Help diagnose problem

[baobao]

Lee, perhaps you can help me diagnose these problems:

1) I have a male crosshatch trigger in a community tank that does not swim actively and instead stays "lethargic" on corner of tank. He'll eat if I put shrimp right in front of his mouth; No other fish is being aggressive to him (however, about a week ago I had to move him from another tank (where he was picked on by other more aggressive fish); No visible outside dots etc.

2) Grouper that exhibits similar symptoms, but additionally refuses to eat and is now gradually breathing harder; No visible outside dots,etc. Side fin starting to rot slightly.

3) Griffis that also refuses to eat ( no other fish aggressive to him).

Also, what is your opinion on Prazipro, Neomycyn, and Nitrofurazone?

Thanks.

[leebca]

Lethargic fish are often associated with an internal parasite. They tend to eat little and more or less fade out to death. Internal parasites take over when the other outside stresses on a fish overcome its ability to cope. Otherwise many marine fish in the wild live with internal parasites.

In the confines of an aquarium, it isn't worth risking the internal parasite gaining a foot hold nor is it worth that parasite taking nutrition away from the fish. So I always deworm all newly acquired fish. Three treatments are noted here: Strange Excrement from Fish -or- How to be a Super Pooper Snooper The treatment is Praziquantel or Metronizazole or both. You're treating as if the fish is exhibiting a strange fecal matter.

The refusal to eat usually means there is one or more stressors on the fish. Until the stressor is removed or reduced or until the fish adjusts to the stress, it most likely won't eat. Aquarists think that, 'If I can only find the food it likes' that it will start eating. Not. The fish will eat only when the stress is removed/reduced and/or the fish has adjusted to the stress. Whatever acceptable food is being fed at the time this happens, the fish will eat. That is why there are so many reports on the same species of fish 'starting to eat' with feediings of a wide variety of food.

Prazipro does what it says.

Neomycin is particularly good for a wide range of bacteria. It is an antibiotic. However, it is a sulfa-based drug and can't mix well with some other medications (e.g., copper).

Nitrofurazone is an antibiotic that absorbs into the fish through their skin, like the Maracyn Two for Saltwater Fish antibiotic. However, this antibiotic is still best at fighting surface bacterial infections. It has been so indiscriminately used by exporters that bacteria are developing resistance to this drug. Fish are coming in from Pacific-Asia with bacteria that do not respond to this antibiotic. Nitrofurazone is reserved for peculiar bacteria. It is a human carcinogen and I don't usually recommend it unless the specific types of bacteria it kills have been identified on the fish.