Help identifying a disease

[CanadianReefer]

So my father had a medical emergency and I went away for a bit. When I came home, my blue jaw trigger looked really bad. It's not ich - the skin looks almost as if it's peeling and he has a small white patch. He's still eating, but I'm a little worried this might be brook?? I've never dealt with whatever this is before, so I don't know what I'm looking at. He's still eating. I attached the best pic I could get. It also might be important to note that a few weeks ago, I saw an odd bug in my aquarium. Maybe 1/3 an inch big and looked like a Beatle with many legs. I attached something I found on the internet that looked similar, and No, it's not a large amphipod (I know what they look like).

 

[4FordFamily]

Guessing ich or flukes. I’d give it a freshwater dip in a dark bucket and see if it yields any sesame-seed looking things.

 

[CanadianReefer]

I filmed it so it might be more identifiable. I'll post the film shortly.

 

[CanadianReefer]

 

[CanadianReefer]

I'm noticing a similar white slothy material in my aquarium in general, on the walls and glass

 

[CanadianReefer]

Bump - anyone??

 

[Big G]

The bottom video is very clear as the fish turns you can see the cotton like puffs and string like material hanging off the fish. Looks like a bad case of lymphocystis. Let's get the Dr. in the room @Humblefish

 

[Humblefish]

Its not a parasite, too large for that and the growths blow in the flow.

If it was something environmental, I would expect other fish to have the same debris trapped in their mucous coat. And I really don't think those are flukes or anything worm-like.

That leaves brook, a bacterial infection or Lympho (or a similar virus).

Can this fish be caught and QT'd? Just wondering what our treatment options are here.

 

[Humblefish]

Also, any new livestock added recently? Fish/coral/invert??

 

[CanadianReefer]

Its not a parasite, too large for that and the growths blow in the flow.

If it was something environmental, I would expect other fish to have the same debris trapped in their mucous coat. And I really don't think those are flukes or anything worm-like.

That leaves brook, a bacterial infection or Lympho (or a similar virus).

Can this fish be caught and QT'd? Just wondering what our treatment options are here.

It would he difficult to catch him - when I tried, he goes into the rocks and anchors himself. I have a trap. I could maybe coax him with some food, but I'm not sure if it will work.

I did add a Pacific red striped hogfish and a filefish recently - neither are showing any symptoms. In fact, nothing else in my tank (So far - cross my fingers!) has anything similar on them. I'd noticed something a bit slothy looking in the eye area of my Tamarin wrasse, but within a minute, whatever it was had blown off. My foxface looks a bit slothy, but he sheds his coat all the time so it doesn't look abnormal at this point (no whitish matter).

He's otherwise a fat and healthy looking fish. He's eating and swimming about. If you look carefully at the video, you'll notice a small flat white patch of skin that has formed on the blue part of his jaw as well.

I unfortunately don't know when this happened or how long he's been like this. I've been out of town on a medical emergency and only saw it this morning.

I did dose prazipro in the tank this morning since I initially thought it might be irritated skin from flukes. I can easily turn the carbon back on and do a decent water change if I need to try a different treatment. He has been fed metro and kanaplex this morning as well.

God I hope it's just lympho. I've had fish who have had it before and I see similarities, but not with it waving in the water like this. It was more just cauliflower type bumps all over the fish (It was a Talbot damsel).

I could try something like Ruby Rally?? I also have melafix. I've never used it in my reef but I understand it is somewhat reef safe.

 

[Humblefish]

If you can catch him, I'd love to know if any of these things can just be wiped/pulled off by hand. If so, and the skin looks clear underneath, this is not a disease but rather something the fish's slime coat is picking up in the water.

 

[CanadianReefer]

If you can catch him, I'd love to know if any of these things can just be wiped/pulled off by hand. If so, and the skin looks clear underneath, this is not a disease but rather something the fish's slime coat is picking up in the water.

I do wonder that. I notice lots of white stringy stuff attached to my glass - I've never noticed this before. I also notice an increase in floating matter in my water, so I put a filter sock on to see if it helps. Whatever it is isn't alive (it's not worms). It looks like how a human looks if he's been soaking in the bath for a long time and dead skin starts falling off all over the place when he rubs, if that makes sense. It's just not on any other fish, including my wrasses and mandarins who have thick slime coats, so it looks suspect.

