Purple Tang needs help. Urgent
- Thread starter lv_reefer
- Start date
Handling the fish is not a good idea, especially an ill fish. Human skin may rub off some of the fish's mucous coating. These, like many other tangs, have a thin mucous coating to begin with.
The 'holes' are open sores. These are places where opportunistic bacteria and fungi can infect the fish. The water being used for the TTM needs to contain an antibiotic. I don't know what you have in your fish 'medicine cabinet,' but I'd recommend Kanaplex.
This fish needs extra help in nutrition. Look at the Fish Nutrition post. Add supplements to this fish's food according to that post's recommendations for an ill fish.
Keep Kanaplex in the water at therapeutic levels while continuing on with the TTM.
I cannot tell more from the photo. I'd prefer to see a long (1+ minute) video of the fish under white light or under ambient room light. I don't see where these 'holes' may have come from. They are sizeable and it's hard to imagine that they 'just appeared.' More background may be useful like: How long have you had this fish? Are you sure the fish has a Cryptocaryon irritans (Marine Ich) infection? If just acquired, where did the fish come from?
I have never been much of an advocate for the TTM. It seems unnecessarily stressful on the fish and hobbyist.
Ask if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.
The 'holes' are open sores. These are places where opportunistic bacteria and fungi can infect the fish. The water being used for the TTM needs to contain an antibiotic. I don't know what you have in your fish 'medicine cabinet,' but I'd recommend Kanaplex.
This fish needs extra help in nutrition. Look at the Fish Nutrition post. Add supplements to this fish's food according to that post's recommendations for an ill fish.
Keep Kanaplex in the water at therapeutic levels while continuing on with the TTM.
I cannot tell more from the photo. I'd prefer to see a long (1+ minute) video of the fish under white light or under ambient room light. I don't see where these 'holes' may have come from. They are sizeable and it's hard to imagine that they 'just appeared.' More background may be useful like: How long have you had this fish? Are you sure the fish has a Cryptocaryon irritans (Marine Ich) infection? If just acquired, where did the fish come from?
I have never been much of an advocate for the TTM. It seems unnecessarily stressful on the fish and hobbyist.
Ask if you have any questions, I'd be happy to help.
My newly acquired tang has ich and is undergoing TTM treatment in 5th day. Now she has two big holes near its fin and dorsal fin. She eats well and active. Just occasionally twitch.
History: I purchased it from a local guy that trades fish. The tang was in a temporary tank with 3 other tangs separated by partitions. The fish had no sign of illness or wounds so I bought it. 3 days back home, she started to have ich symptom. I started TTM immediately using styrofoam boxes.
Would the wounds due to the ich or the spike in ammonia? I am doing TTM on every 24 hours in order to reduce ammonia. Temp at 80F. Salinity 1.024 and decreasing to 1.018 gradually on every TTM transfer.
I am feeding her with frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, seaweed, pellets. She eats like a horse.
Any help on the wounds would help. Thank you in advance.
Video link below
History: I purchased it from a local guy that trades fish. The tang was in a temporary tank with 3 other tangs separated by partitions. The fish had no sign of illness or wounds so I bought it. 3 days back home, she started to have ich symptom. I started TTM immediately using styrofoam boxes.
Would the wounds due to the ich or the spike in ammonia? I am doing TTM on every 24 hours in order to reduce ammonia. Temp at 80F. Salinity 1.024 and decreasing to 1.018 gradually on every TTM transfer.
I am feeding her with frozen brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, seaweed, pellets. She eats like a horse.
Any help on the wounds would help. Thank you in advance.
Video link below
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@Dr. Reef @HumbleFish any additional thoughts. I’m not good in this area?
Excellent video. Thanks.
The fish looks healthy, except for the holes. The ring around the holes indicate a bacterial attack. Maybe the holes came from handling? Of the group of meds you have, Furan-2 is the one to use. I would obtain Kanaplex as soon as you can.
Furan-2 contains two furan compounds (Nitrofurazone) to combat a wide variety of gram-positive & gram-negative bacterial diseases, including bacterial gill disease, open red sores (Aeromonas spp.), body slime & eye cloud, black molly disease (Flavobacterium columnaris) and fin & tail rot.
I believe a bath is the best approach. BATH: dose Furan-2 a bit higher as a dip as opposed to a 24 hour bath like you would in a quarantine tank. Each packet of API Furan-2 contains 85 mg of Nitrofurazone. My references (in Noga 2010) gives 38 mg/gallon (so about half a packet) for 6 to 10 hours. Be sure to use a heater and good aeration if you dip for 6 hours, and change the dip water every day. You might work the dip in with the TTM.
The fish looks healthy, except for the holes. The ring around the holes indicate a bacterial attack. Maybe the holes came from handling? Of the group of meds you have, Furan-2 is the one to use. I would obtain Kanaplex as soon as you can.
Furan-2 contains two furan compounds (Nitrofurazone) to combat a wide variety of gram-positive & gram-negative bacterial diseases, including bacterial gill disease, open red sores (Aeromonas spp.), body slime & eye cloud, black molly disease (Flavobacterium columnaris) and fin & tail rot.
I believe a bath is the best approach. BATH: dose Furan-2 a bit higher as a dip as opposed to a 24 hour bath like you would in a quarantine tank. Each packet of API Furan-2 contains 85 mg of Nitrofurazone. My references (in Noga 2010) gives 38 mg/gallon (so about half a packet) for 6 to 10 hours. Be sure to use a heater and good aeration if you dip for 6 hours, and change the dip water every day. You might work the dip in with the TTM.
There needs to be some clarity. How much water in the box? Is there 2 gallons of water in the box or does the box just hold 2 gallons? This isn't clear to me.
Use half a packet for every gallon. So if there is 2 gallons of water, use a whole packet and keep the fish in this water for 6 hours. After the dip, throw out the dip water.
After the above single bath back off and add one packet for every 10 gallons of water. The next day do a 25% water change. Repeat this two more times.
Since you may only have 2 actual gallons of water, you will use 1/5 of a packet. You will need a scale to measure the proper amount of powder OR you can add one packet of the powder to 100 ml of saltwater, dissolve thoroughly, and use 20 ml of that 'stock solution' for each treatment.
Use half a packet for every gallon. So if there is 2 gallons of water, use a whole packet and keep the fish in this water for 6 hours. After the dip, throw out the dip water.
After the above single bath back off and add one packet for every 10 gallons of water. The next day do a 25% water change. Repeat this two more times.
Since you may only have 2 actual gallons of water, you will use 1/5 of a packet. You will need a scale to measure the proper amount of powder OR you can add one packet of the powder to 100 ml of saltwater, dissolve thoroughly, and use 20 ml of that 'stock solution' for each treatment.
Putting medication in food is tricky. It gets complicated when there are other fishes around. Is the fish getting enough of the med or too much. So, relying on water additives is usually the best.
I strongly urge you to get Kanaplex. I would add also to your fish med cabinet: Metronidazole (or the weaker med -- Metroplex), a bottle of Kordon Methylene Blue and, Praziquantel (an anthelmintic (deworming) med).
Be sure to check out the Medicine Cabinet post.
