A really picky eater.......

[marrone]

There're a few of us in another forum that we treat every new fish with Prazipro whether the fish has flukes or not because the product will also treat for internal parasites before it goes into the DT. Learned the hard way after losing too many fish.

It very bad to treat fish for something that they mayn't even have. If you QT all your fish, and only treat them if they do have something, you shouldn't have problems.

If you're losing so many fish I would also question where you getting your fish from and if you're QT them for a long enough period of time.

 

[Domboski]

That may treat the fish but what about flukes in the water column? The eggs hatch then find a host again and starts all over again. Personaly I would treat the system and have a piece of mind afterward.

I run a Uv at a GPH meant to kill parasites in the water column. I think that is why my flukes never reached epidemic proportions. If Prazzi pro is reef safe (hobbyist confirmed not bottle label) I'll try it.

 

[Tangs Rule]

It should be fine and I've had inverts and polyp rocks survived but no one can guarantee it as every system is different. If LR is a concern then put in a couple pieces of base rocks you can spare.

How's the red spot you mentioned and where is it located?

I never mentioned a red spot. Another member mentioned these butterfly's are prone to that disease. Currently, neither of my fish have red spots.

 

[flameangel]

It very bad to treat fish for something that they mayn't even have. If you QT all your fish, and only treat them if they do have something, you shouldn't have problems.

If you're losing so many fish I would also question where you getting your fish from and if you're QT them for a long enough period of time.

Yes, I agree with you very much that we shouldn't treat for something that they may not have and has been a dilemma but after 3 years in this hobby and by the time we regonize (becomes visual) it's usually too late to treat. Copper can be damaging to internal organs so I don't use till I see ich and Cupramine has been very effective in my personal experience. Unfortunately internal parasites is not something an average person like myself can see. I've had Bandits, Goldflakes and Griffis came in eating for 10-21 days then all of a sudden stopped eating and died days or a week later. I don't know about everyone else but in my short experience once a fish that was eating initially then stopped eating the outcome hasn't been good. But I would love to hear experiences of this occurrence what it was and how they treated to get the fish eating again. Sometime I feel like one has to be a doctor in this hobby.

Oh well, I think it has been enough distraction from me in this thread.

 

[flameangel]

I never mentioned a red spot. Another member mentioned these butterfly's are prone to that disease. Currently, neither of my fish have red spots.

I'm very sorry about that.

 

[flameangel]

I run a Uv at a GPH meant to kill parasites in the water column. I think that is why my flukes never reached epidemic proportions. If Prazzi pro is reef safe (hobbyist confirmed not bottle label) I'll try it.

Folks have mentioned about using UV to kill parasites but down side is that it only kills what goes thru the UV (free swimming stage) and survive if it has a host in fish (don't come off), rocks and bottom dwellers. I never had any expensive corals so I went ahead w/o hesitation and didn't have any problem. The only thing I had using Prazi is PH dropping and difficult to maintain above 8. Most folks don't have this problem but I suggest you monitor and if does it will drop right after you dose Prazi.

 

[Tangs Rule]

I'm very sorry about that.

No worries. Also, I have had fish stop eating and then get them back to eating. If you do not usually soak their food in garlic, soak it in garlic after you notice a fish not eating for 2 days. You can also try a "treat" like a clam. My butterfly didn't seem to want to eat it, but when I tossed it into my DT everyone jumped all over it.

 

[marrone]

Yes, I agree with you very much that we shouldn't treat for something that they may not have and has been a dilemma but after 3 years in this hobby and by the time we regonize (becomes visual) it's usually too late to treat. Copper can be damaging to internal organs so I don't use till I see ich and Cupramine has been very effective in my personal experience. Unfortunately internal parasites is not something an average person like myself can see. I've had Bandits, Goldflakes and Griffis came in eating for 10-21 days then all of a sudden stopped eating and died days or a week later. I don't know about everyone else but in my short experience once a fish that was eating initially then stopped eating the outcome hasn't been good. But I would love to hear experiences of this occurrence what it was and how they treated to get the fish eating again. Sometime I feel like one has to be a doctor in this hobby.

Oh well, I think it has been enough distraction from me in this thread.

A lot of times it's not that the fish is eating but what it's eating that will determine if it's going to make it or not. A fish that is eating the wrong thing can last for quite a while before all of a sudden it stop eating and dies, and in some cases it may even keep eating and just die. So it's not as important to just get the fish eating but eating the correct thing.
The Angels that you have listed aren't the easiest to keep, one is very hard to keep,Goldfake, and the other, Bandit, should be either by kept by an expert or left in the sea as most don't make it.

