Flame Angel Dying- URGENT PLZ HELP

[Capnbob]

I have had a flame angel in my 46 bow since February 10th.

On about the 1st of March I noticed he had a cloudy eye. I read up on it and it seemed the consensus was to just wait a while because it was only one eye and see if it gets better of make a quarantine tank. I admit laziness on this one... I waited opposed to buying and setting up a quarantine tank. For the last 2 days or so I haven’t seen him much. He’s been hiding behind all my live rock.

Today I came home and he’s belly-up on the bottom of the tank. He’s still alive but clearly dying. He looks fine aside from the fact that he’s belly-up and his one cloudy eye.

My question is, is it worth it now to try to save him? Should I set up a quarantine tank and if so what should I treat it with??

In case it’s asked here’s my equipment list:

46 gallon bowfront. Rena XP3 Canister Filter, Coralife Super Skimmer for up to 65 gallons. Two Maxi-Jet 1200's with Hydor Flo water deflectors. 200 Watt Marineland Stealth heater. About 50-70 lbs. of live rock. Current USA 36" Power Compacts w/ 1 - Dual Daylight Lamp (10,000K and 6,700K) and 1 - Dual Actinic Lamp (420nm and 460nm).

Last I checked (a few days ago) water parameters were great. I’ll repost in a few minutes after I’m done rechecking.

Any help is much appreciated!

[danorth]

I have had horrible luck with this fish. Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. It sounds like folding time. Sorry to read it none the less.

[Capnbob]

Here's my parameters:

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
PHG: 8.2
Salinity: 1.025

[Capnbob]

Okay... So now he's no longer belly-up. He was just sitting in place and now he's kind of swimming a little bit in place and the bottom of the tank behind my rocks. Should I still consider him a as good as dead?

[Hal]

Everyone needs to decide this for themself. Personally I think that every living being deserves reasonable efforts, including my fish. If it were me, I'd diagnose the illness and treat, for the reasons I just said. Where there's life, there's hope.

I'm not up on cloudy eyes, but that sounds either bacterial or viral. If so, I'd treat with the recommended drug, (likely either Maracyn and Maracyn 2).

We've also all heard a few stories of fish left for dead that made amazing recoveries given just a little TLC.

You can think of it another way too. For a $10 investment in drugs or whatever, you might be able to save a $40-50 fish. If you don't try to save it, odds are you're going to be out of pocket that $40-50 to replace the fish. Purely an economic model.

Good luck.

[jallard]

personally I would put him in a QT/hospital tank. If the fish had a cloudy eye....it could have simply been damaged or it could have a bacterial infection. Obviously if the fish is acting sick, swimming belly up and such it's safe to assume it suffering from more than a banged up eye. Fish CAN die from bacterial infections and that's what I would presonally treat it for.

And yes I personally would try to treat the fish.....even at this point.

[Capnbob]

So I've set up a 10 gal. QT for him. I added Nitrofurazone to the QT which is supposed to treat bacterial diseases. I wasn't sure what else to add and that's what the guy who I usually work with at the LFS suggested.

He's not doing well though. He's floating upside-down again and not moving.

[jallard]

well it's possible its too late but I would use display tank water and dose it with the medicine.....what have ya got to loose. You should have something in there for flow too.....a PH or HOB filter