Help: White spot in Emperor Angelfish

[rahul123]

My juveline emperor angelfish not eating for last two days and some white spots appeared in its body suddenly.
This fish is there in my tank for last two months and never showed any distress. It always takes food and moves here and there. I use to give Masstick twice a day.

I do not have any QT for keeping it in separate tank.
I do have Melafix Marine currently to treat.

Please help to identify the disease and suggest the possible workaround to save the fish.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 50
Phosphate: 0
PH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.022
Temp: 27.5 C
Water Volume: 100 gallon (incl sump)

Video attached for more details.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My juveline emperor angelfish not eating for last two days and some white spots appeared in its body suddenly.
This fish is there in my tank for last two months and never showed any distress. It always takes food and moves here and there. I use to give Masstick twice a day.

I do not have any QT for keeping it in separate tank.
I do have Melafix Marine currently to treat.

Please help to identify the disease and suggest the possible workaround to save the fish.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 50
Phosphate: 0
PH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.022
Temp: 27.5 C
Water Volume: 100 gallon (incl sump)

Video attached for more details.

Melafix is a tonic containing Teak tree oil and will do nothing. Seeing an array of zero readings, what test kits are you using ?
Also need pics under white lighting as I suspect lympho but there are at least 5 common ailments with white dots

 

[rahul123]

I am using Salifert kit for testing.
Attaching image under white light..

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I am using Salifert kit for testing.
Attaching image under white light..

While those spots could be ich, they are not too many of them, and would not keep a fish from eating at that level. That means there are probably two issues with this fish - something making the spots and something else is keeping it from feeding.

Is the angelfish breathing fast?
Are there any other fish in with it? How do they look?
Can you post a short video?

Melafix is simply a tonic and won't help with acute disease issues like this.

Jay

 

[rahul123]

Its not breathing fast.

Other fishes I have: pair of percula clowns, pair of cardinals, one blue tang, one royal dottyback, one blue damsel and one chromis.

Here is a short video.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Angels get this stress spot or discolorations could be due to highly stressful environments, medications, or it can be caused by parasites/disease.

I do see several small salt grain size spots too, looks like ich IMO. Keep an eye if they disappear in 3-7 days than you have your answer.

 

[rahul123]

Angels get this stress spot or discolorations could be due to highly stressful environments, medications, or it can be caused by parasites/disease.

I do see several small salt grain size spots too, looks like ich IMO. Keep an eye if they disappear in 3-7 days than you have your answer.

Thanks for reply. Not sure what has caused the environment stressful. Only point I can see here is high level of nitrate.
Apart from observation for next 3-7 day, do you suggest anything I can do here?

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Thanks for reply. Not sure what has caused the environment stressful. Only point I can see here is high level of nitrate.
Apart from observation for next 3-7 day, do you suggest anything I can do here?

This is most likely ich, and since the fish is not accepting food it will be hard to keep his immune system up to fight off the parasite. Many people manage ich by keeping it at bay with great nutrition, vitamin soaked foods, pristine water quality, properly sized UV 1.5 tank water volume turn over per hour, ozone, sediment filter plumbed through return, proper husbandry, etc.

Otherwise QT with copper is the only other way to treat the parasite. @Jay Hemdal may have better direction on further steps but unfortunately there is either eradication or management and once the fish stops eating it usually doesn't play out well.

Best of luck!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This could be multiple issues. Emperor angels are really prone to Neobenedenia fluke infections. That often causes the slightly cloudy eyes and discolored spots on them. Would you be able to do a 5 minute freshwater dip on it without chasing it around too much to catch it? If you can, look at the bottom of the dip container afterwards, if you see what looks like little fish scales, those are dead flukes. You will buy some time with the dip, but then, you will need to treat for it. This fish could also have ich.

Jay

 

[rahul123]

This could be multiple issues. Emperor angels are really prone to Neobenedenia fluke infections. That often causes the slightly cloudy eyes and discolored spots on them. Would you be able to do a 5 minute freshwater dip on it without chasing it around too much to catch it? If you can, look at the bottom of the dip container afterwards, if you see what looks like little fish scales, those are dead flukes. You will buy some time with the dip, but then, you will need to treat for it. This fish could also have ich.

Jay

Thanks Jay.
I shall try a freshwater dip (not sure if I can catch it).
Lets see how it goes.

 

[rahul123]

Sorry for delay in updating.
Unfortunately the Emperor angel could not survive. Ich outbreak happened and wiped out percula clown pair, one bangai cardinal and royal gramma
However no symptoms, white spots ovserved in the remaining surviving fishes as of now (after 1 week)