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View Full Version : Picked up a sick emperor angel. Need advice


Bdial
03/23/2015, 01:15 PM
I picked up a sick imperator in hopes to save him. He is kinda thin and has weird white splotches on him. Only thing I found that may be similar to those splotches is a type of cupramine poisoning. I guess from the previous system. I have a 125 with minimal aquascaping and lots of swimming room but he is hanging out on one side. I've been trying to Feed rods original and herbivore blend and mysis but I don't think he's eating. I have a couple Lps I don't mind losing if he'll eat but I don't think he is. I have been putting nori in multiple times a day but nothing. I've had him for a couple days now. I'm heading out to the seafood store tonight for some clams. Any other fresh food I should try?
Here's a pic. Suggestions please.

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g470/bdial438/103C65DE-19C8-4DFB-A542-DB093970944A.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/bdial438/media/103C65DE-19C8-4DFB-A542-DB093970944A.jpg.html)

devildog12210
03/23/2015, 02:54 PM
So is he actually in your display tank? Your post sounds like it is.

ridetheducati
03/23/2015, 03:32 PM
Remove from display and treat with Prazi, follow directions on box, but run two consecutive sessions. Wait one week and begin treating for Ich using your most successful method (Cupramine or CP). In the meantime, run the display fallow for 75 days.

Bdial
03/23/2015, 04:32 PM
He was sick before I got him. It was a "he's gonna die but you can try" kind of deal. So he's not gonna do well?

eddiereefs
03/23/2015, 04:43 PM
Okay i did some research and the consenses is that emporer angel fish specifically get blotchs when they are stressed. Make sure all paramaters are on point.

Bdial
03/23/2015, 05:33 PM
That is what I was finding. I'm just trying to make sure I provide everything I can to make him happy. One of the first things I found was that emperors don't reapond well to too much copper in treatments. I assume maybe he came from a tank that had a copper source in it.
I put in a littleneck clam earlier and he has been swimming around it but the other fish have been eating it mostly. I put a whole one in there to still in the shell. I guess we'll see what happens. I picked up some scallops too I'll feed later tonight.

Dmorty217
03/23/2015, 05:46 PM
That isn't caused by cupramine. Looks like flukes or Brook but hard to tell from the picture can you post some more?

sczlars
03/23/2015, 07:10 PM
I'm guessing flukes. Breathing hard? Prazipro is key. Put it in a hospital tank (10G is fine) and dose. If flukes, you'll be amazed at the 'dandruff' that ends up on the bottom of the tank. --Lars

Bdial
03/24/2015, 11:31 AM
Today he ate a significant amount of a littleneck clam. His color is appearing better too. I'm gonna keep putting the clams in there. I bought a dozen. I'm gonna put two in a day on the half shell. I'll post a new pic of him in just a bit.

Bdial
03/24/2015, 11:35 AM
http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g470/bdial438/18224D77-C166-46A0-B585-14918D7E131B.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/bdial438/media/18224D77-C166-46A0-B585-14918D7E131B.jpg.html)

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g470/bdial438/4C386C23-B8D5-429D-9700-5FF5405ACD13.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/bdial438/media/4C386C23-B8D5-429D-9700-5FF5405ACD13.jpg.html)

ShannyG
03/24/2015, 12:11 PM
I always think we they start to eat again it's a great sign. Good on you for putting in the effort to try to save him.

DavidinGA
03/24/2015, 01:56 PM
I believe those blotches are simply from stress.

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 02:10 PM
Why in the world would you take a sick fish and plunk him into your DT with other fish?

ridetheducati
03/24/2015, 02:41 PM
Poor PB.

addictedreefer
03/24/2015, 02:48 PM
Poor PB.

Haha +1. If that last pick was a meme, it would read: "Oh hell no . . . you put that thing in here with me without QT?!!"

Bdial
03/24/2015, 02:53 PM
Bigger tank and more stable params. I wanted to offer the best I could.

addictedreefer
03/24/2015, 03:01 PM
Bigger tank and more stable params. I wanted to offer the best I could.

Understood, but the thinking here is: at what cost to your existing inhabitants? PBTs are notoriously susceptible to parasites.

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 03:01 PM
Bigger tank and more stable params. I wanted to offer the best I could.

At the expense of the other fish in your tank? Not wise.

Also unwise to try and rescue a sick fish. Especially when you really don't have the skills or ability to actually save the fish. Also, you just exposed your DT to whatever mystery illness the rescue fish has.

cleverbs
03/24/2015, 03:01 PM
he wasnt ill just stressed out those blothes happen on angels when stressed they even happen to some tangs like nasos. Hes eating now its time to feed him ALOT and get him really fat. I am in the process of this with my Sailfin, For some reason he got really skinny because he quit eating for 2 weeks and now hes eating again. no idea what caused him to do that but he wasnt happy.

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 03:02 PM
Uhhhm, might want to read your sig line:

"Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good. Haste makes waste."

addictedreefer
03/24/2015, 03:03 PM
he wasnt ill just stressed out those blothes happen on angels when stressed they even happen to some tangs like nasos. Hes eating now its time to feed him ALOT and get him really fat. I am in the process of this with my Sailfin, For some reason he got really skinny because he quit eating for 2 weeks and now hes eating again. no idea what caused him to do that but he wasnt happy.

The blotches are not the only issue. There is also very clearly small white spots which are almost certainly parasites (likely ich) and probably very catchy.

cleverbs
03/24/2015, 03:04 PM
At the expense of the other fish in your tank? Not wise.

