Possible bite wound?

[Mare100]

Hi...

I'm wondering if someone can give me some advice on one of our little Green Chromis fish. We noticed something on his side...down near his belly...that looks like a brownish-reddish spot. It looks almost like when you pinch your finger and you get a blood clot under your skin. My husband said it looks like possibly a bite mark, because it looks like there's a little piece of his tailfin that has been chomped away too.

We haven't noticed anybody after him...but I did see one or two of the other Chromis nipping at him. Other than that....he really seems fine. Eating....swimming around.

He is one of a school of 5 Chromis in a 120 gallon reef tank along with a Kole Tang, a Sailfin Tang, and 2 Royal Grammas and a Lawnmower blenny.

Should we try to pull him out and put him in the QT tank to keep an eye on him? Is there any need to worry about infection? Could it be something other than a bite wound?

Thanks in advance.

M

 

[Mare100]

Gee.....thanks for all the help.

 

[Hattie B]

Hi Mare100,

Does the red spot appear to be under the skin? Or does it look like something is growing on hi,?

Can you get a pic of the guy?

I would lean toward an abrasion or something like that, he could be showing the signs of a bacterial infection..

Is he eating well?

Does he stay away from the other fish, like he is not part of the gang?

 

[Mare100]

Hi Hattie...

Thanks for the reply. We pulled him out of the 120 this morning. The wound looked bad....more like a bite mark. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. He hung with the group and looked perky & was eating up until this morning. God I hate losing a guy.

M

 

[luke33]

He pry got picked on and eventually couldn't hold his own. Sometimes chromis weed out the weak, i would watch to see if the same thing happens down the road.....they don't play nice : (

 

[Meisen]

For a while now many Chromis have been coming in and developing lesions on their sides. These were invaribly fatal from what I observed. I asked the LFS what was going on and they suggested overdose of collection chemicals or a viral/bacterial infection. They stopped carrying them for a while and then the problem seemed to disappear.

Anyone else see/hear about this?