Sick BSJF - please help with recovery?

[kyley]

Hi All,
I have a BSJF apparently with "BSJF Disease" (white blotches on its sides), but also with clear/white growths on his head. I'd had it for 3 weeks before it started showing any symptoms. This was first noticed on Saturday when I returned from vacation. From what I'd read, most fish don't last 24 hours when they get it (and I know a couple people who had that exact experience - one a couple weeks ago and my fish looked just like his).

Anyway, it's Thursday, I now have the fish in a hospital tank, and it's actually recovering so I count myself lucky (white blotches gone as far as I can tell and acting better). It's always eaten well too except when first put in the QT and scared. But the growths on the head don't seem to be going away at all. Any idea what they are and how I can treat them??

At the suggestion of others, I've tried:
1. Freshwater dip for 5 minutes before putting in HT.
2. Maracyn 2 Antibiotic (on 3rd day of it now).
3. SeaChem ParaGuard (for parasites - on 3rd day of it now).
4. StressCoat (StressGuard or Pro Tech Coat Marine were recommended but I couldn't find them). I only added this one day in the HT.
5. API PimaFix (b/c a LFS thought it might be fungal) - I only did this the first day in the HT and haven't continued.

Any other suggestions on what this is and how I can treat it? I don't think it's Ich (too big? protrusions stick out more than Ich?). Here are pictures:

These two pics are from a day later (protrusions a bit bigger?) - notice a bit on the fins too:

Any additional help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you,
--Kyle

 

[kyley]

Bump! Can anyone help with this? My fish has recovered from the white blotches (apparently that doesn't happen often), but the milky white protrusions on the head are still there. Here are updated photos:

Thanks,
--Kyle

 

[offthehook]

Might be flukes? Try prazi pro good stuff. can do it as bath

 

[JHemdal]

I can tell you what that is, but not why it's there. Those are mucus plugs coming out of the larger pores on the fish's body....think playdoh being pushed out of one of those machines. Some diseases can cause mucus production (flukes) as can certain chemicals (copper).

Bluespots are too delicate IMO - if you don't get a perfect one to start with, they are very difficult to keep going...and then if you DO get past those hurdles, they jump out (sigh)

Jay

 

[kyley]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll try PraziPro this week.

Mucus plugs, huh? Interesting... They're only on the face. I don't have any copper in the QT. So maybe this is further evidence of being flukes?

Yeah, a lot of people seem to be losing BSJFs lately... Hopefully I won't have a jumping out issue - my tank is fully covered.

Now I'm having issues with Ammonia and Nitrite in my QT Sigh...
--Kyle

 

[kyley]

Hi All,
So an update on my fish - yesterday I would have told you he was cured. White blotches and protrusions were completely gone. But overnight it all came back Here's what he looks like today:

This shows the protrusions are actually on his body as well (apparently the white blotches and protrusions are actually the same thing, but they disappeared on his body first):

You can see full size versions of these photos and a few a more here:
Full Size Photos

Anyway, back to treatment! Previously I did (in order):
1. A freshwater dip, but only for 5 minutes (day 1).
2. Put fish in QT (day 1).
3. One dose of API PimaFix - Anti-Fungal (probably didn't do anything?) (day 1).
4. A full course of Maracyn Two antibiotics 5 day treatment (started day 2).
5. SeaChem Para Guard daily for 5 days (started day 2).
6. One dose of API Stress Coat+ (day 2).

I'm considering not doing the antibiotics and instead treating this as a parasite with either SeaChem ParaGuard, PraziPro (for flukes), or both. Maybe even going ahead and adding Cupramine? Thoughts? Here's my treatment plan for now:
1. Freshwater Dip (properly with Methylene Blue, a full 30 minutes, and matched pH this time).
2. PraziPro (bottle says a single treatment lasting 5 days is sufficient, but can retreat every 3-5 days - so I'll plan to add this now and a second dose in 3 days or so - but water changes may interfere)... Praziquantel is main ingredient.
3. SeaChem Para Guard - think I can use this with the PraziPro? This contains aldehydes and malachite green.
4. API Stress Coat+ (one dose)
5. ...maybe adding Cupramine...

So any idea how this could have returned? He's been in the QT the whole time, in cooler temps, with dry "live" sand that presumably wouldn't have any parasites living in the dried out sand (at least not bristleworms for sure)... Could water quality have anything to do with it? NH3 is now 0.25, NO2 is under 0.25 now (down a bit) but not 0, and NO3 is 0.

Does the return provide any clues to what the sickness could be? Flukes or other parasite that had been beaten down with antibiotics and ParaGuard, but not destroyed? Thanks in advance for your advice...
--Kyle