Fighting Wounds or something else?

Slick Fork · #1 02-17-2008, 07:07 PM

Hi there,

In the beginning of January I bought 10 Chromis, They've been in a 33 gallon quarantine tank since then. I gave them a few days to relax and then dropped the salinity to 1.009. 1 died before I even dropped the salinity, and another jumped. After 4 weeks of hypo, I've brought the salinity back up over the last 7 days and the survivors are theoretically now ready to go into the main (100gallon) tank.

Now, most of the remaining 8 have reddish blotches of one degree or another (have had for some time) and they seem to be getting worse. To me and my wife these look like fighting wounds as scales appear to be missing and it looks like a scab you get when you skin a knuckle or something. They are all alert, have tremendous appetites and look otherwise happy. I have noticed when they are not eating they spend half their time brawling and chasing each other around. The one who has the most spots seems to be the most picked on.

Water parameters are all where they should be and the tank has been getting at least 1 9 litre water change daily for the last little bit as I bring the salinity back up.

My dilema of course is what do I do? If this is a fungus or something that survived hyposalinity I do NOT want to put them into the main display. However, if these are fighting wounds then moving them from the 33 to the 100 tonight like the plan was will be the best thing for them as they will have room and rockwork to hide and race around.

Any thoughts???

fishoholic · #2 02-17-2008, 08:06 PM

Sounds like fighting wounds. I've heard that in small tanks chromis will fight to the death until only one remains.

naesco · #3 02-19-2008, 04:07 AM

Why did you drop the salinity?
Thanks

Aquattro · #4 02-19-2008, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

Why did you drop the salinity?
Thanks

Presumably to fight potential Ich?

naesco · #5 02-19-2008, 06:27 AM

Brad I have never used the hypo-salinity method to treat ich.

But it appears to me that the purpose of a quaratine tank (QT) is the place a newly purchased fish in it and observe it. If ich, fungus or a bacteria infection is seen, a reefer can decide on an appropriate treatment.

I don't see why someone would put a fish through the risk and stress of hypo salinity unless it was necessary.
Is this what everyone is doing?
Wayne

fishoholic · #6 02-19-2008, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

Brad I have never used the hypo-salinity method to treat ich.

But it appears to me that the purpose of a quaratine tank (QT) is the place a newly purchased fish in it and observe it. If ich, fungus or a bacteria infection is seen, a reefer can decide on an appropriate treatment.

I don't see why someone would put a fish through the risk and stress of hypo salinity unless it was necessary.
Is this what everyone is doing?
Wayne

I only do hypo if the fish already has ich. I found this methood to be very effective in treating ich, but I like you, wouldn't risk it unless necessary.

Aquattro · #7 02-19-2008, 10:59 PM

Ya, I wouldn't do it as a preventative, only if they developed Ich...

Slick Fork · #8 02-20-2008, 04:26 AM

I do it as a preventative measure. I've read a number of good things about lowering the salinity as a preventative measure such as reduced osmotic stress, killing Ich before it has a chance to become an outbreak, etc. I've never seen major stress from the change in SG, but I change it very gradually.