
|
|
FAQs about the Queen Angel Health/Disease
Related Articles:
Queen Angels,
Holacanthus Angels,
Related FAQs:
Queen Angels 1, Queen Angels 2,
Queen Angel Identification, Queen
Angel Behavior, Queen Angel
Compatibility, Queen Angel Selection,
Queen Angel Systems, Queen Angel
Feeding, Queen Angel Reproduction,
& Marine Angelfishes In
General, Angelfish ID,
Selection, Behavior,
Compatibility, Systems,
Health, Feeding,
Disease, |
|
Queen Angel - High Nitrates -
10/24/09
Hi,
<G and K>
We have a beautiful Queen Angel that has been in the tank for about 2
years. We were lax in making water changes and ended up with very high
nitrate levels. All of a sudden, our angel was hiding in the bottom of
the
tank in the corner and stopped eating. That's how we found out about the
high nitrates. We have since started performing water changes and the
angel is starting to swim around the tank. The weird thing is that her
mouth seems to be locked open.
<Yikes>
The angel is starting to try to move it, but it's not great. Can very
high nitrate levels do this to the angel?
<Yes... not just the NO3, but what actually lead to its concentration>
I thought that nitrates usually don't hurt fish. The angel is also being
a little twitchy with the eyes and the swimming. Could this be something
other than the nitrates?
<Is co... related. Doing what you can/will do to rectify the Nitrate
should solve the Angel's health>
We look forward to your reply.
Greg and Kirsten
<Bob Fenner>
Re: Queen Angel - High Nitrates - 10/25/09
Thank you Bob for your quick response. We have another question. Our
tank
is a 76 gallon reef tank
<Holacanthus ciliaris needs more room than this>
and we have been doing a 15 gallon water change every 2-3 days for the
last two weeks without much improvement.
<... this won't "do it">
We use RO water and have tested the water with the reef crystals and
have a 0 reading for nitrates. Shouldn't we have seen a better result by
now? Thanks for your help.
Greg and Kirsten
<Sorry I didn't refer you before. Please read:
http://wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Queen <sic> Angle, Possible Gill Problems Dear Mr. Fenner,
I recently purchased a Queen Anglefish on 7-29-08. She has been in
Q-Tine for the past five days, ( today will be her 6th treatment
8-3-08) and I have been treating with the therapeutic remedy
"Lifeguard" by Instant Ocean. I treat all my livestock with this
remedy before they reach the display tank and have had great luck,
but the queen seems to be resisting. There are no external signs of
parasites. She is active curious and eating a healthy diet so far.
My concern is with her gills. She breaths slightly faster with her
right gill than her left, <... not uncommon> swims with her
mouth open, and I have observed her trying to glance with her head
when I approach and observe her gills, but she does not "glance"
regularly. I know these fish are territorial and am not sure if that
has anything to do with the glancing and the use of the gill barb on
her gill plates. But her gills concern me. I was planning on a
freshwater dip followed by 14 day copper exposure because I know
these fish are regularly imported with protozoa/flukes. <Yes...>
However, I have no experience with dips and have heard horror
stories about copper and need professional advice before proceeding
with treatment. I do have SeaCure copper and a test kit at hand. I
do run UV on my display system but only as a precaution and refuse
to rely on it. I really need professional advice. I truly enjoyed
your book and it has become somewhat of a BIBLE for me. Thank you
for your time, and any advice at all would be exceptional... thanx
again, Jesse <I would not expose this fish to copper... if there
is some simple protozoan issue here, the AS product should have
addressed it/this. I do suspect your second suggested cause,
Flukes/Trematodes... and would treat them as proscribed here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/fshwrmdisflukef.htm Likely with
Prazi/quantel. Bob Fenner>
Queen Angle, Proceeded with Formalin Dip 8/6/08 Dear Mr.
Fenner, I wrote to you on 8/3/08 concerning my queen angle and
her pesky habit of swimming with her mouth open. <Yes, I recall>
I am aware that you hear this all the time, so I thank you for
getting back to me, its extremely appreciated! I followed through
with a fresh water Formalin dip ( I followed the recipe in your book
"Conscientious Marine Aquarist) The dip lasted 7 minutes. She was
swimming around fine but gasping periodically at the surface so
after 7 min. I removed her. After the dip I noticed specs on the
bottom of the "dip bucket"...? <Mmm, likely some discarded
parasites... could be trematodes/flukes> However now she is back
in Q-Tine and her mouth is still open...??? <Mmm, yes... likely
having a hard time "breathing", actually respiring> I am puzzled.
