YWG white dusty mouth open...

[Yamaha1634]

Have a new tank that's had a pair of clowns in for 6 days. 2 days ago a friend of mine bought me a YWG as a gift. Yesterday he was fine, out and about, eating well. Today i didn't see him out anywhere so had a good search for him and managed to spot him in the reflection in the back of the tank. He's tucked right underneath a rock but his mouth is open constantly and his bottom lip looks pale almost white. Tried to coax him out with some food but haven't managed to, the clowns get to the food first whatever i try and i don't want to overfeed and risk water issues!

Pictures are dodgy, one taken in the reflection of his open mouth, the other was the best angle i could get of the white bottom lip before he darts back under the rock.

Don't know where he was bought from and i didn't QT as i didn't have a second tank to use and he was not a planned addition to the aquarium!

Any ideas or am I being paranoid?

pH 8.2
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 5ppm
Salinity 1.024
Temp 78.4

 

[Yamaha1634]

This was him out yesterday

 

[Jay Hemdal]

You report the ammonia at 0.25. What test kit are you using? Sometimes, people get a reading of .25 and it is actually higher (or lower). With a pH of 8.2, any ammonia over .25 is going to be toxic.

Can you tell, is the goby breathing fast with an open mouth, or is its mouth seemingly stuck open?
I presume it isn't eating now?
In the picture of it yesterday, it looks like the tail end of the fish is discolored/whiter than it should be. Did you see that in real life, or is it just the photo?

Jay

 

[Yamaha1634]

You report the ammonia at 0.25. What test kit are you using? Sometimes, people get a reading of .25 and it is actually higher (or lower). With a pH of 8.2, any ammonia over .25 is going to be toxic.

Can you tell, is the goby breathing fast with an open mouth, or is its mouth seemingly stuck open?
I presume it isn't eating now?
In the picture of it yesterday, it looks like the tail end of the fish is discolored/whiter than it should be. Did you see that in real life, or is it just the photo?

Jay

Using the API test kit. Not the best i know but I'd bought it before I realised that! My readings of 0.25 have been the same every day. I have live sand, RealReef rock and a whole bottle of Fritz zyme 9 in there so I'm assuming the reading is incorrect and is actually lower than 0.25.

Doesn't look like he's breathing fast just mouth open, hard to tell as he's hidden away though.

Hasn't eaten for around 24 hours but i was away with work so only tried him in the evening, anything i put in the tank got munched by the clowns before it got near him!

When he went in the tank he was all yellow, the picture isn't the best.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes, the API kits are difficult to use.

In looking at the full body picture some more, I think the fish has a systemic infection. Trouble is, there is no way to tell if it is bacterial or caused by flukes (I don't think it looks like protozoans).

The fish went downhill so fast, there may not be any treatment possible. If it is still alive this morning, you could consider giving it a 5 minute FW dip. That won't help if it is bacteria, but would buy you some time if it is flukes.

Jay

 

[Yamaha1634]

Yes, the API kits are difficult to use.

In looking at the full body picture some more, I think the fish has a systemic infection. Trouble is, there is no way to tell if it is bacterial or caused by flukes (I don't think it looks like protozoans).

The fish went downhill so fast, there may not be any treatment possible. If it is still alive this morning, you could consider giving it a 5 minute FW dip. That won't help if it is bacteria, but would buy you some time if it is flukes.

Jay

By FW dip do you literally mean add him to a small amount of RODI for 5 minutes then back into the tank?

 

[Yamaha1634]

Video of him. Doesn't look good!

 

[Yamaha1634]

Got him in a separate tank now.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Got him in a separate tank now.

Wow - that isn't flukes, more likely bacterial. See the whiteness on both lips? Also, there is some mucus strands visible in the video. Do you have any antibiotics you could use? Maracyn 2, Furan-2, Neoplex?

Jay

 

[Yamaha1634]

Don't have anything in currently, first marine tank, first marine illness! What's best for me to get? Is it too late? Should i treat the tank with the clowns in?

 

[Yamaha1634]

Wow - that isn't flukes, more likely bacterial. See the whiteness on both lips? Also, there is some mucus strands visible in the video. Do you have any antibiotics you could use? Maracyn 2, Furan-2, Neoplex?

Jay

Struggling to find those options here in the UK. Will API Melafix work? that's all that comes up when i search for maracyn or furan on Amazon...

Also there is Primafix. Melafix is for bacterial and Primafix is for fungal. May it be worth getting both and dosing simultaneously?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Struggling to find those options here in the UK. Will API Melafix work? that's all that comes up when i search for maracyn or furan on Amazon...

Also there is Primafix. Melafix is for bacterial and Primafix is for fungal. May it be worth getting both and dosing simultaneously?

I'm not really a fan of either of those two products - they are really just "tonics" or elixirs, and are not true antibiotics. Still, in the UK and Canada, folks don't have many other options. I would try the Melafix first.

Jay

 

[Yamaha1634]

Unfortunately Steve the YWG did not survive the night.

Now i need to make sure my clowns don't catch whatever he had.

Did a 50% water change last night. Is it worth me dosing Melafix in the clown tank for 7 days just in case?

I'm heading back to my LFS today for some more filter media and some more water. I'll pick up a bottle of antibiotics, whatever options they have.

 

[Yamaha1634]

I've dosed the clowns with NT Labs marine anti bacterial. It's a 10 day dose so will keep an eye on them and hope for the best