Also unwise to try and rescue a sick fish. Especially when you really don't have the skills or ability to actually save the fish. Also, you just exposed your DT to whatever mystery illness the rescue fish has.

well thats just rude...why was it unwise of him to try to rescue it? you have no idea what his skill and ability is. The fish is now eating and the fish could very possibly not have any illness, angels get this way when stressed out and it could of just been stressed because it was in a small tank with terrible water params. These comments are just rude and completely off topic anyways. The thread is about someone trying to help a fish not get flamed for doing so.

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 03:04 PM
he wasnt ill just stressed out those blothes happen on angels when stressed they even happen to some tangs like nasos. Hes eating now its time to feed him ALOT and get him really fat. I am in the process of this with my Sailfin, For some reason he got really skinny because he quit eating for 2 weeks and now hes eating again. no idea what caused him to do that but he wasnt happy.

Yeah, maybe. However, the OP had no idea what was wrong with the fish when he decided to rescue it. It could have been brook, ich, cooties.

pktech
03/24/2015, 03:06 PM
Wait until that Empy starts to settle down & becomes the boss. Pass the popcorn ...

You did a very honorable thing & shows you care about fish in general. My short story is by adding a small puffer to my established tank with 3 beautiful, healthy fish turned into all 4 dying within a week because I made a careless purchase & wanted what I wanted without regard for my other fish. Lesson learned - no matter what even if it's free, any fish you bring home can't go into the general population.

Keep an eye on that tang & seriously that angel is going to harass everyone.
There's no need to flame Bdial anymore

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 03:08 PM
well thats just rude...why was it unwise of him to try to rescue it? you have no idea what his skill and ability is. The fish is now eating and the fish could very possibly not have any illness, angels get this way when stressed out and it could of just been stressed because it was in a small tank with terrible water params. These comments are just rude and completely off topic anyways. The thread is about someone trying to help a fish not get flamed for doing so.

Anyone that takes a sick fish (and really has no idea just what the fish is suffering from) and puts it into a main DT with other fish deserves a bit of flames. Not meant to be rude, just truthful.

The one fish would have been better off left where it was instead of trying to rescue it and risking established fish in the process.

addictedreefer
03/24/2015, 03:10 PM
I concur and again must note the very clearly visible small white lesions - parasites, not stress.

Only time will tell, but I would like OP to provide a pic of that PBT in 7 days.

cleverbs
03/24/2015, 03:15 PM
Anyone that takes a sick fish (and really has no idea just what the fish is suffering from) and puts it into a main DT with other fish deserves a bit of flames. Not meant to be rude, just truthful.

The one fish would have been better off left where it was instead of trying to rescue it and risking established fish in the process.

regardless how you justify your actions they are still rude...

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 03:44 PM
regardless how you justify your actions they are still rude...

I don't think I was all that rude really. Was it not unwise what the OP did? It surely was. Does the OP lack the skills and equipment to deal with a sick "rescued" fish? Yes, evident from his/her own postings here.

Rude? Nah. Inelegant perhaps.

Bdial
03/24/2015, 04:24 PM
All I was seeking was a verification on what if anything was wrong with my angel. I will not get in to the dispute of what my knowledge is,experience or skill. That said the white dots are gone today. And after another day of searching the splotches seem to be stress related. Probably from shipping and being in a poor holding facility. You'd be stressed to if you needed space and were in a 10gal tank.
Time will tell. For now the fish is eating and swimming. And if something will finally stand up to the pbt that would be nice. He's a jerk.

billsreef
03/24/2015, 04:39 PM
Those splotches are called focal depigmentation. It's a reaction to things such as parasites, like those nice white spots of Cryptocaryon (aka ich). While they have now fallen off, that is part of the life cycle, they drop off the fish in order to reproduce in the substrate. After which they reinfect the fish, and the other fish in the tank. I'd suggest reading the sticky thread on Crypt that is in the disease forum, and plan on the next step.

Bdial
03/24/2015, 05:31 PM
Thanks bill. I'll look up on it. I know I've had ich before. Pbt seems to get it every so often. He's a pig and it doesn't seem to bother him.
So because the angel has ich (or some parasite) he has also suffered depigementation?

billsreef
03/24/2015, 05:42 PM
Yes, the ich caused the depigmentation. Getting rid of the ich, and providing the fish good conditions and a good diet allows those depigmented areas to recover. Normally a full recovery can be expected, just got to get rid of the parasites first.

Bdial
03/24/2015, 05:43 PM
Thanks.

BuzzPion
03/24/2015, 07:49 PM
This might be a good thing to get for it: http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/angelixir.php

It has all the same stuff as is found in sponges. Good stuff.

It is good that it is eating, keep doing what you are doing and possibly add some NLS pellets soaked in angelixir. IME, fish can indeed survive ich in infected tanks. Trick is to keep them fat and stress free (which might be the most difficult).

Keep us posted. It might be stress related, but you might want to bone up on quarantine an the TTM just in case. Perhaps source some equipment for a QT if you don't have them on hand.

jdl242
03/24/2015, 08:57 PM
Hey pktech, how did you get the "Thread Ender" designation? Seriously though, I understand wanting to save a fish, but not at the possible expense of every other fish you already have.

ShesEasy
03/24/2015, 09:15 PM
maybe not every one has a QT?

macdaddynick1
03/24/2015, 10:11 PM
Lmao everyone acts like they have top of the line QTs or like they didn't make mistakes of getting a sick fish before. Ok prazipro is reef safe for the most part, (worms[emoji88]) , it's my favorite go to fish med http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/24/18f4ffcf0044cdc27dfb251b27df5af2.jpg with prazipro in it . angels are known for having flukes btw. And ick is not a big deal if you're tank is stable and your fish is healthy, IMO. good find I'm sure you picked him up for cheap too. [emoji106]

slapshot
04/03/2015, 07:28 PM
Looks like flukes to me. The fins are clear and that is where ich shows first and best. Treat with fw dips or better prazi