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what is this on my anthias

Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: EMERGENCY FORUM
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=45575
Printed Date: October 27 2025 at 5:01pm
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Topic: what is this on my anthias
Posted By: wickedsnowman
Subject: what is this on my anthias
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 2:59pm
Hey I just noticed this yesterday morning and I would like to save this little guys life. He is coming out to eat and swims around for a few minutes then goes back and hides in the rocks. He normally will swim out in the open all day. I have had him for about 6 weeks any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I tried for like 2 hours to catch him to do a fresh water dip but i couldn't. I have been feeding a bunch of small meals soaked in garlic.







Replies:
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 3:04pm
Thats a internal bacteria infection. Always shows like patches of blood on the outside.  You need to feed him Medicated food. When you start feeding the medicated food, note that you need to follow the instructions to the very end otherwise the bacteria might become resistant to the medicine even more difficult to kill. QT is probably the best way to treat him


Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 3:06pm
What medicated food exactly?


Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 3:11pm
Also I tried my hardest to catch the little guy but he just hides way too much. If I get some of this medicine will it affect my other fish that dont have anything wrong with them. If I cant find a way to get him out of the display.


Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 3:14pm
Gel Tek. maracyn 2.  These are the options that i know of that treats internal parasites, I do not know if they are reef safe. If this medication is found ineffective after the treatment swith to a more stronger medication to Erythromycin. I dont think it will affect the other fish, since its a internal treatment.




Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 3:23pm
If they are not reef safe I'm not sure what I should do


Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 5:07pm
sgh may be right... but maybe it could be a wound from another fish, from the pic on the far left side it almost looks like you have a flame hawk fish from those red lips (am i wrong?)... maybe he is the one doing it... i know my wrasses sometimes get wounds from mine, but they heal pretty quick


Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 21 2010 at 5:21pm
No thats not a flame hawk that is a clown. i was thinking it might be a wound but im really not sure I haven't really seen any fish pick on him. I have 2 clowns a yellow tang, a hippo and 2 chromis. Both my tangs are very non aggressive. I have seen my crabs go after my fish lately I have a emerald and sally lightfoot that are super aggressive, but the wound is in a really weird spot to be nipped by them


Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 2:05am
I'd give it a few days and see how the "wound" changes....if it is improving, feed him well and leave it be.....I have fed my fish Jungle's medicated food (parasite) in my reef tank just fine, they have a bacterial infection food as well...you could give it a shot if you see no improvement....


Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 4:19am
alright thanks everyone for the input.  I'm going to keep an eye on him and if he's not acting any better by tomorrow afternoon I think I might try to catch him again and QT him with medicated food.  Wish me luck.  I lost my mandarin goby I've had for almost a year just last week he had the same mark but it was bigger.  I didn't even notice until he was already gone.  So hopefully I can save this one.


Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 10:08am
If you do not have a mature QT tank already going, don't catch the fish. That will stress it to the point of death and a freshwater dip will not be useful.
You already indicated that the disease is affecting the other fish. Are you ready to catch them all? Probably not Wink
There are some possible remedies. It's good to be adding Garlic Oil to the food. That will not cure the infection, but it will help the fish to be healthy enough to fight it off. Do not use GO every day, especially if you follow my next suggestions.
I would consider adding a Cleaner Shrimp to keep the diseased area as clean as possible and use half dosage Melafix to help fight the bacterial infection.
Unfortunately, those type of Anthias are not easy to keep and are better in groups in a large tank.
Careful not to add so much Garlic Oil and Melafix (also an oil) that the water surface becomes fouled with oil. That will lead to reduced gas exchange and cause low pH which is very damaging to the entire tank.
What are the other fish, how large is the tank and how old?


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Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 4:46pm
I have a yellow tang, a hippo 2 clown fish and 2 chromis. I have a 55g that has been set up for about 4 months I think... It was an upgrade from a 30g I had for like 8 months or something like that. I know I shouldn't have tangs in a 55 but they are small and I plan on upgrading when they grow a little. I saw the melaflex at petco I was wondering if that would be reef safe but I guess so if you are saying to use it. 


Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 5:03pm
Melafix, appears to be reef safe, I'll probably expect some corals to get a bit pissed off for adding medication.  


Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 5:15pm
I've heard those Lyretails are tough to keep. Hope he makes it! What a beautiful fish!

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-Ben



90g Mixed reef



www.body-balancechiropractic.com



Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 7:24pm
Originally posted by Luckedout Luckedout wrote:

I've heard those Lyretails are tough to keep. Hope he makes it! What a beautiful fish!

The trick with anthias is feeding 3-5x every day. I have had my lyretails for about 8 months without any issues. It does look like a wound more than an infection to me. Just keep an eye on it and if it gets worse then worry about medicating. 


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Steve
http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef
Currently:
120G Wavefront Mixed
29G Seahorse & Softies
Running ReefAngel Plus x2
435-8


Posted By: wickedsnowman
Date Posted: December 23 2010 at 12:35am
well he is a goner i just pulled his body from the death grips of my sallylightfoot....... i couldn't find him all evening and i was just looking for him and spotted the crab eating himCry i went and got a cleaner shrimp  earlier this afternoon and might start dosing melaflex so hopefully it wont spread to any more fish. If it even was a paracite.. im still not sure I looked in the hole after I pulled him out and couldn't see anything the didn't look like the normal insides of a fish but who knows



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