Pyramid Butterfly Help

[jsf668]

Today I received my Pyramid Butterfly whom I ordered from a reputable online dealer. The fish has significant damage to it mouth. Its mouth is much shorter than it should be and it almost looks like I can see its teeth. Right now it is in qaurantine and I am treating with Melfix and Primafix because thats all I have on hand. Will this fish's mouth heal and what meds would be best for treatmennt? Thanks

 

[wooden_reefer]

Today I received my Pyramid Butterfly whom I ordered from a reputable online dealer. The fish has significant damage to it mouth. Its mouth is much shorter than it should be and it almost looks like I can see its teeth. Right now it is in qaurantine and I am treating with Melfix and Primafix because thats all I have on hand. Will this fish's mouth heal and what meds would be best for treatmennt? Thanks

I generally don't trust natural antibiotics much, may be other people have different experience.

I tend to go for kanamycin, neomycin, or erythromycin. Do you have nitrification in QT? These drugs will affect nitrification a little, some nitrite but little ammonia.

For antibiotics treatment, daily water change is not as burdensome as against ich, since the duration of treatment is much less.

If the fish does not heal soon it will die from starvation directly or diseases related problems.

I nearly always use UV as the first line of defense against external bacterial infection, but if the wound is large, antibiotics treatment at once just to prevent bacterial infection is a good idea.

Don't use antibiotics and UV at the same time. UV degrades antibiotics.

Good Luck

 

[jsf668]

I actually have had good luck w/natural antbiotics for minor cases but, I think this poor fish is beyond that. My qaurantine tank run 24/7 and I dont use UV. Could I use Maracyn, Maracyn2, or Maracyn Plus or should I just try erythromycin? The fish's mouth is pretty damaged and I am not sure it could eat at this point even if it wanted to. Will it's mouth regrow?

 

[wooden_reefer]

I actually have had good luck w/natural antbiotics for minor cases but, I think this poor fish is beyond that. My qaurantine tank run 24/7 and I dont use UV. Could I use Maracyn, Maracyn2, or Maracyn Plus or should I just try erythromycin? The fish's mouth is pretty damaged and I am not sure it could eat at this point even if it wanted to. Will it's mouth regrow?

I believe Maracyn or Maracyn2 is erythromycin. Maracyn, I believe.

I likely won't eat until (if) its mouth heals.

***** at the seller for sure.

 

[jsf668]

Thanks. I already e-mailed the seller and told them.They have already resonded to me and they have a 14 day gaurantee but I would like to save the fish if I can. Thanks again.

 

[Dejavu]

This is typical with Pyramids. Alot of them are damaged during collection. I would guess that it will make it if it eats. I have one with a similar problem and has done fine.

For treatment I prefer to start with a full dose of cupermine and than PraziPro once the fish settle in and are eating well.

 

[jsf668]

Thanks..I think this damage was done during shipment. I dont think the place that I ordered from ( one of our RC Sponsors ) and one I have ordered from before, would of sent me a fish in this condition. I will treat it and hope for the best. I added some mysis treated w/ garlic to the tank..It seemed intrerested but did not eat it. I am not hopeful..my experience with this so far is that they eat anything in sight..

 

[jsf668]

I wanted to give an update..I started treating the fish w/erythromycin last night and it seems to be doing better. Its out swimming around and it actually ate some Spectrum Optimum Flakes. I will finish this treatment and once he is eating really well I will start with Prazipro. Hopefully it will make a full recovery. Its snout looks like h*** and you can even see what appears to be bone. It will be interesting to see how it heals. Thanks for all your help.

 

[marc price]

i haven't seen it or a photo but ime often times this happens from persistent bumping into the holding tank and or shipping bag and not because of a bacterial infection which could result from it.

fwiw and imo, you have to continue the full antibiotic course and i'd wait at least a week after before using prazipro or any other meds. i'm not a fan of prophylactic use of prazipro without evidence indicating it's need. i'm sure others here will disagree with my approach.
additionally and after the fact, i would give it the cleanest water you can via large frequent water changes before resorting to antibiotic's, especially a broad spectrum antibiotic. i've encountered this sort of thing in the past with butterfly and angelfish and have found them to heal rather fast given clean water in a "large" quarantine tank. at times i've made the decision not to treat things like this even though redness has been visible and have had 100% recovery with nothing more than clean water and good nutrition. i use antibiotics as a last resort, they're to overused and can be rendered ineffective.

 

[Dejavu]

i'm not a fan of prophylactic use of prazipro without evidence indicating it's need.

Why are you not a fan of prophylactic use of prazipro?

 

[wooden_reefer]

If you have nitrification in QT, erythromycin will depress nitrification but won't gravely affect it. Don't panic when you detect nitrite; test for ammonia. Time again I detect significant nitrite but little ammonia with this drug.

If you don't have nitrification, you have to change water often and replenish the drug each time.

 

[jsf668]

ok. I will make sure I check it...

 

[marc price]

Why are you not a fan of prophylactic use of prazipro?

lets just say i'm not big on the shotgun approach but mostly because i don't care to use it without evidence it's indicated to treat a specific diagnosed problem. if a fish appears healthy my procedure consist of Cu treatment for 14 days followed by a close observation period in clean drug free water. in my early days in the hobby guys were dosing everything in their qt tanks, i never agreed with that practice and see it as extraneous .
again it's what works for me and i haven't had reason to change and why should i since most of my fish purchases are tank bred. i only have two wild caught, a purpler tang and copperband bff., both were treated with nothing more than copper sulfate and Cu sulfate with formalin for the latter because it had advanced ich at the store. that was many years ago ~6+, haven't had any problems with any of my fish except for jumpers.

 

[jsf668]

Knock on wood but I fortunately have never had to treat a fish with cooper and haven't had any problems with ick. The last Pyramid I got had flukes and I had to treat it with PraziPro. This Pyramid is probably going to be in quarantine longer that usual while I wait for its snout to heal. I will definitely watch again for flukes and then decide if I should treat it with anything else.

 

[Jar*Head]

Hello, i have 10 Pyramid butterfly fish in my tank and one of them has the same problem as yours. As a matter of fact the bottom lip is missing . After couple weeks of TLC the fish starting eat very aggressive and back to normal even tho the bottom lip didn't look right. My other Butterfly actually has a bump on his back and 2 weeks later that bump open and leave a big hole through the back of the fish. You can see bone and flesh but the fish doing fine eating very normal. he is still alive in my tank till these day.

 

[jsf668]

Wow..10 Pyramid's I bet that is a beautiful sight. Mine is doing great and eating like the little piggy it is..