gramma has owies, please help!

[salt creepette]

Hello all, My gramma when I picked him up from the LFS had a tiny spot on his tail and tail was a bit frayed. I thot it was a result of being picked on (and probably was) and that it would heal. I have had him for a couple weeks now, and although he acts happy, the fins have frayed even more and he barely has a tail, and the base of his tail is a lighter yellow than it should be. Is this probably a secondary bacterial infection as a result of injury, and if so, how should I treat him???

[Buzz_Hog]

Sounds like fin and tail rot...

[salt creepette]

DOC!!! (shaking your shoulders) IS THERE A CURE?????

[Doug1]

Terry B where are you when we need you ?

[Toadfish]

If you can catch him, isolate in a QT tank and give him a medicated dip every other day. Hydoplex is my treatment of choice for infection or parasitic invaison. Paragard is my second reccomendation. If you can't catch him...just make sure your water params are strong. That will at least give him a fighting chance.

[salt creepette]

the gramma hides in a piece of LR so im not sure how easy it would be to catch him. however, if I can catch him, I dont have a qt set up. I have an extra 10 gallon though. Should I set it up with new salt water (purchased from my LFS) and treat him in that? will I have to worry about a cycle? I have an mechanical h.o.t. filter in my "not-quite-a-refugium" (which probably really doesnt need it; it has live sand and a only a maroon clown in there); should I just put that filter in the QT? it should have enough beneficial bacteria in it to keep the QT from cycling, shouldnt it? Please advise, thanks...

erin

[Toadfish]

Just siphon 10g from your main tank and transfer it to the 10g. If he's only going to be in there a week or two, the HOT filter will be fine. You may want to change 20% of the QT water with tank water every other day. Do not medicate him in the QT. Use minimal aquascaping so that you can remove him at will for 45min to 1hr dips. If you use "new" water, yes there will be a cycle. Transferring water should not be problematic unless you introduce uncycle organics. Good luck!

[salt creepette]

Ok. what I decided to do was this. I hope it is not too stoopid.

I went to the LFS looking for Hydoplex or Paragard. I decided that catching the gramma and setting up a qt would be too stressful for all my fish, and since I am going to move soon and am going to have to take down all six (yes, count them, six) fishtanks, that I dont need to add another one; I decided that I would just treat the fish in the main tank. The LFS had the Paragard, but not the hydroplex, so I went to the counter to ask for it, when another customer recommended Melafix. So did the employee, they said that is what they use on their injured fish. So I went ahead and bought it and did a water change, took the carbon out of my filters and turned off my skimmer, and dosed the tank. I will let you know how it goes and if I see improvement. so far everyone is doing ok and acting normal and I am just going to feed light for the next week. Wish me luck, and if you have recommendations, let them come forth!

[salt creepette]

just for the record, I am fully intending on setting up a QT after I move and before I get any new fishies.

[salt creepette]

nobody has said what they thot of my treatment so far, whether it be good or bad! please share your opinions if you have them.

also, since I cant run my skimmer, should I dump out the water in there at the end of the week before i start it back up? the biofloss in there prolly will have some funky dead bacteria in there since its been off, dont ya think?

[salt creepette]

update on the gramma:

He has gone to Davy Jones's locker I think. He was looking better after 3 days, but then the next day, more of his tail looked like it was gone. after 5 days of treatment with melafix (tonite would have been six), I havent seen him at all, which is unusual. I saw him hiding in his rock last nite but he didnt come out to eat. I sort of lifted the rocks around to see if I could find him or a body, but no gramma. I'm pretty sure he didnt make it.

Lessons learned:

1. NEVER buy a marred fish, no matter how cute
2. Quarantine fish in seperate tank

[9fishers]

Oh, Im sorry. I just read your post for the first time. Ive had 2 losses in 2 seperate tanks in 2 days (pygmy wrass and new elegance coral) I am soooo totally sympathetic. Ive only lost 2 other fish and it was my fault (I OVER medicated mine when I thought they had Brook.) I learned my lesson about QT tanks the hard way,too. We've all learned a lesson or two, things people tell you but you dont believe them until it happens to you. Then you pass the info. on to the next guy who wont believe you until it happens to them. You are now an official member of the "Da*nit, I Shoulda Known Better!!! " club.
Im the self appointed president!!!