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Volitans Lionfish has ich.
6/1/16 Ich and blindness
9/5/09 Treating Ick on a Volitans Lion 6/27/08 Hello Crew and thanks in advance for your help, <Welcome in time> I recently (yesterday) got back from a trip to Key West for my cousins wedding. <Ah, the Conch Republic... what a place!> (Poor me right! ; )) While I was gone I was lucky enough to have a friend watching my tanks for me who is a fellow hobbyist on a temporary financially imposed hiatus. <I do like this desc.... am going to apply it in talking about myself> Unfortunately my Volitans Lion came down with a nasty case of Ick which I have to admit is probably my fault (stress). Fatty (my lion) was the first of my fish to be transferred to my "new" 75 gallon display. The tank was cycled for 5 weeks with pre established live sand (3-4" deep) from my and my friend (the one watching my tanks) old tanks that were still running that the time. After the tests all came out with zero readings I introduced 20 lbs of "pre-cured" live rock (bought from 2 different trusted LFS) along with 5 lbs of LR from my already established 25 gal., and left tank to cycle/cure for another three weeks (tested again). Equipment is one Fluval 4 plus (seeded filter media), 2 Koralia 1 power heads, and a 200W Jager heater. At this point I added roughly 20 small mixed snails (Cerith, turbo, Nassarius) and 4 or 5 blue legged hermits <Your Lion may swallow any/all of these in time...> along with Fatty (about two weeks before vacation to Key West). During the transfer Fatty scraped him self on some LR while trying to flee the specimen container, but I dosed some vitamin C and he looked fine in a few days. Sorry if I'm being long winded here, but here the question/advice needed part. I have a five gallon bucket, 10 gallon tank, and another 25 gallon tank to use for the FW dip, chemical med dip/HT, and QT while I let the 75 gallon go fallow for the next couple months. My plan of attack was to do a FW dip (adjusted PH, Alk, etc.) in the bucket, then transfer fatty to the 10 gallon hospital tank for a medication period, and then finally to the 25 gallon QT for the remainder of the fallow period. For the medication I have some Quick Cure already from a FW Ick out break a few years ago, but I'm hesitant to use it given that lions are scale-less fish (at least I think they are) <Do have fine scales, but you are right in that they are more than usually sensitive to copper and formalin> and it's a harsher medication. From my research I see that Formalin 3 is highly suggested in the FAQ's, so do you think I should spend the extra $ and get it (or something else) instead of the Quick Cure I already have? Thank you again for your help, and continued dedication to this amazing hobby. Thanks, Darren Cothern <I would first try just adding the Quick Cure (it has formalin as well) to the dip/bath solution... at appropriate strength (see WWM re)... enroute to transferring the Lion, vacuuming the 25 tank bottom daily (to remove tomites)... to see if this "does it"... Should be able to see w/in a week... Bob Fenner> Lion in QT, Crypt conundrum 8/14//08 Crew, I've had a large lion in a 55-gallon QT for 6 weeks now. He went in appearing completely "clean" but developed white spots on the fins during the third week (hooray for QT!). <I'll say!> I performed a pH and temperature-adjusted freshwater dip (he did NOT enjoy that) and the spots cleared up within a day or two and have not reappeared...yet. I've been performing roughly 30% water changes about once a week, <Mmm... should do daily> paying particular attention to vacuuming every inch of the bare bottom of the tank. Although, at this point, I'm kind of at a loss for how to proceed. I've read every QT\crypt FAQ on WWM and can't seem to glean a solid direction to take with this specimen. Copper treatment is a potential avenue but I get dramatically conflicting recommendations on it's use with this species all over WWM, not to mention hyposalinity. Answers to the following should help me along: 1. What is the definitive answer on copper treatment of this pseudo-scaleless fish? Can lionfish handle copper treatment at the necessary dosage to eradicate crypt from the QT tank? <Lions/Scorpaeniforms don't "like" copper exposure... I'd rate them a 3... or a 7 on a scale of ten, depending on which end is which... in terms of tolerance. In wholesale practice, they're treated the "same as other general fishes"...> 2. Is it possible to produce a crypt-free specimen from a QT tank that has hosted the parasite but has not had any chemical treatments? <Mmm, possible, yes... probable... not w/o treatment> Another way to phrase the question is...Since the fish has already presented with crypt in QT, can the lion be considered "clean" if it lasts six weeks without visible reinfestation and nothing but water changes, good vacuuming, and a periodic freshwater dip have been employed? <Mmm, no... too likely there are embedded trophonts, missed tomonts...> I have a 150-gallon display that has gone fallow for nine months and I really don't want to reintroduce crypt by making the wrong decisions with this lion in QT. Please assist and, as always, thank you for your valued advice. Fred Warren <At the very least, I'd do another FW bath, with aeration, formalin moving this animal enroute to the main tank. Otherwise I might go a "quinine" treatment route/regimen here over copper... Bob Fenner> Sick Lionfish, incl. Monogenetic
Trematodes 03/07/06 Dear Bob, <Chris> Lately my
lionfish has suffered from monogenes ( the worms that move around the
fish and cause cloudy eyes....looks like ick) <Yes.... Trematodes...