She is eating, curious, and a ready swimmer <Good> but she
keeps her mouth open... I am totally lost here. I cant tell what
"labored breathing" is. <Slow, deep, hard/deliberate> Is it
completely abnormal for her to keep her mouth open? <Mmm, no>
Every picture I look at, even in your book, All the pictures of
Large angles have their mouths open? I am completely lost here and
really need some feedback, because I have never lost a marine fish
and I really don't want to start. She is far to pretty to be lost.
I'm sure you are extremely busy and again I thank you for your time,
and look forward to your reply Jesse <I urge patience here...
in a few weeks time, the breathing should be easier... Bob Fenner>
Re: Queen Angle, thanks for your reply 8/7/08 Dear Mr.
Fenner, I just wanted to thank you for your time and helping me
with my angle. It has been about 2 days since my last e-mail to you,
and her mouth has almost completely closed when she swims and she
seems to be improving by the day. <Ah, good> Thank you for
your advice, and for publishing the "Conscientious Marine Aquarist"
If it weren't for both I would probably be completely lost. Its hard
to come by people who know their stuff or take the time to learn.
Thanks again... Jesse <Thank you for this update Jesse. Life
to you and your fishes. Bob Fenner> |
Queen Angels I am very interested in obtaining a Queen Angel for
my 90 gal fish only aquarium that has been running 4 1/2 months. I use a
trickle filter set up with bio wheel and 10 gal sump, a Pro. skimmer and
a More Zone 30 Ozonizer. I have 1 Flame Angel 3 inches, Three Spot
Angel 4 inches, and 2 Golden Head Sleepers 2 1/2 inches approx., 2
cleaner shrimp & 30-40 lbs of live rock. First of all, would I be
overloading my tank by adding a 3-4 inch Queen Angel (I'm thinking
long term)? <I think the Queen would be a poor choice, not so much
from a crowding standpoint, but behaviorally... with the other two
angels... The Queen would get big... much bigger than the others in
months... and bully them relentlessly> Secondly, I have noticed in 3
different local shops in Torrance, Ca that all of the Queen Angels that
have been coming in have been coming down with what looks like
lymphocytes. The fish are all well colored, active and alert. Is this a
trend with imported Queens that is currently common? <Yes, I think so
too> One of the store owners, who I deem very reputable, says that he
has noticed a decline in the quality of the Queens over the last year.
In fact, he says that he is having more luck with Emperor Angels.
Is this true and am I rushing things by looking to add this fish? Any
help would be greatly appreciated. >> <You're not rushing yet... I
would look for other non-angel livestock for your 90, Bob Fenner>
Queen angel update/HLLE cure/Caulerpa Culture dear bob, back
in November I e-mailed you about the HLLE problem I was having with my
queen angel. you were kind enough to respond right away with some
suggestions that I add a macro algae culture and freshen the live rock.
