no idea what is wrong with my BSJ

[the Undone guy]

Hi everyone,

I've had a BSJ in my 34gal display for about 4 months now. 2 days ago I started to notice he was acting a bit odd. He wasn't really using his left fins, hanging out in odd spots leaning against rock work (uncharacteristic of his normal behavior), and I would occasionally see him dive at the sand trying to scratch his sides. His coloration was a bit dull as well, but he was eating normally like a pig. I let a day go by to see if things would improve, but they seemed to have gotten worse. He would normally swim in the water column interacting with the other inhabitants but he was by his lonesome leaning against a rock not swimming much at all. I've since relocated him to a small hospital tank for observation and hopefully treatment. I've had a hard time getting good pictures since the hospital tank has a curved front, and he freaks out when the camera approaches. Here is what I could get:




The lump on the right side of is head has been there since I got him from the LFS. He was treated with metronidazole for a few weeks with no improvement so it seems to be inert and unrelated. He's starting to lean on his side as he lays on the bottom of the hospital tank...I'm starting to lose hope of treatment. Anyone have any idea what this might be? Or is it the dread 'BSJ disease' of which I can do nothing about? Thanks for your time.

 

[sandwi54]

The BSJ looks terribly skinny and malnourished. If he has been feeding well, it's likely he has internal worms that are robbing the nutritions. Try three rounds of prazipro at 5-day intervals and see if he improves.

 

[the Undone guy]

The BSJ looks terribly skinny and malnourished. If he has been feeding well, it's likely he has internal worms that are robbing the nutritions. Try three rounds of prazipro at 5-day intervals and see if he improves.

Ok thanks, I'll make some calls and find some prazipro. Clarification - you mean three rounds every 5 days correct?

And do you have any idea what the white blobby things on his head are?

 

[sandwi54]

Ok thanks, I'll make some calls and find some prazipro. Clarification - you mean three rounds every 5 days correct?

And do you have any idea what the white blobby things on his head are?

Sorry but I meant dosing once every 5 days, and do that three times, for a total of 15 days. At the end of each 5-day treatment, do a water change and put in carbon for a few hours to remove the residual meds, before the next dose.

I am not sure what the white patches are. They could be stress marks if they have been there for months. Do treat with prazipro first and see if the condition improves.

 

[the Undone guy]

Sorry but I meant dosing once every 5 days, and do that three times, for a total of 15 days. At the end of each 5-day treatment, do a water change and put in carbon for a few hours to remove the residual meds, before the next dose.

I am not sure what the white patches are. They could be stress marks if they have been there for months. Do treat with prazipro first and see if the condition improves.

I did a 5min freshwater dip, then started his hospital tank on prazipro. I also picked up some PEmysis in hopes to fatten him up some more. Thanks so much for the help! I'll let you know how things are looking in a few days.

 

[Chipie]

blue spot jawfish

blue spot jawfish

He's got the dreaded blue spot jawfish disease. I'll pm you a link to a treatment that someone used to save his bsjf from this. I had one that died of the same thing and i didn't have all the medications to treat him You got to start treating fast or he'll probably die soon.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Your hospital tank should have a tub of sand with a piece of rock on it and some rubble so the bsjf can build a burrow. It is uncomfortable in a clean tank and will be very stressed.

 

[Chipie]

It's never recomended to use sand in a hospital tank. It would absorb some of the medication(especially copper) and would make keeping the level up difficult. I have sand in my qt tank for a pearly jawfish right now(with some pvs pieces and pipes. But it's silica sand and it doesn't absorb copper. The pearly loves it

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

It's never recomended to use sand in a hospital tank. It would absorb some of the medication(especially copper) and would make keeping the level up difficult. I have sand in my qt tank for a pearly jawfish right now(with some pvs pieces and pipes. But it's silica sand and it doesn't absorb copper. The pearly loves it

Sorry, but I have to disagree with "never". Copper isn't a suggested medication in this case and the bsjf won't be comfortable in a bare tank. In fact, it likely will jump out unless the tank is absolutely, completely covered and will be unhappy otherwise. The OP indicated the fish is freaked out and it is probably not just because the fish is camera-shy. The sand won't affect the PraziPro treatment recommended here.

