help identifying disease--oodinium?

[diannef]

Fish has had this for at least 6 weeks and steadily gets worse. No breathing problems which is why I question if it is velvet. Can't find disease that fits this and can't treat till identify illness!!

No new fish in years

Treated for ich first (quinine)-- no effect. Added additional beta glucan and garlic to the frozen food diet he normally eats.

Treated with kanamycin, beginning on Tuesday, no effect so far.

Just gave him (reluctantly) a fw dip and moved him to a QT because the large blue tang in my MT appears to be nipping at him, puffer is definitely scared and hiding.

Thank you

 

[b0bab0ey]

First off, what kind of fish is that? Eyes make me think puffer. Secondly, if it was oodinium or Brook it would have killed by now. So that leads me to believe you are probably dealing with Ich. Maybe you got it as a hitchhiker from a recent coral/invert addition? In any case, I would probably treat w/hypo (if it is a puffer as they don't usually do well in copper).

 

[diannef]

Better picture att'd

Better picture att'd

You're right, it is a puffer (sorry)! I got him holding still in the sunlight so a much better picture is below. It sure does look like ich, but don't understand why it's not responding to medication. Used quinine which is the only thing that ever worked for me.

Think the white scratches are from the tang slicing with his barb. Is that possible? Just appeared today and tang has been after him. Have moved him to a qt. (never did last night)

thanks

 

[b0bab0ey]

You're right, it is a puffer (sorry)! I got him holding still in the sunlight so a much better picture is below. It sure does look like ich, but don't understand why it's not responding to medication. Used quinine which is the only thing that ever worked for me.

Think the white scratches are from the tang slicing with his barb. Is that possible? Just appeared today and tang has been after him. Have moved him to a qt. (never did last night)

thanks

Yup, that's Ich! It's been quite some time since I've tried using quinine sulfate to treat Ich. I don't think I was ever successful. In any case, since quinine obviously didn't work for you the 1st go around I highly suggest using a copper-based med such as Cupramine. You've got a pretty bad case of Ich there. I would QT and treat ALL the fish, as copper is not reef safe.

Those scratches could be from the tang, but more likely, from rubbing on a rock a little too hard.

 

[diannef]

Thank you. What dose is ok for puffer? when I last used many years ago, the puffer blew up to twice is size, started convulsing, and ultimately died a few days later. that was on a 1/2 dose of cupramine or organicure (can't remember) What about copperSafe? Is it any different? I hate, hate using copper!

 

[b0bab0ey]

Thank you. What dose is ok for puffer? when I last used many years ago, the puffer blew up to twice is size, started convulsing, and ultimately died a few days later. that was on a 1/2 dose of cupramine or organicure (can't remember) What about copperSafe? Is it any different? I hate, hate using copper!

What about doing hypo?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1991470

 

[sandwi54]

copper cannot be used on puffer as puffer cannot tolerate it. your only option is hyposalinity, and please do this asap. the ich infection looks really bad and the puffer may give in any time!

also treat all other fish in a QT as well and leave the DT fallow for 8-10 weeks.

 

[snorvich]

copper cannot be used on puffer as puffer cannot tolerate it. your only option is hyposalinity, and please do this asap. the ich infection looks really bad and the puffer may give in any time!

also treat all other fish in a QT as well and leave the DT fallow for 8-10 weeks.

Good advice.

 

[diannef]

hypo for a puffer

hypo for a puffer

how far down would you go for puffer? i gave him fw dip yesterday and qt is at 1.018 (his regular is 1.020). Can i do the quinine plus hyposalinity? i never had any luck with hyposalinity in the past

 

[b0bab0ey]

how far down would you go for puffer? i gave him fw dip yesterday and qt is at 1.018 (his regular is 1.020). Can i do the quinine plus hyposalinity? i never had any luck with hyposalinity in the past

You have to go down to 1.009 and keep it exactly there for hypo to work. Btw, someone else (see link below) has elected to treat their puffer w/Cupramine. He/she has already started treatment so you might wanna check with him/her to see how it's going. Personally, I do not agree with the conventional wisdom that Puffers, Flame Angels, Lionfish, etc. are completely intolerant of copper. I think the key is raising the copper levels a lot more slowly than you normally would. In the past I've treated all of the above w/Coppersafe and have never lost one.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2082627

 

[sandwi54]

Please read the ich sticky on this forum for more info and proper treatments. Hypo needs to be performed at 1.008-1.009 measured with a refractomeyer calibrated with the pinpoint calibration solution. Take about 2-3 days to drop the salinity. Since you are at 1.018 already, go ahead and drop it straight down to 1.010. Take care to match temperature and pH of the replacement RODI water with the tank water. Then, tomorrow after you've made sure your refractomeyer is well calibrated, take it down to 1.008.
Make sure to top off te water everyday to make up for evaporation and prevent te salinity from rising.