blue_reefer
New member
Just yesterday, I had moved my longhorn cowfish into my 72 gallon softie reef from a QT running Cupramine (he was perfectly fine in there, no marks) after one hour of drip acclimating. With him, I also put in a bluestreak cleaner wrasse. I separated these two in the QT by putting the cleaner in a separate breeding box, so they had no problems with each other.
As soon as I had put them in, I saw the cleaner trying to clean the cowfish, and the cowfish clearly did not like it and kept trying to run away from it. About an hour later, the cowfish had black/brown patches, almost like burn marks, on his cheek. I think this is from the bluestreak cleaner constantly picking on him, stressing him out. I thought it would clear up by today, but it is even worse now, the patches now extending to his sides. It does eat live worms and brine shrimp eagerly, so the only problem is its patches. I also noticed that the tips of his horns had broken off, most likely due to him hitting the walls in the QT previously, and I saw some white string come out of its horns as well (only one horn).
I am afraid that the cowfish will die and release his toxin, killing the whole tank. I want to give it one more day to see if the cowfish gets used to the cleaner, but I am just not sure about the risks.
Sorry for bad lighting, it was hard to get good pictures.
As soon as I had put them in, I saw the cleaner trying to clean the cowfish, and the cowfish clearly did not like it and kept trying to run away from it. About an hour later, the cowfish had black/brown patches, almost like burn marks, on his cheek. I think this is from the bluestreak cleaner constantly picking on him, stressing him out. I thought it would clear up by today, but it is even worse now, the patches now extending to his sides. It does eat live worms and brine shrimp eagerly, so the only problem is its patches. I also noticed that the tips of his horns had broken off, most likely due to him hitting the walls in the QT previously, and I saw some white string come out of its horns as well (only one horn).
I am afraid that the cowfish will die and release his toxin, killing the whole tank. I want to give it one more day to see if the cowfish gets used to the cleaner, but I am just not sure about the risks.
Sorry for bad lighting, it was hard to get good pictures.
