PLZ HELP: I think I poisoned my Tube worm!

[RedRain5]

I was doing a partial water change and I think some Malchilite (SP) green (white spot med) had gotten in to the container I used since they were stored together. My tube worm may have filtered some of it out of the water and eaten it. I went to the store and came home. All it’s feathers looked like quills, the cilia were all clamped up and it was turning slowly back and forth. I quickly did a complete water change using another container. It looks a little better now it’s not turning any more but the cilia are still all clamped the few that are open look limp like noodles not stiff! I put some food in the tank for the worm hopeing it would open up the cilia but it didn’t. Is there any thing I can do besides more water changes? O yea it’s a 10 gal so it’s pretty small….I’ve had this worm since I started the tank will he Be ok? Or is he doomed?:( :confused:

[RedRain5]

his "feathers" are looking a bit limp now they are kind of curling he's reactive to movement and goes in and out the two stalk things in the middle are tucked in instead of sticking out *frowns* I turned out the light. Will that make it more comfortable? How long dose it take for the crown take to grow back it dumps it? How dose it feed without it?

[RedRain5]

The two stalk things in the middle are out now like they should be but his feathers are looking more limp. *frowns*

[LeslieH]

Only another reefer who's gone through the same type of experience can really advise you. The limp radioles ("feathers") are not a good sign. Hopefully it won't do more than lose the crown. Crown re-growth varies according to the health of the animal, how well it feeds, and how favorable the parameters are. Good luck!

[RedRain5]

is there anything I can do for it? it's feathers are curling now .....have a flealing tht's not too good......it's still reacting to stuff going in and out if a fish touches it or if I get too close.If it looses the crown should I hand feed it with a syringe to help It get more food??

[RedRain5]

The salt was off by just the smallest amount after that second water change. I did it rather quickly trying to remove the stuff that poisoned it. It was spot on the first time I changed it (when it got sick) I added a tiny little bit of salt and it turned a few times then got scared by the clown and went back in. It looks just a tad uncurled now that it came out or maybe it’s my imagination :sad2: my poor worm

clown and goby seem totally fine.

I looked around but I can't find anything to help me:reading: ANYONE have ANY advice?:sad1:

[graveyardworm]

Seems like you've done about all you can. If you're not using Carbon i would do so. Hopefully you didnt add salt directly to the tank, if any undesolved salt touches a fish or invert it could burn and possibly cause death.

[RedRain5]

No I mixed it first.......and I added it at the back of the tank near the filter so it would mix more before it got to the worm. There is carbon in the tank as well. :sad1:........I think I made my self sick too...I drink allot of water and tea when I get upset. My stomach doesn’t feel so well…..
My precious Mr. Fuzzy I don't want to loose him I’m so worried...:sad1:

[RedRain5]

This is great I was just checking my new clownfish and It looks like actually HAS white spot. It's just a baby under an inch long and in a 1 gal quarantine tank/bowl I hope to god that none of that water got into the main tank with all the splashing and dripping and moving of things that I was doing while trying to save the worm. That’s just what I need all my other fish with white spot. The new clown is going into another tank but I have a clown goby in that too. So I had to quarantine it :sad1:

*Is treating fish just now at this moment *

:sad1: I know 1 gal is small but my other larger tank is busted the. 1 gal bowl thing has good circulation and large surface area... :sad1: This is not a good day for me not a good week actually but not a good day for fish everything’s going wrong :sad1:

....no change in the worm btw

[RedRain5]

my cat gets crazy if she can't get out, she knocked over a coat rack into the qt tank While I was out buying the new fish! That’s why I had to use the 1gal qt tank/bowl
it's unbelievable and I know it's my fault for locking her up.

I just hope I don't have to start all over with my main tank the one that may have gotten contaminated water in it. Back to the subject.

The worm is curled a little more. I have turned the light back on but this doesn’t seem to help much I noticed that the cilia look sort of mated together. Not good I think…….
There was also a small amount of thin mucus secreted from the worm I’ve seen him do that once before when I first got him when the long trip home stressed him out and he made mucus then. He isn’t turning back and forth any more but will hide when there’s a vibration.

Is the fact that he is still responsive to light/vibration a good sign?

I will update in the morning if there is any change. I’m so worried about that worm not to mention my other fish!

[RedRain5]

the worm still has it's crown it's radioles are not so limp now and is responcive to light and movement. I noticed a little bit of poo coming out of it. Insted of droping it's crown it apears to have droped it's cilia how is it going to eat without them? Can I help by hand feeding it directly into the mouth?

[graveyardworm]

Whe they loose the feeding crown/cilia I dont think they can eat. You have to hope they have enough stored energy to reproduce the head.

What kind of ingredients are in the medications you were using? Copper perhaps? The white spot you are refering to is it ich?

[RedRain5]

did you mean what I accidentally got in the worm's tank? that was a fresh water ich med Malchilite (SP) green.

Or on the clown?
It’s marine ich/ white spot. The clown was pretty bad off. I used a freshwater bath and am also using hyposalinity in the qt tank/bowl. It’s not a great approach but his gills were so bad he was on the verge of suffocation. At least this way he gets some relief

Freshwater bath removed most of the visible parasites and cleared his gills part way he's not gasping as much but is pale and swims at a slight angle, tail down. He is not eating much. I tried a garlic soak on his food hoping he would eat some of it and his appetite would improve, but he didn’t touch it.

I do have some copper but am unsure how to measure out what I need. I have never used it on marine ich before. The fish is in a 1 gal tank. I do have a medical syringe measuring from .10 cc’s to 1 cc. Can I use it do measure out the copper and how much would I need?

I blame my self for getting a sick fish I was extremely rushed at the LFS and there was another customer being a butt to me and the fish catcher girl so I didn't inspect the live stock as closely as I should have.

I’m still worried that a few of the parasites may have gotten in the tank with my adult clown. She’s healthy and the water parameters are good. I wanted to raise the temp but with the worm in such bad shape I’m afraid of making it worse.

[RedRain5]

never minde the clown is dead now and it was most certanly Ich looks just like the freshwater variety but much more deadly

I have crabs and snails in the main tank as well as the tube worm so I cannot treat the main tank directly for a posible infection. The adult clown is too large to safely house in the 1 gal qt bowl/tank

I will wait till my qt tank is up and running then remove the fish for preventitive treatment even if there is no visible sign of the ich on them. How long shoud they remain out of the main tank untill any posible existing paricite larva would die from lack of host? or is this an option?

[graveyardworm]

Sorry about your fish :(

Here's an article to read about QT (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php)

and a couple about marine ich.

Part 1 (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php)
Part 2 (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php)

[RedRain5]

Thank you my fish look ok so far the clown is a little wary of me but that's probably because of the stress with the double water changes one after the other. She sees me and she runs away other than that when she thinks I'm not around she acts totally normal. She’s starting to come out more when I’m in the room I think she’s starting to trust me again.
The tube worm is growing it's cilia back I have been feeding it by hand directly into it's mouth and it has been able to feed that way.

[Ryanqk]

I would run carbon, but the funny thing is ive dosed paraguard into my tank before which contains some malachite green and my worm never reacted bad to it at all.

[RedRain5]

The clown is coming out now. That is strange, the med that got in my tank was a concentrated malachite green I have no idea how much got in. Part of the bottom of the contaminated container was dyed blue from it. I can't believe I didn’t notice it before.