Help diagnose disease - bacterial infection?

[ReeferBud]

Hello,

My purple tang has developed a disease over the past 5 days and is getting progressively worse.

It started with a small 1/4” square patch on the body in front of the caudal fin on both sides. It appeared like a white scraping lesion. In a few days, it spread to most of his body and looks like if someone had scrapped his body. He also has lesions in other parts of his body and the fins are torn and have a reddish border to them. I noticed his stomach and rectal area seemed swollen and grew a weird shape but that seems to have stopped. He is still eating but his behavior is clearly subdued and spends most of the day hiding behind some rocks.

I’ve done some reading and all I can think of is a bacterial infection and I’m looking for help on where to go from here. Removing him would be extremely difficult as he’s in a fully stocked reef tank.

Below are some pictures. Thanks in advance for helping!

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'm with you on a bacterial infection. Doesn't cover it body like velvet would, plus velvet would have taken it by now.

Need to trap the fish if at all possible and treat in QT.

 

[Maritimer]

More like bacteria than anything else I can think of ... but it is an odd one.

Treatment should definitely be in a QT, and you can try the "Trifecta" of Furan-2, Kanaplex and Metroplex.

@Humblefish, if you happen to drop in ... take a peek at this fellow.

~Bruce

 

[4FordFamily]

More like bacteria than anything else I can think of ... but it is an odd one.

Treatment should definitely be in a QT, and you can try the "Trifecta" of Furan-2, Kanaplex and Metroplex.

@Humblefish, if you happen to drop in ... take a peek at this fellow.

~Bruce

I agree, this appears bacterial in nature or perhaps brook, but leaning bacterial.

You can also do an ariflavin bath to get a kickstart on killing the bacteria.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/

 

[Fishfinder]

Very odd for sure. I can't offer much help except qt and assess from there

 

[ReeferBud]

Thanks all! I thought of brook as well.

Seems like QT it is and the challenge will be to catch him. I’ll try my fish trap but since he’s shy and not feeling well, I doubt he’ll go for it.

Are medicated foods that can be used in a reef tank an option?

 

[Maritimer]

Medicated foods work best on internal infections. This appears to be on the tang's skin, and might be better bathed in the water around it.

If the tang doesn't go for food in the trap, try a mirror at the back of it.

~Bruce

 

[Humblefish]

^^ I agree with above. A medicated bath (acriflavine or formalin), and then into QT & treat with Kanaplex + Metroplex + Furan-2. That strategy treats a bacterial infection + a couple of ciliate parasites (brook, uronema) it could be.

 

[ReeferBud]

Thanks! I’ll read through the bacterial infection guidelines post. I have no idea how to medicate, so will need to learn. My track record with successful quarantining is not very good...

If I’m unable to catch the fish, will bacterial infections typically result in death or are fishes immune systems able to beat the infections sometimes? Can it be contagious to other fish?

 

[Bug235]

Thanks! I’ll read through the bacterial infection guidelines post. I have no idea how to medicate, so will need to learn. My track record with successful quarantining is not very good...

If I’m unable to catch the fish, will bacterial infections typically result in death or are fishes immune systems able to beat the infections sometimes? Can it be contagious to other fish?

Try Reef Keeper stuff it worked for my purple tang it’s some type of immune booster I don’t believe in those ich type chemicals but this stuff works good if fish still eating , if not catch and QT but I didn’t have that option

 

[Bug235]

Try Reef Keeper stuff it worked for my purple tang it’s some type of immune booster I don’t believe in those ich type chemicals but this stuff works good if fish still eating , if not catch and QT but I didn’t have that option

It’s Reef safe I use it when adding new fish to boost immune in tank

 

[Bug235]

Thanks! I’ll read through the bacterial infection guidelines post. I have no idea how to medicate, so will need to learn. My track record with successful quarantining is not very good...

If I’m unable to catch the fish, will bacterial infections typically result in death or are fishes immune systems able to beat the infections sometimes? Can it be contagious to other fish?

I had a small purple tang about a week into my display tank it became sick with Ich, it didn’t scratch and It was eating fine but in the mornings it would look OK in the afternoons it was covered I happened to walk into a local fish store where the guy had a purple tang we started talking and he told me to use reef keeper and gave me a money back guarantee I put it in my tank and that purple tang never got sick again and he got too big when I had to give him back try it

 

[Big G]

If I’m unable to catch the fish

A fellow reefer posted an interesting method to catching fish. Turn the lights out in the room and tank. Wait for an hour or two. Using a small flashlight with your net ready. Narrow the beam of the light somewhat and locate the fish. Apparently the fish will just sit there while you net him/her while the light mesmerizes the fish. Best of luck.