Blue Hippo Tang Faded and Breathing Heavily

[3sgterror]

I have a blue Hippo Tang that has been hiding and not very social the past 3 days. It would come out for feeding but that is it. Its normally the social butterfly.

Today it came out and it was very faded in color and breathing heavily. I observed the fish for a little and noticed it would not eat and started to look sluggish. It was laying on the sand bed and when other fish would spoke it, it would swim away but bump into things along the way. Sometimes going face first into the rock work.

I pulled the fish from the tank and did a 5 minute fresh water dip. As you can see from the pics the fish is very faded with black spots all over. There are also lesions on both sides of the fish. Is this black ich?

All other fish are acting normal. I have had this tang for 3.5 years and haven't seen any issues leading up to a few days ago.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Oh man, that doesn't look good.

Any new additions to the tank?

#fishmedics

 

[crazyfishmom]

Wow, this poor fish is moribund.

#fishmedic

Maybe someone can help. Crossing fingers.

 

[3sgterror]

Oh man, that doesn't look good.

Any new additions to the tank?

#fishmedics

I added a Purple tang to the tank about 2 weeks ago. That fish is perfectly fine and swimming about and eating normally. I don't see any of the characteristics that this hippo tang is showing.

 

[3sgterror]

Wow, this poor fish is moribund.

#fishmedic

Maybe someone can help. Crossing fingers.

Considering it looks like the end. Is there anything I can do to quickly reduce its suffering? I'll see if there is a treatment first, but if not, I would like to reduce its pain.

Any thoughts on the diagnosis?

 

[crazyfishmom]

Considering it looks like the end. Is there anything I can do to quickly reduce its suffering? I'll see if there is a treatment first, but if not, I would like to reduce its pain.

Any thoughts on the diagnosis?

Unfortunately I am stumped. Let’s see if @Jay Hemdal or @vetteguy53081 are around. They might be able to help.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a blue Hippo Tang that has been hiding and not very social the past 3 days. It would come out for feeding but that is it. Its normally the social butterfly.

Today it came out and it was very faded in color and breathing heavily. I observed the fish for a little and noticed it would not eat and started to look sluggish. It was laying on the sand bed and when other fish would spoke it, it would swim away but bump into things along the way. Sometimes going face first into the rock work.

I pulled the fish from the tank and did a 5 minute fresh water dip. As you can see from the pics the fish is very faded with black spots all over. There are also lesions on both sides of the fish. Is this black ich?

All other fish are acting normal. I have had this tang for 3.5 years and haven't seen any issues leading up to a few days ago.

Fish appears to have either flukes or velvet but hard to see under lighting in a container but is also hemorrhaging. It will need immediate transfer into a treatment tank and treated first with coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off and with occupants exposed, they too should go into quarantine
Follwup will be using Prazi pro dosed at 80% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

 

[3sgterror]

Fish appears to have either flukes or velvet but hard to see under lighting in a container but is also hemorrhaging. It will need immediate transfer into a treatment tank and treated first with coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off and with occupants exposed, they too should go into quarantine
Follwup will be using Prazi pro dosed at 80% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

Much appreciated for the advice here and thorough explanation. when I did the fresh water bath, would i have seen the flukes in the container afterwards? I couldn't see anything in the water or falling off the fish after it was removed.

Due to time of the night were I am, I am unable to get a quarantine tank setup with the appropriate meds. I have Prazi Pro on hand, but I do not have copper.

I also have no way of testing for copper at the moment, although I can purchase a hanna copper tester and have it here in a day or so.

Seeing the state that the fish is in, what is the likely hood of surviving with the treatment laid out?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Much appreciated for the advice here and thorough explanation. when I did the fresh water bath, would i have seen the flukes in the container afterwards? I couldn't see anything in the water or falling off the fish after it was removed.

Due to time of the night were I am, I am unable to get a quarantine tank setup with the appropriate meds. I have Prazi Pro on hand, but I do not have copper.

I also have no way of testing for copper at the moment, although I can purchase a hanna copper tester and have it here in a day or so.

Seeing the state that the fish is in, what is the likely hood of surviving with the treatment laid out?

Possibly, as some flukes are stubborn and then there are eggs to follow
With no treatment, very grim. You can safely add the prazi now and when copper and test kit arrives, move fish over to treatment tank. Add aeration If adding Prazi

 

[3sgterror]

Possibly, as some flukes are stubborn and then there are eggs to follow
With no treatment, very grim. You can safely add the prazi now and when copper and test kit arrives, move fish over to treatment tank. Add aeration If adding Prazi

sorry just to confirm, are you saying dose Prazi to my display tank? Then when copper and test kit arrives move the fish over to a QT tank with the new meds?

 

[3sgterror]

Possibly, as some flukes are stubborn and then there are eggs to follow
With no treatment, very grim. You can safely add the prazi now and when copper and test kit arrives, move fish over to treatment tank. Add aeration If adding Prazi

Nevermind, I had a just setup the QT tank with water and dosed with Prazi. Came to get the tang and it was dead.

Here are some pics out of water to see if we can determine the cause, Flukes or Velvet.

