Destroyed Tail of Anthias; Still Alive

[Funlad3]

So one of my three Bartlett's Anthias was hiding in the rocks yesterday, and I expected the worst. Today, though, it is still alive and hiding in the rocks. This time, though, I saw that the majority of its tail is missing... It looks like there are red streaks at the edge, but I can't tell all that well. The other two Bartlett's Anthias are happy as can be, and the Potter's Angel's is zooming around, picking on my SPS.... My assessor is, as usual, just fine. The only other thing amiss is that my Long Nosed Butterfly is sitting in a cave, aware of myself and fish that swim near it, but it refuses to swim around and graze as it normally does. Otherwise, he, too, looks fine.

Any ideas on what's up with my Anthias?

- Ben


Tail of fish:

 

[tinman]

to me it looks like rot of somekind .. like fin rot or something

 

[Funlad3]

That's what I'm thinking, but it's lost literally its whole tail in a day, and my tank is pristine. Plus the others are fine, so it would have to be some insane fin rot. Not to say that that couldn't happen!

 

[Triggerdood]

Flukes possibly? Idk, just takin a guess. I do know they can eat fins/scales I believe. Would also cause a fish to be lethargic.

 

[Funlad3]

Better picture:

 

[Funlad3]

And now the butterfly isn't eating... I'm wondering if it tried to eat something that shouldn't have (zoa/paly) and is now feeling ill. He's still alert, even if somewhat lethargic, so I'm not to worried about him.

The injured Anthias chased some food around for a few seconds, but didn't eat anything. Still, encouraging to see!

Stupid fish; why can't you be predictable, like coral?



Oh, and my National Board recomended that I use Melafix on my DT to help the Anthias regrow its tail. It looks like it's reef safe, so that's my new plan.

 

[ColaAddict]

Melafix helps with fin rot and bacteria infections. It will also drive your skimmer crazy for days, so you wont be able to skim. I recommend using it in a QT tank.

 

[Funlad3]

Melafix helps with fin rot and bacteria infections. It will also drive your skimmer crazy for days, so you wont be able to skim. I recommend using it in a QT tank.

There's no way I'll be able to catch the anthias, so I guess I'll have to take the cup off of the skimmer for a few days, then run some carbon before I bring it back online. Thanks for the heads up, Nino.

 

[MMreef]

Bartlett's anthias are one of the worst to keep in a group, when they mature they keep killing each other till one is left. It might be that this anthia is being harrased by the other two , or it might be some kind bacterial decease, fin rot, etc. I would try to catch it and put it into qt and try medication. She will not survive in main tank as she will not be able to compete for food.

 

[madjoe]

Could be tail rot . Could be being beat on by one of the other two or could be flukes butterflys angels and anthias r nortorius for haveing flukes

 

[zoomcorvette]

If it happened in one day it is probably the other anthias, Happened to me.

 

[Funlad3]

Stupid fish.... Now the anthias is looking a bit better, but the Butterfly isn't acting as it should at all...

 

[gmguy496]

they make a marine melafix that wont make ur skimmer go crazy the melafix will also help with fin repair use to use it all the time with my cichlids

 

[Funlad3]

Well, the Anthias hasn't changed state, but the butterfly is done for...

[video=youtube;uESqPoKsg84]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uESqPoKsg84&feature=c4-overview&list=UUxUFpMhH-qgos-qcCUlL7dg[/video]

Does anyone know why butterflies turn from healthy to dead so quickly for no apparent reason? My thought is that they stress easily, and any inter-anthias aggression may have freaked it out...

 

[strike2867]

Well, the Anthias hasn't changed state, but the butterfly is done for...

[video=youtube;uESqPoKsg84]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uESqPoKsg84&feature=c4-overview&list=UUxUFpMhH-qgos-qcCUlL7dg[/video]

Does anyone know why butterflies turn from healthy to dead so quickly for no apparent reason? My thought is that they stress easily, and any inter-anthias aggression may have freaked it out...

Have you added anything recently to the tank? Multiple fish having issues and dying this quickly is pretty emergency type situation. I personally would let nature take its course here with the Butterfly though. Unless I had the ability to get it quickly into a tank with Prazipro or some other fish medication.

 

[Funlad3]

The butterfly is dead. The injured anthias is still hiding in his rock cavern, and everything else is as happy as can be. My simple theory is that the new Bartlett's Anthias (grabbed them last Tuesday) fought and damaged the smallest of the anthias, the sick one, and stressed out the butterfly. Fin rot seems to have taken the tail of the anthias, and the butterfly, notoriously nervous and fragile as it is, stopped eating and went on the all-too-famous death spiral. I'm going to keep my eye on the rest of the tank and see if anything else starts acting strangely. I'm both hoping for and expecting the rest of the fish to remain healthy. Knock on wood.

 

[Tethered_Limbs]

man that sucks did you euthanize it?

 

[Funlad3]

It died just after I freed it from the brain...

 

[Tethered_Limbs]

Well at least you didn't have to finish it... Would be hard to do