<yes, I recall> well since that post I wanted to let you know that my
angel has improved dramatically! the lesions that once ravaged here
face, eyes, and lateral line are now limited to her "cheek" area. it
seems that she has a ravenous taste for the Caulerpa and I provide it to
her 3 times a week. thank you so much for your suggestions. <Ah,
great to hear of your success> the fresh algae is costing me close to
$10.00 a week in addition to all the other frozen goodies, fish eat
better than I do! As such I've tried numerous ways to grow it myself but
with no luck. several times I tried placing a fresh harvest in a
floating acrylic breeder in the display tank but the algae deteriorated
in 4 days. my 75 gallon tank is lit with 2 Coralife 10,000k fluor. and 2
actinic lights. I have also tried cultivating the algae in my 100 g
reef system equipped with power compact lighting. however, a $25.00
"bush" attached to a piece of live rock turned my tank green and then
died in as many days. now as a last ditch effort I have placed some
freshly harvested cup, blade, and grape specimens in a 20 g undergravel
filter set up. 12 hour light with Coralife reef sun and a generic
incandescent plant bulb. there are 3 small fish in the tank to
fertilize - so far it seems that the algae is also dying in this tank
too. what could be wrong? <A few things... I would go back to/with
the compact fluorescent lighting, use just some live rock for
attachment, and boost both alkalinity and biomineral content (mainly
calcium)... keep these above 4 meq/l and 400ppm respectively> I am
seriously considering installing an ecosystem refugium from Leng Sy's
website however if I'm unable to grow the algae what is the point? your
thoughts? Gisela <The miracle mud systems are also very
good/worthwhile. Bob Fenner, who would also look around, ask your local
marine hobby club, perhaps the stores if they know someone who has the
opposite problem... that is, too much Caulerpa... not uncommon.>
Sick Queen Angel Bob, I'm about to lose a really beautiful
young Queen Angel (my 3 year daughter calls her "Nicca") to some kind of
parasite. Her eyes are clouding over and she has been scratching herself
in the tank. I went and bought your book (Extraordinary, by the
way.), but I am new to this responsibility and have only one 55 gal tank
and no quarantine set up. I tried freshwater dipping for 10 minutes as
recommended by the shop I frequent and parasites leap off except for the
eyes and now one fin seems in trouble. She only gotten more lethargic.
<How long have you had this fish?... What other livestock is in with it
(good clues here) that is doing well, okay?> what do you recommend I
do? <Please QUICKLY read over the parts of our website:
www.WetWebMedia.com on "Marine Parasitic Disease" , the FAQs and
treatment sections... I would lower the spg and even move this specimen
if you have the facility to do so... Act now!> I appreciate your ear.
Michael O'Neill <Be
chatting... pls send all corr. to By Bob Fenner. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick Queen Angel Bob, Thanks so much for your response.
I've had this fish for a little less than 3 weeks. Other specimens in
the tank from oldest to youngest are one med coral angel, one purple
tang (red sea), one bicolor angel, one medium copperband, one small
maroon clown, and the small queen we are treating. However. I
noticed last night that the copperband is started to scratch on the
rock. I have a good bit of live rock in the tank as well. The
coral, tang, clown, and bicolor all seem to be doing well. I've read
over the article as you suggested and assume that I'm dealing
with Amyloodinium ocellatum, though why are the eyes clouding over.
Because I'm limited to my one tank, I think I have to try a copper dip (
I think you call it Methylene blue in your book). <Sounds like
Velvet, yes... and a real need to move quickly, treat with environmental
manipulation, vitamin prep. and cleaners... ahead/in place of copper
(which will kill much of your live rock... while it is absorbing the
copper...)> The Queen Angel is doing better today, has gotten more
active, and is eating some. She still has the parasite in her eye, but
I'm encouraged. Again, thanks Michael <Please do re-read the
"treatments" sections of the WetWebMedia.com site over and initiate the
above mentioned protocol. Bob Fenner> A 6 year old queen angel
. Hi Mr. Fenner <Hello> my name is Andrew Davies I live in
s Wales U.K. . a fellow marine fish keeper , asked me to e-mail you
concerning his queen angel , his system is run on a wet dry trickle
tower system +a 300 gallon fluidized bed the system has been up and
running for about 6yrs in all that time . the queen angel has been with
him he, purchased the queen when she was small has moved her twice ,when
he was upgrading his system and the queen has been very well indeed but
for some unknown reason last week he did a 20gallon water change as he
has always done , but for some unknown reason , she has stopped feeding
, and is not as active as she normally after many hours of watching her
not feeding , we where wondering if you could enlighten us to our
problem, would be very grateful to hear your views on this matter. I
look forward to your reply . yours faithfully MR. ANDREW DAVIES + MR.
ANTHONY GEORGE <A good record here of husbandry... could be that
"something" was out of the ordinary with the source water that day (this
happens quite often in the States... for instance, the municipality
"pulses" chloramine (sanitizer) at several times a regular concentration
at times). I would not panic at this juncture, but do try supplementing
the food and water with an aqueous vitamin/HUFA product and be patient.
