I bought an Achilles off of liveaquaria.com. I have him in a QT right now. I also got a saddleback puffer. This is the second day he is breathing a little heavy. His swimming is getting a little wobbly. I have not dosed the tank with anything yet. I was waiting to make sure there wasn't going to be an ammonia spike. I have Prazi Pro and cupramine in the waiting. I was trying to figure out which to dose. He has no spots on him whatsoever. So I was worried about flukes. Should I start with the cupramine or the Prazipro? He Is about 3 inches long. I've got them in a 75 gallon tank. I have 100 gallon air pump in there. Hang on the back filters. Using a couple sponges that have been seeding in the main tank for many many months. Ammonia is zero. Nitrites are zero. PH is 8.3.
New Achilles Tang Breathing heavy
- Thread starter angnak
- Start date
If increasing the flow doesn't work... you might need to give him a f/w dip to eliminate the possibility of flukes. If you don't see any falling out of his gills, I would assume parasites and begin Cupramine treatment first. In the absence of other symptoms, it's hard to know whether it might be parasites or worms affecting the gills.
ironwill723
Well-known member
While dips work great for a lot of fish I would highly recommend not dipping an achilles tang. They are very sensitive fish and do not do well in fresh water dips. Just my opinion. Increase the flow in the tank and see how it reacts would be my advice. Ditto on the holding off on medicating.
Flow has been increased. I also made the powerhead go through some of the air bubbles to increase the time that the air is in the tank just in case it is a low Oxygen issue. He was eating fine the first two days but today he will eat but doesn't seem as interested. Hoping that'll change here soon. Will keep everyone posted. Thanks for the quick replies. One of my concerns with the medication is him not eating as well as he was. Again hopefully that will change.
wooden_reefer
New member
"Using a couple sponges that have been seeding in the main tank for many many months."
How can you know that the bacteria in the sponges months in any establish tank will be enough to support the bioload in QT when taken out and placed into QT?
Just faith!
How can you know that the bacteria in the sponges months in any establish tank will be enough to support the bioload in QT when taken out and placed into QT?
Just faith!
wooden_reefer
New member
More certain is to make sure that the sponges can process enough ammonia in short enough time in a separate container before you buy any fish.
The test is also the augmentation. Very convenient!
You should have no ammonia in QT, by design not by chance.
The test is also the augmentation. Very convenient!
You should have no ammonia in QT, by design not by chance.
wooden_reefer
New member
In general, the bacterial in an established tank are needed to support the bioload in that tank.
You can cheap a little by robbing bacteria, but only to a limited extent.
After you have robbed a little, it is better to grow more bacteria in a separate container.
You can cheap a little by robbing bacteria, but only to a limited extent.
After you have robbed a little, it is better to grow more bacteria in a separate container.
Many, many months is probably a year if not more by judging from some post I made in the past. It is four sponges from my 210 gallon main display that are long enough to be folded in half for both chambers for the 2 Marineland hang on the back filters rated for 50-70 gallon tank. Yes it is faith. Day three and ammonia is still zero using a seachem and Red Sea ammonia test. Been doing this for about 12 years now and was just asking for some advice on which meds to dose first. My fear is flukes so that would be prazi. I didn't want to medicate until he starts eating better so I guess I was also just looking for some reassurance I am on the right path. Also been dosing stability but may stop just in case I need to start meds. Yes i know i can mix stability and cupramine and probably prazi but dont want to take a chance. A 3" tang and a 2" saddleback puffer aren't really a taxing bio load in a 75 gallon tank right now in my opinion. Been sucking the extra food out daily too. Have 100 gallons of saltwater mixed and ready for water changes.
wooden_reefer
New member
No matter how long you put a medium into a tank of no matter how large, with livestock (low ammonia) the bacteria population will just be enough for that tank.
This method actually works often by chance. Often there is enough bacteria living in the sponge, but you will never know if there is enough bacteria until you test it with either new livestock or artificial ammonia pulse. It is far better with artificial ammonia in a separate container.
Hope your ammonia is really zero for the full duration for QT. Ammonia can surge and low levels are not always detectable. Good luck to you.
It is very possible and easy to make sure that there WILL be enough bacteria in QT even with a lot of new bioload, not by chance but with certainty.
ironwill723
Well-known member
Chloroquine Phosphate
http://www.thomaslabs.com/products/...roquine-phosphate-raw-powder-in-a-botlle.aspx
http://www.thomaslabs.com/products/...roquine-phosphate-raw-powder-in-a-botlle.aspx
Was the white ball coming from the mouth mucoid? Might it be flukes or protists in the gills? Is it possible it was coming from gills? Is there an area that looks damaged on the mouth? I don't believe that Chloroquin is an antibiotic or an antifungal but I may be wrong (some things have effects on both protozoans and bacteria, e.i. metronidazole/nitrofurazone). I really like kanamycin sulfate (sold as kanacyn or kanaplex) if you can get a hold of that. Its a gram negative spectrum antibiotic thats effective against most pathogenic external bacteria of fish and wont hit the nitrifying bacteria too hard. Another thing that is often available from pet stores which works pretty well is nitrofurazone (turns water yellow). It has the added benefit of breaking the life cycle of cryptocaryon, which isn;t in the literature but I use consistently. I have used paraguard with mixed results. recently I did a dip with it at recommended dip treatment concentration and it did not knock off neobenedinea ( a common flatworm) from a 6 lined wrasse.
It was definitely coming from his mouth. It is gone today. He has white all around his mouth now where it looks like it's healing. More on the one side of his mouth that had the white ball coming out. He is really scared of me trying to take a picture so I can't get a good picture and I don't want you stress out too much.
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Well he just passed. Seemed to be doing fine earlier. I couldn't confirm 100% but I swear he ate a couple mysis earlier. Just sitting here watching tv and he swam to the top of the tank and floated down twice. Normal speed. Puffer still doing great. Eats all the time. Active. I am worried to start cupramine because I have heard mixed results on if they can handle it. I guess I will start prazi tomorrow after a water change and carbon.
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