treesprite January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 (edited) This is what my Rainfords looked like a couple days ago: This is what I just discovered (note: the fish's coloration difference is the lighting): None of the other fish show any signs of illness. I did have the salinity dilution last week, water went down to 1.18, but I have never seen a fish get like this due to a sudden salinity change. In fact, I have never seen a fish like this in my tank at all. Edited January 24, 2012 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 looks like it lost a fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 24, 2012 Author Share January 24, 2012 When I found it an hour ago, the Hectors was nipping at it, but it could be that the Rainfords was being attacked because he is sick. Rainnfords and Hectors due have issues with one another because they are very similar, and mine are no exception with their occasional 20 second spats, but it has always been the Rainfords chasing the Hectors and never the other way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaddc January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 Ouch! Can you quarantine the little fella for a little while? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 24, 2012 Author Share January 24, 2012 I put him in the 5g Eclipse that you see him pictured in. It was the only thing I could get put up in 15 minutes. He barely even tried to get away from me when I went to catch him :( 5 g, so I mixed up in a little The only medicine I have is Marycyn 2, so I put some of that in the, well, now the Eclipse is a QT. Does anyone know if Marycyn 2 will keep once mixed with water? Each pack is for 10g of water and the QT is only 5g, and I didn't want to guess with a dry substance, so I put a few tablespoons of water in and micxed, so I could put just half t0 it in the tank; the remaining half is in a couple of 155 ml test vials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinebiologist January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 looks like it lost a fight. X2 looks like he just got the slime beat out of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I wouldn't medicate unless it's showing signs of some sort of infection or disease. The frayed fins look to be the sign of a fight and normally will heal on their own. Doesn't seem as if spines were damaged, just the flesh between them was ripped so I'd expect that it will grown back and heal up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I don't think it is sick either, more like it got picked on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 ^+1 If you feel like helping, stress coat should make him feel better and may help his fins grow back faster. Other than that just feed him tasty things. He doesn't look too bad at all. Is he swimming normally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I'd also include some selcon and fresh garlic in it's diet starting now. Famous for getting ich after stress. Keep water clean and it will heal on it's own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 24, 2012 Author Share January 24, 2012 (edited) Thank you for the consensus on diagnosis - it's a huge relief. I've never seen a fish so beat up, so it's pretty scary to see. He appeared to be eating some Nutramar shrimp eggs that I put in there, and acted typically excited about having it (but he has no pods in QT). The Hectors must have gotten tired of him. Most of the time they would stay on opposite sides of the tank, but on occasion the Rainfords would cross over inadvertently while hunting around for pods. Then if he saw the Hectors, he would give it a brief chase around that area of rock. I don't usually see the Hectors on the Rainfords side of the tank, and have not seen him chase back but not seen him run under any rocks either when chased. I had already put antibiotic in the QT, but just a 50% change of water using water from my DT. I'll have to dilute down more tonight - don't really have the time right now, and no mix to replace what I take from the DT. So what should I do now? If he isn't sick, I don't want to leave him any longer than today in the QT, because he needs pods to graze on. I will be putting him in the refugium instead of the DT - he should be extremely happy in there, like living in Pod Mecca. Do I need to put food in the refugium or will he be fine living off of the pods (they are similar to dragonets when it comes to food). Edited January 24, 2012 by treesprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I would still try to offer some prepared foods in an effort to get him to learn to eat them. It helps to have that option in case the pod population goes away. If it doesn't eat the food given then the pods will which will help the pod population some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunWyrm January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 (edited) This might be a good opportunity to get him on prepared foods while he's in QT. He looks a little skinny in the pic to me, so some added nutrition will help him recover. I like damsels, and have seen some bad fights. Your little guy will be fine. Edited January 24, 2012 by YiatzOfEden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 25, 2012 Author Share January 25, 2012 Oh, he already eats frozen foods. I usually use Rods food, but also use the shrimp eggs and frozen mysis, and then maybe only once a week I use flake & pellet mixed. I did another water change to get the antibiotic out, and put some liverock in with him, and shook some macros out into the water. He seems to have energy. I think tomorrow night if he isn't showing any weird stuff, I'll move him to the fuge. I don't like that I can't put him back in the DT where I can see