Hippo Tang sick with ich

[EvilTwin]

A few weeks ago, I purchased a small hippo tang for my 75g tank. I did not QT right away and within a day I had spots showing up. I immediately took her out of that tank and moved to QT. I started using Ich-Attack in the QT to try and clear it up. After about a week I found her lying on the bottom one morning, unable to swim upright. over the next day, the spots began appearing more and more.

Figuring I should try and go the hyposalinity route, I began doing slow water changes throughout the day yesterday to lower the salinity. It eventually ended up at 1.014 sg. at this point, 24 hours later, she seems to be much less lethargic, and occasionally struggles to get around the tank, but is still unable to swim upright. I've been askid if I thought she was just trying to hide, but I don't think that is it. I can literally pick her up off the bottom, only to have her try and swim again, but go right to the bottom and them swim on her side until she finds a place to rest. It's as though she just can't swim upright.

So is there anything else I can do? The spots pre not as prominent today, but still visible. She seems to be very resiliant and is struggling to swim, but I want to do anything I can to help without making it worse.

 

[Hara]

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

There is step by step directions on hyposalinity. They discuss taking the salinity down farther than where you are now and maintaining this for 4-6 weeks.

The ich will not get better overnight. It will take awhile.

 

[EvilTwin]

The ich will not get better overnight. It will take awhile.

I expected this, but I was more concerned about the fact that she can't really swim at all, and whether this is significant in the treatment.

 

[steve-s]

Hyposalinity is the least invasive and least stressful you can use for C irritans. You do need to be sure the salinity is lowered to 14 ppt and that you are using a proper refractometer to measure the salinity, not a swing arm hydrometer.

Be sure when lowering the salinity you use buffered RO water to ensure alkalinity and pH are properly maintained. Also test the alk/pH at least 2x daily and buffer as needed. The diluted salinity also means diluted chemistry so it will be common for both of these to fall off. Have plenty of SW at the correct salinity mixed and ready for help in maintaining water quality. Ammonia and nitrite should be kept as low as possible.

What are your water parameters/chemistry levels?

As far as the lack of locamotive control, can you be a little more descriptive and post any additional symptoms. ie... belly swelling, abnormal color, red areas, sunken belly, abbrasions and so on.

Cheers
Steve

 

[EvilTwin]

PH is 8.2. sg is 1.012 after another 1 gallon change (12 tank). Ammonia, Nitrites, nitrates are all zero.

She has no visible blemishes, lesions, abbrasions etc, with the exception of the spots from the ich. As I look today, it appears much of what was there yesteday are still there today. As for swimming, she spends nearly all of her time on one side at the bottom of the tank. she will move to a place that has her pretty much shielded, under the edge of one of the two rocks I put in for cover, or at the base of the filter up-pipe. If I move the rock, she will immediately begin flapping, which will carry her on her side until the reaches the tank wall, but never gets upright. After a few minutes she will flap herself, again on her side only, until she comes to rest under a rock edge.

 

[steve-s]

PH is 8.2. sg is 1.012 after another 1 gallon change (12 tank).

Measured with a hydrometer or refractometer?

Ammonia, Nitrites, nitrates are all zero.

What about pH and alkalinity?

As for swimming, she spends nearly all of her time on one side at the bottom of the tank. she will move to a place that has her pretty much shielded, under the edge of one of the two rocks I put in for cover, or at the base of the filter up-pipe. If I move the rock, she will immediately begin flapping, which will carry her on her side until the reaches the tank wall, but never gets upright. After a few minutes she will flap herself, again on her side only, until she comes to rest under a rock edge.

Was this an LFS purchase or e-tailer? If LFS, was the tang at any time pinned by the net?

Cheers
Steve

 

[EvilTwin]

At the risk of sounding stupid, I figure a picture would better show things. Perhaps I have misdiagnosed, perhaps not. The picture is not that great but maybe someone can confirm ich or something else:

I get the feeling this might be something other than ich, but I really don't know.

In addition, sg was measured with a hydrometer. Refractometer is in the mail. Should be a day or two.

Haven't checked alk in this tank yet. Will post later. PH is 8.2

I got her at a LFS. I don't think they even netted her. Understand that she was in my 75g tank for a day before I started seeing the spots. I didn't see them when I bought her. Stress induced?

Here's 2 more:

 

[EvilTwin]

Sadly, my tang died last night. I guess it was something that I knew was inevitable. It was just a matter of how long it would take. I had her for two weeks before she finally died. I'm just sorry the poor thing suffered so bad.

What really bothers me about this whole ordeal is that when a problem like this comes up, most inexperienced people (which is probably most of us) will try using some type of medication we get at the LFS because it is supposed to do what it says it will. I have found that these treatments typically do little, if any good at all, yet the companies producing them have no one to answer to, no regulation, etc. And in the end all they do is delay the proper treatments and it causes the fish's death.

Anyways, thanks to those who helped out by posting suggestions and advice. I guess it was just a case of being too late to save her. Perhaps I'll try again with another one sometime in the near future. We shall see.

 

[roka64]

I'm sorry for your loss....

 

[steve-s]

Sorry for your loss.

FWIW, I don't think that's C. irritans. Looks more like a parasitic copepod or an external worm. Would need better pics for confirmation but that would be moot at this point. Hyposalinity would not have cured it in any event.

Cheers
Steve

 

[EvilTwin]

I had a bad feeling that someone might tell me that after I posted those pictures. I have to admit that up until now I have not had any experience with these types of parasites. I see so much how tangs are prone to ich, so I guess I immediately thought that is what it must be. In the event it is one of the things you suggested, what would have been the best course of action, so I know for next time?

 

[steve-s]

I have to admit that up until now I have not had any experience with these types of parasites.

Don't beat yourself up about it. Many don't and never will.

In the event it is one of the things you suggested, what would have been the best course of action, so I know for next time?

With better detailed pics it might be easier to narrow down but if a "gunshot" approach is needed a series of formlin dips will usually work best. You also need to be careful with tangs especially as they can often be infected with multiple parasites. ie... worms, velvet, uronema, ich ect. Hobbyist diagnosis is not a perfect science at the best of times so there's no one solution for all things. It's finding the one remedy with commonality that best fits multiple possible problems. Sometimes it takes more than one approach or a combination of meds.

Cheers
Steve