Help ID potential fish disease?

[rhcp406]

Hey there,

We’re trying to identify whether we have a problem here. The Blue Hippo Tang has small white spots and we cannot tell if this is Ich or not.
Everything in the tank has been quarantined after a 76+ day fallow period of this DT. Separate tank for QT.
Just wondering the best way to treat this. It’s been over maybe three days where one new spot shows up each day. From my experience and review, Ich spreads more rapidly.
the blue hippo tang is eating, and generally acting very normal.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey there,

We’re trying to identify whether we have a problem here. The Blue Hippo Tang has small white spots and we cannot tell if this is Ich or not.
Everything in the tank has been quarantined after a 76+ day fallow period of this DT. Separate tank for QT.
Just wondering the best way to treat this. It’s been over maybe three days where one new spot shows up each day. From my experience and review, Ich spreads more rapidly.
the blue hippo tang is eating, and generally acting very normal.

To assess, pictures will be a necessity taken under white lighting

 

[rhcp406]

Ugh sorry the video didn’t post for some reason.

 

[rhcp406]

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Those spots look too large to be ich. I would watch them for 72 hours. If the number and location of the spots doesn’t change, it confirms it isn’t ich.
Hepatus tangs are prone to developing mucus spots/plugs as a response to stress. Those aren’t treatable and typically go away on their own in a few weeks.
Jay

 

[MnFish1]

This does not particularly look like cryptocaryon (ich) - but rather lymphocystis - a viral infection - which often happens with change in water quality/transport. Are the spots moving from day to day - or merely increasing in number? (with Ich - in a couple days they will fall off - and a new one comes up) - with lymphocystis - they stay in the same place for days.

PS - nice fish - if you look in my signature - there is a link to an area that describes some questions you can answer to help us help you!

 

[MnFish1]

Those spots look too large to be ich. I would watch them for 72 hours. If the number and location of the spots doesn’t change, it confirms it isn’t ich.
Hepatus tangs are prone to developing mucus spots/plugs as a response to stress. Those aren’t treatable and typically go away on their own in a few weeks.
Jay

Sorry - I guess you typed this when I did lol. Great minds think alike

 

[rhcp406]

This does not particularly look like cryptocaryon (ich) - but rather lymphocystis - a viral infection - which often happens with change in water quality/transport. Are the spots moving from day to day - or merely increasing in number? (with Ich - in a couple days they will fall off - and a new one comes up) - with lymphocystis - they stay in the same place for days.

PS - nice fish - if you look in my signature - there is a link to an area that describes some questions you can answer to help us help you!

Thank you! We really like the fish and has been eating and gotten a lot bigger since we got her (we've decided it s a she lol)

Aquarium Parameters:

Aquarium type: Fish and Inverts only

Aquarium water volume: roughly 90 gallon tank with maybe a 15 gallon sump underneath

Filtration type; bioballs in the sump, carbon, filter pad, and a protein skimmer

Lighting: A fluval 2.0 LED 27 watt light (on about 5 hours a day on white, and maybe 4 hours on blue)

How long has the aquarium been established? Fallow period of 80 days ended in November 2021. slowly readded fish after quarantining them for 30 days on Copper Power 2.0-2.3ppm. ramped up and ramped down. The Blue Hippo Tang and the Lemonpeel Angel both were purchased from a company which quarantines their fish in Copper for 30 days before shipping. those fish have been in this tank for about 2 months and have not shown any other signs or issues. the clowns, trigger, goby, and chromis were quarantined by us for a period of 30 days in copper.

Digital image of the aquarium under white light

Water quality (be sure to indicate what measurement units you are using) I can respond later with these parameters
Temperature
pH:
Salinity / specific gravity
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Phosphorus
Copper
Other

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? (see below) Not since regimented quarantine procedure in place.
Are any invertebrates affected? No
Respiration rate of affected fish (in gill beats per minutes, count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4) will check and report back
Are the affected fish still feeding? Yes
What remedies have you tried so far? API MelaFix
Digital image of the fish with the health issue, taken under white light -
- if needed, indicate by drawing a line around the area in question. See above.
Short video of the fish (linked YouTube videos work well)

 

[rhcp406]

New video from 5:30PM today, about 10 hours after video from above was taken.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

New video from 5:30PM today, about 10 hours after video from above was taken.

I don't see ich on this fish, just three larger white spots that could be "dings" with a bit of bacterial growth. If it were my fish, I would just observe it for now.

Jay

 

[rhcp406]

I don't see ich on this fish, just three larger white spots that could be "dings" with a bit of bacterial growth. If it were my fish, I would just observe it for now.

