Hippo Tang Sick, Need Help!

[NateDnw]

Hey guys,

This afternoon I noticed that my blue hippo tang was behaving strangely. When he swam by, i noticed what looks like a cut or infection on his face along with a fuzzy white growth on his rear section. Not sure if its ICH or something else but i need help ASAP!

Some background, I recently did a full tear-down and restart of my reef tank. When I got the blue tang, the LFS told me that hes been having white spots periodically appear but they didn’t think it was ICH because it would disappear as soon as they moved him to their quarantine tank. I decided to bring him home and get him healthy again, so I brought him home and the white spots disappeared within about 12 hours of moving him into my tank. He’s been a very happy camper ever since and I’ve never had any issues with him until today. I recently moved and wasn’t happy with the reefscape, as well as developing a bad case of aiptasia recently, so i decided to just reboot the tank. It’s been about two weeks and everything seemed to be very happy in its new arrangement and home until i noticed this issue. I have a bit of algae in the tank but other than that things are looking good.

I have attached some pictures for review. Any help would be so appreciated! What is this and how can i fix it and nurse my hippo tang back to good health?

 

[Big G]

#mods can we move this to the disease forum

 

[JasonK84]

Possibly the beginning of "hole in the head" or HLLE?

@Humblefish

 

[4FordFamily]

Hard to tell due to the blurriness but I think you have a blue tang with velvet based on what little I can see. It looks like many small spots in pic 2 and 4 to me.

Could you try some photos with more focus or a sharper image? Most if not nearly all LFS have velvet so it’s unfortunately a high likelihood.

I moved this to the fish disease forum for the rest of the disease experts to view as well.

 

[HotRocks]

I agree with the velvet diagnosis.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

 

[NateDnw]

I agree with the velvet diagnosis.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

Here is the best picture i can get with my phone (he moves around quite a bit). It’s still blurry but its better than some of the others. Doesn’t velvet tend to show itself within a few months of having a fish though? I’ve had this fish for about 7 months with no issues to date. Wouldn’t velvet have surfaced before then?

 

[NateDnw]

Looking into velvet symptoms, i think you guys are probably right. It definitely looks like velvet and the fish is rubbing hard against rocks. What steps can I take to get rid of velvet? I’ve heard really bad things about velvet before...

 

[NateDnw]

Hard to tell due to the blurriness but I think you have a blue tang with velvet based on what little I can see. It looks like many small spots in pic 2 and 4 to me.

Could you try some photos with more focus or a sharper image? Most if not nearly all LFS have velvet so it’s unfortunately a high likelihood.

I moved this to the fish disease forum for the rest of the disease experts to view as well.

Thanks, I added the best picture i could get with my phone. See the posts below to see my thoughts... meant to reply to you but i replied to someone else.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Looking into velvet symptoms, i think you guys are probably right. It definitely looks like velvet and the fish is rubbing hard against rocks. What steps can I take to get rid of velvet? I’ve heard really bad things about velvet before...

Looks like velvet to me also, you’ll need to get him into copper ASAP. If you use Copper Power you’re going to want to get it up around 1.75 ppm rather quickly. If you give him a FW dip you can give him temporary relief while you get your QT up and running. Usually I try to ramp copper up over 48 hours but velvet is a quick killer so I’d probably put him right into 1.50ppm then bring that up to 1.75ppm 12-24 hours later.

 

[4FordFamily]

I think it looks like velvet but it’s tough to see — numerous small spots though, almost always velvet.

 

[NateDnw]

Looks like velvet to me also, you’ll need to get him into copper ASAP. If you use Copper Power you’re going to want to get it up around 1.75 ppm rather quickly. If you give him a FW dip you can give him temporary relief while you get your QT up and running. Usually I try to ramp copper up over 48 hours but velvet is a quick killer so I’d probably put him right into 1.50ppm then bring that up to 1.75ppm 12-24 hours later.

Ok all my LFS are closed at this point but i already have a QT tank up and running that I checked the parameters for and its looking good. Do i still give him a FW dip? Also, i have one other fish in the system, is it best to move him to QT as well?

 

[ngoodermuth]

Yes, the freshwater dip might buy you some time. Do you happen to have any acriflavine (like ruby reef rally, API fungus cure also has it) or methylene blue? I think its very possible he's developed a secondary infection from the parasites as well, a bath in an antiseptic could be helpful. When you go for your copper tomorrow, I'd grab kanaplex (antibiotic) too...

 

[NateDnw]

Yes, the freshwater dip might buy you some time. Do you happen to have any acriflavine (like ruby reef rally, API fungus cure also has it) or methylene blue? I think its very possible he's developed a secondary infection from the parasites as well, a bath in an antiseptic could be helpful. When you go for your copper tomorrow, I'd grab kanaplex (antibiotic) too...

I dont have that on hand, but thank you so much for the help! How long do you think i should do a FW dip? Also, should I treat it with an antichloride like prime or something of that sort?

 

[Musovski]

before we say velvet for sure, has your tang been scratching on rock work?

 

[Musovski]

nevermind i have read. Velvet is a 80% chance. If it only had the spot on its head, then id say its from scratching and that a FW would help the fish with whatever is making it itch, usually gill related. But i see smaller white spots bunched up throughout the body...

 

[ngoodermuth]

Just plain RODI for the freshwwater dip, and definitely NO Prime for your QT. It reacts poorly with copper and will kill the fish for sure. Also yes, the other fish will need to be treated as well.

Freshwater dip is 5 mins, hang the container inside your QT tank (can clip a tupperware like you are floating for temp acclimation) and put in an airline to aerate water while it reaches the same temp as the tank. Splash a little tank water in right before adding the fish to help PH, then add the fish and start your timer. He might play dead, don't panic. Just watch his breathing and if it starts to really slow down, take him out.

 

[NateDnw]

Just plain RODI for the freshwwater dip, and definitely NO Prime for your QT. It reacts poorly with copper and will kill the fish for sure. Also yes, the other fish will need to be treated as well.

Freshwater dip is 5 mins, hang the container inside your QT tank (can clip a tupperware like you are floating for temp acclimation) and put in an airline to aerate water while it reaches the same temp as the tank. Splash a little tank water in right before adding the fish to help PH, then add the fish and start your timer. He might play dead, don't panic. Just watch his breathing and if it starts to really slow down, take him out.

Just plain RODI for the freshwwater dip, and definitely NO Prime for your QT. It reacts poorly with copper and will kill the fish for sure. Also yes, the other fish will need to be treated as well.

Freshwater dip is 5 mins, hang the container inside your QT tank (can clip a tupperware like you are floating for temp acclimation) and put in an airline to aerate water while it reaches the same temp as the tank. Splash a little tank water in right before adding the fish to help PH, then add the fish and start your timer. He might play dead, don't panic. Just watch his breathing and if it starts to really slow down, take him out.

Thanks so much! I actually learned that one of my LFS doesn’t close til 9 and i have found them trustworthy in the past so I went over there and got some copper and copper test strips so that I can do both the FW dip and add the fish to the QT tank tonight. Should I dip the other fish as well or just the one who is showing signs of Velvet?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Thanks so much! I actually learned that one of my LFS doesn’t close til 9 and i have found them trustworthy in the past so I went over there and got some copper and copper test strips so that I can do both the FW dip and add the fish to the QT tank tonight. Should I dip the other fish as well or just the one who is showing signs of Velvet?

All of your fish will need to be treated. I would FW dip all of them as you put them into QT.