I watched the cleaner wrasse trying to clean him to see if it came off, but he kept shooing him away. I was hoping a cleaner shrimp would swipe at him to see what happens, but I haven't seen it yet. The amount on him has not changed throughout the day, even as he swims around.

This whole thing is just so bizarre. You're right though - other than the one weird flat white patch near his mouth (that almost looks to have a little ring in the center) his skin looks fine.

 

[Humblefish]

@CanadianReefer Has any of it "peeled off" the trigger, revealing the scales underneath? If so, how does the skin look in those areas? A disease (e.g. brook, bacterial infection) would leave redness or lesions behind. If the skin looks perfectly fine, I suspect something environmental is getting stuck to his mucous coat or at worst, it might be Lympo or some other virus.

 

[CanadianReefer]

Nothing had come off before the lights went out this evening. I'll take another look tomorrow morning and see if there's any change. Tbc....

 

[CanadianReefer]

Unfortunately it is no better - perhaps even a bit worse. I also didn't see him eating much this morning. I'll try my best to catch him, but still no clue what to treat him for

 

[Empress]

Oooooh I feel terrible. You're such a good mama and I can tell you really love your your babies. I know you won't let him die. You have to catch him. And do a fresh water dip. I'll bet whatever that stuff is it will fall off. He's WORTH saving even if it means tearing your tank apart. Good luck. I got my fingers crossed.

 

[4FordFamily]

Oooooh I feel terrible. You're such a good mama and I can tell you really love your your babies. I know you won't let him die. You have to catch him. And do a fresh water dip. I'll bet whatever that stuff is it will fall off. He's WORTH saving even if it means tearing your tank apart. Good luck. I got my fingers crossed.

I agree if it’s impacting his behavior it’s worth the investment to remove and treat. I’d start with a freshwater dip and see what happens. Then I’d probably treat with a prazi bath for immediate relief from flukes, then treat in antibiotics for 10-14 days, then finishing with two doses of prazi 5-7 days apart to finish off the flukes (if they’re applicable).

 

[CanadianReefer]

I agree if it’s impacting his behavior it’s worth the investment to remove and treat. I’d start with a freshwater dip and see what happens. Then I’d probably treat with a prazi bath for immediate relief from flukes, then treat in antibiotics for 10-14 days, then finishing with two doses of prazi 5-7 days apart.

No luck getting him out just yet. He didn't eat much today, but on the plus side, the majority of the weird slothy looking stuff is gone. His skin underneath has small white patches. It doesn't look severe, but nonetheless, I'll still keep trying to get him out. He's pretty smart though. Even worse is that I bought him a girlfriend recently and she's is QT waiting to be introduced. I hope he recovers!! They will look so beautiful together...

I did put prazipro in the DT when I first saw him like this, so at least he did get some treatment - and if he eats, there's metro and kanaplex in his food, along with selcon and aquaforest vitamins. I'm going to buy him some reef frenzy tomorrow since he likes that a lot.

 

[4FordFamily]

No luck getting him out just yet. He didn't eat much today, but on the plus side, the majority of the weird slothy looking stuff is gone. His skin underneath has small white patches. It doesn't look severe, but nonetheless, I'll still keep trying to get him out. He's pretty smart though. Even worse is that I bought him a girlfriend recently and she's is QT waiting to be introduced. I hope he recovers!! They will look so beautiful together...

I did put prazipro in the DT when I first saw him like this, so at least he did get some treatment - and if he eats, there's metro and kanaplex in his food, along with selcon and aquaforest vitamins. I'm going to buy him some reef frenzy tomorrow since he likes that a lot.

Glad he’s looking better. I hope all that works, if it’s an infection then he will need it dosed in the water column for 10-14 days to clear it up, keep that in mind!

 

[CanadianReefer]

Sigh. I know - getting him out is key, but easier said than done. Wish me luck!

I very rarely deal with the "normal" fish diseases, but every now and then, I end up with something rather baffling and abnormal... often something no one has ever seen before. I'm hoping this one just looks worse than it is.