sick Harlequin Tuskfish Please help!

[vbrady]

I just purchased a Harlequin Tuskfish on friday. Sunday morning I go to check on him and his left eye has become puffy and clouded but his right eye looks normal, and he is laying behind a piece of coral not moving much and breathing heavily. I freaked out and immediately called the pet store and they asked me what the salinity was. I have it at between 1.024-1.025 and he said it was WAY too high so I removed some water and did a freshwater drip until the salinity was 1.022. The tuskfish is the only fish in a 55 gallon with crushed coral substrate and some live rock.
Stats on the tank are:
salinity 1.022
pH - 8.0
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 40 ppm (I have had the tank up 2.5 months with 15-20 gallon water changes 1X per week and am now doing them every two days to lower the nitrates)
phosphate - 0
alkalinity ~ 2.2
temp – lowered yesterday from 80 to 78 to get more oxygen in the system
I have two pumps going to an undergravel filter, could it be nitrogen supersaturation? I don't know what to do.
I am panicking and don't want to lose this beautiful fish. Please tell me if there is anything I can do.
Thank you
Vivian

 

[ReefLady]

called the pet store and they asked me what the salinity was. I have it at between 1.024-1.025 and he said it was WAY too high

Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever you told them your salinity was, it would have been "wrong"? I would ask them why they think it is too high, as these fish are imported from the Indo-Pacific, where the average reef temperatures are in the low 80's, and salinity is approx. 1.025 - 1.026.

Take a peek at this article to see what the "real" issue might be:

>>A Gentle Bruiser of a Wrasse, The Harlequin Tuskfish, Choerodon (Lienardella) fasciata <<

Quoted from the above-referenced article:

Country of Origin: Choerodon from Australian sources are best (these have bluish bordered red stripes and teeth) with a few other Indo-Pacific localities vying in consistent high-quality. Decidedly inferior are specimens hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia. Whether these are simply starved, otherwise mishandled or outright cyanided, the fact is on average they are relatively much shorter-lived; weeks instead of years. Are these fish better because they're cheaper?

On a related note, Time In Captivity may be your best indication of "Origin" as dealers frequently have poor or misleading information concerning where their livestock was collected. Do wait a good two weeks before making a purchase of a new specimen; OR, if you're a dealer, secure a guarantee as to origin COUPLED with a warrantee.

I'm not sure what is specifically happening to your fish, it could be shock/trauma from shipping & transportation. Do you know how long the LFS had it before you purchased it?
What is your pH reading, and how much does it fall at night?

Keep us posted, and best of luck - they truly are a beautiful fish.

 

[vbrady]

The fish store I got it from the guy when down to a florida wholesaler to get it and just brought it back with him thursday and I picked it up friday. My ph is 8.0. What do you mean how much does it fall? You mean my temperature? I have a submersible heater with a temperature meter on it and my glass thermometer confirms it says at the temp I set it as which now is 78 .

 

[ReefLady]

My ph is 8.0. What do you mean how much does it fall? You mean my temperature?

Nope - the pH. Normally, SW tanks will see a fluctuation in pH -- it should be highest right before your lights go out, and lowest at night - right before your lights go on. If you are measuring in the afternoon and getting a 8.0 reading, it is possible that it is dipping quite low at night.

Our pH is typically 7.95 late at night, and 8.35 toward the end of the photoperiod.

 

[vbrady]

I just tested again and got 8.0 The light has been out since sunday (yesterday) mornign to try to reduce the stress to the fish.
Do you have any suggestions of something to do for my fish?

 

[ReefLady]

Do you have any suggestions of something to do for my fish?

I wish I did, but not knowing what is wrong with it, it's difficult to offer generic suggestions. My best guess is that the fish is a victim of stress from poor capture/transport methods - possibly it is cyanide caught. I honestly don't know what to do for fish which are exposed to these circumstances, or if anything can be done. The only advice I could possibly offer (which I believe you are already doing) is to maintain a stress-free environment, and insure that the water parameters are good and stable. Possibly offer it some meaty foods from time to time.

I'll post in the Advisors forum to see if there is a more knowledge *fish* person who can offer other suggestions.

 

[reefrunner69]

The fish is suffering from popeye (name is discriptive), popeye is most commonly caused by bacterial infection, high metal concentration in the water and physical injury.

