Newbie with a sick & possibly dying fish if i can't figure it out......

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 12:47 PM

Hi EVERYONE, Sorry I found the forum on these basis but formal introductions can be saved for later. I have an issue and need help.

I have a 125g tall with a 30g overflow wet/dry, and a protein skimmer for a 250g tank. My water parameters are in check. I can only think the fish came sick.

I have had several "reputable" aquarium stores to come to the house and all of them have told me a different sickness. I have had my water taken to two different stores and tested the water. Everything is fine. Also, the tank is barley stocked. It's FOWLR.

I bought an adult batfish (my husbands preference, not mine) off a customer I met at a store. The fish was good for a couple of weeks. He even eats from my hands. Since then I've only added the sailfin tang and did two water changes.

THE BATFISH IS NOW SICK. HE IS STILL EATING BUT IS LOSING WEIGHT, COLOR LOOKS GROSS AND SICKLY, AND HIS EYES ARE WHITE. THE EYE LIDS APPEAR TO BE BALLOONING. AT FIRST THEY STARTED LOOKING CLOUDY WITH WHITE SPECKS. I THOUGHT IT WAS ICK BUT THERE ARE NO WHITE SPOTS ON HIM AND NONE OF THE OTHER FISH ARE SHOWING ANY TYPE OF SICKNESS OR SIMILAR SYMPTOMS.

I'm prepping the tank to eventually go reef and don't want to treat it unnecessarily.

I also posted this in the fish illness section hoping I can get some help before my fish dies.

Sk8r · 04/22/2014, 12:53 PM

YOu can't treat a display tank. That's out.
My notion is that he's missing something in his diet (try food soaked in Selcon) or that there's something in the water parameters he doesn't like. I don't know what your lfs stores may have checked for, but for starters, do your water parameters match the ones I have in my sig line? Alkalinity would be a first major suspect. Intense lighting might [a wild guess] be a problem: not all fish like it. I would also suggest you pose this question in Reef Discussion, because a batfish is not a novice project. They're quite difficult---I know that; but I don't know this species. Out there in the broader categories of RC, someone has.

Sugar Magnolia · 04/22/2014, 01:07 PM

That particular species of batfish lives anywhere from 5 - 30 meters deep in the wild, hence the large eyes to see better in the darker water. Looks to me like the eyes have filmed over...might be from too much light. They are also very difficult to care for and have a high mortality rate in captivity.

That fish is really not suitable for the tank you have it in.

Can you return it and choose a fish more suitable for your tank size?

BTW, it's an orbicular batfish.

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 01:57 PM

Well that sucks. Anyone else agree with this?

exploring options before I release him......

To think about it the guy who I purchased him from was an elderly guy who didn't take care of tank and always had the lights off. Returning him isn't an option. The tank he came from was layered with gunk.

Where is the fish natively from? Would I be able to release him in the ocean near Fort Lauderdale? That would be my first option being I don't know of anyone with a 5 meter depth tank.

Before I do that....I just fed him 3 sheets of seaweed from my hand and turned off the lights. He was bumping into the rocks trying to get the food but he at it all. I'm assuming he can't see.
a couple of questions...
Would his sight return to normal with no lights? Any expected timeframe?
Would anything happen to the other fish not having lights for an extended period?

Also, I want to eliminate any possible diseases before I decide to release. I've attached a cropped and color enhanced picture of his eye. It looks like a bubble around his eye, and the eye itself is white. It looks kind of like a callus. Is there anything that this could possibly be in respect of an illness? The only other symptoms again is the weight loss, loss of color, now loss of sight, and for lack of better words a loss of his sheen. He used to be a shiny pearl with the black stripes and yellow trim.

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 01:58 PM

the close up of the eye pictures

Sugar Magnolia · 04/22/2014, 02:13 PM

No! No! No!!!! You never, ever release a non-native species into the local ocean!! This species is from the Indo-Pacific region.

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 02:23 PM

I kind of get that. I wasn't sure where they're from because we've found them off Florida shores. I did some reading online and hate to admit but so far you're right. I think he'll be going back to the store. My husband won't be too happy.

Before I let you go....what is the possibility of him having pop eye? I've never had a fish with that so I posted the close up of the eye pics. If this is the case should I try to quarantine and treat him before taking him in?

