Help save a gentle giant

[davidcanupp]

I have a 5 inch V-tail Grouper that I recently(5 days ago) moved into a 55 gallon. Had him for 2 years. He is the only fish in the tank and ever since I moved him he refuses to eat. This is really strange for him as he always eats. I feed him krill on a regular basis but today i tried feeder goldfish. He looked interested but would not eat. He has great color and is swimming fine. I can find no other symptoms to indicate disease. I can't let the poor guy die...please help. Thanks alot.

 

[davidcanupp]

Thanks Terry. I have wondered before about daily feeding, thanks for the info. The water tests fine. Hopefully he will begin eating again soon. I will let you know. How long should i wait before i start worrying? Thanks for the help!

 

[beth]

What type of tank was he in previous? Smaller or bigger? Also, I hope it goes wo saying that you acclimated the fish and that hopefully the water quality in both tanks are closed to identical [good].

 

[davidcanupp]

He was in a 30 gallon (Much too small). He was aclimated and the levels in both tanks were good. The nitrates were slightly high in the 30 gallon but not too high. The 55 has excellent readings.

 

[davidcanupp]

I'm starting to really worry about him. He still refuses to eat even when I offer him live food. It has been about 7 days and no eating nor any signs of disease. Could this be Gill Flukes or some other malady that i would not recognize? Also, how long can he survive without eating? Aside from no appetite he is swimming well and looks happy?!? What should I do . Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks- David

 

[davidcanupp]

Thanks for the info Terry. Can i find Zoe vitamins at my lfs? I will attempt a freshwater dip tomorrow and see if that helps. Should i try these two methods in conjunction or one before the other? One last question... what is the recommended live food for a Grouper?
Thanks a lot!
-David

 

[davidcanupp]

I am aerating my freshwater right now to prepare for the dip. I have read that it will cause immediate defication...i hope i am that lucky. (Never thought that I would say that) Anyway, I will go try top buy the Zoe Vitamins and I think that I have some Maracyn- Two at my house. Hopefully i won't need it...that is, if the dip works. I will let you know how he is later. THANKS!

 

[davidcanupp]

OK...I have carried out many successful freshwater dips in the past, but this was terrible. The fish "passed out" almost immediately after being placed in the water and was completely unresponsive for about 2 minutes after I put him back in the QT. (He didn't poop.) I was only able to leave him in the freshwater for about 45-55 seconds because of his apparently unstable condition. (I know that this might not be long enough).
BUT, I DID NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE: All over his body I noticed that his scales appear to be either torn or scuffed up. At first I thought that he had scratched himself stirring up gravel, (His favorite pastime) but I don't think so. I wish i could describe the abrasions better...they don't resemble any parasites that I am farmiliar with, nor does this look like a fungus of any sort. Simply look like abrasions or lacerations covering his whole body. No bleeding or open wounds though. Oh yeah, I really don't think that these were here yesterday, or if so, not so many of them. ANY IDEAS? He seems to have recovered from the dip now but, as can be expected, he is quite stressed out so I left him alone. Still, his color is gorgeous. I should also mention that he has not been in any contact with other fish for almost two years, so I guess that rules out some things but maybe not? I really appreciate your help.

 

[the new guy]

I know a fresh water dip can cause the fish to lose it's slime coat but I am not sure that would look like lacerations. Hopefully that is all it is.

 

[davidcanupp]

I don't know if the dip caused it or not...hopefully tommorrow the abrasions will be gone. I did a water change a little while ago and that seemed to make him feel a little better but i guess that i will wait and see. I am considering using Nitrofurazone because i have some...does that sound like a good idea? Thanks

 

[davidcanupp]

OK guys, i have decided that the abrasions are no more. I don't know if I imagined them or if they are better. He is still swimming good and has good color but no eating. I have read about putting FRUCTOSE in the water as a oral nutrient...is this feasible? If so, has anyone ever done it? Also, my Marine Atlas suggests treating fish that don't eat with something called PREIS-Coli. Thats all I know about it...once again, anyone have any info on that chemical/medicine/whatever it is? The book does not go into detail about it...just mentions that it is an option. I am also attempting hyposalinity- presently the levels are 1.019. Any thoughts on these questions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[davidcanupp]

Terry: thanks for the reply. I have not added any Zoe Vitamins yet. All water levels were good except for the Nitrate was high and I performed a large (30 %) water change two days ago. The Nitrate levels are below 40 (Within the noirmal range) but still not 0. I have tried live feeders, krill(his favorite) and even Frozen Trigger Formula. He will not touch any of them. I have some medicine called Furan-2...It contains Nitrofurazone 60 mg, Furazolidone 25 mg. Would this be sufficient? The box recommends four days of treatment...should i follow the directions or just treat for one day. I have done Formalin dips in the past but I wonder if this fish would react badly to one judging from his terrible freshwater dip experience last week. Would you recommend Maracyn 2 or Furan-2? Thanks a billion.

 

[billsreef]

Hi David,
Terry asked me to stop by from my usual haunts at Reef Central.
One thing I have noticed many times when transferring larger fish such as groupers, triggers and large angels is what seems like depression. I've often noticed these types of fish "sulk" and not eat for up to two weeks after being moved from thier normal digs. Barring any actual and overt symptoms of a parasite I would suggest sitting back and letting the grouper get comfortable with his new surroundings. If you can get grass shrimp or even a handfull of pepermint shrimp to throw in, that might help entice him to eat. The best part about using these shrimp is they will stay alive until the grouper can no longer resist the temptation of fresh shrimp
[ August 08, 2001: Message edited by: billsreef ]

 

[davidcanupp]

Billsreef, I appreciate the advice. I actually hadn't thought about buying some shrimp to put in there. Sounds good to me. One more question if you return to this forum and check on this thread: He is presently in a 30 gallon Hospital tank...do you think that I should move him back into his 55 gallon to better adjust? Thanks alot for going out of your way to help and you too Terry B.

 

[andymi]

Considering the moving stresses the fish out more and since bill believes it is a sort of depression, and if you think the fish looks normal, I would put him back in the 55 gallon and let him get used to his new home and comfortable as Bill stated. No use in moving him around every other day, will just freak him out more most likely.
-Andy

 

[davidcanupp]

So today I went out and bought small Domino Damsel to see if the Grouper would be interested in eating him. He defintely showed interest and even made halfhearted efforts to catch him...with no success. But at least he tried. I am really hoping that the Damsel is eaten when I wake up in the morning...everyone keep your fingers crossed for me please. Thanks, David.

 

[davidcanupp]

Still hasn't eaten the Damsel. Maybe tomorrow morning.