Bifferwine
I am a girl
I can tell you are probably typing this on your phone, LOL. Damn auto correct!
Rotting Flesh?
- Thread starter FishyReef
- Start date
I can tell you are probably typing this on your phone, LOL. Damn auto correct!
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
lol, I noticed that too Sarah!
little_fish
Moderator
Indeed, and trying to learn about nutrition/diets.
But I stand by what I said about the starfish, but he could have been exposed to air long before you got him and only now is the damage starting to become apparent
But I stand by what I said about the starfish, but he could have been exposed to air long before you got him and only now is the damage starting to become apparent
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
So hard to know, Hannah. Could also be bad response to meds in the tank. Probably impossible to tease apart at this point. I just want to make sure I'm doing what I can to meet his needs so that I don't lose him for that reason!
little_fish
Moderator
If I was to guess, I'd say he probably wasnt doing 100% and the tank medication hasn't helped him out.
How are the corals doing though?
How are the corals doing though?
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
As of this morning, the brain looked deflated and the birdsnest looked like it was starting to bleach on the tips of the branches. Today I reduced the photo period to compensate for the light sensitivity that occurs for corals with the antibiotic tx (don't recall if this effect is discussed online, but I do know MP spoke about the added light sensitivity when he was out at my club meeting in June). The other corals, sexy shrimp, and snails look fine so far. I'll post an update tonight along with some pics of the corals. It will be interesting to see how they do.
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
Photo time (and I am warning in advance that the fish pics are sad and disturbing and will be posted last)
Corals at the end of day 3 of a 5 day course of maracyn + maracyn II antibiotic treatment:
Brain (not sure if this one is going to make it, it is shrunken, losing some tissue on one side, and has stringy stuff coming off of it, no feeding tentacles extended the past two nights)
Favia (no visible changes)
Scolly/button coral (no big changes, a bit shrunken from normal)
Duncan (semi-retracted heads today, no changes prior)
Candycane (retracted heads today, no changes prior)
Zoas - all closed as of today, not closed prior
Pipe Organ (no noticeable changes)
Tiny meteor shower frag (no noticeable changes)
Anchor (slightly retracted but not a huge difference from normal after taking a big hit during the cycle and temp/salinity swings a few weeks ago) & Sexy Shrimp
Frogspawn (no difference from normal - this frag took a big hit during the cycle earlier this month and is starting to recover) & Xenia (no changes)
Birdsnest (most noticeable change, and will likely lose this coral - some bleaching at the base occurred during the cycle and subsequent salinity and temp swings, but bleaching at the tips has occurred with tx and more bleaching from the base up is noticeable as of today)
I have a few others that I didn't get shots of (blue clove polyps, a micromussa, and 2 mushrooms that seem unaffected thus far by tx)
Starfish and fish in the next post.....
Corals at the end of day 3 of a 5 day course of maracyn + maracyn II antibiotic treatment:
Brain (not sure if this one is going to make it, it is shrunken, losing some tissue on one side, and has stringy stuff coming off of it, no feeding tentacles extended the past two nights)
Favia (no visible changes)
Scolly/button coral (no big changes, a bit shrunken from normal)
Duncan (semi-retracted heads today, no changes prior)
Candycane (retracted heads today, no changes prior)
Zoas - all closed as of today, not closed prior
Pipe Organ (no noticeable changes)
Tiny meteor shower frag (no noticeable changes)
Anchor (slightly retracted but not a huge difference from normal after taking a big hit during the cycle and temp/salinity swings a few weeks ago) & Sexy Shrimp
Frogspawn (no difference from normal - this frag took a big hit during the cycle earlier this month and is starting to recover) & Xenia (no changes)
Birdsnest (most noticeable change, and will likely lose this coral - some bleaching at the base occurred during the cycle and subsequent salinity and temp swings, but bleaching at the tips has occurred with tx and more bleaching from the base up is noticeable as of today)
I have a few others that I didn't get shots of (blue clove polyps, a micromussa, and 2 mushrooms that seem unaffected thus far by tx)
Starfish and fish in the next post.....
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FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
Starfish - Fell onto the sand last night, though remains upright - I have no idea if this thing is doing okay or not through the treatment, but am leaning towards a slow downward spiral...
I think the white flecks on it in the second picture is just junk from the sand, not something actually from the starfish itself
And now for heart breaking pictures of my poor orange striped prawn goby before it died. This fish was healthy the night before, and in the morning I found it on its side breathing heavily with very frayed fins and flesh coming off in clumps. The blenny was found dead the morning before with frayed fins and looked like it was decomposing (flesh coming off), and by the evening the firefish had strings of flesh coming off of it even though it was still acting normally and eating, it too was dead the next morning. This disease is a mystery to me, comes on very quickly and the first visible symptom (before even loss of appetite) is loss of flesh. No signs of this being a disease that attacks the gills first like brooklynella, and no signs of white spots like ich or velvet. All 3 fish acted perfectly normally the night before. I only happened to notice the strings of flesh coming off the firefish the final night because I was very closely observing it. So sad.
He lived for about 4-5 more hours after these pictures were taken....
