Yellow Rabbitfish

[pulpfiction1]

i was over to the local LFS,he has this yellow rabbitfish i sold him a few months ago,last week he developed this growth on both sides and around the mouth,they are at a loss as to what it is so i thought i would ask here and see if anyone can identify exactly what it might be.i say poor water conditions is more likely the culprit,he claims they do regular maintenance but i didnt see any tests,or additives in sight. there isn't much in the tank except a miniature lion-fish,rock (massive algae problems),i say its toast and would get it out,they think otherwise

 

[TORX]

I do not know which one of the 2 you are referring to, but I would not buy from either of them. Especially Living Things. They have bubble algae the size of golf balls in that tank. As for The Critter Shop, they seem more knowledgeable, but take no better care of their tanks. Their live rock for 10$ a lb is more like hair algae for 10$ a lb.

Basically, they do not test salt water parameters properly, that I have witnessed. I have no idea what it could be, but pretty sure it is somehow traced back to husbandry or acclimation/stress.

 

[yveterinarian]

Hi Phil:

It looks like it could be a bacterial infection manifesting in sores and mouth rot.  A broad spectrum antibiotic should be used in a separate 10 gal quarantine tank with no rock just bare bottom and maybe some fake plants to hide behind and a small cirulation pump with no biofilter, maybe an airline for better oxygen.  They need to do a 50% water change daily and the medication that is best used is Furan 2.  It is a broad spectrum one that can help if it is bacterial.  The instructions on the packet do little to help cure the fish because API says that at their dose recommendations it won't harm your bacterial filter (this also means it won't cure the fish).  These dosing instructions are from my seahorse site and have been proven to work very well if used as described.  Another one is Triple Sulfa but it doesn't work as well.

FURAN-2 (immersion) Dosage and Preparation Instructions for a 10g/38L Hospital Tank
Active Ingredient: Nitrofurazone and Furazolidone
Indication: bacterial infection
Disregard package info concerning water changes and duration of treatment. Dose medication daily for
10 days.
Replace the medication in ratio to the amount of water changed daily as needed to control ammonia.
This product is best administered by feeding it to adult live brine shrimp, then in turn, feeding those
animals to the fish. If this is not an option, it may be administered as follows.

DAY 1 of Treatment
• Thoroughly mix one packet of Furan-2 with about 1 cup of marine water.
• Pour the mixture into a high-flow area of the hospital tank.

DAYS 2 – 10 of Treatment
• Perform a 50% water change.
• Thoroughly mix one packet of Furan-2 with about 1 cup of marine water.
• Pour the mixture into a high-flow area of the hospital tank.

Furan 2 should also be used under low light as high light decreases the efficiency of the product.  They should also wear gloves when dealing with it because it is carcinogenic.  I have only included the immersion intructions because I figured that if you could convince them to follow this, they probably wouldn't do the extra work for the live food method.

After the 10 day dose is complete, the fish should continue to be quarantined until there is no evidence of sores.  The 10 days are not enough time to fully heal them.

Either way, they need to get it out of the tank it is in and quarantine it so it doesn't infect the others.  This condition was most definitely brought about by poor water conditions and stress.

Fell free to print the instructions and take it to them.  Hopefully, they will listen but it sounds as if they won't.  Good luck.  I hate to see a fish suffer through lack of desire to try.

 

[pulpfiction1]

thanks,i will print it off and drop it off to them tomorrow,they don't have the concept of proper husbandry of the salt water environment,they are a small pet shop and other than whats required with fresh water fish they don't seem to put in any effort into the 4 salt water tanks they have running,all on a central sump,i think the only way it will be removed is when the lifeless body is discovered days after its demise and i feel sorry for who ever buys any of the other fish if this is passed on through the water system

 

[yveterinarian]

I forgot to say, tell them to do the 50% water change with fresh saltwater, not from their tank setup.  I know this is basic, but it sounds as if they haven't got the concept of good water husbandry, as you said.