What meds other than copper are you saying will be absorbed by sand?

 

[the Undone guy]

I dont think he was ever really comfy in my DT either though. He wasn't much of a burrower, he'd dig trenches a bit but never a true burrow. I tried to get him to take to PVC piping but he wanted nothing to do with it.

Today he ate...spit some of it up a few hours later. He was a little bit more active today as well. BUT the white 'gooey' type features seem to have turned into white specs all over his body. So I suspect he's got ich/flukes? It's most noticeable on his fins. I was thinking of starting formalin dips anyway, would this be advisable alongside prazipro or should I go straight for cupramine?

 

[the Undone guy]

not sure if this has any relevance, or if it's just coincidental but I just found my cleaner shrimp of 1.5 years dead. Not sure when he died...it was either monday or tuesday; I moved the BSJ to the hospital tank on Sunday. Never really noticed those two hanging out though.

My coral banded shrimp seems to be ok as well...

 

[Chipie]

I think it's just a coincidence. I would do a formalin dip then start copper right away. He will start going downhill very fast if you don't act now.

 

[the Undone guy]

I think it's just a coincidence. I would do a formalin dip then start copper right away. He will start going downhill very fast if you don't act now.

Today most all of those white specs are gone and he's a bit more active....maybe I'm just not giving prazipro enough time? I think I'm going to keep going on the prazipro treatment to keep his stress level to a minimum. He also continues to eat which I take as a good sign. I really appreciate your help btw! I'll keep this updated as his condition changes.

 

[the Undone guy]

2 days ago he was doing amazing, swimming around and acting like his normal self. All signs of white dots and weird blobs were gone. Yesterday he stopped eating. Later that evening he started acting crazy wedging himself between the heater and the tank. This morning woke up to a dead BSJ =(

I found elevated ammonia levels...but I'm not sure if that was from the fish dying overnight. Do fish start acting crazy when they are exposed to elevated ammonia levels? I really hate hospital tanks right now; I just don't understand how he goes from bad to great to dead.

 

[Chipie]

I totally hate to say i told you so but unfortunatly i was right. I know how you feel right now. I was so discouraged when i lost mine. And it was the same. Died after looking like he was getting better. Then started to act weird againg and died not long after. I'm going to try another one but this time, i'll have all medications on hand and will treat as soon as i see any sign of trouble. Sorry you lost yours. They are such nice fish

 

[the Undone guy]

I totally hate to say i told you so but unfortunatly i was right. I know how you feel right now. I was so discouraged when i lost mine. And it was the same. Died after looking like he was getting better. Then started to act weird againg and died not long after. I'm going to try another one but this time, i'll have all medications on hand and will treat as soon as i see any sign of trouble. Sorry you lost yours. They are such nice fish

No need for apologies. I'm done with these fish...lost my first one to carpet surfing...and now the second. I feel like I just flushed another $100 bill....this hobby can be so discouraging at times. Thanks for the help regardless!

 

[Chipie]

Well i wish i could have help you more. Have you looked at pearly jawfish? Not as nice as the blue spot but still very cute fish. I have one in my nano and he's doing great.

 

[the Undone guy]

Well i wish i could have help you more. Have you looked at pearly jawfish? Not as nice as the blue spot but still very cute fish. I have one in my nano and he's doing great.

I have, but I'm leaning towards getting a tail spot blenny or something along those lines. I miss my bicolor's paranoid personality.

 

[Chipie]

Tailspots have lots of personality too. But i think the tailspot is a bit more shy than the bicolor blenny. Maybe mine was that way because he was in a 180g with larger fish. Not sure.

 

[the Undone guy]

Tailspots have lots of personality too. But i think the tailspot is a bit more shy than the bicolor blenny. Maybe mine was that way because he was in a 180g with larger fish. Not sure.

haha I can't even imagine their paranoia with that many tank mates!