Jay

Thanks Jay!
The only other detail may be that our blue throat trigger has maybe one or two similar spots on it too. All other fish look okay.
I think we’re going to wait to see if it gets worse, then maybe do a copper treatment if it does.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I agree - not lympho either but mucus spores and should subside , not multiply

 

[rhcp406]

I don't see ich on this fish, just three larger white spots that could be "dings" with a bit of bacterial growth. If it were my fish, I would just observe it for now.

Jay

Water parameters:
pH is roughly 7.8-8.0
Ammonia is between 0-0.25 ppm
Nitrites are 0 ppm
Nitrates are maybe at 40 ppm?

 

[MnFish1]

Holy cow - thanks for answering - I agree - could be cysts - could be mucus - either way - watch - and wait - and report any changes

 

[rhcp406]

Holy cow - thanks for answering - I agree - could be cysts - could be mucus - either way - watch - and wait - and report any changes

Slight update, checked on tang this morning. The white pronounced spots have somewhat faded into more cloudy less defined spots. Not sure what this means but it’s definitely different than the ich/velvet type outbreaks I’ve dealt with in the past. Hoping after a couple more days of sustained eating, the spots clear up.
I just feel so bad when the fish have anything because I can’t imagine how uncomfortable it must feel. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[rhcp406]

More update. The white spots have sort of faded almost completely. Did not add any treatment or anything to tank. Things are looking good! Just need to scrub the acrylic!

 

[rhcp406]

Well here we are again. White spots came back after the last update. Now they’re kinda more all over the fish. Tried to get a good video to show it. It sorta looks more like Ich now? Also I think the timing is aligning with the ich life cycle maybe? Worried that ich is just multiplying like crazy but who knows maybe it’s something else. We did a 20% water change today which seemed to stress everyone out briefly but how could that actually cause the fish to get so stressed as to be susceptible to ich in such a short amount of time.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well here we are again. White spots came back after the last update. Now they’re kinda more all over the fish. Tried to get a good video to show it. It sorta looks more like Ich now? Also I think the timing is aligning with the ich life cycle maybe? Worried that ich is just multiplying like crazy but who knows maybe it’s something else. We did a 20% water change today which seemed to stress everyone out briefly but how could that actually cause the fish to get so stressed as to be susceptible to ich in such a short amount of time.

These spots signify ich. Lympho does not come or go. Prepare a quarantine tank as youll likely will be utilizing one. For ich, best treatment is coppersafe or Copperpower and treated for a Full 30 days at 80 degrees at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 using a reliable copper test kit (no api brand- Hanna good).
In quarantine, maintain and monitor good water quality and add aeration via air stone.
A suggestion on water tests. . Take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and have them test to see what readings they get and to compare with yours (For verification )

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Well here we are again. White spots came back after the last update. Now they’re kinda more all over the fish. Tried to get a good video to show it. It sorta looks more like Ich now? Also I think the timing is aligning with the ich life cycle maybe? Worried that ich is just multiplying like crazy but who knows maybe it’s something else. We did a 20% water change today which seemed to stress everyone out briefly but how could that actually cause the fish to get so stressed as to be susceptible to ich in such a short amount of time.

+1 that it appears to be ich. Those spots will come and go, changing location and relative number over time (with a generally increasing trend). Ich reproduces geometrically - so at some point, the number of spots really skyrockets and the fish get gravely ill. You aren't at that point, but you should set up a tank and prepare for a copper treatment within a day or two.

Jay

 

[rhcp406]

+1 that it appears to be ich. Those spots will come and go, changing location and relative number over time (with a generally increasing trend). Ich reproduces geometrically - so at some point, the number of spots really skyrockets and the fish get gravely ill. You aren't at that point, but you should set up a tank and prepare for a copper treatment within a day or two.

Jay

Our QT is empty and I can’t get water until Tuesday. Our plan is to take the inverts out of DT, and then copper the DT. I know it’s not ideal, but if all the fish could be infected or the DT infected, I’d rather make sure the DT is clear of ich and then reintroduce the inverts later. Problem is our sand. We’ll have to measure copper concentrations every day which is fine. I have that little orange spectrometer thing. I don’t remember the brand. We have Copper Power from our previous QT runs.
This is just disappointing because I feel like we did everything we could have to avoid ich. Maybe our inverts brought them in as we didn’t QT them… but then why would it take over 2 months for a tang to exhibit signs. Just sucks! No other fish seem to have a single spot so that is good.