Mauled Dottyback - 26/4/06
Hi everybody!
<Hi Sam!>
This is Sam from India
<You've got John from China today.>
Today morning when I was checking out my tank all fishes were fine.
But my favorite fish the Diadema Dottyback was not so well, it looked like it could not swim and is struggling to change its place.
So I took my probe stick, as usually it should move when the stick is taken near it.
But it did not move much but was struggling to move, there is some problem I thought!
Then I moved it with my stick and to my horror its entire stomach was eaten away!
As it was struggling too much, I thought there is no chance of recovery so I just put it in the freezer and had to euthanize it.
Was this right?
<Oh! That sounds horrible! I think you made the correct decision to euthanize the fish and spare it from its slow demise. However, opinion varies on whether freezing is the most humane method. clove oil anesthetization - or even a whack on the head - are likely quicker and less painful for the fish. But this is a moot point - you should be proud that you did the best you could.>
What could have caused it? In my tank I have a Yellow-tail Damsel, a Blue Devil, a pair of Allardi Clownfish, and a few Nerite snails.
The Dottyback was the oldest dude, and no one messed with it!
<unless it was very sick/weak already, I don't know what could have happened here.>
The tank is full of live rock; could some thing be hidden in it?
<Could have: have you added any live rock recently? Loud clicking/tapping noises at night would be a tell-tale sign of a mantis shrimp.>
And the best part is that it was not dead and then eaten, but was alive when eaten!
<Poor fish.>
No other fish was interested in checking him out! It just happened 10 minutes ago, so still a bit sad.
<Understandable. Do keep an eye out for unwanted hitchhikers if you have recently added live rock. Other things to think about are sharp objects - or perhaps falling rocks - in the tank. Maybe an exposed powerhead impeller? Or, if the fish fell ill beforehand, then look into water parameters.>
Anyways, see if u can answer this!
Thanks,
Sam
<I hope you get to the bottom of it! Best regards, John.>
 

Wolf Eel and Goiter  12/26/05 I have a green wolf eel (Dottyback/blenny what ever the want to call it now) which has recently developed a bloated, oversized abdomen. I have had him for about 5 months now and he has been healthy. I feed him frozen silversides and frozen muscles every other day. He lives with only a spotted puffer. I have been trying to find information on what exactly causes this kind of condition, but I have found no answers. If you could help me figure this out I would appreciate it. Thanks! <Hi Matt, first off these are very nice photos, excluding the fact you have an ill animal.  As far as your wolf ell goes, he appears to be suffering from some sort of goiter condition; judging from the area that the bloating is occurring. I would begin soaking his foods in some type iodine solution, such as Lugol's.> Matt Merrill <Adam J.> P.S. attached are pictures of the eel <Yes they were very helpful.>

Pseudochromid health 7/13/05
Hello!  Remember me?  I've got the green wolf eel that I believe to have the
bump to the eye.  Well, I've added the Epsom Salt and the swelling went
down, but the blueness to the eye (it's like a blue film covering the eye)
never went away. and worst, it spread to the other eye.  Now the eel also
has a large blue spot on it's body as well, and on the fin.  It's a bright
neon color blue.  She's still refusing to eat anything.  she seems to have
trouble breathing in the early morning, but by the afternoon, she isn't
breathing as hard.  She's very, I guess, lethargic or something.  She hardly
moves anymore, and she used to swim right up to the top of the tank to meet
my fingers when I drop food into her tank. I honestly don't know what's
wrong with her and neither do the people working at the three fish stores
I've taken her to.  Please help.  I don't want my poor baby to die.
thank you for all your help.
<Can't tell anything more, different from what you've described here. Would add vitamins to the water, keep offering varied meaty foods. Bob Fenner>