I think the white flecks on it in the second picture is just junk from the sand, not something actually from the starfish itself
And now for heart breaking pictures of my poor orange striped prawn goby before it died. This fish was healthy the night before, and in the morning I found it on its side breathing heavily with very frayed fins and flesh coming off in clumps. The blenny was found dead the morning before with frayed fins and looked like it was decomposing (flesh coming off), and by the evening the firefish had strings of flesh coming off of it even though it was still acting normally and eating, it too was dead the next morning. This disease is a mystery to me, comes on very quickly and the first visible symptom (before even loss of appetite) is loss of flesh. No signs of this being a disease that attacks the gills first like brooklynella, and no signs of white spots like ich or velvet. All 3 fish acted perfectly normally the night before. I only happened to notice the strings of flesh coming off the firefish the final night because I was very closely observing it. So sad.
He lived for about 4-5 more hours after these pictures were taken....
little_fish
Moderator
Ugg, those look awful. I would send them WWM to try and learn some more about what it could be.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I was going to suggest this too. I don't know what it is, but having the flesh coming off the fish while they are still alive is odd (and sad).
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
I know, aren't those pictures heartbreaking? He was a good sized goby too, which is why I think he managed to stay alive longer than the other two.
I do plan to email WWM to see if they can help me identify it. At least you guys have confirmed my conclusion that it isn't one of the normal fish diseases that wipe out tanks. Hopefully they have some ideas.
I did another 20% wc this morning and added the 4th dose of antibiotics. I don't even know if this was bacterial or not, but at this point I figure I should finish the course of treatment in case it was so that I don't develop some sort of resistant strain in my tank.
I also euthanized my starfish this morning, he was clearly doing much worse and beginning to disintegrate, and I didn't want another potential tank cycle on my hands. RIP Patrick :(
Bifferwine
I am a girl
The best guess I have is fish tuberculosis. It's rare and happens in marine fish (I had a vlamingi tang that had it once). Read up on it and do some googling -- look at some pictures and descriptions and see if that matches what you are seeing in your fish. If it is, be sure to read up on the dangers to people from the disease -- it is transmissible (but again, rare).
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
Scary! The only thing about fish TB that doesn't fit is the time frame. From what I've read about fish TB, it is slow growing and can take weeks for symptoms to develop. At most, this disease wiped out all of my fish in a week and a half (if it was introduced by the OSPG) or 4 days if it was introduced by the pink skunk. It also happened so quickly that I didn't see symptoms of wasting, deformity, or discoloration. But regardless it certainly is a possibility - perhaps there is a rare strain of mycobacterium that has a rapid onset as opposed to the slow onset that is commonly described? I will start wearing gloves when I do anything in this tank (my roommate suggested I keep my hands out of the tank until I figure out what this is), and keep my cats away from the buckets. If this does turn out to be fish TB, I guess I'll have a lot of decisions to make about what to do with the remaining livestock in the tank...... Biff, what did you do to eradicate it from your tank? Did you euthanize everyone and bleach everything?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
No, funny enough only the vlamingi had it. None of my other fish ever showed symptoms and they all were fine for years afterwards (until I took down my tank a few months ago, at least). My LFS diagnosed the vlamingi -- I ended up bringing her in, and they treated her there in one of their tanks. She survived, but later died when she jumped out of the "shark pond" she was being kept in (she was 15" long) and didn't fit in an aquarium anymore.
PoppyhinNC
Reefing newb
Oh Your poor fish, I feel so bad for you, I wonder what the heck attacked your fish and inverts??
Kelz88
Got Reef?
Poor goby :(
Tiny tanks are tough :/ Hopefully your luck turns out for the better fishy
Tiny tanks are tough :/ Hopefully your luck turns out for the better fishy
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
Thanks everyone.
I finished the last dose of antibiotics yesterday. Tonight I plan to do another water change and dip all of my corals. So far all are still alive. I'm hoping with a good dipping and some TLC they will recover lost tissue. No signs of brown jelly or anything so that's good. Pompom, sexy shrimp, and snails made it through treatment as well. Have been pretty busy the last few nights so haven't had a chance to send info to WWM but will soon. Just really hoping they don't tell me to nuke my tank!
I finished the last dose of antibiotics yesterday. Tonight I plan to do another water change and dip all of my corals. So far all are still alive. I'm hoping with a good dipping and some TLC they will recover lost tissue. No signs of brown jelly or anything so that's good. Pompom, sexy shrimp, and snails made it through treatment as well. Have been pretty busy the last few nights so haven't had a chance to send info to WWM but will soon. Just really hoping they don't tell me to nuke my tank!
Kelz88
Got Reef?
I had a clown goby that looked like your fishies, i chalked it up to stress though, since he was in a 5 gal with b/w clowns. The b/w clowns never got sick though. Ill try and find a pic
Kelz88
Got Reef?
I cant find one where he looked as bad as your little guys, but this is how it started.
FishyReef
Broke Reefer!
Update: So I went to my local reef club meeting yesterday and showed the pics around to some knowledgable people in the field - they all agree it was an aggressive bacteria, probably came in with one of the final additions and then bloomed during the temp swings I was experiencing. I'm still going to email WWM to get their take on it as well, but just haven't done it yet. Folks at the club suggested leaving the tank fallow for a month and then treating with a product called "Voogel" (or something like that?) before I put new fish in - they described it as a natural antibiotic that should be available almost anywhere, but I didn't come up with anything when I googled it or anything close when I looked at the DFS website. Anybody have any idea what they might be talking about? They also suggested trying to borrow a UV sterilizer to run the water through - I know there are a lot of mixed opinions about these, and I'm not sure how I feel about them. Anyhow just wanted to run these ideas by you guys to get your thoughts!
