Please help, I need a fish doctor.

[Stylo328]

I am on the verge of loosing the achilles tang and want to do everything possible to save him. He has been in hypo since MACNA and was doing great. Ate voraciously, no spots or signs of stress, all was good.

Last weekend I decided to remove the egg-crate divider between him and the PBT. The first two days seemed ok, but on Tuesday the PBT cut him deeply twice on one side.

I separated them again immediately and have since re-homed the PBT. The achilles has not been the same since. He is barely eating, if at all. I find him laying on his side in the morning. It is really stressing me out. He is dying.

He is alone in a 75-gallon QT in hypo. I thought I saw a cloudy eye a few days ago, on the side with the scratches, but it is not cloudy now.

What can I do to try and save him.

 

[DRThompson]

what have you been treating his wounds with?

 

[Stylo328]

I have not treated the wounds with anything.

What would you recommend?

I have another 20-gallon tank that I can use to medicate.

 

[DRThompson]

kanamycin or triple sulfa

 

[DRThompson]

do you have a pic of the wound? Can you describe the wound? Is it red or white?

 

[mrx66699]

Stylo called you after the meeting and left a message and didnt hear back from you ..........can you upload a pick of the wound .....and your water params in the qt.....also is he still in hypo if not whats the salinity and o2 levels (how are you filtering water, hang on biowheels or just some floss).......are you doing water changes regularly on the qt

 

[Stylo328]

I do not have a picture at the moment. Just spoke to my wife who says he is alternating between swimming around and floating on his side in the water column.

The wounds were originally white and appeared to be "bleeding" down the side of the fish, where there was a specific darkening of color vertically beneath the two gashes.

 

[mrx66699]

whats the salinity in the qt ......what are you feeding

 

[Stylo328]

Stylo called you after the meeting and left a message and didnt hear back from you ..........can you upload a pick of the wound .....and your water params in the qt.....also is he still in hypo if not whats the salinity and o2 levels (how are you filtering water, hang on biowheels or just some floss).......are you doing water changes regularly on the qt

Sorry Matt. It was late and I have been crazy at work and went back to school as well.

Salinity is 1.013 in a 75-gallon system. Hang on penguin bio-wheel filter and two power heads (korilla and modified Mj1200). Also has a titanium heater.

No meds in water, just the hypo.

I have the 300-gallon tank in the garage, so have been doing regular water changes over the past several weeks.

 

[Stylo328]

Feeding a mix of Rogers reef food, Dr G's mysis, PE mysis, Rods Reef food, enriched brine, Julian sprung nori, frozen baby brine. Also some spectrum pellets and freeze-dried cyclopse eeze

 

[AquamanE]

Reach out to BillsReef on here. Im not doubting Dr. Thompson, but Bill might be able to give you other opinions also.

 

[mrx66699]

sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things what are the water params are you using an ammonia badge ....ammonia can creep up in hours over night and surprise you....IMO I would start to raise the levels of salinity about 2-3% pts each day till your about .019 and then monitor there.....a lot of tang families do not like the low salinity unfortunately....in my experience zebramosa only last about 3 weeks before showing signs of stress and loss of appetite and then have started down hill from there....+1 on the antibiotics dave has suggested for the wounds they should heal up.....dave is usually spot on with the meds

 

[Stylo328]

Thanks to all who have replied. I found the kanamycin in the form of KanaPlex from seachem. I also purchased some live brine. No live bloodworms were available.

My plan is to raise the salinity as Matt suggested, two points today and treat all 75-gallons with the KenaPlex.

Thoughts?

 

[Stylo328]

Came home and he was floating around the tank on his side, almost upside down. I did a water test, salinity 1.010. Did a ~15-20 gallon water change, bringing the salinity to 1.013. I added the KenaPlex per the recommended dosage. Removed the modified MJ1200 to reduce the flow a bit and added an air stone just beneath the Korilla.

Here he is now. His color is much darker than when I came home, but he is barely pacing in circles, occasionally laying on the floor sideways.

Really sad seeing him go. Not sure if there is anything else I can do for him now.

Thank you again Dave and Matt.

 

[Stylo328]

Reach out to BillsReef on here. Im not doubting Dr. Thompson, but Bill might be able to give you other opinions also.

Eddie,

Thanks for the suggestion, I PM'd him the link to the thread.

 

[Lacy]

Hope it works.

 

[Stylo328]

Hope it works.

Thanks.

Unfortunately he is laying non the floor of the tank panting. Unless there is a fish miracle tonight, I expect to find him dead in the morning.

 

[baxinabox]

update?

 

[rovster]

This sucks. These are truly beautiful fish. Top 5 for me for sure. Wish I had more room for one.

 

[Stylo328]

Let me start by thanking all those who posted and offered advice. I truly appreciate it and it is why I come to this forum every day, for people like you.

Unfortunately I woke this morning to find the Achilles dead.