No Disease ... Yet ... But Concerned With New Quoyi Parrotfish

Maritimer · Feb 23, 2017

At the two-week mark, gave a ham bone (small, sort of button-shaped, from a "ham steak") a shot. Dropped it in before leaving for work, checked on it at lunchtime (I work pretty close to home...). No sign of movement at midday, but when I arrived home in the evening, the bone had been moved by about 3.5 inches. I'm going to guess that the current which didn't move the bone in the morning also didn't move the bone in the afternoon, and that the 3/4" chromis also didn't move the bone, which leaves . . .

Also added pellets, morning & midday, and a bit of frozen blend, morning and evening.

I don't even want to think about the chemistry going on in that tank right now, after a day's worth of meat, fat & marrow!

~Bruce

melypr1985 · Feb 23, 2017

Maritimer said:
I don't even want to think about the chemistry going on in that tank right now, after a day's worth of meat, fat & marrow!

I was just thinking the same thing while I read that. LOL At least there are some very encouraging clues being left behind.

Scubabeth · Feb 23, 2017

Keep plugging away, @Maritimer! You'll get him to eat before long. BTW, I enjoy reading your posts...you have a great sense of humor and writing style!

Maritimer · Feb 24, 2017

I know he comes out and swims around while I'm not looking, and the pellets _seem_ to vanish ... or they just get swept under the PVC by the current ... so hopefully, he is eating while I'm not looking.

I'd rather have him eating while I'm not looking than be watching every minute, but keeping him too nervous to eat.

~Bruce, reluctantly ramping up chelated copper in QT, 'cause there's ich on the chromis.

Maritimer · Feb 24, 2017

For what it's worth, I've also had to replace the heater in that tank. Condensation on the inside of the glass is probably not a good thing, I'm thinking... (Have been wondering for a while why that tank was always warmer than its set-point...)

And @Scubabeth - thank you. Blushing a little here. (*^_^*)

~Bruce

Maritimer · Feb 28, 2017

Update of ... not very much.

Tomorrow, the S. quoyi will have been in residence for three weeks. I drop pellets into the tank roughly twice a day, morning and noon or early evening. They roll around on the bottom for a while, and at the last water change, I siphoned out quite a few of them. I rubberband nori to rocks in the morning, and generally take it out in the evenings. I drop in a thawed clam on the half-shell once a week or so, and take it out in the evening - still on its half-shell. I add frozen blends from LRS, Rod's and San Francisco Bay, along with other things that reef-dwellers are supposed to like. I have yet to see the fish eat a single thing.

He does now move about the tank periodically, and uses PVC fittings at both ends to hide in - this is an improvement over the first week and a half or so, when he stayed in a single fitting pair. (I combine fittings to make larger hides). I can't imagine he's actually spending a large proportion of his time out and about, he only seems to change fittings a couple of times a day.

While taking pictures for the "Show us your QT" thread today, I snapped a couple of the parrotfish. This is his tail, casually sticking out much farther than usual:

Don't know if you can make out his face, inside the pipe on the other side of the plastic gorgonian:

And that's it. With scant exception, that's as good a view as I've had of this exquisite beauty in the better part of a month.

~Bruce

Humblefish · Mar 1, 2017

Bruce - Your patience with this fish is awe-inspiring.

Maritimer · Mar 1, 2017

LOL - there are a few things I can think of that I'd rather do than just wait for the fish to decide its safe to come out ... but I can't think of any that would actually improve the situation!

~Bruce

Maritimer · Mar 1, 2017

By the way...

I've now dumped approximately two and a half bottles (25ml at a time) of Kordon's "Safe Copper-Aid" chelated product into the tank since last Thursday, and I'm still seeing spots on the damselfish. Each bottle's labels says that it treats 100 gallons, but my API test kit shows levels approaching 1.0ppm of copper. I've been using this stuff because it's easily available locally, but between this and the price tags on bottles at some of the LFS', I think it's time I went out shopping across the internet for my aquatic medication needs.

Anybody have any favored sources?

~Bruce

Humblefish · Mar 1, 2017

Maritimer said:
Anybody have any favored sources?

These people usually have the best price on Coppersafe: https://www.petsolutions.com/C/External-Parasite-Ich-Fish-Medications/I/Coppersafe.aspx

But there's nothing wrong with this place & Copper Power either: http://www.petmountain.com/product/...wer-copper-power-marine-copper-treatment.html

I've never used Copper-Aid, but I've read several complaints where people say the dosage is way off. Which leads me to believe that it's very water down chelated copper.

melypr1985 · Mar 1, 2017

Humblefish said:
I've never used Copper-Aid, but I've read several complaints where people say the dosage is way off. Which leads me to believe that it's very water down chelated copper.

