My poor male crosshatch trigger fish, please help! fungus?

[padova335i]

Okay, I have had him for about a month now.. Eats like a pig.. He is constantly at the cleaning station letting the cleaner shrimp clean him.. You can tell that he tries to shake of this stuff he has.. Its on his upper fin, white and some on his body which is a little slimy.

I was told to use hydrogen peroxide on him outside the aquarium on his disease and then wash off and put him back in.. I have been feeding formula one pellets dipped in garlic and vit c, mysis, spirulina and kelp.. All other tanks mates are perfect health.

 

[Jacob D]

Hi Padova, sorry to hear about the issues with your beautiful crosshatch.

In the first pic I thought I saw what looked like a spot of lymphocystis on his fin, but that white area of the body is not lymph and looks suspicious, especially that it seems to be localized in one spot. Is it just on one side of the body as well? It's difficult to tell whether it's fungal or if something else is going on. It almost looks brook-like, but not quite.

Malachite Green is nasty stuff, maybe not quite as nasty as formalin... it should help clear up any fungus (among other things). You may want to try a broad spectrum antibiotic first and reserve the Malachite Green as backup plan. If you do use the M.G. follow all instructions for your safety as well as the fish.

I don't know about peroxide use on fish, sorry.

 

[padova335i]

are any of these pills u put in the food or all baths? I did just remove him and use the peroxide, he was out of the water for a minute.. and now is back in the tank hiding in his sleeping place.. I used a napkin soaked w peroxide to rub the white stuff... Ill keep an eye on him... He made a mess, splashing all over the place!

 

[RBU1]

Just keep your water quality good and feed the fish good. Don't do anything else now to stress the fish out. He will be fine.

 

[padova335i]

Just keep your water quality good and feed the fish good. Don't do anything else now to stress the fish out. He will be fine.

I hope so.. My water quality is def good, i clean the socks twice a week and 50 gallons of water every other week.. I hope he makes it.. Damn did he make a mess! water got all in the fixtures:furious:

I will keep an update and continue heavy feeding.. I hope hes back to himself tomorrow.. He has been perched in one area till his treatment..

Thanx for the help guys

 

[jhentr]

Unless it gets worst, I wouldn't stress him out any further with catching him and bringing him out of the water.

Awesome specimen!

 

[E36328i]

Doesn't look too bad. Keep feeding him good and enrich with garlic, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acid foods. Try a variety of other foods, maybe increase his protein intake a little to help regenerate the damaged tissue--squid, scallops, silversides, octopus, and raw shrimp are all good alternative foods.

Exquisite specimen you got there! :thumbsup:

 

[RBU1]

Yes stressing him out will only cause more problems. Best to leave him alone and do as you are doing.

 

[padova335i]

thanx again guys.. update, this morning at 5am, swiming around in the dark as he always does.. He seems really hungry and I only see a little damage on his upper fin.. I think it worked!

 

[padova335i]

ok.. so he is swimming like crazy since.. will not eat and fin is all torn up.. I think I may have damaged his eyes.. bummed big time... F!!!!!!!!!

This will def not end well w/ him.. such a beautiful fish too, wish i would have let him be..

 

[RBU1]

ok.. so he is swimming like crazy since.. will not eat and fin is all torn up.. I think I may have damaged his eyes.. bummed big time... F!!!!!!!!!

This will def not end well w/ him.. such a beautiful fish too, wish i would have let him be..

What exactly did you do? Is he out of your main tank?

 

[RBU1]

Take some more pictures please. And LEAVE HIM ALONE no more treatments...

WHO THE HECK told you to use Hydrogen peroxide?

 

[Jacob D]

This doesn't sound good. Handling a fish like that is not usually a good idea. Again, I'm not sure about the peroxide treatment but it's hard to believe that rubbing something so caustic (or anything for that matter) on a fish would be advisable.

At this point definitely forget about the malachite green, and although before I would have still advocated for moving the fish to QT and using a broad spectrum antibiotic I would tend to agree at this point leaving things alone might be best.

 

[padova335i]

Take some more pictures please. And LEAVE HIM ALONE no more treatments...

WHO THE HECK told you to use Hydrogen peroxide?

hey,, I Scopped him out.. used paper towles with peroxide on them, slihty rubber the spots off.. but he flip/flopped so many times i think he must have touched his eyes w/ it..

He is in the DT, all the fish (4 tangs) for now are in perfect health... and a female crosshatch.... def wont touch him again....

A person that has been in the hobby w just fish for over 20 yrs sayd it works like a charm and uses this method often.. IDK, i think he would have fought this off on his own,,, i feel so guilty...:sad1:

 

[RBU1]

hey,, I Scopped him out.. used paper towles with peroxide on them, slihty rubber the spots off.. but he flip/flopped so many times i think he must have touched his eyes w/ it..

He is in the DT, all the fish (4 tangs) for now are in perfect health... and a female crosshatch.... def wont touch him again....

A person that has been in the hobby w just fish for over 20 yrs sayd it works like a charm and uses this method often.. IDK, i think he would have fought this off on his own,,, i feel so guilty...:sad1:

Hopefully he still will fight it off...Crosshatches are fairly hardy fish. They have skin like leather. I would leave things alone for a few days and see what happens. I have never read of anyone using peroxide on fish.....If thiings continue to go down hill you might want to try a prazi treatment in your main tank. Flukes could cause fin issues as well as cloudy eyes. You can use it in your main tank but will kill ornamental worms. But like I said give him a few days and see what happens. He is not eating at all????

 

[Jacob D]

After a quick search I did come across some info about dosing HP into a quarantine tank or dip... but nothing about actually *rubbing* it on a fish, and especially not at full strength. You may want to clarify with your friend his method.


Anyway, I hope things turn out for the better and he pulls through. Triggers are pretty tough. A friend of mine once stepped on one that had jumped out of his tank, said "oops!", then picked him up and put him back in the water and he was just fine... so it could be worse.

 

[padova335i]

thanx guys, def keep an update.. Yes, not eating anything.. and this was coming right b4 his non stop eating... I really messed this one up.. I guess I was so worried about him, because i am very proactive, that this time it may not go well.. I am hoping for him to pull through..

and to think im having more luck w my tangs!!!!

My friend did say to pour the peroxide on his white film,,, i was worried to get it in his eyes/gills.. currently before the lights went out, he is triggered in the side of a rock.

 

[padova335i]

As of 6am this morning he is gone... such a guilty feeling and such a beautiful fish.... I will get another soon... I like this species too much... never using peroxide again.. only thing i will continue to practice is hyposalinty that i treat tangs with....:sad2:

 

[RBU1]

Gone as in you can't find him or gone as in dead?

 

[padova335i]

Gone as in you can't find him or gone as in dead?

opps, my bad.. YES dead, was at the bottom... he was pretty heavy... everytime is see peroxide i see my poor fish saying "you fkn killed me!"

no joke... def have to get another... I know qt is a must and I qt all my tangs.. Does this one have to be qt'd as well? is it possible for a trigger to bring ich to the tank?