help is this brook?

[boyer]

so ive had these clowns for 3 weeks, at first I had a 6 line wrasse pecking at the male... now the they are showing signs of brook... its been about 2 days and has gotten worse... the only qt tank i think i can setup is a 2gallon eclipse i have laying around...

here are pictures

and a short video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFqgH8Y3FeE

please anyone... i know i need to move fast but i need to diagnose first

Thanks!
-Chris

 

[boyer]

also both fish are eating great, i soaked some pellat food in garlic, and fed today, also their is no heavy breathing, scratching, or any abnormal behavior... bacterial infection?

 

[MrTuskfish]

also both fish are eating great, i soaked some pellat food in garlic, and fed today, also their is no heavy breathing, scratching, or any abnormal behavior... bacterial infection?

Based on this post, I agree with the bacteria infection. I'd use an antibiotic like Maracyn plus. There isn't any skin sloughing off and the skin problems aren't getting worse....right? Those are the real signs of brooklynella. Also, brook infested fish go downhill fast, that doesn't seem to be the case. BTW, spend ten bucks and get a better QT. Good job getting them into what you had, though.

 

[boyer]

There health seems to be the same as always still eating and happy just the skin issue. I'm going to get some meds today after work. Now is maracyn plus reef safe?
Thanks
-chris

 

[C0rp]

You want to use it in QT I believe it will kill your bio filter in the DT.

 

[MrTuskfish]

You want to use it in QT I believe it will kill your bio filter in the DT.

Bio-filter is safe with this antibiotic.

 

[boyer]

They are not in qt because I dont have any water atm.. untill tomarrow, so If i can treat in my display that would be awsome.

 

[Dolmo5000]

I would echo what many people in the hobby will say about treating in the display. DO NOT DO IT. There are tons of treatments that are reputed to be completely reef safe. The problem is, everyone I have come across also has at least a few stories to the contrary. I would also caution about two additional points. First, your display is teaming with beneficial and non bacteria of all kinds (gram-negative, and positive). Treating the entire tank with something that will kill what is on your fish will also kill good things. We don't want to see a tank crash just for a single fish! Second, if you don't have a QT already set up and cycled, putting your fish in a completely new tank will cause some additional stress. I bring this up because I'm in the middle of the exact same situation. I didn't even HAVE a QT! It has taken lots of time/energy/ and money to keep my little coral beauty alive. For some time after getting her into QT with a damaged pectoral fin and secondary bacterial/fungal issues, I had to do water testing and changes daily. Testing was at least twice a day. The natural nitrogen cycle includes some considerable ammonia spikes. Not good for the fish. I just want to make sure you prepare yourself. If you are able to get some water today, set up the tank and let it sit over night. Never put a fish, especially sick one into a completely fresh tank. Also, one of the things I learned the hard way is to have a tank medical kit already in hand. I have gone to the store and ordered more things online in the past month than care to admit. Not to say I used all the things I got, don't want to over medicate, but from day to day, you might rethink your diagnosis. All the best for you and your little one. Hope it goes well.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I would echo what many people in the hobby will say about treating in the display. DO NOT DO IT. There are tons of treatments that are reputed to be completely reef safe. The problem is, everyone I have come across also has at least a few stories to the contrary. I would also caution about two additional points. First, your display is teaming with beneficial and non bacteria of all kinds (gram-negative, and positive). Treating the entire tank with something that will kill what is on your fish will also kill good things. We don't want to see a tank crash just for a single fish! Second, if you don't have a QT already set up and cycled, putting your fish in a completely new tank will cause some additional stress. I bring this up because I'm in the middle of the exact same situation. I didn't even HAVE a QT! It has taken lots of time/energy/ and money to keep my little coral beauty alive. For some time after getting her into QT with a damaged pectoral fin and secondary bacterial/fungal issues, I had to do water testing and changes daily. Testing was at least twice a day. The natural nitrogen cycle includes some considerable ammonia spikes. Not good for the fish. I just want to make sure you prepare yourself. If you are able to get some water today, set up the tank and let it sit over night. Never put a fish, especially sick one into a completely fresh tank. Also, one of the things I learned the hard way is to have a tank medical kit already in hand. I have gone to the store and ordered more things online in the past month than care to admit. Not to say I used all the things I got, don't want to over medicate, but from day to day, you might rethink your diagnosis. All the best for you and your little one. Hope it goes well.

