Help with hospital tank please.....

[Fly n Reef]

First near tragedy late last night. I got home from my trip to find my pump nearly dry and the top off water empty. I think hmmmm. Then on further investigation I find my previous day happy healthy Yellow Tang up against the tank out flow. I quickly picked him off (his name is Gill) and set him on top of the tank and he was looking pretty bad, very discolored with brown and his eye that was to the downside of the drain was bulging out like pretty nasty, I thought he was dead. I was getting the drain working properly and saw him move his fin, quickly without thinking I put him back in the tank. Now I am not sure if I should have tried to get him into a hospital tank or not. This morning he was out swimming, most of the eye swelling is gone but he does have a little cloudy, maybe ICH, on that eye and his fin on the same side that suffered the most trauma. I fed him and he ate but his swimming talents are not up to par he did manage to get enough that I know he isn't going to starve today.
Finally getting to my question...should I try to move him now to a hospital tank (not currently set up) or just leave him to recover in the display tank. I have the tank and small filter, heater but no skimmer for it. Is this enough without stressing him more? Gill is the man of the tank and he has no enemies. Please help

 

[MtnDewMan]

Doesn't sound good Karen

What other fish are in the tank? If it has the tank to itself, you may want to just leave the fish there. If you need to medicate the tank, then definately a hospital tank is the way to go. If it is getting picked on or pushed into a corner where it is in constant stress, a hospital tank.

I hope everything works out. Sorry to hear about the problem when you returned home.

 

[Fly n Reef]

Hi MDM,
Thanks for a reply, I thought no one cared about Gill. !
Right now I only have two Ocerlaris clowns and one Scooter Blenny (red spotted). I don't have any issues with anyone bothering him but I will tell you after several hours and a H2O change he is looking much better. Most of the swelling is down in that eye but the fins still look ragged now and the cloudiness gets me concerned about Ich. I used the water from my display tank and put 15 gallons in my hospital tank with a heater and small filter... I do not have a skimmer or any light on the tank should I? And one more question if I have to move him what is the best way to keep the hospital tank seeded if he needs to be there a while? I did put the sponge in my refugium this morning to let it absorb some good bacteria any other suggestions? Maybe some caulerpa in the hospital too?
Thanks for the help he has me stressed out. I don't want to loose him.
Karen

 

[Fly n Reef]

Also I forgot what about copper or carbon in the hospital tank?
Thanks,
Karen :?:

 

[MtnDewMan]

Good question about the seeding, but if you don't have good bacteria already in the tank, it sounds like a small enough tank that you could do water changes every 2 or 3 days to keep the water healthy for the fish. I would definately suggest that.

If the tank just received ambient lighting I think that would be fine as well, it may rest more if it doesn't have the added stress of full strength reef lighting?

I am by far not an expert at this, but am hoping your fish will recover for you. I too hate to see my fish sick or in distress.

Chuck

 

[MtnDewMan]

Not sure about the copper, if you use it, don't put any of that water back in the main display tank. Carbon would probably be a very good idea though.

 

[Fly n Reef]

In your opinion would you do the changes with the display tank water or freshly mixed salt water.? I have a good bacteria in the display tank that is why I used most of it to fill the hospital with about 3 gallons of new salt water. Thanks for the help.
Karen

 

[MtnDewMan]

I would just use new water .... but if you wanted to use display water, it would be a good way to do a water change on your display ...

 

[OnTheReef]

Re: help with hospital tank

Just to clarify, when you say new water MtnDewMan, you mean saltwater mix that has aged at least 24 hours, not newly mixed saltwater, right?

