What Is This?

[Snow_Phoenix]

Hi NR, need your expertise and knowledge for a moment.

 

I have a pair of dartfish in my current tank. One of the fish is brand new (just purchased yesterday), and another has been in the system since early July. I'm not sure which one of the two dartfish this is, but this just happened few hours ago:

 

 

The fish was perfectly fine and swimming normally in the evening. He was also actively feeding on NLS and Hikari pellets. Two hours later, I return to find him at the bottom of the sandbed, looking like that^^

 

I have no idea what this is - or if this is even a disease. The onset was too fast and the fish died within minutes of me discovering him in that shape. It doesn't look like Ich, Velvet, Brook or even Fungus - the pic doesn't add up to the other pics of diseased fish online.

 

Other fish in the tank include several nano-sized gobies and an ornate leopard wrasse. Tank is a 20G - was a tank-transfer from a cracked 10G that's been up since June. Can someone please tell me what this is? Should I catch and QT all my remaining fish? None of them are showing any signs of illness or odd-behavior, and one of the other dartfish has retired to a crevice deep in the LR for the night. He shares that burrow with a pair of Hi-Fins and a pistol shrimp. 

 

I'm more interested in knowing what this is so that I can tackle it with the necessary meds tomorrow morning. If it's not a disease, then what could it be, and how do I prevent this from happening to my other fish/inverts? 

 

 

[WV Reefer]

1 hour ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Hi NR, need your expertise and knowledge for a moment.

 

I have a pair of dartfish in my current tank. One of the fish is brand new (just purchased yesterday), and another has been in the system since early July. I'm not sure which one of the two dartfish this is, but this just happened few hours ago:

 

 

The fish was perfectly fine and swimming normally in the evening. He was also actively feeding on NLS and Hikari pellets. Two hours later, I return to find him at the bottom of the sandbed, looking like that^^

 

I have no idea what this is - or if this is even a disease. The onset was too fast and the fish died within minutes of me discovering him in that shape. It doesn't look like Ich, Velvet, Brook or even Fungus - the pic doesn't add up to the other pics of diseased fish online.

 

Other fish in the tank include several nano-sized gobies and an ornate leopard wrasse. Tank is a 20G - was a tank-transfer from a cracked 10G that's been up since June. Can someone please tell me what this is? Should I catch and QT all my remaining fish? None of them are showing any signs of illness or odd-behavior, and one of the other dartfish has retired to a crevice deep in the LR for the night. He shares that burrow with a pair of Hi-Fins and a pistol shrimp. 

 

I'm more interested in knowing what this is so that I can tackle it with the necessary meds tomorrow morning. If it's not a disease, then what could it be, and how do I prevent this from happening to my other fish/inverts? 

 

 

 

Could he have got chopped? Or caught in something? 

 

Or does it look more like sickness? 

[Snow_Phoenix]

10 hours ago, WV Reefer said:

 

Could he have got chopped? Or caught in something? 

 

Or does it look more like sickness? 

I don't think he got chopped - his fins were intact, for one. Also, no actually visible signs of 'cuts' or 'shreds' on the body itself - just these mysterious irregular white patches. I'm not sure if he got caught in my mini maxi carpet nem. My active swimmers (dartfish & wrasse) do have a habit of swimming up and down the tank, weaving between rocks and such. The mini maxi is located at the bottom of my largest LR piece and opens up a few cm off the sandbed. If the fish did accidently swim into it and manage to free itself somehow, I didn't see it happen - but I suppose it is possible. But will the sting wounds look like that though?

 

That's what I'm unsure about - whether it's a disease or not. If it is, I want to quickly read up about it and know what to do next to make sure my remaining fish and critters don't end up the same way. I was hoping someone on the forum would know what this is, because I truly don't. 😞

[WV Reefer]

5 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I don't think he got chopped - his fins were intact, for one. Also, no actually visible signs of 'cuts' or 'shreds' on the body itself - just these mysterious irregular white patches. I'm not sure if he got caught in my mini maxi carpet nem. My active swimmers (dartfish & wrasse) do have a habit of swimming up and down the tank, weaving between rocks and such. The mini maxi is located at the bottom of my largest LR piece and opens up a few cm off the sandbed. If the fish did accidently swim into it and manage to free itself somehow, I didn't see it happen - but I suppose it is possible. But will the sting wounds look like that though?

 

That's what I'm unsure about - whether it's a disease or not. If it is, I want to quickly read up about it and know what to do next to make sure my remaining fish and critters don't end up the same way. I was hoping someone on the forum would know what this is, because I truly don't. 😞

It does almost look like something “grabbed” him from the bottom. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

2 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

It does almost look like something “grabbed” him from the bottom. 

