Missing patches of scales and white cotton fungus

ThRoewer said:
BTW: what your fish have is most likely an Uronema marinum infection on bite wounds. It is an opportunistic ciliate, normally living of bacteria and dead fish and often present in fish tanks, living of the bacteria on detritus and leftover food without doing harm. But if water conditions get bad - low pH, high ammonia and too cold, conditions like you have often during shipment, it can infect the fish's gills and skin. An infection becomes even more likely if the fish has also fresh wounds from fighting or handling.

Formalin & malachite green is the right medication for the treatment tank but you may also want to get some Methylene blue for additional dips if it doesn't get better. You also may need to treat secondary bacterial infections with antibiotics.

As for feeding him I would try some live brine shrimp nauplii. Not the most nutritious food but usually something even picky or sick fish go after.
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Thank you so much for the post!!! I hav some meth. Blue on hand so i'm ready. I will start a culture of BBS tomorrow and see if he's bite. Thanks again to everyone for the help!!
 
Here is some further reading on Uronema and other reef fish infections other than Ich and velvet:
Identifying Parasitic Diseases in Marine Aquarium Fish - A Hobbyist's Guide to Identifying Some Common Marine Aquarium Parasites

Your worst infected fish might be beyond recovery. The parasite likely has already invaded its internal organs. Not feeding is usually a bad sign. But as long as he is still swimming I wouldn't give up.
I would recommend lowering the specific gravity in the treatment tank to about 1.018 to make osmoregulation easier for your infected fish.
 
Ignore the above post. Wrong thread!!!!

Well just got home andchecked him out. It appeares that the infected tissue is falling off now which may or may not be a good thing. He still has a positive outlook as he hangs with the rest aand doesn't skip a beat. Here are some pitures of what I'm dealing with now.




 
It's almost 10 days now if I count right. I would say from the way he looked it is a good sign that he is still alive.
But that he still isn't taking any food is not really a good sign. If that continues much longer he won't make it.

I don't know if it is feasible to feed him in other ways. Intravenous kind of doesn't work with fish, especially not with such small ones.
In theory, if he is still drinking (he likely is or he would already be dead), you could place him in a sugar solution with the same osmotic pressure of sea water for a few times a day to get him to drink it and get some nutrition this way. But that method brings the risk of bacterial explosions and infections so you would also have to add antibiotics to the sugar mix.
I have never tried this and only heard of this possibility from a marine biologist.
I would consider this really the last ditch effort if everything else fails.
 
It looks like the parasite is eating away at the flesh. Fish meat is the white portion.


Someone on this forum has successfuly treated uronema with chloroquine.
You can buy it online under ich shield powder or get it from a vet.


I would act quick. Also, add an antibiotic to prevent secondary infection since its flesh is exposed.



jmowbray said:
Ignore the above post. Wrong thread!!!!

Well just got home andchecked him out. It appeares that the infected tissue is falling off now which may or may not be a good thing. He still has a positive outlook as he hangs with the rest aand doesn't skip a beat. Here are some pitures of what I'm dealing with now.




Click to expand...
 
Don't feed him for now. You are only going to make the water quality go down and allow uronema and bacteria to proliferate.

Its too sick to eat.

Get him treated. When he's feeling well, he will be hungry.
 
Well I have to feed the tank as there are 5 more with him that need to eat. I'm doing WC's about every 2-3 days on top of dosing meds and slim coat restorer.
 
OK. I thought it was the only fish. Is this a quarantine?
Yes, then continue to feed small amounts and vacuum any left overs.

All fish need to be treated as they are all possibly infected. You need to act fast.


jmowbray said:
Well I have to feed the tank as there are 5 more with him that need to eat. I'm doing WC's about every 2-3 days on top of dosing meds and slim coat restorer.
Click to expand...
 
Since, the fish has open wound, formalin could kill it.
Chloroquine is better but Formalin should also kill uronema.

You should wear gloves as formalin is carcinogenic.


Erythromycin only covers gram positive bacteria. Better to use broad spectrum such as maracyn I and II, kanamycin or hospital antibiotics like Zosyn.


jmowbray said:
Ya I'm dosing formalin MS and Erythromycin together.
Click to expand...
 
Don't worry the water is wirky bc I soaked cyclops in selcon.

But this is when I added BBS. He hasn't been interested until now. A little stress has been lifted
 
Wanted to give everyone an update. HE'S still alive and eating like a pig. However, more problem have shown up. He now has an indented stomach. He's eating alot and they get feed on an auto timer 4 times a day. I feed cyclops in the feeder but when I get home they get mysis and scallops. I have now started soaking the food in ground up Metronidazole tablets to help with possible gut issues and maybe some tract worms.
 
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