Pink Skunks Rapid Breathing

[dalston]

Been out of the hobby around 5 years, so possibly things i'm missing here.

I bought a pair of pink skunks 4 days ago and put them into QT. From the get go they have been breathing rapidly, and floating in the same area between being on their side and back straight again. The smaller is eating well but the larger pays no attn to food.

I've checked ammonia on both an ammonia alert and secondary test which is untraceable on both. Oxygen exchange is good (HOB aquaclear, tiny powerhead pointed at surface and airstone present). pH (8.0) and nitrate (0) also where they should be.

The larger has what looks like a white/clear string of poop attached so I started a prazi treatment in QT 2 days ago and have seen no change. Should I go to a freshwater dip to see if anything falls off or see out the prazi cycle first? I don't want to cause more stress by doing too much at once.

I know a preventative formalin dip is recommended, especially in clowns prone to brook, but I couldn't find formalin mx readily available. Any alternative meds that I can buy in stores, and should i consider this now as well?

I can grab a video tomorrow once the lights come on.

 

[ThRoewer]

If it's brook, formalin is pretty much your only chance.
These days I would not buy a clownfish without having formalin on hand, and every new clownfish always gets a mandatory formalin bath.

 

[dalston]

If it's brook, formalin is pretty much your only chance.

These days I would not buy a clownfish without having formalin on hand, and every new clownfish always gets a mandatory formalin bath.

Thanks.

So ok to go ahead with formalin dip while in the middle of treating prazi in the QT, or wait until the prazi cycle finishes? Also, anything comparable to formalin ms readily available in stores these days?


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[Neptune 555]

I don't get it....I wouldn't buy a clown fish w out formalin but nobody can source formalin any more? Where can you get formalin?

Neptune

 

[ThRoewer]

LFS, Amazon.com, other online stores...

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[dalston]

Is anyone able to answer the second part of my question?

So ok to go ahead with formalin dip while in the middle of treating prazi in the QT, or wait until the prazi cycle finishes?

I've checked around in stores here and nobody carries it, and say it's not available as the company went out of business (no idea how true this is). I guess this is why I was looking for a comparable med with same ingredients. I see it on Amazon, however, if nothing can be purchased locally...

 

[ThRoewer]

Try a pharmacy or a lab supplies store.
The company that makes Formalin MS is Fishvet and last time I checked they were still in business.

As for when to treat - if you think it might be Brooklynella, I would stop all other treatments and give them a formalin bath right away. After that they have to go into a new tank where you could continue any other treatments.

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[dalston]

Great, thanks for your help, it's much appreciated.

 

[dalston]

Pink Skunks Rapid Breathing

Here's a quick vid of the female (the male just sits in the vertical pipe). Any further thoughts before I just go ahead with the formalin bath?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalkhttps://vimeo.com/177954942

 

[ThRoewer]

Do they clamp fins and have some whitish slime on their skin or fins?
If not then it could also be velvet. In that case I would rather start right away with Chloroquine Phosphate (Ick-Shield Powder).
Also, the female may not handle a full length formalin bath well right now. She is simply breathing too fast already.

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[dalston]

None of the above symptoms at all. I've notice some head twitching from the male when feeding. The female actually just took good for the first time in days.

Doesn't velvet act a lot quicker? They have been in QT for 5 days now.. I'll look up procedures on chloroquine. Going to get the prazi out with carbon and WC first.


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[ThRoewer]

Prazi and CP can be combined - never tried it myself but many others did successfully.

Velvet does not necessarily kill quickly. Like Ich, it has on-fish and off-fish stages, it just doesn't have the defined waves you often see with initial ich infections. Even immunity against it is possible - at least to some degree.

One thing I would do right now is to lower the salinity to 1.016 to help the fish preserve energy and increase the oxygen saturation of the water.

It does not have to be velvet, but could also be something totally different.

Any remote diagnosis is difficult and it is hard to be certain without microscopic analysis.

Also keep in mind that different fish families may display different symptoms with the same disease.

In general I would always advise against buying any fish that already displays signs of disease, especially heavy breathing, regardless of how much you want that fish or how rare it is. You never know what they may have and if you can treat it in time, if at all.

 

[dalston]

Understand, and your help has been truly appreciated. The clowns didn't display any symptoms when viewing at the store over 3 days.

I've been away from the hobby for about 5 years, and from all the fish I've acquired after getting back in, disease has been more prevalent.


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