Do also please read over the following:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm particularly developing a
routine of pre-mixing and storing new seawater ahead of use. Cheers,
Bob Fenner> 6year old queen angel to who it may concern,
I have a 150 gal marine fish only system which has been running for
about 6 yrs. up until about a week everything was fine but after
carrying out a 20 gal. water change which I do every 3 weeks my 6 yr old
queen angel has stopped feeding and become lethargic. her breathing has
also slightly increased. I use r/o water by the way. I haven't added any
fish for a long time and all my fish get on well. all the parameters
of the new water were identical to the tank. I filter the system with a
trickle filter/ sump tank, fluidized bed, U.V and heavy protein
skimming. am I doing too many water changes even though the experts say
to do so? <Ah, a bit more, different information. Your reverse
osmosis device should be taking care of problems with your source
water... do check the carbon contactor (perhaps with a chlorine test kit
and a sample of the produced water) to see if it has become exhausted...
and renew (British for "replace" for U.S. readers)> what could
possibly have disrupted the fish or the balance of the filter system?
I don't think its just a coincidence. thank you, George <Something
definitely did... I would still pre-make, aerate newly made water. The
volume, percentage changed out is fine. Bob Fenner> Re: a 6
year old queen angel . hi Robert Andrew here with reference to
your e-mail Anthony and myself share the same r/o unit and I have not
had any problems with my tank, there are a couple of large fish in the
tank , with the queen do you think she needs more space . <Yes...
likely something in the range of about twice (let's say 300 gallons) of
what you have this fish in now. Bob Fenner> thank you for your reply
a Davies Re: a 6 year old queen angel . hi Robert Andrew
here again the queen is not in 300 gallons she is in 150 gallons
<Yes, I understood that from your previous e-mails, pls re-read my last>
I have the 300 gallons in my system and I have a large grey angel in my
tank with a half-moon angel , .Robert can you tell me which off the
angels is the most difficult to keep +why also can you tell me what are
the chances of ME, keeping Moorish idols in my tank please .. <Please
review the articles on pomacanthids and the many FAQs files associated
with them on our root web: starting here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/index.htm> thanks for
you advice on the r/o unit we shall be changing the 3filters in the unit
ASAP. <Real good. Be chatting, Bob Fenner> thanks again Robert
Andrew Re: Queen Angelfish Anthony, Here is what I
have been able to discern from the time that I wrote you yesterday.
The problem with the Queen Angel wasn't one of tank mates,
apparently. Rather I think it may be a question of water movement in the
tank. <interesting> I noticed that the angel likes to scrutinize
everything that it eats. With my original setup on the tank, 2 aqua
clear 300's and 2 power heads moving water around, it had a difficult
time chasing food around, watching it closely and then eating it. The
food appeared to be moving a little too quickly for the fish to perform
all of the aforementioned actions, and eat a decent portion of it.
<very dubious, my friend... water flow on the reefs where these fish are
collected make our tanks look like quiet tide pools. Still... I trust
your observation and perhaps it is somehow related> My solution, thus
far, has been to turn off the 2 power heads and let the food float for a
little while in the tank. So far he hasn't had a problem getting it.
I have fed him twice using this arrangement, and once more with all
of the filters and power heads running. Sure enough, with all of the
water moving around he had a difficult time feeding. <fair enough...
if this will go on for long... consider a little relay/timer to
automatically turn pumps back on> Your comments about the Tuskfish
were cause for some alarm, however. As I said the Tuskfish hasn't been
aggressive towards the Angel. Nor does it seem to be an overly frisky
eater, as you put it. Nor does the Angel seem to have a problem
being out and eating at the same time the Tuskfish does. <not at all
a realistic evaluation without watching fishes mature (sexually
especially) in the 1-3 year picture and beyond. many such Angels eat
parasites (as cleaner fish) as juveniles, mucho algae as subadult and
anything they darn well please as grumpy adults <. Yet a 2 week or even
six month snapshot of such a fish or fishes is not even remotely
indicative of how it/they will behave as it/they mature...no matter how
much we both may wish for it <G>> I was told by multiple people that
Tuskfish weren't aggressive, or overly territorial fish. <I would
indeed agree... mostly a problem with great activity and assertiveness.
