Very bloated Chromis, twice normal size, what is this??

[raynist]

I received 6 Vanderbilt Chromis in a shipment this week. I put them in an established q-tank. They came in with ich, so I started hyposalinity. They ich is mostly gone, but they are extremely bloated, twice their normal size almost. They are breathing heavy. I tested the ammonia and it is not 0, but 0.5. I did a 50% water change and it is down to 0.25.

What is causing this? Their scales seem to be sticking out also. I lost 2 of them yesterday.

Can anyone help??

Thanks
Ray

 

[Pandora]

Randy, this sounds like dropsy. It's fluid accumulation deep inside the tissues & abdominal cavities of the fish, usually due to multiple organ failure. Sometimes one kind of illness starts out cycle of stress, treatment that causes more stress, etc. Unfortunately, dropsy is rarely curable, it's more of a symptom of more serious disease (sometimes of overwhelming bacterial sepsis secondary to the primary disease that weakened them). I would just continue with (smaller) water changes and see if you can stick it out with the other 4. At least you can be glad for the precaution of QT! Good luck...

 

[raynist]

Am I making matters worse with the hyposalinity? Right now the water is at 1.010 SG.

--Ray

 

[TerryB]

If you are using an inaccurate hydrometer then it is possible that the actual salinity is much lower than you think. That could potentially cause the symptoms you describe. You should be using a refractometer or a LARGE GLASS LAB Grade hydrometer at the very least. Make sure the hydrometer is calibrated for reef type temperatures rather than 60F. Do NOT use a plastic swing arm type hydrometer. Are you checking the pH daily?

Terry B

 

[raynist]

I am using a refractometer. I have not checked the PH recently, but since that tank is barebottom, I add some marine ph stabilizer when I do a water change.

 

[TerryB]

The Ph tends to drop in diluted saltwater so it could be very low. Do not raise it too much too fast.

Terry B

 

[Pandora]

Great points, Terry. I'd also add that when you do hyposalinity for more than a few minutes (as in, more than just a dip, if you plan to keep them at that for days), it's best to acclimate the fish to it by slowly lowering it and then raising it. You can still kill the cryptocaryon, not so hard on the fish.

 

[raynist]

Well, I am down to 2 fish, good news is that those 2 are looking much better. Hopefully they live and it will not be a total loss.

PH is at 8.1, salinity 1.012.

I added some epson salt to the tank the other night.

--Ray

 

[TerryB]

I don't see how the epsom salt will help. The salinity is not low enough to cure ich and the pH is not so low that it would cause a problem. I suspect that the fish have a bacterial infection, possibly invovling the kidneys (you can basically find most infectons there). I rarely suggest Maracyn (often suggest Maracyn-Two). In this case I would use both Maracyn and Maracyn-Two together in quarantine only. The Maracyn-Two should be at double strength (see instructions for first day) EVERY day for 7 days or more.

Terry B

 

[Pandora]

From what I understand, epsom salt is a salt of magnesium sulfate, and sometimes used in FW sick tanks to raise TDS, allowing sick fish a little relief from having some of their organs work as hard (gill membrane & kidney filtration doesn't have as much of a gradient to work against). I haven't really heard as much about its use in SW tanks, and would suspect it's different due to the differences in physiology; this osmolar gradient in tissues is not the same.

 

[raynist]

I got the advice to use the epson salts from another post I had out there. I figured it was worth a try since they looked like they all were going to die. I also used tetracyclene and 50% water changes.

I am down to one fish now (out of 6), but it is no longer bloated and ate a piece of flake last night, so maybe it will live.....

--Ray