Help with Diagnosis

[roni]

Hi,

Been a frustrating month or so for me. Started with skipping QT with a pair of blueline angels since my qt tanks were down after a basement remodel. I've had spots of ich in the tank before but nothing major...

Fast forward 4 weeks, bluelines never eat well and die and I notice a couple spots of ich on a few fish. No big deal as this has happened sporadically in the past and usually goes away on it's own.

This progressed while I was out of town and I started to get worried and tried catching fish. I've gotten several into separately set up qt tanks and had started hyposalinity with improvement in the fish. Still trying to catch the fish in the main tank.

Today, my clowns that are still in the main tank looked more lethargic and my regal angels in qt also look worse.

This is a picture of the black tang in the display:



My concern is that the ich weakened the defenses and now there is a superimposed infection.

The regal is exhibiting more of a whitish coat with irregularity of the caudal fin and some white "stringy" material extending from the fins, as well as lethargy.

The clowns have a thin whitish coat and are more lethargic.

My thought is a superimposed bacterial infection versus brook. Any ideas or thoughts?

 

[Mrscribbled]

These fish should be in copper treatment along with furan2 antibiotic treatment. That tang needs to be moved NOW!

 

[Deinonych]

These fish should be in copper treatment along with furan2 antibiotic treatment. That tang needs to be moved NOW!

+1

Cryptocaryon does not "go away on its own." You have to resolve the parasite population in the DT by removing all fish for treatment and leaving the DT fishless for a minimum of 9 weeks. Otherwise, this problem will continue to get worse over time.

 

[roni]

this isn't ich. and yes, ich can come and go in a healthy system.

This is a result of a huge mistake on my part of not qting. tearing apart the reef isn't an option. i'm doing my best to catch fish as I can but posted that pic to get an idea of what to treat with in my qt tanks that have the fish I've managed to catch.

The more i think about it, the more I think this is a case of velvet, possibly arising after immunocompromise. The time course isn't really good for velvet but the whitish film, lethargy, and "spores" would fit. Also, the rapidity in which fish are deteriorating would seem to fit.

I'm currently initiating cupramine treatment. I don't believe I can dose any other medication with it so my plan is to see if there is a response to the copper over the next 2-3 days. If not, I'll probably do a 100% water change and then try something else.

Any ideas/thoughts/alternative suggestions?

 

[Mrscribbled]

If it is velvet only copper or quinine sulfate/chloroquine phosphate will work. That tang doesn't have much time. I'm still leaning towards a heavy crypt infestation. Velvet would have wiped all the fish out by now. The cloudy eyes are secondary infection. Qs or CP will be the fastest acting ad copper only kills the free swimming stage.

 

[Mrscribbled]

But... if the fish you have moved to quarantine and are in 1.009 s.g. and still no improvement then most likely is velvet. Just seems like time had been on your side in which velvet typically does not give you this.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I also lean toward a heavy ich infestation. If so, copper or CP with all fish is the only cure I know of. Hypo does nothing for velvet and i think its only "iffy" for ich treatment.

 

[roni]

Thanks. Started cupramine in the QT tanks. Had a couple more casualties yesterday so hypo is definitely not doing anything. I have no one to blame but myself but this is still the most disheartening experience I've had in 15 years in the hobby.

I'm assuming I can't dose CP/QS with cupramine, correct?

 

[Mrscribbled]

Thanks. Started cupramine in the QT tanks. Had a couple more casualties yesterday so hypo is definitely not doing anything. I have no one to blame but myself but this is still the most disheartening experience I've had in 15 years in the hobby.

I'm assuming I can't dose CP/QS with cupramine, correct?

Correct, only one or the other.

 

[Rea17]

Make sure not to dose cupramine until the fish are back to a normal salinity, but I agree it's the proper course of action. Good luck!