Can be very intimidating to other tankmates who although don't get
molested by the Tusk, are still out competed and end up being stressed
significantly over tie for it.> The person I purchased it from
quipped that it looked the part of a real brute, but in fact was quite
gentle toward other fish. <hardly an unbiased opinion. I, instead,
am not trying to sell you anything... just sharing opinions...heehee.
But seriously... I do agree that for its size, it is especially
passive... unless you are a crustacean <wink>> This was the reason I
bought the fish in the first place...well okay he also looks great. Is
this not true? According to your email, I should have grave concerns for
any other fish that I put in the tank with him, particularly as he
gets older. <again... not attacking but out competing. Still can
lead to attrition and intimidation into poor health for some fishes>
If this is the case I may move him to another tank. <as long as the
angel doesn't hard him and the tank is large enough... it sounds like it
may very well be fine. Quite a beautiful pair too> Please understand,
also, that I am well aware of the special requirements of each fish. I
currently have (2) eighty gallon tanks right now, and I'm in the process
of making (2) two hundred gallon tanks in my basement. <very well...
but the two fish as adults are still a lot of fish for a two hundred
gallon tank. Two foot worth of dog confined to a six foot cage doesn't
sound like much fun... and I like fish as much or more than
dogs...heehee> Outside of building the tanks, which is a much larger
project than I had first anticipated not to mention very expensive!!!!,
it has also proven necessary to pour a more stable reinforced concrete
pad in that section of the cellar. The plan is to have this finished by
the time the fish are too big for their present homes. <excellent...
best of luck in this endeavor> As always I await your response with
baited anticipation..... BTW, you may remember the little Blonde Naso
that I wrote to you about a few weeks ago. You will be pleased to
know that he is doing very well. Again a very large thank you on all of
your help, and advice. <always great to hear follow up success
stories... another big beautiful fish... hmmm, have you thought about
skipping the two hundred gallon tank and just building a saltwater
lagoon in the basement? How cool would that be!?!> God speed, Michael
<kindly, Anthony> Please Help Me, My Queen Angel is Sick!
Dear Mr. Fenner, <Steven Pro in this morning.> About one month ago
I purchased a Queen Angelfish from a local aquarium store. It is a
gorgeous specimen and little over 4" in length. My tank setup is
approximately 10 months old and is 46 gallon bow front <Very cramped
quarters for this fish. It will easily reach 12" and up to 18" in the
long run. Needs a tank at least 180 gallon (2'x2'x6') for proper
growth.> with 55 lbs. of Fiji live rock, and a crushed coral
substrate. I have a Tetra Tec PF300 power filter on back and a SeaClone
Protein Skimmer also mounted on the back. The other inhabitants are a
Humu Humu triggerfish and a small Fiji Devil Damsel. I do not currently
have anything else like shrimps or invertebrates. My Queen has developed
some kind of infection whether it is parasitic, bacterial, or fungal I
can not determine, all I can do is describe it. It looks exactly like
little tiny white pieces of feta cheese growing on its caudal, anal,
dorsal, and pectoral fins. The majority of the "junk" is concentrated to
the caudal fin where the material began to appear. <Sounds like a
good description of Lymphocystis, a viral infection. You can see a
picture of it here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/viraldislymph.htm on
another Queen Angelfish. If you follow on to the linked FAQ files, you
will find more information on causes and treatment.> The fish also
seems to have Ick and/or velvet with small salt granular type bumps on
its fins and body. <Could be Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon or small patches
of Lymphocystis. More info on Ich can be found here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/parasitf.htm> In addition to the other
aliments it also seems to be developing a case of Popeye in it's left
eye. <Wow, this fish is getting hammered. I am guessing some aspect
of its environment is off. Popeye info here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/popeyefaqs.htm> I have observed it
swimming with its mouth open and its gills pumping quite rapidly. The
fish also has erratic swimming patterns that include darting, rapid
swimming, and tremors or rapid shaking. I have checked all my levels and
my pH is at 8.1, and the others NH3, nitrite, and nitrates are at 0.
