Mouth damage on a bristletooth

[gbr]

Hey Steven, hopefully you can respond before I lose my Tang. I have a Bristletooth Tang (Kole's, Yelloweye) that has a damaged mouth. He won't come out of the pvc tube so I cannot tell if he is eating or not but the nori clip was empty this morning so maybe. He is in the QT with a dwarf zebra lion. I am wondering if myracin (sp?) or some other antibiotic might help his mouth and/or if it would injure the lion?

 

[Steven Pro]

Mouth damage on bristletooth Tangs is unfortunately not that uncommon and not usually a good sign. I would probaly try an antibiotic in the water, something like Furanase, and hope for the best.

The antibiotics should not bother the lionfish.

 

[gbr]

Thanks Steven, I will try that and hope for the best.

 

[Steven Pro]

Good luck!

 

[gbr]

I don't know if it was the Furanase or not but literally 15 seconds after I poured in the disolved tablets the lionfish rolled over, floated to the top and swam sideways. He struggled back to the bottom but died about 2 hours later. Honestly I think he was on his way out anyway. Lesson #2 in QT...only one fish at a time so the treatment of one doesn't affect the others I guess. The tang is doing fine in the solution but I don't think he has eaten. I think the nori is being stripped off the clip by the currently overnight. Hopefully he has the strength to make it through the healing of his mouth so he can start eating again.

 

[gbr]

The tang is doing a lot better now. His mouth is almost completely healed and he is eating nori off the clip. I am on the last day of furanase assuming he is fully recovered by tomorrow. Thanks again for your help Steven.

 

[Steven Pro]

Glad to hear it!