direct lifecycle types... can be real trouble...> I didn't know
what they were until it was too late because the lionfish was not
scratching and it continued to eat like a pig. <For others, and
highly unlikely for the last time, a/the simple pH-adjusted FW
bath/dips that have been advocated for so dang long, will/would take
care of these flatworms... Dang! Okay.> I attempted to feed it
medicated food several occasions however it didn't seem to cure
whatever was growing on the fish.. I didn't learn what it was until
my friend pointed it out and called em monogenes. That night that he
came over my lion had stopped eating.. So I gave him a 4 minute
freshwater dip and then placed him into a 50gallon breeder tank with no
substrate and medicated water with Copper Safe and Formalin 2. I did
the formalin 2 for 3 days and I didn't see a whole lot of
improvement <Might have been too late by then> and then I
followed up with three days of Tetracycline and 3 days of half dose of
Maracyn. The fishes eyes cleared up and improved 98% and the monogenes
all seemed to fall off. <Oh! Good!> The fish has been in the
quarantine tank for roughly 10days.. The tail that had tail rot seemed
to stopped rotting and it seem to remain the same size. I saw the same
conditions on Saturday. The tail looked like it wasn't getting
worse and the eyes looked pretty clear. However the fish hasn't ate
for 14 days. So I decided maybe if I move the fish back into the main
tank <...? Is this a/the source of the Trematodes?> it would
start to eat and heal up. I noticed that when I caught the fish he gave
me a hard time catching him and when I placed him in the main tank its
tail looked much worse then it looked on Saturday however prior to
catching it the tail seemed to be the same as it looked on Saturday.
Overall the rest of the body is in great shape. Its a 14 inch lionfish
and it has a huge home to live in. The tank he resides in is 240 gallon
tank. I know you say the best way to get rid of a bacterial problem is
to have stable water. <Generally, yes... Given the animal/s are
"strong enough" otherwise> My water in my main tank is
testing just fine right now. Was I right for moving him into back into
the main tank? <Doesn't read like you had much choice> What
is the best way to win over a bacterial infection and to get a fish to
start eating again seeing the situation that I am in now? Sincerely,
Christopher Faiola <IF the animal can be made to eat, eats, to
"sneak" a broad-spectrum gram negative antibiotic into its
food would be my choice here. If not, to make a bath of this, in
concentration, and soak the fish in it for ten, fifteen minutes (with
aeration). Bob Fenner> Lionfish In Trouble (Ich Infestation) Hello WWM Crew, <Hey there! Scott F. here today> My Lionfish (Volitans), present more than 6 months in my tank, has become ill. Same like other 5 lionfish I had before, he has symptoms like cloudy eyes and white spots all over the body. He last ate 24 hours ago. He has had these symptoms after the addition of two new angelfish in my tank without any previous quarantine measures. <Huh-oh! A mistake that I'll bet that you won't make again!> Several days later, the two Angelfish were sick ( white spots and small wounds on the body ). Immediately after I put the lionfish in the quarantine, together with application of Sera Costapur and Sera Oodinopur ( cupric sulfate, cupric chloride ). I made also 15 sec. treatment in fresh water. My other 5 Lionfish were dead inside of first month - having symptoms like cloudy eyes. I'm having this one more than 6 months and he became really close to my heart so I'm asking for help. Thanks in advance, Mr. Vladimr Jovanovski <Well, Vladimr- the first thing that you'll need to do is to utilize a quarantine procedure in the future. This will prevent diseases (parasitic or otherwise) from getting into your tank in the first place. My recommendation for parasitic disease (and I think that you are describing Marine Ich, Cryptocaryon) is to utilize a copper sulphate preparation, administered in a separate aquarium per manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, I'd remove all the fish into a separate tank for observation and/or treatment as required. The display tank would be left to run without fishes for at least a month to six weeks. This will disrupt the life cycle of the causative protozoa, interrupting their life cycle by depriving them of their hosts (your fishes), giving you a very good chance of eliminating the majority of the protozoa present in the tank. Conduct all routine maintenance (water changes, etc.) in the empty tank. When your newly-cured fishes are returned to the display tank after the "fallow" period, they'll have a much better chance of avoiding future infestations due to the dramatically reduced protozoan population. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Lionfish With Ich? I have looked all over the internet for information regarding what I see on my lionfish. I had power-Glo light bulbs in and today I put in marine-Glo bulbs, my lionfish swam awesome and ate a small feeder (gold fish). <Please avoid using goldfish for lionfish food...This fish can and will eat marine-based frozen foods of many types, all of which offer him much better nutrition then goldfish do.> Since then he has been out breaking in little white spots. they are tiny but they are all over is this Ich? Please help me. He's an amazing fish. Thanks so very much. Blake Ashley <Well, Blake, it certainly can be Ich, or Amyloodinium (sounds like Ich, though- if he was eating), or some other possible parasitic illness. Observe this fish carefully, and if you confirm that it is, you need to take action immediately. Consider removing him to a separate aquarium for observation and/or treatment with proper medication. For more on identification and treatment of Ich and other parasitic illnesses, check out the extensive information available on the WWM site. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
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