Me either, but I've seen those complaints as well. I favor Coppersafe, but it's what is readily available to me. We don't usually keep copperpower at the store.

Maritimer · Mar 1, 2017

Thank you both, Meredith & Humblefish!

Halfway through another bottle of Copper Aid, and I think I've topped 1ppm. >:-( If this stuff was watered down by 50%, I'd have killed my fish with copper toxicity already.

I've ordered Coppersafe (and Selcon, Ruby Reef Rally and General Cure) from Dr. Foster-Smith, as I decided I wanted the larger bottle (It's a 75 gallon tank, and I do water changes . . . Don't really need the gallon jug, though...) and they had those other things. It's frustrating that there just doesn't seem to be a single place that you can get what's needed and _works_!

As I was adding copper this afternoon, there was suddenly something that seemed _huge_ moving below me. I had the quick impression of wide bright-blue wings, pushing a purple head and trailing a green body speckled with pink, and all I could think was "Quick! Grab some pellets and drop 'em in before he goes all hidey again!" Don't know if I was fast enough, but they went in. He's had a clam today, and some of Larry's fine Herbivore Frenzy . . .

Well, he was _offered_ them, anyway . . .

~Bruce

Maritimer · Mar 2, 2017

Thank all that's holy (and a few things that aren't...) that parrotfish's mucus cocoons help protect them against things like ich . . .

Used up the last of the Copper-Aid that I had - which was the last bottle on the local Petco's peg board - this morning. I didn't even measure it (about half a bottle), just dumped it into the tank.

_Three_And_A_Half_ bottles over a full week, each labeled to treat 100 gallons, in a 75 gallon QT (I'll even give back half a bottle for the ~20 gallon water change that happened on Sunday), and I think I've _finally_ reached a therapeutic dose:

I shot Kordon, LLC a fairly scathing email this morning (given that I'd sent them one a few days ago with questions on the product, and received zero response). I've gotta say, it wouldn't be hard to consider this as deliberate, and even fraudulent.

~Bruce, feeling more than a bit cranky with Kordon

Humblefish · Mar 2, 2017

I actually know the guy who invented Amquel and subsequently founded Kordon. I consider him to be a pioneer in our hobby/industry and a very knowledgeable chemist. Of course, he got old and sold off the company. And let's just say I know what typically happens when someone who was passionate about their product(s) sells and whoever buys is only interested in making money.

Maritimer · Mar 2, 2017

It's a sad commentary. There was a time when I had great respect for the name "Kordon".

There may be such a time again.

Not today.

~Bruce

drawman · Mar 2, 2017

I will say he looks like a dog trying to hide his head under a blanket lol. Keep up the fight Bruce he'll come out sooner or later!

buzzword · Mar 2, 2017

Have you tried the Julian Sprung Red Algae yet? Band that to a plug and make it stream off of it so it sways in the current. Got a picky Whitetail tang eating for me that wouldn't eat the sheets. Now eats anything in sight.

Mini Coop · Mar 2, 2017

Been reading up on your journey....what an adventure! Hope he comes out for you soon! You are so patient!

Maritimer · Mar 2, 2017

buzzword said:
Have you tried the Julian Sprung Red Algae yet? Band that to a plug and make it stream off of it so it sways in the current. Got a picky Whitetail tang eating for me that wouldn't eat the sheets. Now eats anything in sight.

I haven't tried Julian's product - I've been rotating Omega One's green, brown and red sheets, as well as keeping a bit of live Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa rubberbanded to a rock in the tank. If I see Mr. Sprung's Red Algae, I'll scoop some up - and you've got me thinking I'd like to try some live Gracillaria, as well.

Jena, thanks, but ... patience is kind of my only choice here! Literally, anything else I can do (other than maybe more creative food offerings - perhaps followed by extra water changes!) would make the situation worse.

~Bruce

Mini Coop · Mar 2, 2017

Maritimer said:
I haven't tried Julian's product - I've been rotating Omega One's green, brown and red sheets, as well as keeping a bit of live Chaetomorpha and Caulerpa rubberbanded to a rock in the tank. If I see Mr. Sprung's Red Algae, I'll scoop some up - and you've got me thinking I'd like to try some live Gracillaria, as well.

Jena, thanks, but ... patience is kind of my only choice here! Literally, anything else I can do (other than maybe more creative food offerings - perhaps followed by extra water changes!) would make the situation worse.

~Bruce

I know, but still. I absolutely love seeing your posts. Your humor through the frustration is refreshing and entertaining! Just keep swimming....