Head Sore?

FishyReef

FishyReef

Broke Reefer!
I am sad to report that one of my chromis is sick. :( There appears to be some sort of open sore on its head, about halfway between its eyes and dorsal fin. When I got the three of them, I did notice that one had a slight bump on its head. Well that bump seems to have progressed into an open sore. He is eating and swimming, but spending more time in hte rocks than the others. I don't think he's being beat up by the other two (he's actually the largest of the three), so not sure what is going on. Is there anything I can do, or should I just let nature take its course? I'm going to try to get pictures of him today to document in case he doesn't make it (I got him from LA).
 
If he is eating, there is hope. So i would keep feeding him and keep your water quality as high as possible. I think it would more stressful to try and remove him to treat.
 
How often should I be feeding? I have a mix of foods, but have done Formula 1 for the last 2 feedings (every other day so far). He came out to eat this morning, but has since disappeared into the rocks. The other two are still out and active. Water quality is a bit of a challenge since my sump and skimmer aren't active, and I've had a major algae outbreak since Saturday. I do have several buckets of new water made up, so can do a partial change today and another one later this week. Is there anything else I can do?
 
Thanks Angie!

I've got to order more snails now that there's enough algae in my tank to support them. Do you think a cleaner shrimp would help with my sick fish at all? I could add one to the order. I don't have one yet because I didn't think there was enough in my tank to keep it alive, but there might be now....
 
The shrimp will eat food that the food miss, but he isnt likely to help your fish. Some (not all) will clean off external parasites from fish.
 
Okay, thanks Hannah. I was eventually going to get a pair of the skunk cleaner shrimp as it seems they are the best of the cleaners to get. I don't think this is a parasite on the fish since it is definitely just in the one spot and appears to be an open wound. But given that I will be feeding daily and there will be excess food in the tank, maybe I will go ahead and get one of the skunk cleaners now to help out.
 
Update: He's still alive and eating, but the wound is looking worse, and now on the back right side of his body there's an area that looks like its eroding. The other large chromis was bullying him a bit yesterday, but took forever to make an appearance in the tank today and when he did come out, he's got a nice long string of poo that looks like hair algae (green and all), and he took a while to green up today. So now I'm worried about two of the three, and am dealing iwht a mega algae bloom and no sump. :(
 
Thanks, Angie

Its just hard to know what to do. I'm definitely feeling my noob status these days! I'm beginning to think it takes my fish awhile to wake up in the morning, and that I'm arriving at the office before they really realize the tank lights are on - and hence why it takes them awhile to come out of the rocks. By the end of today, all three had been out, swimming, and foraging for food all afternoon. Minus the green stringy poo on one and the head wound and indentation on the backside of the other, I would never guess they were sick based on their behavior. My colleague w/ reef experience took a look at my guy with the head wound and said it looks like he scraped it on a rock by darting into a cave too fast. My fingers and toes are crossed that all three will survive. It would be very disappointing to lose my first fish.

Good news is that some of the parts for my sump arrived today and I think I can at least set up my skimmer tomorrow, even though it will be hanging halfway out of the stand. No baffles yet, but at least I can get some of the nutrients out of the water column and help control the algae bloom and excess nutrients!
 
I am keeping my fingers crossed for your little chromis. And it's funny you mention that about the skimmer. I am just keeping my live rock in the bottom of this 60 cube that's not going yet with the skimmer sitting inside of the tank. It's pretty funny looking, especially as huge as this skimmer is. Pic:
001-2.jpg

Makes me :rofl:
 
Angie, I can't see your pic from my work computer, but will have to check it out when I get home!

All three are alive today and were out swimming like champs when I came in this morning. And the two I was worried about seem a bit better. Green stringy poo fish is now pooping normally (man that fish poops a lot!). Yesterday I caught him grazing on hair algae, so fed a little emerald entree last night which all three went crazy for! Head sore fish still has his head wound and spot of erosion on his tail, but he seems happy, eating like a champ, and the other one isn't picking on him as much (they must have established rank). Head wound looks like its scabbed over, hopefully things will continue to look positive!

I also put in another cuc order from LA, to be delivered Tuesday, so that should keep me covered for a while! Here's to hoping my tank doesn't go to hell over the weekend while I'm away :)
 
That's awesome! Glad the little guy is doing well. I bet you go check on them over the weekend. I know I wouldn't be able to stay away. LOL

And Hannah, just because I wasn't nekkiid in that pic doesn't mean I don't reef nekkid ;)
 
You're right, Angie, I'm sure I won't! I have to be in Providence both Sat and Sunday, but bet I'll drive back to the office in the evenings to check ;)

Thanks for the link Fast, but I don't think its HLLE (doesn't look anything like the pics). I think the spot on his tail is from bullying by the other similar sized chromis while they were jockying for rank, and the head sore I'm just not sure about. It literally looks like he wacked it on something, with even a piece of his scale near the injury sticking up and flapping in the water (I tried getting a good pic but haven't been successful yet). Now it just looks like its scabbed over in a dull brown color. Its only that one spot, smack dab on top of his head, and its good sized (about half the size of his eye). Anyhow, as long as they are eating and happy, so am I!
 

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