Sick Royal Gramma

[Cunningham]

Ive had this fish in my quarantine tank for over two weeks now and the reason I took it out of the main tank is cuz it was layin against a rock not moving so I used my finger and chased it in the net so I've bin treating with ick treatments and other treatments for disease but this thing and it's still just swimming in one spot of the tank but it moves to a different spot every once in a while and it's not eating
Any ideas?

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

What are you trying to feed it? You could try feeding it mysis, brine, blood worms, flakes, cyclopeeze, ect. Trying a variety of foods until you find something it likes. I know when I had a sick clown it would only eat very very small pieces of food, I had to break up the flakes really tiny and also fed cyclopeeze. Soaking the food in garlic sometimes makes it more appealing for the fish as well.

 

[joy13]

If you are treating the fish randomly it you make be doing more harm than good. Most fish are caught using poison so adding random meds might not be the best way to treat. As Kelsey said use something like garlic guard. It doesn't look like it has ick.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

It also doesn't look like there is much in that tank, did you cycle it or move over some cycled media from the main tank?? If not the ammonia in the water would surely be making him unhappy. I'd do some water changes, get some fresh SW in there.

 

[Cunningham]

Ya obviously the tank is cycled lol
It's an empty tank a keep and I have the filter that's on it now usually running on my main setup just for this reason and when I fill the quarantine tank i use water from the main tank so it's all the same water and everything is good
There's a few hiding spots but nothing really cuz it's usually empty and dry
As for the food I've bin tryin everything it's always eatin
And the Meds well I tried two different treatments and did them the way it's supposed to be done with water changes and everything
I just don't wanna flush it if it's not dead

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Sounds like you've done everything correct I think at this point I would do some water changes to get the medicine out of the tank and then maybe add some of seachems stress guard and concentrate on trying to get him to eat. Like I said try smaller pieces of food, that might work. Also maybe add a bucket or something in there for him to hide in, might make him feel less stressed if he's not out in the open.

 

[Cunningham]

Ya I'm gonna Do a good water change again and i do have a couple hiding spots but it just swims from corner to corner and just sits in the same spot for the whole day
But thanks I'm gonna try some of that stress stuff and hopefully it eats
When should I give up? It's bin 3 weeks now

 

[joy13]

Personally I wouldn't give up but that is just the way I am. You have it in a QT away from the other fish so it isn't like it is going to cause problems in your DT.

 

[Cunningham]

Good news the fish ate some brine shrimp
I thawed a cube and it ate about 5 pieces but I had to use an eye dropper thing and put it right in it's face and squirt a bit out
I'll keep everyone posted

 

[Sarcothelia]

Feed more than just brine, like mysis, krill, as brine is pretty lacking in nutrients. A healthy fish is a happ(ier) fish.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Good! This makes me happy I personally wouldn't give up either, but I have a hard time killing anything! haha I feel bad when I accidently squish a amphipode or copepod!

 

[ryshark]

IME those fish just act that way. My Royal Gramma only hung out in one are of my tank for months and still only stays on the left 1/4 of the tank when he is outside of his hiding spot. Sounds to me like you stressed out a fish that was healthy to begin with.
How long was it in your main tank before you put it into the QT it is in now?
Was it eating in the main tank?
You mentioned you are treating it for ich, did you see white spots on the fish?

 

[Cunningham]

I had it in my main tank for about a year and it never acted the way I was
I actually stuck the net in and my other hand and touched the fish with my finger to get it in the net
It was sick with something
But ya it's not just brine shrimp it's a carnivore diet so a bunch of things

 

[Cunningham]

Well it finally died
It lasted over a month

 

[Sarcothelia]

That's a shame.