how to treat new liveaquaria arrivals

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 12:04 PM

I just got some fish from liveaquaria, and they all seem to have some various issues.

The tang has white spots (larger than ich, although it appears to possibly have ich too), as well as these brown spots that almost look like open sores.
watch full screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsLbDUB***Q

The chromis also have white/brown spots all over them, holes in their fins, though no ich-like stuff I can see for sure.
watch full screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob9TQaIUXlk

I'm thinking I should dose cupramine, stress guard, and maracyn plus for the tang. And for the chromis do maracyn plus and stress guard? Or would bifuran be appropriate instead of the maracyn plus in both cases?

I also have prazipro available, but I don't think any of this is flukes. I also have formalin and methylene blue if anyone feels some kind of treatment would be appropriate.

jcw · 04/19/2012, 12:20 PM

Irritating. As the cost of owning these fish just doubled or tripled or worse.

You can't send them back, you can't flush them(although MANY fish stores, distributors, wholesellers, collectors would), many feel obligated to treat them.

Best of luck to you and your fishes.

The larger white spots on the fish might be lymphocystis.

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 12:24 PM

Well I ordered enough shipping was free. And if they die in 14 days I get full refund. Yea annoying as they were definitely sick before sending them. They don't get like this in 18 hours from boxing to arrival.

albano · 04/19/2012, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f3honda4me

Yea annoying as they were definitely sick before sending them. They don't get like this in 18 hours from boxing to arrival.

Live Aquaria fish are shipped direct from a Calif. wholesaler...I would guess that they are netted, bagged, and boxed in minutes, with little time to 'hand pick' each fish. I believe they do suggest QT for all purchases.
The good news is that LA does guarantee the fish and hopefully they 'heal up' for you!

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 12:38 PM

Looking for suggestions on my selected course of treatment before I do anything. Actually, looks like stress guard isn't compatible with cupramine. So I wonder if I shold do cupramine and maracyn plus, or do hyposalinity and maracyn plus and stress guard for the tang.

snorvich · 04/19/2012, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f3honda4me

Looking for suggestions on my selected course of treatment before I do anything. Actually, looks like stress guard isn't compatible with cupramine. So I wonder if I shold do cupramine and maracyn plus, or do hyposalinity and maracyn plus and stress guard for the tang.

Divers Den fish are conditioned. Quality Marine fish are not. No vendor truly quarantines because if they did, price would be much higher. You might read my blog about tank transfer.

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 01:53 PM

Yea I know that divers den is different than from just liveaquaria, I just didn't realize how different heh.

readmeli · 04/19/2012, 02:24 PM

Hi,

I work for Drs. Foster & Smith. f3honda4me, have you contacted Customer Service? They would really like to work with you to help recommend care, medicating, etc., and of course you should get the condition of the fish on file. Please call them at 800-334-3699 (alternately, if you want to PM me your order number, I can send it to Customer Service and they will contact you).

Thanks

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 02:29 PM

I will call them right away, thank you!

Dr Colliebreath · 04/19/2012, 05:48 PM

Definitely let LA guide you in treatment. They have experienced personnel whose job is dealing with new and sick fish (plus a vested interest in getting the fish to pull through).

f3honda4me · 04/19/2012, 05:58 PM

They said they felt maracyn and stress guard was a good way to go. If I see ich for sure ill drop salinity to 1.009 to treat that way. I'm also debating throwing prazi pro in there.

MrTuskfish · 04/20/2012, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readmeli

Hi,

I work for Drs. Foster & Smith. f3honda4me, have you contacted Customer Service? They would really like to work with you to help recommend care, medicating, etc., and of course you should get the condition of the fish on file. Please call them at 800-334-3699 (alternately, if you want to PM me your order number, I can send it to Customer Service and they will contact you).

Thanks

I think a call to Cust. S or Tech Support should be a 1st call in many situations and with many dealers /mfgs.; a very under-used resource....IMO & IME.

I've been a customer of Foster & Smith since they were a 3 vet office in Minocqua.(I still miss the Northwoods, at least in the summer.) I have never done business with any company, in any business, that offers better customer service. I won't even ask Melissa for any free stuff!

snorvich · 04/20/2012, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

I have never done business with any company, in any business, that offers better customer service.