 

[MtnDewMan]

yes, I refer to new water as mixed saltwater that has had the necessary time to mix prior to using it

 

[Doug1]

Personally I would use tank water rotated into the Q tank, and use the opportunity to do water changes on the main tank. It won't hurt the main tank and it will keep the tang acclimated when you are ready to return him.
Is it showing signs of ick or just the fin rot thing. That sounds like a secondary bacterial infection, in which case antbiotics may help help

 

[Doug1]

with 15 gallons i would go for half everyother day . Watch your ammonia readings. You might try some of the medicated food, if its broad spectrum antibiotic. Be sure and get as much detritous out when doing water change.
No light, cover 3 sides and try not to do a lot of moving neat the Q tank. We need gill as relaxed as possible. Stress is a killer, esp in tangs. Good luck with him

 

[Fly n Reef]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for you help too. As of this point I still have Gill in the display tank. He is eating well again today and his breathing seems much more relaxed today but the fin is much worse. I think the fin was damaged in the accident not fin rot disease but could that set in so quickly post trauma? I have the QT tank set up and ready but I an apprehensive to try and catch Gill it is going to be a BITA if you know what I mean and I worry about more stress on him. His tankmates all seem prefectly healthy as of this point. I guess I just need to know if I should get him out or not?
Thanks,
Karen :?

 

[Alice]

Hi Karen,

It sounds as though Gill is suffering the after effects of being injured, not ich. If he's eating, swimming more or less normally (given the injury) and the fin isn't developing cottony fuzz, looking blackish on the edges or streaking discoloration up into the body, I'd leave him be. Tangs don't do well in small tanks and sometimes the cure is worse than the symptoms in a small QT/HT for tangs.

The cloudiness in the eye is also more than likely injury related, not ich. Hopefully it will recover on its own and there won't be permanent damage.

Good luck with him

Alice

 

[Fly n Reef]

Thanks Alice,
That is what I was quessing on my own but I needed someone to reassure me. In the meantime I will continue to watch and keep the fresh salt water ready for a change at any given moment. The net is ready too just in case.
Thanks for the help.
Karen
ps do you leave a QT tank up at all times?

 

[Alice]

No, I don't. Everytime I would set one up for "just in case" it was just too tempting, sitting there with nothing in it and I would fill it up with fish or corals that I couldn't have in the main tank or it would end up at the kids' school for science class

 

[OnTheReef]

Karen,

I keep an extra tank (usually a 20 gallon) and a plastic drum full of saltwater on hand at all times. The drum has a heater, airstone and small circulation pump so that it doesn't stagnate. Here's wishing Gill a speedy recovery!

Eric

 

[Fly n Reef]

Eric,
Thank you for the well wishes for Gill. I think he is on the mend but i keep a vigilant watch like every ten seconds.
I do have a designated trash can set up for water changes but I only make the RO/DI on a need basis. I was keeping a batch of water ready to go but I kept smelling a musty/moldy smell and thought that could not be good so I tossed it down the drain. Any suggestions not to get the mustys? I did circulate and heat the water but no airstone.
Karen

 

[Doug1]

Karen you might try a nylon stocking full of Black Diamond carbon (will rinsed in RO) FWIW I try to clean my makeup water trash can out between fill cycles and keep the lid on it. I drilled a hole that is a snug fit for the hose coming off the DI cartridge after the RO.
Hopefully Gill will be able to mend on his own

 

[Fly n Reef]

Doug,
Good info. My home is a townhouse I hope to sell in the next 6-9 months so I do as little as I can to change anything so my RO/DI water change trash can is on wheels and I keep it in a seperate room than my water source. Wheels are wonderful. My RO/DI sets under the sink in the extra bath just ready for the quick hook-up via the waterbed faucet converter which I leave attached permanently. Gill I soooooo much better I cannot express how happy I am that he is on the mend. I have almost never been able to recover a fish that seemed so doomed. He (if he can comprehend) seems to hang at the front of the tank in gratefulness for my every ten second inspection. I am not sure that I can do much more than I have but thanks to everyone here at PSAS for their help and encouragement. Gill and I have weathered the storm to this point. I hope he and I have many healthy and happy years together.
Thanks much,
Karen
PS to all who have helped please introduce yourselves to me at one of our meetings I would love to thank you in person. I will be at the NOV 8th aquarium tour.