Wounded Purple Pseudochromis
I've got a Purple Pseudochromis that looks as though he's got a scrape on
his side, at first I thought it was an outbreak of ICH! But as I continue to
observe him it looks as though he's just been scraped up on one side and is
missing a few scales giving the appearance of a white discoloration.  Would
you recommend I add a stress coat of any kind or just let nature take its
course and let him heal up on his own, while keeping a close eye on him?
I'd rather not add anything or change the makeup of my water in any way.
TIA Kevin
>>Hi Kevin.  Well, Pseudo's being the scrappy sort they are, it's not terribly uncommon to see scrapes.  What would really help make my answer more definitive would be other information, more specifically water parameters, tankmates, and the behavior of the animal in question.
I will assume you have good water parameters, no predatory fishes, and that he's feeding and otherwise behaving normally.  If this is the case, I would not get him into a hospital tank but would instead help him through the healing process--if you don't already, offer him good meaty foods (in small bits, of course), Mysis shrimps, and a quality frozen food (best bet, here) soaked in a good Vitamin solution (Selcon is good).  Really stay on top of water quality, and watch others for aggression, they'll know if he's injured and that could induce even more aggressive behavior.
If you have other problems that we should be aware of, please let us know and we'll work through it together as best we can.

Re: Wounded Purple Pseudochromis
Perfect timing I'm feeding them right now :D, I do have some Life Line
krill in my bag of tricks here, he was quick enough to grab a large piece
and disappear into the LR would that be good for him
>>Well, I do say that timing is everything. LOL!  If he's that hungry, he should heal up right quick.  Glad to hear it.
Marina

Re: Wounded Purple Pseudochromis
thanks for the reply :D
"I will assume you have good water parameters, no predatory fishes, and that
he's feeding and otherwise behaving normally"
Nitrate 0, Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0 and pH 8.2.  Other fish include a pair of
tank raised Percula clowns, Flame Angel.  All fish seem to be very communal
they all swim around and by each other without nipping or any signs or
territoriality to my current observation.  I am feeding them Life Line Green
and some Brine shrimp once in a while.  I soak the Life Line in ZOE before
feeding.  He seems alert/active and is eating like a swine.
>>Sounds very good, I would nix the Nauplii and go with Mysids of some sort, instead.  There's no reason why the pseudo shouldn't heal up within a couple of weeks.  Just keep observation, and if you note any negative changes contact us ASAP.
Marina

Dottyback with abdominal bulge
>Hello,
>>Greetings.
>Your site's great -- I use it all the time -- thanks.
I have a question I hope you can answer.  I recently acquired a Neon Dottyback, who's been behaving fine, eating well, and getting along well with all the other tankmates (a couple clownfish, a Picasso trigger, and a yellow tang).  This morning, however, I noticed a sizable bulge in what I think is its abdomen (pretty close behind the head).  Unfortunately, I don't have a digital camera on hand. What do you think this might be?  
>>Very hard to say without seeing the fish itself.  Even then, it can be difficult to surmise without either waiting or performing a dissection (if a pathogen is suspected).
>I found a similar-looking picture online:  
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcs3/images/orchid%20dottyback%20female.jpg  
>Could it be eggs?  
>>It could be, though I'm not familiar with the breeding of Dottybacks.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/reproduc.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshbrdfaqs.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs.htm
http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/m_moe_102002.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/breeder.htm
>>Hopefully these links can help you.
>If so, is there anything I should do/expect?  I also saw a reference on the FAQ for your page to some kind of worm Dottybacks can contract -- how likely is it that that's what I'm looking at?
>>Again, I couldn't venture a guess as to how likely or unlikely it is, but please read these links.  My advice is this, if the bulge appears to be misshapen, malformed, or otherwise odd, then I would suspect it to be a pathological symptom.  If not, and the fish continues to behave, eat, and swim normally, then I would just observe.
>If so, what should I do?  He's still behaving normally, as far as I can tell, and eating.  Thanks very much in advance--Ben
>>Read all of the above, and also do a general Google search, as well as any other search engines you prefer (I like Google and Dogpile, myself).  Good luck!  Marina

