Chevron TANG

Friday24 · Apr 10, 2019

I’ve got a Chevron Tang that in the last couple of weeks started getting weird growths on its skin. It isn’t Ich or Velvet (at least any I’ve ever seen). It looks like some sort of parasite. The white “spots” are stringy like a tiny Remora attachments to the fish. It started with one on its back and has now spread. The fish eats and swims completely normal, no scratching, swimming into the current, or gulping for air. I treated Prazipro 2 days ago and it didn’t make a difference. It’s been in a tank with 6 other fish for the last year including 2 other Tangs, Puffer, Beta, Rabbit, and a Pilotfish. It’s a bare bottom tank with a few pieces of live rock, and no other fish show any symptoms which I find strange. Any help from the experts would be greatly appreciated!

HotRocks · Apr 10, 2019

Have you done a FW dip on one? To see if they will dislodge?

Could be viral lessons or some sort of worm.

Friday24 · Apr 10, 2019

No dip yet, didn’t want to stress everyone to catch him if it was treatable without a dip. I thought parasite also, but wouldn’t they be on all the fish?

HotRocks · Apr 10, 2019

If the fish is privy to eating nori on a clip stick the clip in a fish trap and catch them. Tangs usually aren't to hard to trap.

Manthanol · Apr 10, 2019

Anchor worm?

Friday24 · Apr 10, 2019

Manthanol said:
Anchor worm?

Looks close, but all the info seems like it’s for freshwater. What would treat for them in marine?

Manthanol · Apr 11, 2019

Friday24 said:
Looks close, but all the info seems like it’s for freshwater. What would treat for them in marine?

You are right, there aren't much information about marine anchor worms. It is from the copepod family so Prazi would not work. You have to physically remove them carefully with a fine tweezers and use Dimilin-X to kill the eggs and larvae. Use MB or some other type of AB if the insertion points are getting infected.

Friday24 · Apr 11, 2019

If it was anchor worms wouldn’t all the fish have it?

Manthanol · Apr 11, 2019

Friday24 said:
If it was anchor worms wouldn’t all the fish have it?

It's possible if the females have laid eggs and the larvae passed on to others in the tank. I haven't seen any article about the transmission of anchor worms in marine fish. When I'm not taking care of my tanks I go fishing and some of the fish I catch are pelagic schooling with anchor worms. So I'm guessing close proximity by rubbing and/or water column could be the way for transmission. I would try FW dip as mentioned by HotRocks, if it doesn't work you can always use tweezers.

Manthanol · Apr 11, 2019

Friday24 said:
If it was anchor worms wouldn’t all the fish have it?

This is an earlier thread where Big G has some information on anchor worm and Dimilin. IMO it would be best to QT and go fallow.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/anchor-worm-in-quarantine-tank.559861/

GodofmyFish · Dec 26, 2021

Anything ever come of this? I have a powder blue that seems to have developed the same thing. Look like white Some have visible split ends/ tails. Buying some cleaners in the morning and see what the LFS owner thinks

Jay Hemdal · Dec 27, 2021

GodofmyFish said:
Anything ever come of this? I have a powder blue that seems to have developed the same thing. Look like white Some have visible split ends/ tails. Buying some cleaners in the morning and see what the LFS owner thinks

"Anchorworm" is a freshwater disease. The "worms" you see are actually egg sacs of the female copepod. Marine fish do get copepods, but they are much rarer, and don't look quite the same.

In looking at your PBT, I see extruded mucus. This can be a result of an injury, or a reaction to something in the water. Has it got the same thing on its left side?

Jay

GodofmyFish · Dec 29, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
"Anchorworm" is a freshwater disease. The "worms" you see are actually egg sacs of the female copepod. Marine fish do get copepods, but they are much rarer, and don't look quite the same.

In looking at your PBT, I see extruded mucus. This can be a result of an injury, or a reaction to something in the water. Has it got the same thing on

Jay Hemdal said:

"Anchorworm" is a freshwater disease. The "worms" you see are actually egg sacs of the female copepod. Marine fish do get copepods, but they are much rarer, and don't look quite the same.

In looking at your PBT, I see extruded mucus. This can be a result of an injury, or a reaction to something in the water. Has it got the same thing on its left side?

Jay

Click to expand...

both sides, thought mucus at first but definitely seem to be attached and has one on its eye. However I did put some GFO in a reactor recently and had a coral die right after, was a beautiful style colony. Put some fresh carbon in right after though and my other corals seem to be doing fine. I bought this tank recently and inherited the powder blue and other inhabitants. Really would hate to loose such an established powder blue. Should I do some water changes/ do you not think its the copepods?

Jay Hemdal · Dec 29, 2021

There is one bifurcated white strand that does look like the twin egg cases of anchorworm, but all of the others just look like mucus to me. I don't think they are copepods.

The trouble is, I can't tell you for sure why the tang is producing mucus like that. Water changes would help if the irritant is some water quality issue.

Jay