Ick or something else ?

[abbymercer]

I woke up to my powder blue looking like this.. my fox face has had black spots for a few days now and they have slowly started to go away. However when he turns camo he has white spots that aren’t very visible unless you really look.

 

[threebuoys]

Welcome to R2R!

I assume from your comment this condition just appeared today.

How long have you had the PBT and did you QT with copper when you received him?
For ich to appear in this widespread condition overnight is unusual. Typically, ich begins as a few spots. Over several days, the spots will come and go, appear in other locations and increase in number.

While this could be something like mucus plugs, the severity of the infection leads me to believe Ich is likely. Are any on the spots on the fish's fins? That would be further confirmation of ICH.

You will need to remove all fish from the DT and place them in a QT where you can follow the QT process described in the protocol linked below. You will need to allow the DT to remain fallow (no fish) for 6 to 8 weeks to allow the parasites there time to die off.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The powder blue looks to have ich. Could you have missed the early signs of this? The foxface doesn’t have clear spots and is breathing a bit fast - that could be velvet or flukes.
The best treatment would be coppersafe followed by praziquantel in a treatment tank for all fish (no invertebrates though).

 

[vetteguy53081]

I too am suspecting velvet. Whether velvet or ich, the treatment which is warranted is similar. In a separate treatment tank you want to use either coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a tank from a second hand store or a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

 

[abbymercer]

Today I woke up the powder blue dead, I didn’t quarantine him and had him for 3 days. This morning the fox face has a lot of black spots appear.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Today I woke up the powder blue dead, I didn’t quarantine him and had him for 3 days. This morning the fox face has a lot of black spots appear.

Those black spots may be turbellarian worms or just hyper pigmentation. Either way, they won’t be immediately fatal and are unrelated to the tang dying. The rapid breathing is the issue here…z