I sure agree with that. Beyond compare.

f3honda4me · 04/20/2012, 04:02 PM

The chromis look awful today. I think they are on their last legs.

Tang looks about the same. he's eating good though. I have his salinity down to 1.015, getting closer to the eventual 1.009 for hypo. I might dose prazipro too.

The banggai cardinals I got look great, though I haven't seen them eat yet. They are tank bred though so I think they should come around.

f3honda4me · 04/21/2012, 07:59 AM

Lost 2 of the chromis.

MrTuskfish · 04/21/2012, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f3honda4me

Lost 2 of the chromis.

Just an observation from someone who spends fair amount of time on this part of the RC forum: Something is going on with Chromis, they seem to have recently become very difficult to acclimate and keep. They used to be fairly bulletproof fish, not anymore.

greenskull · 04/21/2012, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

Just an observation from someone who spends fair amount of time on this part of the RC forum: Something is going on with Chromis, they seem to have recently become very difficult to acclimate and keep. They used to be fairly bulletproof fish, not anymore.

Maybe the chromis have been cyanide collected? Really sorry to hear about the sick fish..... makes you wonder how much stress they really go through before reaching our tanks. Please keep posting updates and good luck with everything.

f3honda4me · 04/21/2012, 02:27 PM

These chromis arrived in terrible shape to begin with though. For what it's worth.

f3honda4me · 04/21/2012, 03:01 PM

Cardinal fish ate today. Frozen pe mysis. The tang is eating good. Hopefully the tang will be ok. The last of the chromis probably won't make it through another night.

geaux xman · 04/21/2012, 05:50 PM

success rate with chromis are just very poor to begin with. partly b/c they can be aggressive amongst their own kind and partly might be b/c they are mishandled in transport(b/c they are cheap?).

it is pretty hard to successfully keep a group of chromis. i think the majority of people that do have a group of them, just replace them as they die.

Triton_Z · 04/21/2012, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

Just an observation from someone who spends fair amount of time on this part of the RC forum: Something is going on with Chromis, they seem to have recently become very difficult to acclimate and keep. They used to be fairly bulletproof fish, not anymore.

I agree. I had a order about 5 months of large chromis damsels and 4 of the 7 did not survive the first 3 hours after shipment. The remaining three survived QT and are currently in the display. LA took care of the credits.

I suspect rough handling and poor health to start with prior to shipment.

Glad to see LA post and take care of your problem. Their customer service is A+ and they are great to deal with.

Good luck with your fish.

f3honda4me · 04/26/2012, 11:12 AM

Update:

All 3 chromis are gone now.

LA, per their excellent service as always, provided a refund on the chromis. On the bright side, however, I was able to buy a grouped trio of replacement black axil chromis from divers den, and they arrived in pristine and beautiful condition.

The tang has improved, but still not out of the woods yet IMO. I finished 3 doses of maracyn plus over the first week, and continue to dose stress guard every couple days. I also have him in 1.008 - 1.009 salinity, and today dosed prazipro proactively since I'm not positive of what he all has or caused his condition. He eats good though, and enjoys flakes, frozen mysis, pellets, and nori seaweed.

04/19/2012, 12:04 PM	#1
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	how to treat new liveaquaria arrivals I just got some fish from liveaquaria, and they all seem to have some various issues. The tang has white spots (larger than ich, although it appears to possibly have ich too), as well as these brown spots that almost look like open sores. watch full screen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsLbDUB***Q The chromis also have white/brown spots all over them, holes in their fins, though no ich-like stuff I can see for sure. watch full screen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob9TQaIUXlk I'm thinking I should dose cupramine, stress guard, and maracyn plus for the tang. And for the chromis do maracyn plus and stress guard? Or would bifuran be appropriate instead of the maracyn plus in both cases? I also have prazipro available, but I don't think any of this is flukes. I also have formalin and methylene blue if anyone feels some kind of treatment would be appropriate.

