Injury on Clarkii

[MCSInc]

My female clown has a spot near her anus that has me really concerned.

12/22 All of my fish are "plump" but I noticed that she was really filling out. My first thought was eggs. This would be no surprise and was supported by their cleaning efforts on one rock. I also noticed that she looked slightly lopsided.

12/23 Still a bit lopsided but I also noticed that the fuller side had a "rough scale" look. Like the scales were slightly lifted. This day I also could have created stress because I pulled out 2 of her favorite anemones (one 16' rose and one 13' rose) and hauled them off to the LFS for sale. They settled into a couple of 8' anemones so it is not like they were homeless.

12/24 The rough spot near her anus looks like a dark open sore 1/4 the size of a thumbtack head. The total rough spot about the size of thumb tack. She seemed to be breathing a little quick but still comes to my hand and still eats but less than normal. I see nothing protruding from the "wound". She allows the cleaner shrimp to work on it but is very jumpy about it.

12/25 same as yesterday.

12/26 Wound looks the same but she is a little more active.

12/27 today I study the wound and don't see much change. She is more active and they continue to prepare their rock for eggs. The fast breathing seems to have gone away and her behavior is more "normal" - appetite is still a little down.

Her anus does not seem to be involved but it is awfully close. I would have to lay her over or spotlight her underside to get a good picture.

I can run all the tests and post results if that will help.

I would hate to lose her. She is about 5' long and the male is about 4' long. The have been in the tank for just under a year. No fish added for several month but I have been adding corals.

Any thoughts - anyone.

Thanks

Candy

 

[wrightme43]

every once in a while my fish will hit something and hurt themselves, I have also seen rarely a wound from what looks to be a enconter with the diadema long spined urchin. I guess somebody was chased into him. They usually heal in less than a week. There are some coepods that are parisitic, they are very fast and will attach and suck the blood from a fish. If you have Bob Fenners Consientious Marine Aquarist it will tell you about them. I HTH. Steve

 

[MCSInc]

I have studied it every day and have not seen a parasite. I have considered using neosporin if it were bacterial but??? I have seen some discussion about using it on seahorses with success. I have not done this because holding her while applying it seems like it would be just another stress. So far the only thing I have done - is watch the cleaner shrimp give her lots of attention. They sure are having a time of it because she tends to stay in the edge of the anemone and they are having to reach past the anemone to tend to her. LOL

 

[MCSInc]

Still Concerned

I did read the chapter on Disease (about 3 times) in Bob Fenners Consientious Marine Aquarist last night. Darn there is some scarey stuff in there that I hope I do not have. Especially the mention of Brooklynella which sounds nasty. It seems that if she had one of the really nasties that they would be a quick killer. Maybe not though. This has been ongoing for a week.

An Update:

The wound on Big Mama looks slightly larger which is bad but her attitude/appetite and activity level seem to be fully restored which seem a good sign. If the wound would start cleaning up I would feel a whole lot better.

 

[MCSInc]

I am stressed/Fish is ?not?

12/29 update:

I have decided that the wound must be an impact injury. It has settled in to a 3/4th of a pie shaped hole about the size of a small thumbtack head. All of the swelling around it has receded and I imagine I see the teltale pucker of a closing wound. BUT I can see innerds very, very slightly protruding out. This is what concernes me..... Has anyone ever stitched up or patched up a side wound on a fish???with out making it worse?? and no I am not kidding.

Bottom line is if she can keep her innerds in and un infected I think it will close up with time. Meanwhile I approach the tank cautiously each time expecting to see her dying.

Thank you for your response wrightme43 (otherwise I would be having a very one sided conversation) LOL

 

[wrightme43]

If she is healing I am going to go out on a limb and say she will be just fine. Fish are tough as nails and have a very very strong survival instinct, and amazing immune system, and are able to take debilitating injury in stride, heal, and have more babies. If you can see it starting to heal up, and it was my fish I would just leave her alone, feed her well, and keep using mela-fix. I have seen them jump out and lay on the floor, and come back. Have huge wounds and heal up and be just fine. I hope yours is another success story. Steve

 

[NaH2O]

Candy - I just caught this thread. Do you have a quarantine tank to place her in? Here is some good information on hyposalinity to reduce stress, which will aid in the healing process: Hyposalinity for transport and quarantine. There are a couple of good articles linked in the first post. If you are able to move her to QT, then try and get a picture of the wound. It may help to have a visual, and would be good documentation for the thread. Also, if you could post your latest water parameters. For sure, keep us updated!

 

[Terry B]

I responded to your post in my Website here:

http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1911

Cheers,
Terry B

 

[MCSInc]

Update on Big Mama

Thank you Terry for your response.

I am pleased to say that Big Mama continues to heal. There was a bit of material (1/2 the size of a pencil eraser) bulging slightly out of the wound and as the wound closed it constricted the bulging material. My thought is that if it was an intestinal bulge that would be the end of her but if it was part of the egg sack (roe?) from being egg bound, then maybe she would live but possibly be sterile. When I got home from work yesterday almost all of the bulging material was gone and she seems to move a bit easier. All in all it has been a rough 2.5 weeks for her.

I have to admit that I did not have the heart to quarantine her. I went home determined to move her to a q-tank but when I walked in she was laying flat out in one of her rose anenomes with little papa hovering near buy and both cleaner shrimp hovering just out of the anenome's reach watching her. She had already passed the most critical stages so I just sat down and let her be.

One more note: Big Mama is the undisputed QUEEN of this tank - so no one even considered bothering her while she was sick.

She is going to have quite an indented mark from the looks of things.

 

[wrightme43]

Good deal, for me if I can possibly leave a fish in the home tank, I do. Rembering the stess of moving on me, I can only imagine what is like for a fish. LOL I am glad she is doing well, and I bet she will be back to normal in 2 weeks at the most. Steve

 

[Terry B]

That is good news that she is healing. It may take several weeks to heal fully and then she will probably have a scar.

Terry B