flaky scales

[melissfish]

i have 1 chromy in my tank whose scales are flaking off. My supplier reccommends treating the display tank with vertaid as it wont harm my invertabrates or anything in the tank. Is this ok to use as i want to acquire corals soon, or shall i treat him seperatwe in quarantine tank.

 

[steve-s]

If the fish needs treating then I would do it in a QT. Never use meds of any kind in the main tank especially that stuff. When you say the scales are "flaking off", do you mean standing on edge or actually missing resulting in bared flesh?

Cheers
Steve

 

[melissfish]

he has a few scales missing, im not sure he looks like he is improving maybe another fish had a chew. Im waiting for my live rock to finish cycling, so i can move him to my other tank to treat him

 

[steve-s]

Definately keep an eye on the fish but I wouldn't be in a hurry to treat with meds. I would suggest a few water changes with well ages SW to be sure DOC is as low as possible and ensure you are feeding with vitamin fortified foods. Mild maladies will quite easily clear up on their own providing the fish has the right environment and foods.

Aggression can cause scale loss but when I kept chrmois myself I found they where quite prone to scale loss. This may sound kind of silly but it was alsmost like shedding, don't know how else to convey it. They would regularly have varying color pattern and depths to the scale coverage giving the appearance of not having scales.

Cheers
Steve

 

[DRIFTER]

I have a blue and yellow damsel and he has a few scales missing from his forehead. I have been watching him and i have noticed him headbutting hermitcrabs when they go to his little area in the back of the tank.

He is still eating very well so i guess he is ok.

 

[Terry B]

Definately keep a close eye on the fish and treat only in quarantine. Chromis are suseptible to a particular species of vibrio bacteria and they also get uronema. The best treatment (if early enough) is to use nitrofurazone (Furacyn) because it is an antibiotic that actually has some effect on uronema (tough, tiny parasite).

Cheers,
Terry B

 

[melissfish]

two chromis were attacking each other, i put them both in quarantine, they are healing slowly, but surely