Help - diagnosis / treatment

[Alberta-newb]

Had a bad experience recently with two punctato butterflys and a heniochus bannerfish. All fish were purchased at the same LFS.

Fish were in one side of my QT tank which is a 55 long with a divider in the center. Filtration is provided on each side with a HOB filter with media seeded from one of my displays. In addition I was running a 36W UV. Tank is maintained at 79 deg. and monitored with ammonia alert badges. WC of 10-20% daily with fresh SW from my 100 gal storage tank.

Fish were acclimated for one hour (drip), everything was smooth sailing until day 4, when I noticed one of the punctatos was having balance problems (either swimming in a head up angle or staying on the bottom trying to balancie on its ventral fins. Condition worsened very rapidly and the fish was on its side dead in about 5 hours. The other two appeared fine at that time. I dosed with metro then fearing a bacterial issue. Both fish were also given a 45 minute formalin bath which they went through without issue. The next morning the second punctato started the same symptoms with death by noon. This time an examination of the body showed whitish/grey blotchiness. I transferred the heniochus to the other side of the tank (running without fish for a month prior) but by that evening it too showed signs and was gone by morning. An examination of its body showed the same blotchiness as well as some signs of internal hemorrhage (blood streaks) as well the bases of the pectoral fins looked at little red.

Any idea what I'm dealing with? I was back at the LFS and noted they had no punctatos left from the 15 or so they had (claimed they sold out but i suspect they all died)

My initial thoughts with the rapidity of death it may have been uronema or brook? Any ideas or how to treat if it happens again ?

 

[Mrscribbled]

My gut feeling tells me these all came from a poor source, improper collection and handling. Doesn't sound like urenema, but I can't rule out brook. The formalin bath should have greatly helped if it was brook.

 

[Alberta-newb]

Thanks, considering I believe the store lost most, you may be right that it was a bad "batch", however I believe it is a communicable condition as the heniochus was from a different shipment.

I don't think it was uronema either as I've had a case of that once (I think?), that time the first indication was red patches and did not progress as rapidly (had time to treat with CP and save the fish). I've never dealt with brook and wouldn't recognize it, but doesn't sound right symptom wise from what I've read?

One thing I've learned is to quit buying from this particular LFS. I always seem to get problems from there

 

[snorvich]

Based only on the time line since that is all that is available, I would speculate on amyloodinium. Formalin should have relieved symptoms of brook. Does the LFS keep a low level, nontherapeutic dose of copper in their system?