Specific gravity checked out at 1.023. My Humu Humu Trigger seems to
have marine ick but is showing no other signs of the aliments that the
Queen is facing. I feed my fish twice a day with a broad diet containing
a variety of frozen foods, seaweed selects algae strips, live brine
shrimp, and occasionally shrimp from the Giant. I am currently trying to
treat my fish with a combination of Maracyn-One and Organi-Cure copper
sulfate treatments. <Ugh, in the main tank? A terrible idea. Your
liverock is now dead rock and forever contaminated. Same goes for the
crushed coral. All meds should be applied in a separate
quarantine/hospital tank.> I have removed the carbon from my filter
and turned off my protein skimmer. After one and a half weeks of
copper-sulfate and 5 days of Maracyn I can see no improvement in the
condition of my Queen in fact it seems to be getting worse. <Neither
would help the Lymphocystis. Could in fact make it worse.> I tried
doing a freshwater dip but it nearly killed the Queen after getting its
gill barb stuck in my soft net, and from the shock of the freshwater.
Please Mr. Fenner, I am desperate and have the means to fund a strong
fight for the fish but I need to know if what I'm doing is right and if
you have any suggestions, any at all, to please give them to me as soon
as possible. I appreciate you reading my plea and taking the time to
help. Thank you for your consideration. -Dan Heffelfinger P.S. I have
read the Conscientious Marine Aquarist cover to cover a few times and
enjoy it very much. <Do read through the above links to enlighten
yourself as to the causes and corrective measures. Good luck. -Steven
Pro> Queen Angel Problem Hi Bob, <Steven Pro in this
morning.> I came across your website today for the first time trying
to figure out a complication with my Queen Angel. The problem is for the
last week it's only breathing from one gill at an accelerated pace.
<Sounds parasitic; Cryptocaryon, Amyloodinium, or Gill Flukes are all
possibilities.> Behavioral patterns are normal, water conditions are
fine, and the rest of the inhabitants are healthy. I've tried to locate
this problem on other websites the past few days and came up with no
results. Is there anything I can do to help this great fish. I really
don't want to lose him. <Look up those diseases on our site,
www.WetWebMedia.com, for treatment options. Quarantining and freshwater
dips or formalin baths would be my course of action.> Thanks, Brian
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro> Sick Queen Angel? Hello
how are you today ? <Fine, thank you! Scott F. here today> Sorry
to bother you again! <Never a bother, my friend!> But my queen
Angel as stopped eating two days ago! (can he stay a lot of time without
eating??) and seems to have cloudy eye and also the eye membrane seems
to be damage going out a little bit still but less than before ,also a
notice that his eyes are a little bit red ,and he also had like blood
behind the lateral fins, but it seems that it is healing now (white
covering it) also have white spots on the fins!!! but doesn't look like
ich, he always hiding, but he is breathing normal !!! My nitrate was a
little bit high, but I did a water change of about 30% of the tank (125
gallons) and it is now ok. <Good decisive move!> All the other
fish are fine. I wouldn't want this to spread to the other fish.
Maybe environmental disease? <Hard to say from here, but it may be a
(secondary) bacterial infection of some sort. It may have been brought
on by lapses in water quality, an injury, or some other trauma.>
Should I move him out of the tank and use medication? If yes what should
I use that is easy to get in almost all fish stores? I don't want to
loose it. Thank you in advance and also HAPPY NEW YEAR! And again, thank
you for your help! Your web site is helping me a lot and I am sure a
lot of aquarists, also! Continue the great work!!!! <I think it is
time to move the fish to another tank for observation and treatment. I'd
probably try a broad spectrum antibiotic, such as Maracyn Two in the
treatment tank. Please note that antibiotics can interrupt nitrification
in aquariums, so be sure to supply mechanical and chemical filtration in
the treatment tank. Do keep reading on the wetwebmedia.com site to see
if you find descriptions of any disorders that are similar to the one
that your fish is experiencing. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Save The Queen! (Sick Queen Angel) Hi, <Hi there! Scott F.
