Reef Discussion

[lorby]

Hi guys,

Just this morning I've noticed a growth on my clown's lip. Looks like an ulcer or a pimple. I've tried my best to get some pics and this is all I could come up with.

It doesn't look very cottony, just like a solid lump. I'm not sure if it's fungal or maybe brook? He's a tank bred clown with a mate who looks like it could be starting one of these lumps on the side of it's body, but not 100%.
They're only a few days old and I've had them in my 'quarantine' tank with some corals, a scooter and a bi colour blenny.

I'm wondering what option might be best to go with:

Keep the fish in there and just do water changes and cross my fingers
Separate the fish into a smaller 30litre tank I have available and treat with melafix or similar and see if that helps?
Perhaps dip the fish in something and return to either this tank or another one for them

Any help you guys could offer would be great! I'm a little out of my depth with this and trying to work out exactly what they've got is proving difficult!

Also another quick question, is it safe to move some of the corals out of this tank into my main do you reckon? Or should I leave everything.

Thanks everyone! :)

 

[Buddy]

Could be lymphocystis but its hard to tell. My clown had lymphocystis and all you can do is keep the stress low and good water quality and it will go away on its own.

 

[lorby]

Thank you for the advice buddy! That definitely does look like something it could be! I was relieved when they said it's usually non-lethal. I think I will move the fish to their own seperate aquarium. Just to try and keep the spread of infection from getting to the other fish in my tank if the nodes burst (which is what I read they can do!)

 

[Buddy]

Just based on my experience I would just leave it in the tank. The stress from catching the fish might make it worse. Just feed the fish plenty and keep up the water changes and it should clear up. The only thing that concerns me is that its on the mouth, if it gets too big then it could make eating difficult.

 

[holly]

I've had this crop up on my true perculas as well. Just feed them with some fresh garlic thrown into brine shrimp (minced garlic) and it will resolve quickly. In my experience anyway. No other fish were 'infected' and it's just a common thing that crops up every now and then.

 

[Oceanarium]

Garlic is great, also beta-Glucan helps.

Beta glucan is a rich vit B source immune system boosting always been hard to get till now in Au. Its become popular all of a sudden because of a study proving it can lower cholesterol and is the latest big thing :p available at Govita health food stores.

 

[Schnecke]

I've had it on Shelby a few months ago, my tiny True Perc. Her bottom lip. It actually started after she attacked my bracelet and seemed to get "caught" in it (nasty little cow that she is LOL) I upped the liquid garlic in the frozen food (I usually feed frozen 2nd other day and pellets on the alternate day, but I fed frozen with extra garlic every day for a week and it was all healed.

 

[daveH]

I had the same thing on one of my clowns. It suddenly appeared as a white lump in the middle of it's lower lip. I haven't treated it. It has slowly gone away and has not spread to other fish including it's mate. I put it down to a bit of damage from their constant fighting.

 

[lorby]

Thanks for the advice everyone :). I have kept them where they are and will add some fresh garlic to some mysis for them tonight :).

Will update on how they're going in a few days!

 

[lorby]

Hmm! His condition is actually worsening. The lump has grown considerably larger and some other spots seem to be cropping on the body. I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow. I also noticed my bicolour blenny seems to have some white/grey marks on either side of its mouth. I'm hoping it's not related.

 

[holly]

:( Did you keep up with the garlic in the foods? Could try adding a few drops of vitamin C as well?

 

[Oceanarium]

I had a pair of percs that consistently had this for years in a small 4 x 18 x 18 tank every time I did a larger water change it went away for a while. After 3-4 years we gave them some Beta Glucan. They cleared up and its never come back since, I still have them and its been another 10 years.

It also can depend on how you administer the garlc, as to how effective the antibacterial / immune boosting effectiveness works. I put crushed fresh garlic into a mix of fish and prawn and blend to a paste so the fish are eating some 'whole fresh garlic'.

Squeezing some juice over a plate of food wont cut it. Also a lot of the bought garlic products are just concentrated 'alicin' which is only one of the active ingredients.

To have a good crack at fixing it you probably need to work on all three fronts extra water changes to reduce DOC / bacterial loads etc, good juicy Australian garlic and beta glucan in the food.