A lot of fish will stop eating for various reasons, some times the tank conditions aren't the best, causing the fish to stop each, other times the fish could be harassed or bully by other fish. Sometimes the diet that the fish is being fed isn't correct and you need to find something else for the fish to eat. Sometimes the fish may have some sort of diseases. Some fish, like Eels, will even stop eating from time to time. So it's not a death sentence every time a fish stop eating though it can be a cause for concern.

 

[marrone]

Folks have mentioned about using UV to kill parasites but down side is that it only kills what goes thru the UV (free swimming stage) and survive if it has a host in fish (don't come off), rocks and bottom dwellers. I never had any expensive corals so I went ahead w/o hesitation and didn't have any problem. The only thing I had using Prazi is PH dropping and difficult to maintain above 8. Most folks don't have this problem but I suggest you monitor and if does it will drop right after you dose Prazi.

I'm not sure I know of anyone that has used a UV to cure a diseases, as the parasites need to go through the UV to be killed, which doesn't always happen in a tank with sand and rocks, or if they do it's not enough to make a difference. Now it may work better in a bare bottom tank, with nothing either in the tank, as there is a better chance of the parasite to go through the UV. What I have seen is once a UV is placed on the tank the outbreak of diseases are usually cut down dramatically.

 

[ellebelle]

Whether or not a UV can "cure" a disease depends on whether or not it is something that lives in the water column or lives on the rocks and in the sand. If it is something free swimming, then all of the pathogens in the water column should be killed by the UV provided that you are turning your tank volume over often enough and are using the appropriate wattage of UV light. As the fish with the disease die (or fight it off), anything looking for a new host should be killed. If it is something that lives in the rocks and/or sand, then a UV will be less of a help.

 

[marrone]

Whether or not a UV can "cure" a disease depends on whether or not it is something that lives in the water column or lives on the rocks and in the sand. If it is something free swimming, then all of the pathogens in the water column should be killed by the UV provided that you are turning your tank volume over often enough and are using the appropriate wattage of UV light. As the fish with the disease die (or fight it off), anything looking for a new host should be killed. If it is something that lives in the rocks and/or sand, then a UV will be less of a help.

You're missing the point, the thing is in a tank with rocks and sand parasites, that would normally be in the water column, now have places to stay or are in areas where they will not get pulled into the UV. Because of this spores can easily infect and reinfect fish. Also in some case once the spores ruptures it only take a very short time to reinfect a fish. In a tank with a lot of rocks it makes it very hard to pull in all the parasites before they reinfect a fish.

So regardless of what size UV you have, and the amount of water running through it, you're never going to get all the parasites, in a tank with sand and rock, through it to kill them all off or even enough to break the cycle.

In a situation where you have a bare tank, and you're sure that all the water is running true the UV, you can be reasonably sure that you're going to kill all the parasites. Even then you still need to make sure all the water is running through it, as spores sitting on the bottom of the tank mayn't be sucked into the UV.

 

[Tangs Rule]

So for a tank with live sand and live rock is it pointless to have a UV sterilizer?

 

[marrone]

So for a tank with live sand and live rock is it pointless to have a UV sterilizer?

I don't think it's pointless, as it does kill some parasites and seems to lessen future outbreaks, but it's not a cure for fish that currently are infected.

I think you'll find that most people see positive results after installing a UV on their tanks, even if they have LR and sand in their tanks.

 

[flameangel]

I don't think it's pointless, as it does kill some parasites and seems to lessen future outbreaks, but it's not a cure for fish that currently are infected.

I think you'll find that most people see positive results after installing a UV on their tanks, even if they have LR and sand in their tanks.

I agree, any advantage that an hobbist has in an enclosed environment the better we are able to keep our fish more healthy.

It's pretty much like flu shots--it helps but doesn't eliminate you from getting one.

 

[Tangs Rule]

The white spots on his tail and fin seem to be multiplying. Any idea what could be causing them to multiply?

He has started to eat a little of the red nori and I threw in a frozen silverside and he picked at that too.

 

[Tangs Rule]

Here is an updated photo. The white is spreading. Anyoe have an idea what it is? It's not just on his fins anymore.

 

[marrone]

That's Lymphocystis, it grows on the fins and some times the body. Once the fish is eating, and you have good water quality, it will fall off and the fish will be fine.

 

[marrone]

I know the fish isn't eating that much but it looks very skinny.

 

[Tangs Rule]

So it's the same thing. I am surpised it got worse. I just expected it to get better. he really isn't eating anything regularly yet. I am running out of options.

As you said, he's really skinny and I've had him for about 4 weeks. I feel like my time is running out.

 

[Tangs Rule]

Much to my disappointment, I lost this fish today. I can't say I am surprised. I had the fish for 37 days and it only took nibbles of food a handful of time. Thanks everyone for all your information.