Healing or sick?

[FlyTekk]

I just got a batch of chromis. 8 of them. 2 are hiding out, wont eat but look perfect and colorful. 4 are eating and colorful. But 2 are eating like mad but dont look too good.

They seem to have these markings on the body. White markings. Not raised fluffy cotton ball markings.

More like whitish scab tissue.

Ive never seen a fish heal before. So does anyone have experience with fish healing from their wounds?

Do they have "scabs" so to speak? White fleshy meat?

Im wondering if these fish maybe were collected awfully and are simply healing or is they have an illness.

Normally id remove immediately and treat with meds but the difference here is that these 2 clowns are not hiding or breathing quickly or swimming erratic.... Heck they are eating like pigs!!! Since the first second i put them
In the tank! Always looking for food.

Im more worried about the 2 fish that stay in hiding behind my rock.... Look perfect but dont eat.

Any help on what fish wound healing looks like? Thanks!

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[Wes]

In my experience, alot of chromis arrive in very poor shape. They are diseased, injured, etc.

My theory is they are cheap fish so they don't exactly sit in first class on their way to the U.S. like other fish. They get treated/shipped like damsels, but they are less hardy so the fatality rate is very high.

The ones I have received with markings like that never survive. And I QT and medicated.

Alot of people say they kill eachother off but I have a different theory. Alot of them are very weak and die for the reasons I listed above.

I managed to get 6 through QT with praziquantel and copper treatments and nursed back to health (although I did lose a few that were in poor health) I have had the 6 in the display for almost a year now with no deaths.

Take a pic and someone might be able to suggest a better medication, but in my experience the ones that have visible damage do not live long.

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[noobzy]

Not sure if it's relevant, but my clown fish seemed injured at one point and had a "fleshy white scar-like" abrasion on its cheek. It healed within about two weeks on its own.

 

[LaurieC]

Did you mean chromis or clowns? My chromis acted very, very freaked out when I added to my tank. They also tend to change colors when panicked--either dark or white streaks. I noticed this again when I moved them from one tank to another. I just left them alone and let them figure it out and after about a week, they were all in great shape. don't be too quick to move the fish

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

i started with 15 chromis and now only have 9
They will kill each other for power of the tank, the markings are stress markes so if you can get them out would be better b/c i know they will not live, just my experince with them

 

[FlyTekk]

Im refering to Blue/Green Chromis

I know that they can get dark at night, i know that they get very pale almost white when not happy.... if seen the streaks and white patches. But thats all under their skin/scale.

What im refering too is definately above the skin. I think there may be some elavation as far as the white patches are concerned. But nothing that seems fluffy or cotton like in nature.

Im not planning on moving them cause they are eating and behaving better than chromis ive had for months. They hide when someone hangs around the tank. They poke their heads back out to check if the coast is clear (hilarious) they always picking on the rocks.

And they eat like mad men. I feed garlic and vitamin enriched frozen shrimp/clam/squid. They go bananas. My clowns have trouble feeding now ever since i added the chromis.

Point is as far as behavior is concerned they are not acting sick at all. But as far as the "white patches".... make no mistake about it... it aint my lighting, it aint them changin colors.... There is something there.

Im gonna wait to see if a third fish shows signs of this. Or if it gets larger or grow in numbers. If not im gonna hope that its just a scab.

One other thing i want to mention is that i notice after looking closer that there seems to be a red mark (maybe the source wound) in the center of each white patch. Not sure if that was there yesterday or i missed it.

So imconfused wether this white stuff is eating away at the fish as seen by the red mark or if the white stuff is signs of that red mark healing.

Please any help/heads up will be greatly appreciated.

thanks!

 

[LaurieC]

photos would be helpful. You might want to look into using Melafix. You can get it a most LFS or I know Manhattan Aquarium carries it. I have 3 chromis and 2 clowns in the tank for 4 months. The Chromis were first and were very, very shy for quite awhile, I went through the same thing when I added the 2 Clowns. Now, the Chromis and Clowns school together durring the day. At night they all go to seperate areas in the tank. As far as behavior goes, as you say, all sounds in order. They are adjusting and sorting out the territories. Look at the Melafix for the skin:

http://www.aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=56

 

[FlyTekk]

But can i use Melafix in my diplay tank.... its a fowlr but i have to emerald crabs and tons of pods, worms, snails. Also have Xenia and what i think is GSP.

I rather not put anything in my display and getting these chromis out will be difficult.

Also ive tried and snapped a bunch of pictures and not one was useful. Suckers never stay still. Plus i think they think my camera is a Proton Plasma firing laser that will evaporate them instantly.

i can hang aound the tank and they think im gonna feed.... no prob. But once i show the camera?...... "RUUUUUUN!!!!!".....errrh, ummm....."SWWWWWIIIIIMMMMM!!!"

:0)

 

[Wes]

Sound exactly like what some of mine had. Everyone that had those marks died.


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[LaurieC]

I suspect you would be fine putting Melafix into your DT, but you should read about it and decide for yourself. The lable says it is reef safe. It is all natural, Melaleuca--tea tree. It is for the kind of thing you describe. Or you could take the fish out, dip them in Methylyn Blue and then start Melafix in a QT.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

sound exactly like what some of mine had. Everyone that had those marks died.


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+1

 

[FlyTekk]

Did those marks make on to fish that didnt have them initial.... Hence killing them too?


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