New foxface not doing well

[Nexpress]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice on my new juvenile foxface Lo. I added it to my tank last week, and it seemed to be doing well initially. I introduced it directly into the acclimation box, where it thrived for the first 3 days. After releasing it into the main display, it seemed fine for two days, but this morning, I found it leaning against the overflow box.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed some white spots on its body, so I suspected flukes and performed a freshwater dip, but nothing came out of its gills. I’ve now put it back in the acclimation box, but it's laying on its side and breathing heavily.

I'm not sure what's going on or what my next steps should be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Before the FW dip (what appeared to be flukes),

During the FW dip,

After the dip back in the acclimation box (its just laying on its side and breathing heavily now),

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice on my new juvenile foxface Lo. I added it to my tank last week, and it seemed to be doing well initially. I introduced it directly into the acclimation box, where it thrived for the first 3 days. After releasing it into the main display, it seemed fine for two days, but this morning, I found it leaning against the overflow box.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed some white spots on its body, so I suspected flukes and performed a freshwater dip, but nothing came out of its gills. I’ve now put it back in the acclimation box, but it's laying on its side and breathing heavily.

I'm not sure what's going on or what my next steps should be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Before the FW dip (what appeared to be flukes),

During the FW dip,

After the dip back in the acclimation box (its just laying on its side and breathing heavily now),

Video short but shows signs of aggression, heavy breathing and signs of ich or mucus cones mixed in with ich. Fish will need to be isolated and treated with coppersafe for a full 30 days and followed with praziPro with added aeration and a focus on water quality. Coppersafe level should be 2.25 monitored with a Hanna Brand copper test kit and a reliable ammonia kit to monitor ammonia level during treatment

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

the video is not loading for me. If it is small round white spots then you’re looking at ich or velvet, not flukes, and a FW dip unfortunately will do nothing but add to stress.
I second the above comment that it should be isolated and quarantined in therapeutic copper levels for at least 30 days. I keep copper at 2.5 for more wiggle room with drops, if it drops below 2 it will no longer be killing ich effectively and can lead to resistance. Your main display will also most likely be infected as well, so it may need to be fallowed with all fish removed and treated for 30days while the tank remains fishless for 60-75 days. Feed 2-3 times a day with a mix of frozen/thawed mysis shrimp and brine shrimp, and if possible squid or clam to keep weight levels up, provide fresh nori or macroalgae daily as well. It can be worth it to enhance the food with vitamins such as vitachem before feeding to help boost immune system. I like to keep lights dim or off completely during treatment to lessen stress.

I would encourage a 30 day preventative quarantine for any new fish in the future to avoid it happening again.

 

[Dburr1014]

signs of ich or mucus cones mixed in with ich. Fish will need to be isolated and treated with coppersafe for a full 30 days

And the rest of the fish that are in the display, as they have all been exposed now.

Display will need to be fallow for 70ish days.

 

[vetteguy53081]

And the rest of the fish that are in the display, as they have all been exposed now.

If mucus cones, often other fish will not display signs but obviously an eye should be kept on them. These cones/plugs often derive from skin irritation

 

[Nexpress]

Thanks all for the responses. All the other fish are super healthy and I do not see any sign of ich or mucus plugs on them. The foxface is eating nori and seems to be actively swimming now.

 

[Nexpress]

Video short but shows signs of aggression, heavy breathing and signs of ich or mucus cones mixed in with ich. Fish will need to be isolated and treated with coppersafe for a full 30 days and followed with praziPro with added aeration and a focus on water quality. Coppersafe level should be 2.25 monitored with a Hanna Brand copper test kit and a reliable ammonia kit to monitor ammonia level during treatment

I will keep an eye on the white spots and if the fish's condition becomes worse, I will isolate it and start the treatment. For now, it's starting to eat and actively swimming, but I will keep a close eye.

 

[Nexpress]

the video is not loading for me. If it is small round white spots then you’re looking at ich or velvet, not flukes, and a FW dip unfortunately will do nothing but add to stress.
I second the above comment that it should be isolated and quarantined in therapeutic copper levels for at least 30 days. I keep copper at 2.5 for more wiggle room with drops, if it drops below 2 it will no longer be killing ich effectively and can lead to resistance. Your main display will also most likely be infected as well, so it may need to be fallowed with all fish removed and treated for 30days while the tank remains fishless for 60-75 days. Feed 2-3 times a day with a mix of frozen/thawed mysis shrimp and brine shrimp, and if possible squid or clam to keep weight levels up, provide fresh nori or macroalgae daily as well. It can be worth it to enhance the food with vitamins such as vitachem before feeding to help boost immune system. I like to keep lights dim or off completely during treatment to lessen stress.

I would encourage a 30 day preventative quarantine for any new fish in the future to avoid it happening again.

They did look like small white spots and disappeared immediately when I dipped the fish in FW, with nothing falling off into the dipping container. I will start to feed heavily and see if the fish can fight it off on its own. Unfortunately given the amount of corals and fish in my aquarium, removing everything from the tank would be a herculean task, and I prefer not to do it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

They did look like small white spots and disappeared immediately when I dipped the fish in FW, with nothing falling off into the dipping container. I will start to feed heavily and see if the fish can fight it off on its own. Unfortunately given the amount of corals and fish in my aquarium, removing everything from the tank would be a herculean task, and I prefer not to do it.

Do not play with this as ich will fall off, reproduce and return in numbers. Feeding heavily does Not cure ich and will raise your phosphate and even nitrate levels.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

They did look like small white spots and disappeared immediately when I dipped the fish in FW, with nothing falling off into the dipping container. I will start to feed heavily and see if the fish can fight it off on its own. Unfortunately given the amount of corals and fish in my aquarium, removing everything from the tank would be a herculean task, and I prefer not to do it.

By feeding twice a day I don’t mean overfeed, just small amounts but frequently to keep immune system up and weight good. If the fish is already showing signs then it probably won’t be able to fight this off on its own. I would highly recommend treating in copper or you may lose the fish altogether. when ich drops off it is reproducing.

Keep him separate from your display for 30 days during treatment, or you’re all but guaranteeing it’s spread to other stock by leaving the sick fish in the same system. If left untreated he will always have ich, it just may go into remission (very uncommon once it’s covering the fish and visible),and then show back up when he is stressed again. Its not like a flu that their body can fully fight off.

It can also take up to 2-3 weeks for it to show on other fish, so you will have to monitor for a while.

In the future QT new stock for 4 weeks to prevent this from happening again.

Hopefully the fish makes it, but without any kind of treatment his chances are slim. Especially with fox faces who are so easily stressed out, and then the added stress of the dip