Killerwhale,Welcome to this forum!!
Killerwhale (8/22/2006)
Kelly, I have a batch of green chromis in QT and suspect bacterial infection is a problem.I found another thread of yours that matches the symptoms. I had 7 but lost 2 almost immediately. The other 5 have been eating like pigs for about a week. I am taking salinity down slow and is at 1013.This morning they all ate well again but after eating 1 went and sat on the bottom away from everyone else.(It is not being picked on) It looks perfect but may be breathing a bit fast but it is hard for me to tell. Green chromis always seem to breath fast to me. The food is enriched with every thing you recommend. Even though one fish does have a spot on its side I have been avoiding treatment because everybody is still active and eating. I have marycin 2.Since 2 died and one has a spot - I would definitely treat the one with the lesion. It needs to be segregated or moved to another tank as fish with wounds will often be picked on by other fish. The "weakest" link will be viewed as some thing to be picked on....the wound will be picked on and will get worse.
Now my question is per the above post.The directions say treat the tank for 5 days.If your recomendation is to feed the med how do you measure amount to give.and how long do you feed?
Maracyn 2 can be absorbed through the wound and can also be "ingested" by swallowing the water with the medication. I would probably dilute a tablet in a small amount of water. I would then soak a small amount of food in a small amount of the diluted med. I would add the rest to the hospital tank or bath water.
[quote] Does the med last for a few days if soaked in food or does it need to be mixed with every feeding?
It is best to mix/dilute the med daily as many antibiotics will degrade/loss effectiveness when exposed to air/water.
If the fish is not eating and you give it a separate bath, how potent do you make the bath and do you do this every day for the recommended treatment period?(5 days)
If the fish is not eating, you can add it to a separate hospital tank or administer via bath - I recommend adding one tablet per one gallon and aerate well. Let the fish stay in the medicated bath for one hour.
Since I have lost 2 would you just assume the rest need to be treated even though they are active and eating?
I would treat the "infected" fish only at this point. The others may be stronger and have stronger immune systems to have fought off the pathogen. Treating fish that are not sick can lead to the development of drug resistant strains of bacteria. I would make sure the water parameters are kept pristine and the "uninfected" chromis are given a good variety of nutritional food enriched with vitamins, HUFA and beta glucan.
Please keep us updated.
Best of luck.