with you today!> I just moved my two fish to a hospital tank for
treatment of ich. The queen angel is looking the worst, rapid gilling
and signs of excessive mucus. <Hmm...could be a sign of Amyloodinium,
which is a very aggressive parasitic disease, or possibly, a response to
an environmental trauma of some sort...> I have a good level of
copper in the tank, but I'm wondering if I should give a freshwater dip
or if it would be too stressful on him. If I leave him in the tank and
just wait for the copper to show its effects on the disease, I'm worried
he may not last that long. What do you think? As you can imagine, this
is kind of an emergency, so thanks for your reply. Tim <Well, if
you also see a very fine "haze" of spots on the fish, it may very well
be Amyloodinium, which can kill with horrifying rapidity if left
unchecked. Do a quick scan for information about this illness on the WWM
site, just to make sure. I would, however, check all "basic" water
parameters ( pH, ammonia, nitrite) to verify if there is no
environmental cause for the reaction that you are witnessing. I'd also
check your copper level in the (treatment?) tank, to make sure that you
did not overdose...Very important to measure when utilizing copper for a
disease treatment. If dosed improperly, you could do more harm than
good! Finally, I think that freshwater dips, properly executed, can
certainly help with parasitic diseases. They should be used as a
supplemental therapy, IMO, in conjunction with a course of copper
sulphate at proper therapeutic levels. Decisive action is important with
this illness, so if it's Amyloodinium, you did the right thing...Just
keep a close eye on things, and be prepared to take further corrective
actions as they become necessary. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Precious Fish Passed Away, But He Did His Best to Save It (4/5/04)
Hi there again Crew! <Steve Allen tonight> Lost my prized queen
angel....Gutted! And feel like giving up and forgetting about reef tanks
etc. <So sorry for your loss, but hang in there.> I have gone around 4
years without any diseases at all. Including bringing back a yellow tang
with terrible HLLE to a plump healthy beautifully coloured individual.
<Good work. You have proven your abilities.> Have a couple of questions
to ask you if I may? <Certainly.> The only two signs something was
wrong with the queen was increased respiration rate + refusal of any
food. <A sure sign of disease.> I am not one usually given to knee-jerk
re-actions, but in this case I knew I had to do something quick. I
moved the queen to a hospital tank (with the water taken from the main
display) and began treatment with copper. Now I know the queen (as are
most angels I believe) are fairly intolerant of copper but as my bat was
definitely suffering from Ich ( they were in the same tank) and until I
QT'd the bat 4 days ago, I presumed that the queen had an infection
which at this time was confined to the gills. From the first sign of
distress to death was a matter of around 30 hours......Have you any
idea if there was any other form of treatment I could have given?
<Formalin can be a great alternative. It may not be the copper that
killed the fish. Gill infestations are rapidly fatal. Angels have been
successfully treated with proper copper dosing/levels.> Did I do the
wrong thing? <Now> Should I have done FW dips? <FW or FW/Formalin dips
are effective, but so is copper. Aggressive therapy was indicated here.>
Should I not have used copper? <I do not think this was the big mistake
you worry that it was. Something else may have been better, but I think
your fish died because its gills were affected by the infestation, not
due to your copper treatment.> There are still 4 fish left in the 6x2x2
should I remove them all or can I leave them until maybe 2 months has
gone bye and after this time assume the disease has gone from the tank
(The idea behind this being that if no other fish are infected then the
Ich has not had a host?) or am I daft to think this? <It could still be
lurking sub-clinically as long as their are fish in there. Have you any
theory as to where the ich came from? I'd say the safest approach would
be to quarantine and treat them (hyposalinity and increased temp, with
copper or Formalin if signs/symptoms) to be safe. Leave the main tank
fish-free for 6 weeks or so for the parasites to die out.> After
going for so long w/out disease I guess I got complacent and put one
piece of live rock straight in the main tank and from there on lost half
my fish. <More evidence to support the prevailing WWM view that all
living things be quarantined, not just fish.> Anyhow from a fed-up (and
now very broke) aquarist of many years I wish you all a good day. And
hope to speak to you again soon with some better news. <We look forward
to that.> With many thanks. Simon <Don't give up yet Simon. Your
techniques are fundamentally sound. Do the QT/fallow to be safe and then
think about a new fish to add down the road. Nothing can "replace" a
precious/beloved animal that dies, but you can find another to cherish
in its own right some day. Good luck to you.> Queen Angel
Coloring Cont'd Dear Ryan" <Eric,> I FW dip the queen
angel, and right when he is at the FW a lot of white little "stuff"
flying out of his gills and fins, he instantly open up his gills again
and start eating those white stuff back!... strange... I figure that
would not be good so I change the FW and dip him a little longer, then
back into the QT... 1 day later he is breathing normally again, fins is
all cleared and is eating/swimming normal. However, the color issue is
still present, but not at night when the fish is asleep... (When I
check him out at the middle of the light his body is uniform in
color...) <Hmm...I'm sure you already know that Angels of this
difficulty are easily infected with parasitic and fungal diseases. I
would certainly keep dosing with Formalin (if you already are), and
continue the FW dips.> What would probably be the stuff that flies
out from his gills?? Those stuff like expanded when coming out of the
fish's gills.. It's soft, milky white, circular to the human eye...