- Fish Problems -
Hi,
My Royal Dottyback has been very reclusive over the last week or so, and today did not come out to eat. When I saw it a few hours ago it had a stringy white thing that looked just like a piece of white cotton, about 1 1/2 inches long hanging out of its anus (think that's the right word). Just seen it again and it still has this thing hanging out. <Sounds like feces but could also be Lymphocystis.>
Is this something I should be concerned about? <Hmm... not entirely. Is worth keeping an eye one, but probably not yet worth more drastic measures like quarantine and medication.>
Also, don't know if this is related, but I did a Salifert flatworm treatment last week which the Dottyback did not like very much, and it has been off sorts ever since. <Sounds related to me - not at all sure what's in the flatworm treatment, but would suspect this.> The treatment did not seem detrimental to anything else though. Except the flatworms that is! <And your Dottyback it would seem.>
<Cheers, J -- >

Watch And Wait!
Hi guys,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today!>
I purchased an Orchid Dottyback yesterday. Because of the LFS' tank setup, the two Orchid Dottybacks they had were constantly able to slip through cracks and get into the same cubicles as each other. Obviously they had been fighting, since one of them had a pop-eye. The one I purchased doesn't have a pop-eye, but he has some minor fin damage and a white scaly looking area around one of his eyes and on that side of his face, which I didn't notice until today. It's that scaly area I'm concerned about. It is probably an injury, or could it be some kind of parasitic disease?
<Hard to say, without seeing a picture.>
I've got him in a quarantine tank with water from my main tank in it. He seems pretty active and curious, but I'm wondering if I should put some antibiotic or some kind of anti-ich treatment in there as a precaution.
<I'd maintain very clean water conditions and a stable environment first, before resorting to medication. If you cannot positively ID what you are dealing with, don't use a medication. Observation is sometimes better than quick, but inappropriate reactions>
Also, if I need to, is it possible to combine both treatments in the same tank? Thanks for such a great site! Jarin
<I'd avoid potentially stressful or lethal combinations of medications. First, find out what it is that you're dealing with, then take appropriate actions. In this case, I'd opt for the aforementioned stable conditions and continued observation. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

How The Dottyback Got His Groove Back!
Hi Scott - thank you so much again for your saltwater world wisdom!  My Dotty is now looking very well and there are almost no visible signs of the worm (don't want to jinx myself though).
<Cool- keep hanging in there! Don't give up on this little guy!>
His tail fin is still a bit frayed from the stress but he is out and about like he used to be when I first got him and eating very well (not hiding at all anymore).   I think (hope) that he
will be fine although I will continue VERY close observation and maintaining high water quality (as one should).
<Awesome!>
I will continue to read the Q&A's that are posted every day as they are very helpful and informative.
<I learn something new every day!>
And if he shows signs of getting the worm again I will definitely try the medicated food route.  Also, my freshwater friend has an extra 10 gallon that she is willing to give me (it's currently empty) so that I can start my quarantine tank - just one more question or two... if you don't mind... what would be the minimum but the best route for setting up a quarantine tank?  How much
filtration would I need?
<Funny you should ask! Being a huge fan of quarantine, I wrote a brief article on the subject that's on the WWM site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm   Hopefully, this will answer most of your questions regarding the setup and use of quarantine tanks. Just shoot another email if there are some things that aren't clear after reading the article- I'll be glad to help you further!>
How well should I wash the tank out (as some of her freshwater fishes may have had ich in the past)?
<I'd use lots of hot water, MAYBE a SMALL amount of Clorox in the water. Fill it up again, rinse it. Scrub it with a sponge. Fill it again, and add some commercial dechlorinator product to the water to help remove any residual Clorox. Let it sit, then drain it again. Rinse it one more time. Whew! Overly paranoid- yes- but really give it a good cleaning. It's unlikely that pathogens would withstand extended desiccation, but who knows?>
What should I watch out for in converting this to my quarantine tank?
<Just make sure that you maintain high quality water conditions with frequent small water changes. Don't overfeed...just good common sense (which you have plenty of, I can tell!)>
Is 10 gallons enough?
<For most fishes, yes. Larger fishes would usually fare better in say, a 20 gallon tank>
My dream is to have a Power Blue Tang in my tank someday - is a 10 gallon enough to sustain it for 4 weeks?
<Well, depending on the size, possibly. I'd opt for a larger tank for this fish...They are widely regarded as a bit challenging, and only half-jokingly referred to as "Powder Blue Ich Magnets" by hobbyists. Do research this fishes needs and prepare a suitable environment for them, and I know that you'll be successful with them!>
Thank you again (and to Bob) for this wonderful website!!  It's a life/fish saver!!! I will keep you posted on the update of my little Dotty! Christy
<Thanks for the "props"! It's as much fun to chat with fellow hobbyists about heir tanks as it is to mess around with my own tanks! Do keep us updated about this little guy!>
PS - I named him Purple Rain (Giggle)
<Gotta love that! Glad it's not "The Fish Formerly Known As The Purple Dottyback", or, just "The Fish", or...LOL>

