Sixline Wrasse needs help

juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
I have a Sixline wrasse that I purchased on August 22nd. I put him straight into a 10g quarantine tank at 1.025 SG and with a 20g filter and a pump for circulation and 2 pvc elbows.
A few days in I noticed he had fish lice and did a FW dip and after the shock went away he was fine.
On September 3rd I noticed he had ich and began hypo down to 1.009 SG. I was gone for the weekend and had a roommate monitoring and feeding for me. When I came back the SG was at 1.008 which I expected to see since I had him only do top-offs with FW.
I got back late last night so the lights were off but I saw he was still alive. When I got back from classes I checked and he is still alive but he does not venture from the bottom and right around his anal fin it appears he is bloated and his scales are sticking out. I am wondering if this is a swim bladder issue (since he appears to just coast on the bottom glass) or osmotic shock or something I am not sure of?
Does anybody have any insight to what could be the issue here?
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What are you using to measure salinity? What is your pH reading?
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
I will try, I don' have the best camera and it is hard to get him in a position that would be easy to see. I'll post what I can get in a few minutes.
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
Here we go. Not sure if you can see what I am talking about but this is the best I can get with the camera I have:


 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
If that is raised and bumpy, then it is likely lymphocytis. If it is flat, it may just be an injury where a scale was scraped off.
Unless you are experiencing ammonia, try to get the pH up to at least 8.0, or whatever level is present in your display. Also, do not let the specific gravity drop below 1.009. What is your salinity reading on the refractometer?
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/3131300
If that is raised and bumpy, then it is likely lymphocytis. If it is flat, it may just be an injury where a scale was scraped off.
Unless you are experiencing ammonia, try to get the pH up to at least 8.0, or whatever level is present in your display. Also, do not let the specific gravity drop below 1.009. What is your salinity reading on the refractometer?
I brought it back up to 1.009 it was at 1.008, like I said I couldn't be around this weekend and my roommate did the best job he could to keep it at 1.009.
It doesn't look like lymphocystis, it looks almost like hes really fat but back to far and its making his scales kinda pop out and he won't leave the bottom of the tank at all, its almost as if he pushes himself across the bottom glass.
I don't have anything for PH right now and won't be able to get anything until Thursday unfortunately. Ammonia and Nitrite also read 0 and Nitrate is at 10.
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
This was definately a Osmotic shock issue. I am in the process of raising the SG back up and the day I started he was already swimming better and less bloated. I guess I can't hypo this guy... I will watch him more for ich and if he still has it I guess I will try my luck with copper
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Not copper. Try Maracyn Two for Saltwaterfish. It sounds more like a bacterial infection with the raised scales.
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/3134077
Not copper. Try Maracyn Two for Saltwaterfish. It sounds more like a bacterial infection with the raised scales.
The scales appear to be going back to normal do you think he will be fine without Maracyn Two? I am only asking because I do not own it and would prefer not to buy it unless its important.
I shouldn't use copper even if the ich returns? I don't think he will make it through another try at hypo.

I am relieved to see that he has made it this far though as I thought he was a gonner. A couple days ago he couldn't even keep himself up right.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I would buy it anyway....not a bad thing to have on hand, especially since you have a qt available to you
ok...there's my penny LOL
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
It is possible that the copper is contributing to the scale problem. Why don't you use hyposalinity for ich?
You can see how it goes for a day without the antibiotic. Do a small water change daily.
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/3134140
It is possible that the copper is contributing to the scale problem. Why don't you use hyposalinity for ich?
You can see how it goes for a day without the antibiotic. Do a small water change daily.
I haven't used copper yet. I tried hypo (which I have had great success with in the past) and this is where the problem occurred so I am raising the SG back up to 1.026 (at 1.017 now) but I am unsure if the hypo had any effect on the ich.

He was only in hypo conditions for about a week and then I started to raise the salt again because of the issue.
I myself don't want to use copper but what should I do if the ich returns? The hyposalinity was the likely cause of his bloating and inability to swim/stay upright.

As for the antibiotic I have only noticed improvement on his conditions since I have been raising the salt content should I just monitor and see if his condition takes a turn for the worse and treat him with maracyn two if it happens?
I want this guy to be happy, parasite and infection free, and in my tank asap. He has been in QT for exactly 3 weeks now and he possibly still has ich to treat.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
The only way that hypo will harm fish is if you are using an inaccurate means of measuring salinity/specific gravity, you go too low on the salinity, or you allow pH to drop too low during treatment. Otherwise, hypo is not going to result in the symptoms your fish is experiencing.
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/3134313
The only way that hypo will harm fish is if you are using an inaccurate means of measuring salinity/specific gravity, you go too low on the salinity, or you allow pH to drop too low during treatment. Otherwise, hypo is not going to result in the symptoms your fish is experiencing.
I guess I will have to recheck the calibration on my refractometer to see for sure but I haven't touched the adjustment screw since last calibration.

Maybe it is off though. I will have to check in the AM. All I know is bringing the SG up brought this fish back to normal behavior. 0
 
juice_1080

juice_1080

Member
No, right now and during that picture the signs of ich weren't there. The white dot is actually his marking, its on both sides of the fish.
 
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