Bacterial Infection Question for Lee

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Charles

New Member
Lee,
I have two questions.

I have a yellow tang that I believe has a bacterial infection. He has sort of a red ,white tint to him. I have treated him at least three times with maracyn. He gets better, then when I stop treating him, he eventually stops eating. Is ther something else that will work or should I keep treating him with maracyn.

Also can a fish with a bacterial infection be contagious to my other fish.
Thanks.
 
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leebca

Well-Known Member

It's unclear. Is the Tang in QT when it gets reinfected? Is it being treated in a QT and then, when healed, put back into the DT? Not sure about some of the details here, so I can't be more specific about the best approach. Be sure to read this post: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/78353-cloudy-eye-s.html It has some pertinence to your concerns. The fundamental issue with bacterial infections is that the fish is able to fend most of them off BUT the conditions have to be right for this: proper food/feeding, water quality, tank mate issues, and other possible hidden stressors at work. Unless these stressors are addressed, the fish will usually keep slip back to being infected even after a cure.

If the bacteria are not of the opportunistic kind (a kind that depends on a stressed fish to infect), then there are other things to do. Regarding contagious -- the above linked post goes into that. The 'opportunistic' kinds of bacteria aren't. The others are and can be.

You want to go through the above post and address tank conditions for stress. Then, change the antibiotic to one that will kill a wider range of bacteria (including your biological filter). The fish is treated in a QT since it will likely destroy the bacteria of the biological filter. Thus, you'll need to be prepared to handle water quality without a biological filter. The medication you want is one that contains the following antibiotic: NITROFURAZONE (in the product, Furan-2). Follow instructions that come with the medication.

Last but not least is the very small possibility that your fish is not -- normal. Like humans, fish can vary is their physiological ability to ward off diseases and infections. This one may just be one with a naturally low resistance. In the wild it would have died young, before being able to reproduce. It's Nature's way of assuring the procreation of the better suited to the environment (more natural selection than survival fittest fitest). However, before going down this path, there is a huge probability that there is something wrong with its diet/feeding or water quality/environment.

 
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Charles

New Member
I will read the post that you recommended.

Background:
I treated five fish for MI or MV, not sure in a large Qt tank. I used hypo then I used Cupramine because the Hypo did not work on all my fish. All of my fish recovered and are doing well. The yellow tang did not recover. He does not have MI or MV, but his color changed and his dorsel fin looks like something took a bite out of it. The fish has been in a Qt by himself for about a month. I test the water quality and it is fine. I have treated him with a double dose of maracyn II for saltwater fish at least three times. I perform water changes to ensure water quality and I feed him marine algae, mysis shrimp which is soaked in Vitamin C. He is the only fish in the Qt.
 
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leebca

Well-Known Member

Not sure then what the problem might be. If you have had some success, albeit temporary, with Maracyn Two, then whatever it is seems to respond to antibiotics. Switch the antibiotic to the one I suggested in the above post. Follow its directions and see if the fish remains healthy after treatment. Remember though that this antibiotic will likely kill or stop or hinder the biological filter. You need to be prepared to make water changes or use chemical filtration or both.
 
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draumur

New Member
sorry i wanted to use this thread to ask a question.. so i have a clarke who has had one pop eye for weeks, i have a qt tank set up but the med i have is maroxy will this work? the fish seems fine except for the popped out eye, and now after last water change the damsel is suffering from the same thing it seems.
 
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