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View Full Version : ID Needed: Second Guessing My Diagnosis


Travis L. Stevens
01/16/2015, 04:13 PM
I'm kind of strung at wits end right now. I've gambled for years without a QT and am well aware of the risks, and I accept the repercussions and following work in the case of a problem. The irony is, this was hopefully my last fish purchase ever only to bite me in the rear. :facepalm:

I brought home a male clownfish for my female and brought it straight home from shipment. I noticed in the bag that his fins were a little roughed up, but were in otherwise fine shape. Looked like he had been in a tussle with his other tankmates before being packaged and shipped. He acclimated very well and in a matter of about 30 seconds, he met the female, was accepted, and immediately started hosting with her in her clam. It wasn't until 24 hours later that I noticed the male had an off-colored spot behind his pectoral fin. Also looked as if he had a fight with a current tankmate overnight. Thus, I let it go for another day.

It didn't get worse, nor did it get better. I waited another 24 hours and noticed my female was acting strange. Seemed to have a lot of mucous near the head and difficulty breathing, but she was eating well. I suspected Brooklynella.

In another 24 hours, I had tried to gather up equipment for hospitalization. In that time, she had developed a lesion at the base of her dorsal fin, and I started to suspect Amyloodinium. Though she was still eating well...

It took another 24 hours for me procure chelated copper, Melafix, and hydrogen peroxide as they were my only avaialble options. During this time, her dorsal fin started showing signs of deterioration. I set up the HT, and needed to let it circulate overnight.

This morning before work, I noticed that her dorsal spines were clearly exposed, and thus I now suspected Fin Rot. While at work in a different city, I managed to get Eryhtromycin. When I got home to add the Erythromycin to the Hospital Tank, her dorsal fin is clearly eaten away.

So, what does everyone think? The male isn't worse, and is actually starting to look a bit better, though he still has a lesion behind his pectoral fin. The female has lost her appetite and is wasting away

Currently, both clownfish are in the Hospital Tank treated with the appropriate amount of Erythromycin. I'm hoping my guess of fin rot is correct, but I'm second guessing myself.

Travis L. Stevens
01/18/2015, 11:30 PM
Bump. Even though she passed away the afternoon that I posted this, I would still like to know everyone's thoughts on their diagnosis.

ThRoewer
01/19/2015, 02:37 AM
Sounds like a bacterial infection. Could be Vibro (See this article: Vibrio harveyi infection in Arabian Surgeon fish (Acanthurus sohal) of Red Sea at Hurghada, Egypt (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S168742851300112X)) or Myxobacteriosis (see here: Myxobacteriosis (http://www.fishyportal.com/cgi-bin/pub/diag?c=v&id=50)))

snorvich
01/19/2015, 06:25 AM
My non-definitive guess is brook.

Travis L. Stevens
01/26/2015, 08:41 PM
TheRoewer, I'm not sure if either of those are it. The description of the symptoms in Vibrio sound quite familiar, but the fish's temperament does not match that as described. As far as Myxobacteriosis, I highly doubt that's it. Nothing matches up from either the description of the symptoms or the behavior of the fish.

Snorvich, I thought Brooklynella, too, but from my limited experience, it progressed beyond what is normally Brook symptoms

Regardless, I've narrowed down to the best of my ability that it would be a gram-negative bacterial infection. The male and the culprit of the outbreak is still being treated in the hospital tank with Erythromycin and is actually recovering slowly. His lesion behind his pectoral fin is still there and visible, but not growing. It may actually be shrinking, but it's kind of hard to get him to show his infected side AND move out his pectoral fin.

ThRoewer
01/27/2015, 02:24 AM
It could have been both: brook and most other parasitic infections are often accompanied by opportunistic bacteria. That might muddy the symptoms.
Also each fish may react a little different and you seldom get a perfect match on all symptoms.