Perhaps so. But I cleared the tank of all known predators - gave away any overly-aggressive invert (lobster) etc. Unless there's something else running around this tank which I'm unaware of, then I'm unsure what the exact cause it. It's worrisome because all my current fish (the tiny gobies and the wrasse) return to the safety of the sandbed or LR crevices to sleep in for the night. I hope it's not a giant fireworm or a eunicid. Those things creep me out.

[Rob22]

My first instinct was to ask if you had any nems. I just did a google image search of mini maxi carpet sting fish and came across a pic of an exquisite firefish that had white spots on it from the nem. With it hitting it that quick, the dots, and nothing else showing signs of illness, I would venture to guess it perched on the mini maxi and was able to pull away. They have been known to kill clownfish. The dart would have no chance. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

3 minutes ago, Rob22 said:

My first instinct was to ask if you had any nems. I just did a google image search of mini maxi carpet sting fish and came across a pic of an exquisite firefish that had white spots on it from the nem. With it hitting it that quick, the dots, and nothing else showing signs of illness, I would venture to guess it perched on the mini maxi and was able to pull away. They have been known to kill clownfish. The dart would have no chance. 

Hmm ok. Tbh, I didn't even think of the nem until WV Reefer mentioned it. I suppose now I have to plan whatever future additions to this tank carefully. I think my second dartfish is still alive, but because he hides in the LR crevice 99% of the time, there's no way of telling. Shoot, I really loved this dartfish. Scissortails are so beautiful. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

6 minutes ago, Rob22 said:

My first instinct was to ask if you had any nems. I just did a google image search of mini maxi carpet sting fish and came across a pic of an exquisite firefish that had white spots on it from the nem. With it hitting it that quick, the dots, and nothing else showing signs of illness, I would venture to guess it perched on the mini maxi and was able to pull away. They have been known to kill clownfish. The dart would have no chance. 

I just found the pic you're talking about - it looks like a match. I'll monitor the carpet nem. A nem shrimp currently hosts it, but is unaffected by its sting. I'm just worried about my smaller fish - I have 3 nano gobies (2 Hi-Fins & 1 Hector's) in that tank. And the Hector's slept right next to the nem last night! Thank goodness he didn't get stung - he's up and swimming fine today.

[Rob22]

I would be willing to bet it was the newest addition. Most fish would avoid it. Perhaps they are not located near the dartfish in the wild and they don’t have the instincts to stay away.  I have had a virgate rabbitfish killed by a bubble tip. Also have a pacific blue that has been zapped by one. The bubble tip stings will be black dots, almost like bruises. They’re sting is not as potent or sticky as a healthy mini maxi though. You could try a rock flower anemone instead of the mini maxi. Same type of shape, but not as potent. Colors and texture will be different as well. I have both in my bigger tank and haven’t had any issues from the mini maxi or the rock flowers. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

4 minutes ago, Rob22 said:

I would be willing to bet it was the newest addition. Most fish would avoid it. Perhaps they are not located near the dartfish in the wild and they don’t have the instincts to stay away.  I have had a virgate rabbitfish killed by a bubble tip. Also have a pacific blue that has been zapped by one. The bubble tip stings will be black dots, almost like bruises. They’re sting is not as potent or sticky as a healthy mini maxi though. You could try a rock flower anemone instead of the mini maxi. Same type of shape, but not as potent. Colors and texture will be different as well. I have both in my bigger tank and haven’t had any issues from the mini maxi or the rock flowers. 

I actually love RFAs, but my state doesn't have them. My country only imports RFAs once/twice a year, and even then, it's only sold by shops which are located in the upper northern states of the Peninsula. RFAs are also extremely expensive here for some reason. I asked my LFS once if they were willing to import some, but they said no - they're worried no one would buy them due to the high cost. Mini Maxis are imported a little bit more frequently (thrice or more) a year and are more affordable. This mini maxi was originally from my mantis shrimp tank. It became badly bleached, and I QTed it for a while before transferring it to my bedroom tank. Although it's still light green, it's very healthy and sticky. 

 

All my other fish avoid it, as you've mentioned. For some reason, everyone prefers crowding on the right side of my tank and share the same LR to hide in/under. I'm now just a bit concerned for my Hector's. He's new too (purchased on the same day as this dartfish). Right now, he's hanging with my Hi-Fins - hopefully he avoid the nem tonight. 

[1891Bro]

3 hours ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

I just found the pic you're talking about - it looks like a match. I'll monitor the carpet nem. A nem shrimp currently hosts it, but is unaffected by its sting. I'm just worried about my smaller fish - I have 3 nano gobies (2 Hi-Fins & 1 Hector's) in that tank. And the Hector's slept right next to the nem last night! Thank goodness he didn't get stung - he's up and swimming fine today.

How’d you get the nem to ride around on a shrimps back?

[Snow_Phoenix]

4 hours ago, 1891Bro said:

How’d you get the nem to ride around on a shrimps back?

I keep mixing this up for some reason - I meant nem hosting the shrimp.