Ich?

[USMC 4 LIFE]

I have a Blue tang that may be showing early signs of ich. He's doing some lite head twitching and has two white pimple like spots that appear to be coming from under the skin and not on top. Does this look like ich? I've seen ich on fish before but this doesn't look like it. Looks so much like a pimple.

Recent changes : he/she has moved where it sleeps three weeks ago. He sleeps in small tight crevasse on the other side of the tank.

Resent additions : Added five coral frags four days ago.

 

[Humblefish]

I can't tell for sure from the photo, but head twitching is usually an indicator that something (usually a parasite or worm) is bothering him inside the gills.

Below is a photo of a Hippo Tang with ich, for comparison purposes.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

I can't tell for sure from the photo, but head twitching is usually an indicator that something (usually a parasite or worm) is bothering him inside the gills.

Below is a photo of a Hippo Tang with ich, for comparison purposes.

Thanks. I've read your extensive and much appreciated write ups on ich. His head twitching is what drew me closer to the tank. I saw him doing it the other day and then noticed these two white spots. If it is ich, how long before he shows more white spots? I understand that these "white spots" aren't ich itself but simply the aftermath after the parasite has detached itself.

I understand that a tangs thin slime coat is what makes them most susceptible to this disease, so CAN boosting his immune system (soaking vitachem into PE mysis daily, etc) suppress the small presence of ich long enough to starve it out of my system?

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks. I've read your extensive and much appreciated write ups on ich. His head twitching is what drew me closer to the tank. I saw him doing it the other day and then noticed these two white spots. If it is ich, how long before he shows more white spots? I understand that these "white spots" aren't ich itself but simply the aftermath after the parasite has detached itself.

That's hard to say, because it all depends upon how many other trophonts are able to successfully penetrate through his mucous coat. I would expect more in the coming days, but with ich it is easier for the trophont to attach inside the gills where the mucous coat is reduced in composition.

I understand that a tangs thin slime coat is what makes them most susceptible to this disease, so CAN boosting his immune system (soaking vitachem into PE mysis daily, etc) suppress the small presence of ich long enough to starve it out of my system?

Suppress it = yes

100% eradicate it = highly unlikely

There are usually low levels of parasites present even in the best "ich management" systems. And so long as the numbers remain low, ich is usually not a problem for most species because let's face it - they have to deal with ich in the ocean. However, the danger is that in a closed system the potential always exists for parasite populations to increase exponentially and that's when fish start dying.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Quick update.

It ended up being ich. I pulled everyone on 7/25 and placed them in a 29g QT next to my Anthias. The hippo tang has maintained a steady amount of white spots but is eating / acting very normal. Everyone is doing fine at the moment.

Hypo will be my treatment of choice. It worked before so I'll give it another shot. The salinity is 1.012 and I'll be bringing it down to 1.009 today. Closely monitoring PH and ammonia (0 thanks to Aqua Vitro Seed)

What I suspect but cannot confirm obviously is that the five coral frags that were introduced to the tank caused the ich outbreak. The frags were added on a Sunday and coincidently ich was spotted a few (2-4) days afterwards. Lesson learned.

 

[Humblefish]

Sorry to read this (about the ich), but it's good you are taking steps to fix the problem.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Sorry to read this (about the ich), but it's good you are taking steps to fix the problem.

Thanks. What's weird is that I honestly didn't mind going through hours of work to get them out and QT them. Weird. My wife though I "mentally broke." Lol.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Well after treating in hypo for ~35 days everyone seems to be doing ok. I've raised the salinity back up to 1.021 gradually. Sunburst, potters, blue tang look skinny / and have poor color but are active and alert. Clowns, Chromis, wrasses, gobies look good.

I'm thinking of adding Furan -2, metro kanaplex (so they don't succumb to fungus or bacteria illnesses). Or should I just feed heavy w/vitachem from now on.