him all the time, but I think it's too risky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller January 25, 2012 Share January 25, 2012 cover what ever you put it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 26, 2012 Author Share January 26, 2012 Yeah, they jump when they are afraid. I just figured out how the Hectors was able to beat him up so bad. I actually had forgotten until just now, that this fish went through the overflow several days ago, over the edge, then through a 1.5" pipe of blasting water into the sump. He looked ok at the time, but I think what happened is that he was weakened to the extent that he couldn't keep up with the Hectors. I guess the Hectors decided to take advantage of the situation and get back at the Rainfords for being an occasional nuisance. I think what that means is that it will be ok to put the Rainfords back into the display once he's got his strength back - I don't think he will get beat up when he's back to himself. But in the meantime, I'll put him in the refugium and let him get fattened up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 2, 2012 Author Share February 2, 2012 I had the guy in my refugium - he was eating pods from the minute I put him in there. I used trying to find him as a reason to clean out the refugium - my refugium is much nicer now. I did find him, looking much better, so I put him back in the display. Well, all he is doing is hiding from the Hectors. It looks like I can only keep one of these fish in my DT. I don't know if I like the Rainfords better or if I am just feeling sorry for him, but I think that's the one I want to keep in the display. Either way, I now have to spend about 2 days trying to catch a fish (I caught the Rainfords easy before because he was barely moving). So then the question is, do I put the Hectors in the fuge and let him live off of pods, or do I get rid of him? I like him, but if he is in the fuge I will never see him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef February 2, 2012 Share February 2, 2012 You wait till i get out there and set up my tank and put him in it lol I see your point, no fun to have 2 great fish if ones going to try killing the other one and the other hides all the time ... but if you do decide to get rid of one,, ill be there and have my tank set up in a month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 2, 2012 Author Share February 2, 2012 Well, right after I posted that, I started at trying to catch the hectors. Here it is 5.5 hours later and the Hectors is still in the tank. I've got the Rainfords and 2 firefish out of the tank - they weren't so hard to catch, and better to take them out than have them in while I try to catch the other. The tang doesn't much care because he knows I'm not after him. The dragonets are having a pod field day and are oblivious to anything wrong. The clown fish stay with their anemone no matter what - I even lifted the end of the rock above the water level and the clownfish laid on top of the anemone out of the water! Wave the rock back and forth to shake out the Hectors and the clownfish swim fast back and forth to keep up, so they don't get more than half an inch from the nem. My corals are suffering big time. My clothes were completely soaked, so I got in the shower, got some dry clothes, came out and started again, then decided to have some poptarts and look on the internet. In the meantime also, I have done a 12g water change because between the buckets of liverock//corals/fish, plus what went on the floor and what soaked into my clothes, that's about how much water I removed. I can't go to bed until every is back in the tank, and refuse to put everything back until that hectors is out of there. I may have to call in tomorrow to stay home to catch this monster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 2, 2012 Author Share February 2, 2012 I forgot to mention that I had the non-removable rock formation wrapped around with plastic wrap to keep the fish from hiding in it. That beast kept finding ways to get in there. I really hope the commotion doesn't make the anemone want to change its location.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 2, 2012 Author Share February 2, 2012 So, after about a half hour break, I went back to the task and did not finish until about 8:15am. What a totally freaking frustrating time! The Hectors is in the refugium and the Rainfords is in the display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic February 2, 2012 Share February 2, 2012 Woo Hooo !!! I am the same way! I won't go to sleep before I am done! Congrats!!! I hope the hectors have learnt their lesson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrrrMomma February 2, 2012 Share February 2, 2012 Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubberFrog February 2, 2012 Share February 2, 2012 ... decided to have some poptarts and look on the internet.... That is awesome! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite February 4, 2012 Author Share February 4, 2012 I put the Hectors in the refugium, and he is having a blast in there eating more pods than he could even dream about. Given that I don't have to feed a pod-eating fish, I will probably just keep him in there rather than give him away. I had just cleaned my refugium a couple days ago, because I couldn't fine the Rainfords in there without emptying out the rocks and macros. I put in some eggcrate to keep the rocks raised off the bottom. So now, I can see the Hectors swimming around and know that he's still living in there (the refugium is in a 55g on the floor). I can't believe I was crazy enough to spend nearly 12 hours just to catch a darn fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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