Should I move fish w Popeye to Display or Continue to Treat?

[Macimage]

I purchased gorgeous male watanabe angel with popeye. I have been treating for 4 days with Triulfa (400mg Sodium sulfathiazole, 100mg Sodium sulfamethazine and 100mg Sodium sulfacetamide), as there was no Maracyn2 for saltwater locally. I've also added Melafix to the tank daily.

The fish is swimming around in my 10 gallon hospital tank. I've been doing 90% water changes daily with aged salt water from my 225 reef tank.

The eye is not looking any better. I can go get some FW Maracyn 2 tomorrow and start treatment, as the 5 days of Trisulfa will be over.

However, the fish is not eating and I do not know if it would be better to put him into the 180 gallon FOWLR or to leave him not eating in qt while I continue treatment.

Sometimes seeing the other fish eating will stimulate a response. However, I do not want to risk the fish in the dt if popeye is contagious, which I don't think it is.

So, should I start treatment with FW Maracyn2 in qt or move him to FOWLR which is set up like a reef with pristine water, large H & S skimmer, etc. and other fish that are eating like pigs?

Thanks!
Joyce

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

Many cases of "pop eye" are the result of bacterial infections often caused by netting injuries etc - in these cases they usually clear up on their own (fish's own immune system) and sometimes they require an antibiotic.

Not sure about your situation .. but the general rule would prohibit using an antibiotic within the main tank. As such you need to make a judgement call whether your fish's condition warrant use of a medication that requires a hospital tank.

I have not owned your angel ... but most fish will accept live brine shrimp even in a hospital/QT - might help.

 

[Macimage]

Update:

He ATE tonight!!!

The antibiotics must be working, so I think I will leave him in qt with daily water changes and medications until the popeye clears.

kevin2000-Yes, I was wondering if I should move him and not medicate in the dt and hope it cleared up. I thought the injury was probably a result of a problem with collection.

Joyce

 

[limitdown]

I think 90% water changes per day is a bit too much. If you don't have biofiltration in the QT and you're worried about ammonia, then you can use AmQuel or AmGuard, since you're not using copper.

But good to hear that he's doing better. I take popeye seriously these days. I've had fish show popeye for a day or two, then recover on their own. However, in 2 instances of not treating, the condition worsened and the fish's eye rotted and fell out. Really sad cuz these 2 fish lived for 1yr with just 1 eye....

These days, when fish show popeye, I move them to a QT and immediately start dosing with minocycline (maracyn 2).

 

[Macimage]

Yes, I agree that changing most of the water seems a bit high, but I've been testing the water and I hate to see the ammonia and nitrates/nitrites showing up. I am so used to my reef at 0. He's such a big fish (maybe 5") that the water volume of 10 gallons is low.

I added a sponge from the sump of the dt, but it doesn't seem to work that well.

Can I add some live rock for filtration with Maracyn 2? If so, I have lots in my sump, but I thought the meds were absorbed by live rock.

Joyce

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

No offence to other posters but large water change from your display tank in this case should not be much of an issue .. large fish in a small tank will create ammonia issues and large water changes may be necessary.

 

[Macimage]

Yes, I agree that the pristine aged water from the reef is better than the fouled water in the 10 gallon hospital tank.

I'll leave him in the qt since he started eating and continue treating for the popeye. I just didn't want to cure the popeye only to watch him starve in there.

Thanks!
Joyce

 

[limitdown]

Yes, Maracyn 2 can be used with live rock and bioballs/ceramic rings. The medicine will kill some but NOT all of the bacteria. I use live ceramic rings from my sump in my QT and have no ammonia issues even when I dose with cupramine and prazi pro together, or separate maracyn 2

 

[Macimage]

Great, I'll add the live rock tomorrow.

When you are finished do you throw it away, as it can't go back into the reef sump?

Or can live rock treated with certain meds be put back into the reef sump?

Thanks!
Joyce

 

[limitdown]

LR will absorb some of the cupramine, so be sure to test concentration levels daily and redose accordingly. I highly recommend Seachem's copper test kit (the one with the dip stick an white powder). I've used API's copper test kit before but had major issues.

There is speculation that LR will release copper back into the water, but I have no views on this issue.

For my QT, I grab a small bag of live ceramic rings from my sump for biofiltration. After QT'ing is done, that sack goes into the trash, so it's a one-way trip.

I highly recommend keeping a few small sacks of bioballs/ceramic-rings in the sump for this purpose. Bioballs are really cheap and are disposable.

 

[LargeAngels]

Before you move him into the display do a FW dip to check for flukes. Like Kevin stated most cases of popeye are a result of bacterial issues, but I would just check before introducing him to others.

 

[Macimage]

limitdown-I am not using copper and for now I will use live rock and I'll get some bioballs to throw in the sump for next time. I knew I shouldn't have thrown out all those old bioballs and ceramic rings!!!

Thanks Large Angels-I plan on doing a Prazi Pro treatment also.

I am going to read up a bit on RC as I believe I've read that I can add the Prazi Pro at the same time as the Maracyn 2?

Thanks!
Joyce

 

[LargeAngels]

Joyce: I've used Prazipro, Cupramine and Maracyn II at the same time with no issues.

 

[Macimage]

Thanks! That is what I've read from you before, but I didn't want to rely on my memory!

He's really a gorgeous male and my two females will love him!

Joyce

 

[limitdown]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13281940#post13281940 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LargeAngels
Joyce: I've used Prazipro, Cupramine and Maracyn II at the same time with no issues.

I second the triple-combination. I had a hippo tang in QT with ich and flukes, then started developing a secondary bacterial infection from "ich holes" (ie wounds left over after ich parasites fall off). I dosed Maracyn 2 and the infections cleared up within 5 days.

Btw, hippo tangs are the biggest ich magnets I've ever seen. I would never put one in my DT without 6 entire weeks of cupramineand then another 2wks of observation in a QT.