You can also buy a brewers yeast product from the health food store which is nearly as good as the beta glucan cheaply in quantities and is great coral food too ;)

 

[Ian3145]

I suggest treating with Pimafix and/or Melafix, I usually treat with both and have had great results on general injuries and non specific growths. I always keep both on hand. Maybe someone near you could give you the first dose. Do you NSW guys have an emergency loan network like us Vic guys?

Best thing is you can safely dose straight into tank. I also use Melafix as a preventative for new fish in QT.

 

[lorby]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have been making my own "Garlic water" just by crushing garlics and leaving it overnight, then soaking mysis in that water for a few hours. I have just picked up some brewers yeast and will try and add that to the concoction, thanks @Oceanarium. I've been trying to make sure of a minimum 30% water change every week but I think I'll up that to 2-3 times a week.

@Ian3145 Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately I've never had a good result with melafix or similar. Tried it on a FW tank a year or so ago with a fungal infection on some neon tetras. It failed me miserably and they ended up having to be put down :(. I'll keep it in mind though if i don't have any positive results down the track.

 

[Oceanarium]

IMO garlic water is not very potent even less so soaking the mysis in it, I doubt much active ingredients will permeate from diluted water to the food. I don't even think soaking in pure juice is good enough. Whole garlic needs to be in the food.... When I medicate with garlic the fish tank water smells of it.:p

Rather than use mysis, put some prawn meat (not imported prawn) and fish fillet (200g) in a blender with one whole crushed garlic and a tea spoon of yeast. once they get used to the taste next batch double the garlic.

Lymphcystis is generally related to water quality, so the water changes are also important hopefully they are helping.

 

[lorby]

Awesome, thanks for the advice Pete, will head to the shops and pick up some fresh aussie prawns/fish and make a paste :). I might try freezing it into blocks because they're still pretty small fish :P. Will keep updated! I hope everything is well with you and the family :)

 

[Oceanarium]

I place the paste between two bits of grease paper, them squish it out to a sheet 5mm thick. Once this is frozen you can cut into squares, just once you defrost some to use break it up a bit so its not one solid square so the fish can tear it up.

Family is cool, just celebrating some milestones :D

Pete

 

[lorby]

Good idea!! Will definitely try that soon! Sounds like some pretty awesome food for all fish, sick or not!

 

[Oceanarium]

No worries, I kept the details to a minimum for your convenience but for a truly awesome fish food for immune system boosting;

the ingredients I will call 'active' are.

1 fresh crushed clove garlic prefer new season juicy Aussie garlic not horrible old dry Chinese garlic I double this when using to treat disease, but you would be best to get them used to the taste first.
(Following all available from health food or chemist as pure powder additives)
1/2 teaspoon of spirinula powder
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon beta glucan-3D (Can be hard to find brewers yeast powder can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon calcium ascorbate

This is mixed with about 200g fish flesh and 50g prawn flesh and contents of two 1000mg fish oil caps or a table spoon HUFA.

Fish to use is best if it breaks down to tiny pieces for feeding smaller fish I find garfish as ideal, though a lot of smaller fish will be OK tailor works though will turn into a paste if blended much. The fish must be cleaned of all bone and skin.

Method is to simply put all the ingredients into a good blender with sharp blade, blend till fish is completely broken down to small bits but not to much a mushy paste. Its really done to feel once you have made a batch or two you know when it looks like its done enough to stop. Don't over do sprinula and Tumeric or it will thicken the mix. If its to thick to blend add some water (or more HUFA is ideal).

I just spread this on a sheet of baking paper, 6-7mm thick and cut into squares when its frozen. To use I defrost on a plate and break into smaller pieces with a butter knife to match what I am feeding.

It is my every day once per day feed with the normal garlic dose, I have not had needed to medicate a fish in 15 years.

I utilize many small feeds throughout the day when using as a treatment with double garlic. If your tank and the room its in does not smell like garlic I suggest your not using enough as a treatment.

 

[lorby]

Made my first batch!! I've seen green food dye colour things less than spirulina powder does lol





Bit pastier than it should be, but it's all I had to mix with :(.
Tried a little bit to start with now, and they don't recognize it as food yet :P. Haha. I'll try again tomorrow afternoon :).