want to make sure this is ich. Is it possibly a bacterial infection that started when the ich released from the fish? One eye is cloudy, and he mostly lays near the bottom of the tank breading rapidly, when he does swim it seems to be normal (not swimming sideways or anything). Other fish in the hospital are 2 clowns, and a royal gramma, fox face is the only one showing signs of disease, all other fish are swimming normally. Can anyone give me an idea of what this is so I can find the best treatment for it. Thank You

 

[fredfish13]

never saw that. what was salinity of your tank and hospital tank when you transferred fish? were they the same? what is salinity of hospital tank now?

 

[mcozad829]

Tank and Hospital started at 1.026 SG (35 ppt salinity i think). When I set up the hospital I used water from the display tank so they were an exact match. The hospital tank is now at 1.021 over the course of about 12 hours. I am adding a cup of rodi water every couple hours.

 

[ThRoewer]

That doesn't look like ich.
It also doesn't really look like black ich, a turbellarian worm infection of the skin.
The fish looks in general as if he is in bad shape

Also, if doing hyposalinity treatment it is best to set up the treatment tank and then acclimate the fish to it rather quickly instead of lowering the salinity slowly.
Fish can handle sharp drops in salinity well.
Also most healthy fish can handle salinity swings in the 1.018 to 1.028 range without problems.

 

[mcozad829]

I know it doesn't look like ich now, it was ich a couple of days ago, Im thinking that the spots seen are a secondary bacterial infection.

 

[mcozad829]

same fish, this photo just taken. Been dropping the salinity all day it is currently at 1.010 SG close to the goal of 1.008. Im not sure if this is an actually improvement or related to the hypo salinity but I think he at least looks a little better.

 

[mattcoug]

Is the rabbitfish/foxface skittish and running around into things? Do your pipes have sharp edges?

 

[mcozad829]

Is the rabbitfish/foxface skittish and running around into things? Do your pipes have sharp edges?

nope bumping into the glass occasionally, but he isn't moving fast. When he does swim it is slow and seems as though he is disoriented

 

[mcozad829]

Here is what he looks like now. I know fox face can change color instantly but I am still surprised by how the appearance of whatever is wrong with him keeps changing every couple of hours.
Anyone have any idea what could be going on here?

 

[mattcoug]

His fins look chewed up - did that happen in the past couple days?

 

[mcozad829]

His fins look chewed up - did that happen in the past couple days?

Yep, He was perfectly happy with no signs of disease 5 days ago, seemed a little lethargic and not swimming a lot 4 days ago, 3 days ago I saw signs of ich, yesterday he went into the hospital tank, just prior to that he developed the black spots. He was resting in the DT for a couple of days I think the crabs, shrimp may have nipped the fins while he was resting in the rocks although I don't know for sure. No other fish that would have nipped his fins in the tank, pair of clowns and the gramma were the only fish in the DT with him.

 

[mattcoug]

This is a stretch, but in the absence of other advise, I recommend to put him through a course of API General Cure asap. It has Metro and Prazi. This would take care of any flukes, and help with Brook or Uronema. The hypo will help with Ich and I believe keep Velvet at bay(it will not cure). Unless you can give the fish a fighting chance, I think it will decline rapidly from this point out.

As a side note - I would recommend formalin for other fish, but in my experience, rabbitfish/foxface never fare well in formalin.

 

[mcozad829]

This is a stretch, but in the absence of other advise, I recommend to put him through a course of API General Cure asap. It has Metro and Prazi. This would take care of any flukes, and help with Brook or Uronema. The hypo will help with Ich and I believe keep Velvet at bay(it will not cure). Unless you can give the fish a fighting chance, I think it will decline rapidly from this point out.

As a side note - I would recommend formalin for other fish, but in my experience, rabbitfish/foxface never fare well in formalin.

Appreciate the input, Im starting treatment with melafix, its all I have on hand. Ill be placing an order to stock a medicine cabinet after this experience. At this point I'm just gonna hope for the best, if he doesn't make it, ill still treat the other three and leave the DT fallow for 75 days.

 

[mattcoug]

Good luck. Hope the fish survives, and please share updates.