Treating a sick fish?

[Northstar24]

Alright guys, here is the deal. My Potter's angel has recently been having issues, and a few days ago I assumed I lost it, because it was no longer swimming around the tank. When I checked the tank this morning before leving for work, she had come out of the rocks and is hanging out on the bottom of the tank in the corner. Before she went on vacation in the rocks, her color got very, very pale and she would eat, but only every other day which was very unusual for her.

I know this is a difficult fish to keep, but I have had mine for almost two years now. From everything I have read, the Potters is difficult to keep mainly becasue of how they are caught, and then how they handle the shipping process (not very well). I've also read that if you make it past the 6 month mark with the fish, they shouldn't really pose any issues long term.

I'm not happy about the prospect of losing this fish, and I feel if I do nothing here, that will be the end outcome. Is there some sort of internal parasite or sickness that could cause this behavior in fish? Everyone else in my system is accounted for, fat, and happy. Should I be worried that others may start having similar issues?

Due to the LFS I get my livestock from, I've never run a QT or a hospital tank. (I appriciate and understand the risks of doing this) Right now I am considering going out and getting one so that I can attempt to treat the Potters. My question for all of you is twofold:
1) Is trying to treat the fish and getting it eating again a vialbe option? I realize that it may not succeed, but I feel at this point it is better that sitting around waiting for the inevitable
2)The only symptoms being shown by the fish are sever color loss, loss of appitite, and some fraying of his fins. Is there some sort of generic or standard treatment or medication that I can try to use? I suspect its something internal as other than the frayed fins and color loss he looks just like he always has (no marks, abraisons, ich spots, etc)

My water parameters are as follows

SG: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate: ~5 PPM
Alk: 8.5
Temp ~78

Stock list:

Fish
Ocellaris Clowns x2
Yellowtail Damsel
Melanurus Wrasse
Black Leopard Wrasse
Klien's Butterfly
Hippo Tang
Sailfin Tang
Kole Tang
Naso Tang
Achilles Tang
Banggai Cardinal
Potters Angel

Inverts
Various snails and hermits
Cleaner Shrimp
Blood shrimp
Coral Banded Shirmp
Emerald Crabs x2 (small)
Crocea clam
Favia Coral
Kenya Tree
Red Monti Cap
Various zooanthids
Red Mushrooms

Thanks in advance

 

[little_fish]

Check out Dr. G's medicated foods. Im not sure what is going on with the fish, but that could help him fight it off, and could help beef up your other fish.

also check out his blog on the lighting maroon, he has lots of health issues and has been discussing the medications he is using. You dont have the same issues, but it could give you some good ideas.

The Lightning Project - The ongoing saga of the PNG Lightning Maroon Clownfish Breeding Project

Good luck!

 

[Northstar24]

Should i pull the fish out and isolate it Hannah? Or do you think I would be better off leaving him in the tank. I can certainly look into medicated foods, but he isnt even showing interest when food is in the tank. He used to eat nori on the clip with my tangs, as well as Forumula One and Two flakes, and the New Life Spectrum pellets, as well as a frozen food made locally here by a reefer with pretty much everything under the sun in it. I rotate through all of the mentioned foods

 

[FishyReef]

+1 Hannah, I was also going to link to the lightning maroon blog since he's been through a lot of recent medication trials! North, I am far from being in a position to give advice, but if you do Dr. G's medicated food or an antibiotic such as those discussed in the link Hannah provided, I think you can do those in your DT, but I'd really research it first. If you go with a copper treatment or dewormer then I think you should do that in a QT.

 

[little_fish]

I think pulling him would be too much stress, but i would try and isolate him by himself on one side of the tank. That way the other fish can bully or bother him, then try and target feed as much as you can.

 

[Northstar24]

Hannah, have you seen this food for sale anywhere? It cannot be purchased online. I'm going to see if my LFS can get it in

 

[little_fish]

I think I saw it once at the one of the LFS in my area when I was dealing with the sick seahorses.

Ill do some poking around and see if I can find it online

 

[little_fish]

Found it on this site:

Dr. G's Marine Aquaculture - Frozen Fish Food - Pets Plus Pet Center

You can get all the other medicated products by clicking on the drop down menu right above the product discription.

I personally would go with both the bacterial and parastic food.

 

[Northstar24]

Thanks Hannah

 

[little_fish]

sure thing!

 

[Kelz88]

Maybe something live? Something wriggly might be enough to entice him to eat.

 

[little_fish]

Angels eat sponges and corals in the wild, and some munch quite a bit of algae as well. Feeder shrimp or fish wouldnt do it for them.

 

[FishyReef]

The most recent post in the lightning maroon blog mentioned that he tried a new food from Brightwell Aquatics for spongivorous angels - I wonder if would be worth looking into a different type of food to get the Potter's eating again?

Edit - sorry, I misstated that - he tried a new food supplement

 

[FishyReef]

How is your angel doing, North?

 

[Northstar24]

Swimming around in the great big reef in the sky

 

[FishyReef]

Swimming around in the great big reef in the sky

I am very sorry to hear that :(

 

[Northstar24]

It is what it is, I knew that it was a difficult fish to keep, but after two years it was just odd that it stopped eating overnight

 

[little_fish]

Well, you also have no idea how old that fish was when you got him. We always assume that they are young, but he could have already been 10+ years old. Which wouldnt surprise me at all because he was full sized.

You did a really good job with this fish, and you shouldnt beat yourself up about it. Keep your chin up! There are lots of other amazing fish out there for you to enjoy and watch flourish in your tank!

 

[SarahSmile]

I'm sorry Northstar.