Bi-Color Angel wedged itself between rocks, now in bad shape

[flanque]

Hello,

I have an near adult sized bi-color angel. I came home today to discover it wedged itself between some rocks. It likes to swim fast so I assume it really miscalculated the gap.

Anyway, I got it out and it's eyes are cloudy and one of it's fins looks much smaller and worn away. It doesn't look like it's been nipped or it's shredded, it just looks like it's been rubbed away. I guess it looks a bit like nemo's little fin in the movie.

I've isolated him in the same tank but in a transparent container which has lots of large holes drilled into it. He doesn't appear to be stressed to be in this contain, but does look sick. It sometimes has trouble keeping itself upright which I know is a very bad sign.

I don't believe he was attacked. If anything this guy is very much in charge in the tank.

Is there anything I can add to the water, or I can do to hopefully save him? He's a beautiful specimen.

Thanks.




PS. I know I'm probably fighting a loosing battle, but I gotta give it a go.

 

[Sadielynn]

Keep your water clean and pristine , some recomend a dip in antibotic water but I think that by keeping the water clean and him having lower stress will help him heal ( cant think of its name off hand I think it is this stuff
E.M. ErythromycinT.C. Tetracycline ) keep him well fed and use something like selcon to fortify his food and he should pull through . You could place him in qt but it sounds like he had a battle with the rocks and not the others , so it would be less benificial to move him .

 

[melosu58]

Yes if he has cloudy eyes then it`s a bacterial thing. As Sadie said try stressing him as little as possible. Selcon and garlic in his food might help. As Sadie said also that excellent water conditions are needed by doing frequent PWC`s.

 

[flanque]

It's the next day now and he's still alive, but laying on his side in the isolation container.

I'm not hopeful. :?

 

[Sadielynn]

Try letting him back into the tank ... It sounds like he is stressing more in the container than he would in the tank... He has been through a huge trauma and needs to be able to hide to feel safe ...

 

[flanque]

OK, it's now some 14 hours later and he seems a good deal better. He's upright, holding buoyancy and alignment, and seems overall better. He does look like he's been through the wars but he is much better than yesterday. He doesn't seem stressed, but how do you really measure it in his condition?

I put some flake in the container but as I expected he didn't take to it which he normally would. I am guessing this could still be due to the shock of his misadventure, or because he's in a confined space.

I am now wondering if there's any significant value in Sadielynn's suggestion. It seems logical at first glance, but I've never dealt with a situation like this. Is it likely the other fish would attack or harass him given his vulnerability? I also wonder if he'll just be too weak for the current of the water and it'll wear him out or he'll get stuck under some rock.

I guess it's a balancing act between the security and safety of the container or the 'freedom' of the whole tank.

What do you think? melosu58, I'm particularly interested in your thoughts.

 

[cmor1701d]

Keep doing PWC's and let it swim free in the tank. It will be able to find hiding spaces when it feels the need and swim freely the rest of the time (which it also needs). If you are that worried then place it in a QT tank where it can least swim freely. It needs that as much as anything else.
I also would soak the flake in garlic extract (read directions - 2 drops) and Selcon.

 

[melosu58]

Yes I`m concerned about him being in the container. I think it is raising the stress factor. I do understand your concern about other fish messing with him. My thinking is if you are going to leave him in there I would QT him and treat with antibacterial. Please dont treat in main as it will hurt your good bacteria. In my own personal experience I`ve let them in the main and concentrated on frequent every other day PWC`s about 10%. I think Sadie lynn does have a good point. BTW I dont think the fish got this way from getting wedged in the rock. Fish get stuck in rocks and on filter intakes because they are already sick. Lot of times we dont know they are sick till it`s too late. I hope all works out well. Keep us informed.

http://www.seasky.org/aquarium/aquarium_diseases.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=7

 

[flanque]

You may be right but at the same time I saw him regularly try to fit through holes too small for him, only to have to wiggle backwards to escape. He wasn't being chased, he just decided that he wanted to go through the hole.

Perhaps he was caught in an area where he couldn't turn around (like a cave) and through frantic actions caused himself damage.

I don't believe it was caused by the other fish. He went into this tank and quickly established himself as dominant, even over the scopas tang which surprised me.

I'll let him out and see how it goes. I'll let you know.


Thanks for all the tips.


-------------------------------------
A few minutes later...


OK. Discovered the cause. I let him back into the tank and the tang went straight at him and started slashing him with his spurs. The damsel then got in on the act and when the angel tried to hide he would 'flush him out' for the tang.

Luckily I was able to recapture the angel. I think I'm going to have to make a hospital tank to heal him up then I think the tang is leaving. I don't know I trust the damsel to leave the angel alone in this sick state.

Mystery solved.

 

[flanque]

OK, well its been a few days now and things are looking positive. His eyes are now back to normal (no clouding), he's much more active and alert too. I've put him into a hospital tank on his own with some rock and old dead coral, for hiding. He doesn't seem to want to hide much though.

I put in some high protein flake and he ate the smaller bits. I then put in a bit of defrosted brine shrimp and again he ate the little bits. I'm hoping he's not taking to the larger feed just because of his injuries and recovery period.

I guess the next thing to do would be to keep him well fed and in good water conditions.

Any other tips?

 

[melosu58]

I guess the next thing to do would be to keep him well fed and in good water conditions.

Any other tips?

No those two will do.

 

[flanque]

I'm having real difficulty getting him to eat. When he does, its just very minimal, but mostly swims up to the food quick, then doesn't make the commitment to eat it.

Even tried soaking the brine shrimp in garlic.

Any thoughts?

 

[melosu58]

Try mysis shrimp. It is better for him.

 

[flanque]

I'll give it a shot, but if he doesn't take to the brine, will he likely take to the mysis? It's much bigger.

 

[melosu58]

Well one thing is that it`s better for him anyway. Brine shrimp is like you and me sitting down to supper to a plate of twinkies. If you can get him to eat it they will be better for his system.