Squashed hippo tang

[droog]

Hi,

I've had a blue/regal tang for about 2 years now, fat and happy. About 3" He likes to sleep in a certain crevice in my rock work.

Unfortunately he was trapped (crushed, really) in between two rocks during some recent maintenance. He was stuck there for 2 days before I noticed and lifted the rock to let him escape.

There is black bruising on one side of the body and abrasions all over. He looks terrible, is gasping for breath and swimming at 30 degree downward angle. On the plus side he's still trying to eat. It was hard to get a picture of him, and I turned off the lights after freeing him to help prevent aggression from other inhabitants.

Any recommendations on what to do to give him the best chance of recovery?

-droog

 

[blacguy]

kent garlic extreme soaked food and algae sheets if he will nibble on those and id also soak food in zoe and zoecon to help boost immune responses. IME ive always had really good results with this combo. Have a niger trigger that got nipped at for awhile by a lunare wrasse had some cuts and things on his sides that looked really nasty i caught and set him up in a small 10g tank that i plumed in to my display and spot fed him for a few weeks now he looks much much better spots healed up still scarred/discolored but he was re introduced after some rearranging and has been doing great for months.

 

[mattcoug]

You are going to have to balance between keeping stress low (stop all aggression, leave him alone, feed well) and being ready with QT with antibiotics for any infection, and if your tank has any subclinical parasites, now is when it will break out.

You can keep lights off to minimize aggression from other fish - if this is a reef you can only do this for a 3-4 days before coral suffer. Algae will die so if you have much, pay attention to prevent ammonia spike.

 

[ca1ore]

Garlic is not going to do anything. Depends on whether the fish has any internal injuries or not. Personally I'd remove it to a QT tank and treat with something like Nitrofuracin green powder which is a broad antibiotic and good treatment for things like ammonia burn.

 

[nuttyd]

Would say let him be until he shows signs of infection. Cant tell you how many times ive been spearfishing and see a snapper with a healed hole in the head from someone else speargun.

 

[blacguy]

The Garlic boosts a fishes immune system helping them fight infection how does that not help?

 

[snorvich]

The Garlic boosts a fishes immune system helping them fight infection how does that not help?

Garlic has no real positive effect on fish other than as an appetite stimulant. Actually, in the long run, garlic is not good for fish. If you are interested in details of the latter, please see my blog.

 

[ca1ore]

The Garlic boosts a fishes immune system helping them fight infection how does that not help?

Other than it being parroted around the aquarium hobby, I have seen no scientific basis for this. If you are able to provide a source, I'd be interested to read it. Based off my own anecdotal observations, I conclude that garlic does nothing.

 

[droog]

Thanks to everyone who responded!

He did not appear to be getting bullied by his tankmates, so rather than risk additional stress, I left him be for a day - he even ate a little.

Day 2, he was not doing well and being bullied. I moved him to isolation. Unfortunately he died today... very sad

-droog

 

[gji]

Sorry to hear

 

[droog]

You are going to have to balance between keeping stress low (stop all aggression, leave him alone, feed well) and being ready with QT with antibiotics for any infection, and if your tank has any subclinical parasites, now is when it will break out.

You can keep lights off to minimize aggression from other fish - if this is a reef you can only do this for a 3-4 days before coral suffer. Algae will die so if you have much, pay attention to prevent ammonia spike.

I've not heard the term subclinical parasites before, but that could be an issue.
I lost a couple of corals (one pink gioniopora turned to brown jelly) and another LPS (daisy coral?). Actually it was the coral behaving abmormally that made me realise the fish was trapped.

Last time I lost a coral happened 6 months ago, a week after moving home. Will look into that some more.

-droog