IMO, most of us know that SW hobbyists fall into general groups : those that never use meds, and those that want to medicate everything. The majority are in between. If a QT/HT was a mandatory for all hobbyists (IMO, it should be) we wouldn't have this discussion as often as we do. That out of my craw; there are very few meds I trust in a DT and Maracyn Plus is one of them. I usually don't fall for PR & hype; but there was some good info, regarding the med's delivery process to the fish, when this stuff came out. I guess common sense says that medicating an entire closed system to treat one wound (or whatever) can be dangerous; especially when the would shows no sign of festering. But, even in the best systems, pollutants that cause infection must be astronomical compared to the reef. I have used this antibiotic several times with good success and no noticeable side effects. Although I would treat this fish in a DT, I sure can see the other side of the argument.

 

[snorvich]

Bio-filter is safe with this antibiotic.

Yes.

 

[snorvich]

But, even in the best systems, pollutants that cause infection must be astronomical compared to the reef.

This is so true and also holds true for various parasites. Which is why QT is so important. In the ocean, the concentration or incidence rate is so low that it rarely is a factor.

 

[MrTuskfish]

This is so true and also holds true for various parasites. Which is why QT is so important. In the ocean, the concentration or incidence rate is so low that it rarely is a factor.

Yes. That's why a fish "fighting off" ich (or similar parasites) in the ocean is entirely different in our tanks. The ich concentration on the reef could be 1 parasite per 10,000 cu ft and in our tanks, 1,000 per cu ft). Numbers are out of the blue, but the concept isn't.

 

[boyer]

I bought a aga 10gallon tank today water and some meds my lfs recommended because they don't carry maracyn plus. I'm gonna do a water change tomorrow and put 100% dt water in my qt. Sucky part is in two weeks I'm leaving town for a week. Wish me luck ! Thanks for all the info

 

[MrTuskfish]

I bought a aga 10gallon tank today water and some meds my lfs recommended because they don't carry maracyn plus. I'm gonna do a water change tomorrow and put 100% dt water in my qt. Sucky part is in two weeks I'm leaving town for a week. Wish me luck ! Thanks for all the info

I hate to complicate this. I always use used DT water in my QT. Although I'm almost positive that this fish's injury is not parasite related, are you sure your DT is parasite-free? Have you QTd all new fish? If not, I wouldn't use DT water. Injured fish are very susceptible to parasites and any dormant (or other forms of ) parasites will be in your DT water and you won't be treating for parasites.

 

[boyer]

No I have not at all my fish. I think what happen was I introduced my clowns and hours later I introduced a 6line wrasse. The wrasse claimed territory almost imediatley. The wrasse over the course of a week began pecking at the male clown. And Appeared to be a liesion on his side. In order to catch the wrasse I had to remove all my rockworm
M and coral. I had a 17 gallon Ada I drilled for overflow and returns I was saving for my new house so I decided to do my upgrade. I Put everything in a rubbermaid container setup my new tank and umped it to my old 12g which now sits underneath. I put 20lbs of live sand in the new tank and tried not to stir it up as I filled the system. Although it was cloudy had to to set everything back in. So I think at that point he may have gotte. The infection from all the stress and bacteria floating in the cloudynes. But I may be wrong.

 

[MrTuskfish]

No I have not at all my fish. I think what happen was I introduced my clowns and hours later I introduced a 6line wrasse. The wrasse claimed territory almost imediatley. The wrasse over the course of a week began pecking at the male clown. And Appeared to be a liesion on his side. In order to catch the wrasse I had to remove all my rockworm
M and coral. I had a 17 gallon Ada I drilled for overflow and returns I was saving for my new house so I decided to do my upgrade. I Put everything in a rubbermaid container setup my new tank and umped it to my old 12g which now sits underneath. I put 20lbs of live sand in the new tank and tried not to stir it up as I filled the system. Although it was cloudy had to to set everything back in. So I think at that point he may have gotte. The infection from all the stress and bacteria floating in the cloudynes. But I may be wrong.

Could be; but he must have had an open wound, or some other problem first. Stress + bacteria won't do this. IMO.

 

[boyer]

my female has picked up a few new spots, my goby and wrasse still remain untouched.. gonna qt in about 30 mins... maybe it is a parasite? how can i cycle my qt fast without dt water?

 

[MrTuskfish]

my female has picked up a few new spots, my goby and wrasse still remain untouched.. gonna qt in about 30 mins... maybe it is a parasite? how can i cycle my qt fast without dt water?

Even if you used DT water, it wouldn't cycle the QT. The bacteria that handles the bio-filtration lives primarily in the LR, substrate, filter media, etc.; not in the water column. Do you have a filter sponge, or something similar in your DT you can use?

 

[boyer]

I had a sponge that was in my sump for a week I tossed into my 10g qt along with 5g dt and 5g fresh salt. I put meds in and fish gonna check ammonia tonite and change 50% water if not more.