Help With Sick Angel

[star4]

I have posted in the emergency section too.

This angel came to me last week, I first suspected heater burn as the previous owner had no idea how it happened. However a week on and he is getting worse. I have been doing 40% daily waterchange and treating with myxazin now for 6 days.

Pic when he arrived (the blue tinge is the reflection of my t-shirt)

But now the holes are much larger

Any ideas what the heck this is???

 

[minnnt]

Ouch!

My Female took a battering from the male (unsure why) and she has a similar type of wound just under the gill. That too has reddened (sp?) but is now repairing itself after about 3 weeks. I think it may be a case of getting worse before getting better Lesley.

 

[star4]

Thanks Minnnt, I know he was in with angels and this mark "suddenly" appeared, there is no fluff or fungus, its like his flesh is being eaten, poor little thing. I hate seeing fish in this state.

 

[minnnt]

Me too.

Maybe he was was attacked by another one, the injury does look exactly the same kind as my females. It has stabilized now though, and all i have done if normal water changes. Not even upped them any.

 

[Tolak]

You'll need a separate tank. Stop feeding, bring the tank temperature down as low as possible to 70F. Daily salt dips, 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water, until the fish appears distressed. Daily 50% water changes, with tap water, wait 10 minutes before adding any dechlorinator. Being in the UK antibiotics are hard to come by unless you have a really cooperative vet. If you do, kanamycin, 20mg/gallon, with a redose after the daily 50% water change.

 

[minnnt]

What do you think caused it John?

 

[Tolak]

Hard to say without knowing more about the background of the fish, since it is a recent acquisition. I doubt that it began as a heater burn, unless the fish was being harassed in some manner by tankmates & behind the heater was the most suitable hiding place.

 

[minnnt]

Cheers. Star said it had been in with other Angels... Prime candidate for bullying? Attacked by another fish?

 

[star4]

All I know is this chap was in with other angels, the bag he arrived in the water was cloudy (bacterial bloom) I never bothered testing the bag water, only ph to see how different it was to mine to get him out of that water asap as it didnt look pleasant.

He is in one of my hospital tanks on his own. Any new fish now go straight into quarantine no matter where they have come from now, been taking in strays too long not too lol. Thanks for that John, I will try salt. Just hope I can save the poor thing.

 

[Tolak]

The trick is to make the environment as inhospitable as possible to the bacteria, virus, protozoan, or whatever without killing the fish. This is how all medications work. This also is the idea behind dropping the temperature, a bit of free disinfectant in the water, and the salt baths. Cooler temperatures lower the metabolism, at that temperature any feeding would be overfeeding, further stressing the fish.

50% water changes daily reduces the water borne bacteria level, kanamycin is a good gram negative antibiotic that works especially well in marine environments, the addition of some salt to the main tank would help if you are able to acquire this antibiotic. This has been an ongoing problem with angels for nearly a year now, tough to tell if it's a virus or a gram negative bacterial issue, but the cooler temperatures without feeding, large daily water changes & salt baths seem to be what is mainly working. Kanamycin seems to prevent any secondary bacterial issues from setting in, I would think something that crosses into the blood through the gills such as gentamycin would work better, but apparently not.

 

[star4]

Thank you so much Tolak, my vet has drawn a blank this morning on Kanamycin , but I can try someone else. Lowering temperature over today and will up the wc to 50%.

Question: What are his chances realistically? I would rather him not suffer and euthanise him if this is not going to work for him.

 

[fluttermoth]

It's a difficult one...How does he seem in himself? is he eating still? I think I'd give him another few days and see if you can't get your vet to have a look at him? But you should probably draw the line if he goes downhill at all.

Best of luck, he's a lovely fish.

 

[star4]

He is very lively and perky and comes to the front of the tank every time I go near it. I have now upped wc to twice a day, the front mark looks to now have a covering of healthy tissue over it, the second one the redness has gone down lots and lots and thankfully the holes are not getting any bigger. I am hoping I have broke the back of whatever this is and that he is on the road to recovery, hopefully!

 

[fluttermoth]

That sounds good; hope you pull him through

 

[Squidward]

Has your Angel started improving?

To me it looks similar to the start of Hole-In-The-Head disease that one of my fish contracted. I treated with Octozin by Waterlife.