PBT - Death

Chris_W

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
OK, I'm confused. My PBT has been in great shape for months. No sign of stress or illness. No aggressors in the tank. The wife called today and said he's spotty and swimming funny. Immediate thought was ICH. I got home tonight and he was already gone. Here is what I found though. Thoughts?

Other tank mates are a mystery wrasse, peppermint hog fish and a clown.

The only cleanup crew are snails.





Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

Sctip

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
M.A.S.C. B.O.D.
#4
I feel for you. I've had PBT blue and brown. Just die on me, no sickness or signs of distress.

Ask and you may find out, don't ask and you will never know.
 

Chris_W

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
Guy over at r2r thinks it's a dry negative bacteria that was brought in recently. Only new thing to go in recently was a wellso from a place I trust. Hopefully it doesn't kill everything else off.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

Chris_W

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
So here's where we're at...

It seems as though the issue was a bacteria strain that took hold of the PBT. Most likely, he scratched himself on some of the rockwork and it allowed the bacteria to take hold. The only thing I can figure is that the bacteria existed on a piece of coral that was added to the tank last Saturday (happy fathers day to me), and has had enough time to multiply to a level where it could affect the fish.

I'll be stopping into a few stores this afternoon to see if I can find some kanaplex and focus. I'll soak spectrum pellets in kanaplex then focus to seal in the antibiotics. With any luck, ill catch it in time to save my peppermint hog, clown and mystery wrasse without killing off my nems, snails and coral.

Really hope this works. Taking out all the fish to QT would basically equate to a total tear down. If that happens there will probably be a tank for sale shortly after. Really (insert expletive) annoyed that the PBT died. The kids and I have gotten a little attached to it.
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
Sometimes chasing a possible phantom cause or reason can do more harm than good to the remaining inhabitants. It is just as likely that the fish was collected with cyanide which causes instant death some number of months later for apparently no reason. I might suggest that you think hard about doing anything to the tank.
 
#10
jda123;653213 said:
Sometimes chasing a possible phantom cause or reason can do more harm than good to the remaining inhabitants. It is just as likely that the fish was collected with cyanide which causes instant death some number of months later for apparently no reason. I might suggest that you think hard about doing anything to the tank.
Agree. Don't be rash. Know it's hard when you come home to that poor thing but...

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
 

Chris_W

Blenny
M.A.S.C Club Member
#11
I don't disagree with either of you. Just treating for symptoms. The fish was QT'ed and in my care for a long time.

Truthfully, I haven't found the mess yet and will probably have to order them and will not do so until Monday at the earliest. If there are no changes between now and then, I'll most likely leave it all alone.

Not sure about the cyanide part. Have had it for longer than I would expect that type of poisoning to linger, also the part about the fishes skin being dissolved. Regardless, I see where you're going with the thought. There's no reasonable way for me to prove the root cause.


Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Top