<Sounds fungal, but if you send a pic I'm sure that Bob/Anthony can
verify> If now the fish is all well, should I treat it with any
medication just in case?? <Yes, Formalin ASAP> Lastly, will small
puffer (dogface) eat coral and cleaner shrimps that larger than
itself? <Yes, and likely choke to death in the process. I wish you the
best of luck getting this animal healthy!> Eric Queen
Angel... health - 5/18/2006 Hi Crew, I
recently purchased a Queen Angel and have him housed in my 200 gallon
FOWLR Tank. He has been in the tank for about three days now and have
not started eating yet but he is swimming around. This morning I noticed
what looks like his intestines sticking out of his rectum and after
about 2 hours it seems to have gone back in. I was wondering what could
have caused this and what am I to do about it? <Mmm, not much other
than hope for a self-cure. There are such causes for "prolapsed colon"
condition that can be parasitic in origin, but these cannot, should not
be addressed with chemical treatments in the short term. Bob Fenner>
Need help with a queen that's flickering and scratching
4/16/06 Hi there , I looking for some advise on what to do
if anything with my queen angel. I have a 4 inch queen in a 125 for
about a month now and she's been doing great and eats like crazy. I
noticed yesterday that she's been flickering/shimmy once in a while .
<Is a normal/natural behavior to a degree> I also noticed her rub
here mouth or face against the rock and some ornaments several times
. She has no visible signs on her . My water parameters are fine . (0
ammonia, 0 nitrite, 8.3 ph, and nitrates usually kept around .10). I'm
debating whether to do anything right now or wait? <I
would wait> I was thinking of giving a freshwater dip for a few
minutes then a 1 hour bath in saltwater with methylene blue or Para
guard (SeaChem). I also have something called "quick cure" which has
malachite green and formalin but I've never used this product. <Is
mentioned on WWM, is toxic...> By the way I've been running a 15
gallon QT tank for about two weeks now . there's are two perculas in
there right now. Your advice is well appreciated.
Peter <Please read over WWM re all marine Angel and species
disease, systems... Bob Fenner> Pete Collazo Re: need help
with a queen that's twitching and scratching***update** -
04/19/2006 Hi there My Queen is still twitching and rubbing
against objects in the tank though she still has no visible parasite
signs and is eating very well. This has been going on now for six
days so I'm getting worried its only going to get worse and I want to do
something before its too late. <I would not "do something" here>
As stated previously, I have a 15g QT that's cycled and been using
water from the display tank with a penguin BioWheel/ I was considering
giving her a 5 minute fw dip with either methylene blue or quick cure
then moving her to the qt . While in qt , which chemical treatment
would you recommend ? <... none> Cupramine, CopperSafe,
ParaGuard or methylene blue? Also since I shouldn't be using carbon
in the qt , how often do I need to change the water?
Thanks Peter <... posted on WWM. Bob Fenner>
Hyposalinity... 4/18/06 Bob thanks for your
quick reply . just one other thing. A friend suggested to lower my
salinity to about 1.016 I previously had the sg at 1.022 and its now
1.020 after yesterday's water change. Would lowering the sg to 1.018
help at all in eradicating a parasite and is it a safe and comfortable
level for a queen angel. She still eating a lot but the shimmering and
scratching hasn't stopped . thanks Peter <Please read
here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/martrthyposalfaqs.htm and the linked
files above. BobF>
|
|