Standing By A Sick Fish..
Scott!  Thank you so much for your advice!!  You are so helpful and quick!!!
<I'm glad that we could be of service!>
I am recommending this site to all of my "fish friends"!
<We really appreciate hearing that! Thanks!>
I also called my fish store and they advised me that this worm would probably "cycle" itself out in time and not do any real damage to the Dotty?
<Well, it's really hard to say whether it will do this or not...and when...Could even be after it has done serious damage to the fish. Your guess is as good as mine, unfortunately>
They explained that it will come out of the dotty and (as I don't have any sort of live rock or anything else in the tank) it will not find the necessary host for the next stage in it's life and will die.
<Well, I agree with the fact that it may emerge from the fish at some point...>
They recommended that I wait and watch the fish rather than capture it and put it through stress trying to medicate it and such.
<Not a bad idea, as long as the fish doesn't appear to be suffering. I'd try the medicated food route first before moving the fish, as discussed previously.>
He was quite flabbergasted when I told him the Dotty had a worm
and has guaranteed a replacement fish for free!  But I wanted to check with you to see if that would be the best route to take at this point?
<Sounds like a dependable dealer! But don't give up on this Dottyback...I'd try to monitor and/or treat the fish before trading him back for an uncertain fate at the dealer...>
Note - the Dotty is doing quite well, swimming and eating as normal, although I can still see the worm inside his lower abdomen.  I don't want to put undo stress on the fish but I don't want him to die as I've become rather attached to the little fellow....Christy
<I'm glad that you're not giving up on this guy, yet! Do try the medicated food and see if that helps. keep feeding him, and providing the best possible water conditions. I'll bet he'll pull through! Keep me posted! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Wound or Parasite?
Just a quick question here.  I have a new Bi-Color Pseudochromis in my system.  She's been fine the first 4 days in my system, but now has a small chunk of tail fin missing (maybe 1/3... yet the fin base is intact).  The fin tear looks recoverable as I hear they are fast regenerators?<Most fish will grow that part of their fin back quickly.>  At the top of the tail on both sides of tail there is a small red blotch mark.  I am not too familiar with diseases/parasites... but I hear these Pseudochromis are pretty resistant.  Given the new tail fin tear would you think this is a small wound?   The fish is still actively feeding and has normal behavior from what I can see. If it is a wound from a scrap, I would suspect my pistol shrimp??  Anything to worry about?  How does one differentiate a wound from a parasite/disease?
90 gallon saltwater with 90lbs live rock.
Pistol shrimp
Coral Banded shrimp
2 Percula Clowns
Yellow Watchman Goby
Algae Blenny
<Hello, I think that by the description that you gave there is something picking on the fish.  With the list of fish and inverts that you submitted I would suspect the pistol shrimp in this case.  Try and put the fish in a quarantine tank or remove the shrimp.  Good Luck.  MikeB.>