 

[Jekyl]

Hard to pinpoint post mortem. The important thing is to begin treating the rest of your fish as soon as possible.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nevermind, I had a just setup the QT tank with water and dosed with Prazi. Came to get the tang and it was dead.

Here are some pics out of water to see if we can determine the cause, Flukes or Velvet.

Sorry to hear and as stated " If the tang would make it". It was in deep trouble especially with the hemorrhaging occurring and i would have been surprised if there was full recovery. Do continue quarantine and treat any remaining fish moving forward

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Much appreciated for the advice here and thorough explanation. when I did the fresh water bath, would i have seen the flukes in the container afterwards? I couldn't see anything in the water or falling off the fish after it was removed.

Due to time of the night were I am, I am unable to get a quarantine tank setup with the appropriate meds. I have Prazi Pro on hand, but I do not have copper.

I also have no way of testing for copper at the moment, although I can purchase a hanna copper tester and have it here in a day or so.

Seeing the state that the fish is in, what is the likely hood of surviving with the treatment laid out?

Just a side note - only one type of fluke is large enough to see in dip water without a microscope (Neobendenia) so your tang could have one of the other species. However, following a dip, although this isn't a cure for flukes, the fish generally improves after a day or so, then relapses again if you don't treat it. However, this fish does seem moribund, so it may not react well after a dip,

 

[beebot99]

I’m sorry you lost your fish. My condolences.

 

[3sgterror]

Much appreciated all for you help. I am in the process of getting a full QT tank setup for the rest of my fish.

I have a 20 gal already setup, with copper on the way. I wanted to check and see if I should purchase another tank due to the amount of fish or if the 20 gal could house the other 8 fish for the full 30 day treatment period and potentially longer to fallow my display.

The other fish i have are:
2 Davinci Clowns
1 Purple Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Longnose Hawkfish
1 Valentini Puffer
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Six Line Wrasse

Will all 8 be okay in the 20 Gal. I also have a Fluval Evo i could use, but that is already setup with some anemones and don't have another home for them.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Much appreciated all for you help. I am in the process of getting a full QT tank setup for the rest of my fish.

I have a 20 gal already setup, with copper on the way. I wanted to check and see if I should purchase another tank due to the amount of fish or if the 20 gal could house the other 8 fish for the full 30 day treatment period and potentially longer to fallow my display.

The other fish i have are:
2 Davinci Clowns
1 Purple Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Longnose Hawkfish
1 Valentini Puffer
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Six Line Wrasse

Will all 8 be okay in the 20 Gal. I also have a Fluval Evo i could use, but that is already setup with some anemones and don't have another home for them.

That’s a lot of fish for a 20 gallon tank, especially if it does not have a solid biofilter.

You can dose your display with Prazipro if it turns out to be a fluke issue.

Are any of the remaining fish showing symptoms? If not, you might want to hold off on doing something as drastic as moving them into a small treatment tank.

 

[TehBrainz]

Much appreciated all for you help. I am in the process of getting a full QT tank setup for the rest of my fish.

I have a 20 gal already setup, with copper on the way. I wanted to check and see if I should purchase another tank due to the amount of fish or if the 20 gal could house the other 8 fish for the full 30 day treatment period and potentially longer to fallow my display.

The other fish i have are:
2 Davinci Clowns
1 Purple Tang
1 Sailfin Tang
1 Longnose Hawkfish
1 Valentini Puffer
1 Yellow Watchman Goby
1 Six Line Wrasse

Will all 8 be okay in the 20 Gal. I also have a Fluval Evo i could use, but that is already setup with some anemones and don't have another home for them.

Thats much too large of a bioload and diversity of fish for a single 20g QT

 

[3sgterror]

That’s a lot of fish for a 20 gallon tank, especially if it does not have a solid biofilter.

You can dose your display with Prazipro if it turns out to be a fluke issue.

Are any of the remaining fish showing symptoms? If not, you might want to hold off on doing something as drastic as moving them into a small treatment tank.

That is what I figured as well and why I wanted to check. This is my first time dealing with any sort of issue like this so trying to learn as much as I can.

I think my clowns are showing signs as of this morning, their skin looked a little hazy, they were still acting fine though. I had to rush out to work but will pull them as soon as I get home. All the other fish looked good.

I will monitor and keep an eye on the rest and pull only if needed for now. I have another tank I can use, but the i am trying to not use it at the moment as I would need to pull the anemones and add them to my display.

 

[Jekyl]

That is what I figured as well and why I wanted to check. This is my first time dealing with any sort of issue like this so trying to learn as much as I can.

I think my clowns are showing signs as of this morning, their skin looked a little hazy, they were still acting fine though. I had to rush out to work but will pull them as soon as I get home. All the other fish looked good.

I will monitor and keep an eye on the rest and pull only if needed for now. I have another tank I can use, but the i am trying to not use it at the moment as I would need to pull the anemones and add them to my display.

Just keep in mind that treated fish shouldn't be mixed back in with untreated in a tank that hasn't gone through a fallow period. You need to assume that whether showing signs or not, that all fish are infected.