Without trying to sound to critical, you should never purchase a fish the day after (or the day) the LFS gets the fish, instead put a [refundable or transferable) deposit on the fish and allow them to hold the fish for a week. During this time you should visit your fish often, make sure it is eating n=and has not contracted a disease or parasitic infestation. Next step is acclimation, how did you acclimate your new fish? A drip acclimation of several hours is best.

If this were my fish the first thing I would do is remove it to a QT tank, I would treat the tank with penicillan (one of the best for eyes) and soak all foods in vitamins.

 

[vbrady]

I don't want to move to a QT tank because that would just be extra stress on the fish. I'm more worried about the laying listless and breathing heavy than the eye. What kind of vitamins do you recommend soaking the food in.

 

[ReefLady]

Selcon & Zoe are both reputable marine vitamins.

 

[vbrady]

Does anyone know of anything I could add to the water without having to move him to a QT so I don't have to stress him out by moving him?

 

[reefrunner69]

You could try melafix, it isn't supposed to effect the biofilter, it is supposed to be reef safe, and is is a mild natural antibiotic.

 

[vbrady]

Is there anyone out there that has succesfully used this in a tank with live rock and have it not hurt anything?
From what I've looked up about it so far it seems good but I would like to hear someone say that they actually used it instead of companies that are trying to sell it saying its good.

 

[reefrunner69]

I have read of plenty of personal experiences in FW and SW, I have used it in SW (although never a reef) with no effect on the biological filter, and I have read of personal experiences with it in reefs with no ill effects.

 

[vbrady]

I think I will pick some melafix at the store tomorrow then and give it a try.
Do you know anythign about epsom salt, no one can seen to agree on it. Some people say its totally reef saft go ahead and add it and other people say no way don't add it to your tank.
Anyone have any opinions on epsom salt and whether it is safe with live rock?

 

[reefrunner69]

It's safe, but basically your adding Mag. Mag is not used up all that much in your system and is rarely needed to supplament, most don't even test for it unless they are having CA and ALK balance problems. If you decide to use it...make sure you test for it.

http://ozreef.org/diy/magnesium_additive.html

 

[vbrady]

thanks so much for your help!!
I am going to go get some melafix tomorrow and try it and pray that my little baby will be alright.
If anyone thinks that I should not use melafix please let me know.

 

[Michel]

I personnaly have used malafix in my tank and it did nothing to my inverts or anemones and I have 3 so.... But it did not help my Clarkii clown either ... I guess it was too late ! One piece of advice though, if you have a skimmer turn it off for a week since you my mhave a bubble bath in the room !
It did not affet Mag or Alk

 

[vbrady]

I am taking a quick break between classes today but tonight when I get home I will be taking some kind of action to help the fish.
My options are a freshwater dip, a medicine dip, add melafix to tank, add epsom salts to tank, move to quarentine and medicate with maracin. Any others?
I just want anyone to throw their two cents in on which I should do. If you can PLEASE respond by tonight because I will go out immediately after I check this tonight after classes and go get some kind of medicine and treat him when I get home.
THANKS!

 

[BillyZ]

just to be sure, those are your options, but I wouldn't do all of them at the same time. At this point I believe the most stress your fish is under is do to the fact that it is severly ill. Here are my $.02:

Use water FROM your main display tank to fill a QT tank and get it started. (check out our article on setting up a Quarantine) Put some fake plants in there if you want to offer some comfort (just remember to only use these plants in the QT tank and always rinse thuroughly and let them sit out dry between uses of the QT tank)

give the fish a FW dip on it's way to the QT tank and treat the QT tank with maracin. IMO, i don't know as though the epsom salts will really do you any good.

Offer some food thats been enriched as described by the others but be sure to remove anything he doesn't eat after 4 or 5 minutes. The last thing you want to do is raise the ammonia in the QT tank.

 

[Biggen]

I will second Reefrunner's and Michel's suggestions about Melafix. I am currently using it in my reef tank which houses LR, inverts, and fish. So far no ill effects at all. Everyone seems to be doing great. In fact, my Coral Beauty's tail is healing up quite nicely and I am only on day two of treatment (his frayed tail was the reason I started treatment).

As Michel says, TURN OFF THE PROTEIN SKIMMER when using Melafix. You will have a monster of a bubble bath within minutes of adding it if you don't. I didn't know this before hand and all of a sudden found a "foam party" in the sump. (They should really put this in the directions).

On thing to consider. Will the FW dip do any good for bacterial infections? I though those dips were only for parasitic problems. I could be totally wrong, however...