Sickness identification?

[SkyJunkie]

Just got a couple fish into QT. My royal gramma started showing this a couple days ago and I'm not sure what it is. I dosed with copper already before seeing any signs.

What is it? How do I treat it? Does this reset the QT for the other fish?

[IMG]http://i40.*******.com/5n6weq.jpg[/IMG]

[TimeConsumer]

If the picture is showing the fish sloughing off its slime coat that is a symptom of a brooklynella infection. Need a better picture.

[Sonyardo]

What is it? How do I treat it? Does this reset the QT for the other fish?
It's hard to say what it is. It could be as simple as the fish not responding to copper very well and temporarily loosing it's slime coat. Brook is a possibility but since it wasn't showing any signs before the copper treatment, I suspect that it's more copper related.


how long have the fish been in qt?
What is the other fish that is in there?
Are they showing any other symptoms?
How much longer are you planning to keep treating with copper?

[SkyJunkie]

They've been in QT a week. Other fish are a sailfin and a tomini and they look healthy and aren't showing any signs of anything

[MrTuskfish]

Is this fish eating, acting normally? It looks like brook, but the fish seems to alert. Once fish start sloughing skin from brook, the seldom last more than a couple of days and basslets usually don't recover from any parasite. I'd remove the copper (with carbon, etc) and just keep the fish comfortable. If the gramma has had this stuff for 3 days, and isn't getting worse; I think he'll be OK.

Copper does not work with brook and if you want to prophylacticly treat all the fish for ich & velvet; you can keep the copper in. But don't just dose copper without being sure what you're trying to treat. Copper is a great med, but there is a lot to using copper that isn't on the bottle.

If all fish were put in at the same time, I don't think you need to re-start the clock. If the fish dies, or gets worse, that's a big problem. Formalin dips would be a good idea if the gramma gets worse. BTW; Fish not showing signs of parasites doesn't mean they don't have them. Any of the common parasites infect the whole system and all fish need treatment if you encounter them. Your QT is the best medicine you can have to prevent this.

[SkyJunkie]

I haven't seen the fish eat once. The other fish love to eat and swim. I'm not really familiar with a gramma temperament but it just stays in one spot all the time, doesn't swim, but seems to get startled if you go up to the tank.

I noticed the white. Few days ago and it has gotten worse as now it's peeling off. I've had clowns with this and it looks the same as brooklynella.

[MrTuskfish]

Originally Posted by SkyJunkie

I haven't seen the fish eat once. The other fish love to eat and swim. I'm not really familiar with a gramma temperament but it just stays in one spot all the time, doesn't swim, but seems to get startled if you go up to the tank.

I noticed the white. Few days ago and it has gotten worse as now it's peeling off. I've had clowns with this and it looks the same as brooklynella.

I kinda thought so. The only way to cure this parasite, that I know of, is with formalin or a med containing formalin. I think Wal-Mart even sells it. There are different methods involving dips and treating in a QT with the formalin added. All fish exposed to this fish need to be treated ASAP. Basslets are next to impossible to cure of any parasite and I would consider euthanizing this fish if he takes a turn for the worse.