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 02:34 PM

Never mind....I checked online pictures of pop eye and that definitely doesn't look like that. Still can't figure out what it is and water parameters are still okay. He will be going to the store.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Sugar Magnolia · 04/22/2014, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie.P

the close up of the eye pictures

It does sort of look like pop-eye. http://www.mylovefish.com/post/how-t...ater-fish.html

Hard to tell without much clearer pics.

Allmost · 04/22/2014, 02:41 PM

maybe flukes or something ?

I used to get this in my fish only tanks, when nitrates increased [or when I didnt do needed water changes] but usually went away with a couple larger WCs and good feeding.

but I agree as stated above ... he is kind of large for the system, which means it would ne hard to keep it well fed and water clean enough for it to thrive.

Marie.P · 04/22/2014, 02:51 PM

Here are better pics...

Is it possible for only him to have this or will it be passed to the other fish?

Will his sight return?

04/22/2014, 12:53 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	YOu can't treat a display tank. That's out. My notion is that he's missing something in his diet (try food soaked in Selcon) or that there's something in the water parameters he doesn't like. I don't know what your lfs stores may have checked for, but for starters, do your water parameters match the ones I have in my sig line? Alkalinity would be a first major suspect. Intense lighting might [a wild guess] be a problem: not all fish like it. I would also suggest you pose this question in Reef Discussion, because a batfish is not a novice project. They're quite difficult---I know that; but I don't know this species. Out there in the broader categories of RC, someone has. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/22/2014, 01:07 PM	#3
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	That particular species of batfish lives anywhere from 5 - 30 meters deep in the wild, hence the large eyes to see better in the darker water. Looks to me like the eyes have filmed over...might be from too much light. They are also very difficult to care for and have a high mortality rate in captivity. That fish is really not suitable for the tank you have it in. Can you return it and choose a fish more suitable for your tank size? BTW, it's an orbicular batfish. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders. Last edited by Sugar Magnolia; 04/22/2014 at 01:13 PM.

04/22/2014, 02:13 PM	#6
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	No! No! No!!!! You never, ever release a non-native species into the local ocean!! This species is from the Indo-Pacific region. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

04/22/2014, 01:57 PM	#4
Marie.P Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: North Lauderdale Posts: 13	Well that sucks. Anyone else agree with this? exploring options before I release him...... To think about it the guy who I purchased him from was an elderly guy who didn't take care of tank and always had the lights off. Returning him isn't an option. The tank he came from was layered with gunk. Where is the fish natively from? Would I be able to release him in the ocean near Fort Lauderdale? That would be my first option being I don't know of anyone with a 5 meter depth tank. Before I do that....I just fed him 3 sheets of seaweed from my hand and turned off the lights. He was bumping into the rocks trying to get the food but he at it all. I'm assuming he can't see. a couple of questions... Would his sight return to normal with no lights? Any expected timeframe? Would anything happen to the other fish not having lights for an extended period? Also, I want to eliminate any possible diseases before I decide to release. I've attached a cropped and color enhanced picture of his eye. It looks like a bubble around his eye, and the eye itself is white. It looks kind of like a callus. Is there anything that this could possibly be in respect of an illness? The only other symptoms again is the weight loss, loss of color, now loss of sight, and for lack of better words a loss of his sheen. He used to be a shiny pearl with the black stripes and yellow trim.

04/22/2014, 02:23 PM	#7
Marie.P Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: North Lauderdale Posts: 13	I kind of get that. I wasn't sure where they're from because we've found them off Florida shores. I did some reading online and hate to admit but so far you're right. I think he'll be going back to the store. My husband won't be too happy. Before I let you go....what is the possibility of him having pop eye? I've never had a fish with that so I posted the close up of the eye pics. If this is the case should I try to quarantine and treat him before taking him in?

04/22/2014, 02:34 PM	#8
Marie.P Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: North Lauderdale Posts: 13	Never mind....I checked online pictures of pop eye and that definitely doesn't look like that. Still can't figure out what it is and water parameters are still okay. He will be going to the store. Thanks for everyone's help.

04/22/2014, 02:41 PM	#10
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	maybe flukes or something ? I used to get this in my fish only tanks, when nitrates increased [or when I didnt do needed water changes] but usually went away with a couple larger WCs and good feeding. but I agree as stated above ... he is kind of large for the system, which means it would ne hard to keep it well fed and water clean enough for it to thrive.