04/19/2012, 12:20 PM	#2
jcw Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: elmhurst, il Posts: 1,778	Irritating. As the cost of owning these fish just doubled or tripled or worse. You can't send them back, you can't flush them(although MANY fish stores, distributors, wholesellers, collectors would), many feel obligated to treat them. Best of luck to you and your fishes. The larger white spots on the fish might be lymphocystis. __________________ I don't think Coral can live very long under Sun light. It's too yellow. ...get yourself some LED's. -eznet2u Current Tank Info: 125g DT, custom 30g sump, ATB elegance, eheim 1260, mp40 (too many failed wetsides), gyre 150 (love it)

04/19/2012, 02:24 PM	#8
readmeli Do you see me SMIZING? Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Rhinelander, WI Posts: 203	Hi, I work for Drs. Foster & Smith. f3honda4me, have you contacted Customer Service? They would really like to work with you to help recommend care, medicating, etc., and of course you should get the condition of the fish on file. Please call them at 800-334-3699 (alternately, if you want to PM me your order number, I can send it to Customer Service and they will contact you). Thanks __________________ ~Melissa Current Tank Info: No tanks, but lots of "by association".

04/19/2012, 05:48 PM	#10
Dr Colliebreath Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: DC Vicinity Posts: 1,813	Definitely let LA guide you in treatment. They have experienced personnel whose job is dealing with new and sick fish (plus a vested interest in getting the fish to pull through). __________________ Frank Current Tank Info: 110 Oceanic RR w/35 gal sump and SRO XP2000 int

04/21/2012, 05:50 PM	#20
geaux xman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 3,279	success rate with chromis are just very poor to begin with. partly b/c they can be aggressive amongst their own kind and partly might be b/c they are mishandled in transport(b/c they are cheap?). it is pretty hard to successfully keep a group of chromis. i think the majority of people that do have a group of them, just replace them as they die. __________________ - Miracles 180g 60x30x23" rimless FOWLR - Youtube video: Miracles 180g March 2013

04/19/2012, 12:24 PM	#3
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Well I ordered enough shipping was free. And if they die in 14 days I get full refund. Yea annoying as they were definitely sick before sending them. They don't get like this in 18 hours from boxing to arrival.

04/19/2012, 12:38 PM	#5
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Looking for suggestions on my selected course of treatment before I do anything. Actually, looks like stress guard isn't compatible with cupramine. So I wonder if I shold do cupramine and maracyn plus, or do hyposalinity and maracyn plus and stress guard for the tang.

04/19/2012, 01:53 PM	#7
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Yea I know that divers den is different than from just liveaquaria, I just didn't realize how different heh.

04/19/2012, 02:29 PM	#9
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	I will call them right away, thank you!

04/19/2012, 05:58 PM	#11
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	They said they felt maracyn and stress guard was a good way to go. If I see ich for sure ill drop salinity to 1.009 to treat that way. I'm also debating throwing prazi pro in there.

04/20/2012, 04:02 PM	#14
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	The chromis look awful today. I think they are on their last legs. Tang looks about the same. he's eating good though. I have his salinity down to 1.015, getting closer to the eventual 1.009 for hypo. I might dose prazipro too. The banggai cardinals I got look great, though I haven't seen them eat yet. They are tank bred though so I think they should come around.

04/21/2012, 07:59 AM	#15
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Lost 2 of the chromis.

04/21/2012, 02:27 PM	#18
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	These chromis arrived in terrible shape to begin with though. For what it's worth.

04/21/2012, 03:01 PM	#19
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Cardinal fish ate today. Frozen pe mysis. The tang is eating good. Hopefully the tang will be ok. The last of the chromis probably won't make it through another night.

04/26/2012, 11:12 AM	#22
f3honda4me Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,218	Update: All 3 chromis are gone now. LA, per their excellent service as always, provided a refund on the chromis. On the bright side, however, I was able to buy a grouped trio of replacement black axil chromis from divers den, and they arrived in pristine and beautiful condition. The tang has improved, but still not out of the woods yet IMO. I finished 3 doses of maracyn plus over the first week, and continue to dose stress guard every couple days. I also have him in 1.008 - 1.009 salinity, and today dosed prazipro proactively since I'm not positive of what he all has or caused his condition. He eats good though, and enjoys flakes, frozen mysis, pellets, and nori seaweed.