Too late for my Gramma?

[jd371]

I moved my first fish (Royal Gramma and Firefish) into the DT after being QT'd for a month. Soon after the move the Gramma started flashing, hiding...the usual signs. Since the Gramma wasn't showing any external signs of ich I decided to try prazipro in the DT thinking maybe it was flukes. After the second treatment there was no change and he stopped eating, so I decided to move him to the QT for a copper treatment. I put him in Saturday and dosed .2 copper with the plan to bring up to .5 today when I get home from work.
The thing is he hasn't looked well since I moved him into the QT. He is just laying in the corner breathing hard. I really expected to find him dead this morning, but he's still alive. Being that he's in such a weak state should I continue the copper? It's breaking my heart to see him like this and not be able to do something.
The Firefish is still in the DT. The plan is to leave him there and not expose him to the copper. Instead do the TTM then move him to QT when done with the Gramma.

 

[Bent]

He's probably a goner. With animals, it's not a good for overall survival to be symptomatic when they are ill, so most of the time when you see something like this happening, they are too far gone to help.

But, if it were me, I'd continue treatment and see what happens.

 

[Justintegra]

I know totally different species, but three days ago both of my clowns were showing visible signs of Ich, not eating, and just laying on their sides or upside down on the bottom of the tank breathing heavy, no attempts at moving. Today they are still in TTM, but are really acting very normal. swimming upright and active, eating, normal respiration, etc.

I'm just saying, don't write them off for dead until they are dead.

 

[jd371]

Thanks guys. If he's still alive when I get home I'll continue the copper treatment. He hasn't eaten in a week, so I'm hoping for a miracle.

 

[jd371]

It looks like he's going to be alright. Yesterday when I got home he had moved from laying on his side in the corner of the tank into a PVC elbow, but still had trouble keeping himself upright. I continued the copper treatment.
This morning I went to check on him in the QT and he looked a lot better. He was more active moving in and out of the PVC. I put a pinch of flakes in there and he ventured out a little and ate some. First thing he ate in over a week. To look at him a few days ago you would think he'd never make it.

 

[Bent]

Exciting to hear!

 

[Giants13]

have you heard of selcon? i soak my fish food in that.

 

[jd371]

have you heard of selcon? i soak my fish food in that.

I looked into it and it's basically vitamin supplements you soak the food in. I think I'll get a bottle on the way home from the lfs if they have it.

 

[Sk8r]

Excellent. Ich tends to get into the gills and it's possible your treatment cleared them so he could breathe. Good luck to the little fellow.

 

[Brieninsac]

Are you sure it's Ich?

 

[e048]

move him to a little breeder box with a piece of pvc elbow for him to hide and keep an eye on him

ive never been able to keep a gramma in my tanks no idea why, after i lost 3 i gave up

 

[jd371]

Are you sure it's Ich?

I thought it was flukes at first because he was flashing a lot on the sand and rocks, but showed no visible signs of ich. I treated the DT with prazipro but after the second treatment with no results I moved him to the QT and started copper on him. Within a few days of the treatment he was back to normal. I assume like sk8r said he must have had ich on his gills and was struggling to breath.
He's been in QT for almost 3 weeks now and next Monday I can remove the copper from the QT. I'll keep him in the QT for another couple of weeks for observation, In the meantime I'm feeding him twice daily with frozen food and flakes soaked with selcon. It's a night and day difference from what he looked like when I first put him in the QT, I really didn't think he was going to make it.

 

[Cymonous]

The only problem is if he did in fact have Ich and he was in your DT. This means your DT has Ich in it too.

 

[jd371]

The only problem is if he did in fact have Ich and he was in your DT. This means your DT has Ich in it too.

Yeah the DT is going fallow until January. I'll be moving him to another holding tank that's bigger than the QT until it's time to go into the DT.
I want to free up the QT for my next fish I'll be getting as soon as he's out.