Help My Blenny

[moongoddesss007]

Hi. Tonight I noticed my bi bolor blenny has some swelling near his gill, looks like there is something hanging off and he is brushing up on the rocks, i'm afraid it might be a parasite?? Anyone have any ideas on what this might be and what I can do??
We added recently a pink/blue spotted goby but he had belonged to another reefer, so I'm not sure, but has no indications of illness or any other of my fish.

Please help! Thanks

 

[ReefArtist]

Well first off do you have a QT (quarantine Tank)? In order to treat the blenny properly you'll need to isolate him. Since marine parasites are invertebrates, treating him with most parasitic medication will stress and/or kill other desirable invertebrates. Do you have something to put him in to treat him- for the next month?

 

[dannable]

Based on the gill swelling (lessions) and rubbing against objects I would say this is brooklynella. Formalin is the only treatment that is effective against this parasite. I would take action right away as it usually kills rather quickly.


http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/brookynella.html

 

[moongoddesss007]

Can you guide me as I have a 10 gallon tank ready to use, just have never done one (a QT) before- especially help with the medication?

 

[ReefArtist]

Sure will. This is what I have for a QT -
10 G tank
Small Heater
Small mini pump for circulation
Air stone
Whisper Power Filter (for 20G tank)
Light (I just strapped a strip light to screen)
Screen (I used egg crate)

Medication is easy just don't over medication. Using an eyedropper, it's one eyedrop per gallon, every other day until no signs, then an additional 10 days.

 

[ReefArtist]

Also, if you need to make fresh salt water, make sure it matches pH, temperature, salinity, and that the ammonia and nitrite are at zero. Also, just to let you know it might not be brooklynella, but that said I'd treat him with the Formalin first because it does hit lots of different protozoan parasites. Please keep us posted.

 

[moongoddesss007]

Thank you ReefArtist, husband is out as we speak getting the formalyn and meracyn (i think i spelled that correctly). Should we take all of the other fish out of the tank or just wait and see?

 

[ReefArtist]

I'd wait and see myself. Just watch both tanks very closely. Make sure the guy in the QT doesn't have a bad reaction to the medication. If he does do a 50% water change immediately, it happen to me and that is what I did - fish made it through without a problem.

 

[moongoddesss007]

Also, should the QT temp be same as main tank-- 82-- or should we lower/raise it?

 

[ReefArtist]

I'd keep it the same when you first put the little guy in, after he's been acclimated you can lower if you can but my fish do fine with the higher temps. 80 - 82 I think is a good temp -JMO.

 

[moongoddesss007]

and I hate this to sound stupid...are we taking water from our main tank for the QT or using new saltwater?

 

[ReefArtist]

You can do either. It would be better for the sick fish if you can get some from the main tank. You only have 29G soooo, you could do a 50/50 - 5g fresh and 5g from your main tank. That is what I do when I have to setup a quick QT. You then have the water changed in your main tank - - two for one.

 

[markandkristen]

yeah i would try to keep the temp around 82 with ich and other parasites the warmer the water the faster the cycle. but dont go over board. like reef artist said with a 10 gallon the parimeters are even harder to keep. because its only 10 gallons.

 

[moongoddesss007]

well we finally caught him-- i'm a rattled mess because we had to take everything out of our tank about 3 different times because he kept hiding in rocks and getting by out blockade we created. Needless to say he is stressed out of his mind, so much so that we 'picked" him up out of the main tank. i did not treat the QT tank yet (I hope that was ok to wait and do until after he was in there). The bottle reads 2 drops/gallon but i'm only doing one like you mentioned. I hope he doesn't react badly. Should I add some bio safe to either tank since they were so rattled>

 

[ReefArtist]

Sorry you had such a hard time catching him, but I know if I had to catch any of my gobies it would be a total tear down. Yes I'd start with 1 drop and make sure he doesn't have a bad reaction. Then the next dose do as the bottle says. I've not used the bio safe but if it has a calming effect its will do good. It seems like you're going in the right.

 

[moongoddesss007]

he's breathing pretty hard and there appears to be about .5 ammonia in the QT tank. Wondering if I should change out some water, get amquel, or what??
Also read about the Formalin taking oxygen out of the water especially at 80+ degrees. The tank is set at 80 and we have a powerhead and a air stone/rod thing so I just hope that gives him the best chance.

 

[ReefArtist]

Yes - change 50% of the water now.

 

[ReefArtist]

Just make sure the temp is the same as the tank when you add it.

 

[moongoddesss007]

okay we changed out appx. 50% of the water. he started tilting on his side and then moved over to the air rock again. added some bio coat to the tank to help reduce some of the stress. i'm not sure what else is left

 

[ReefArtist]

I'd just let him be and see if he recovers just a little - now is the waiting game. Have you put any of the Formalin in again? If not I'd wait a few hours and see how he is does with the treatment - so - just keep an eye on him. Since you changed 1/2 the water the formalin was cut - I'd leave it until the next treatment time, unless he really starts looking bad. The next treatment I'd give him 1/2 of a drop (if that's possible) and just watch him, if he does good give him 1 drop. If he seems to be getting better full dose of 2 drops. My bottle says 1 drop but I think it depends on the strength. It might just have to do with the stress of catching him and nothing to do with the formalin.