Kole Tang - white patches/spots?

[nyc_love]

Does anyone have any idea what these white patches/spots are on my Kole Tang? He was fully quarantined and went into the DT a little over 2 weeks ago and started developing these patches about a week ago. He's eating and swimming fine and none of the other fish in the tank have these spots/patches so I'm not sure what they are. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Does anyone have any idea what these white patches/spots are on my Kole Tang? He was fully quarantined and went into the DT a little over 2 weeks ago and started developing these patches about a week ago. He's eating and swimming fine and none of the other fish in the tank have these spots/patches so I'm not sure what they are. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Two possibilities come to mind, and they cannot be easily told apart visually:

1) Tangs often get "mucus plugs" as a response to stress. This can be nothing, and go away on its own, or it could be stress from disease.

2) This could be marine ich, and that will need to be treated.

How to tell these apart? It isn't easy. Best thing to do is observe for a few days - the mucus plugs will be in the same location, in roughly the same numbers for days. Ich will show as spots that change in numbers and location over a day or two. Mucus plugs are always on the body, while ich spots will be on the body, but also the fins.

Jay

 

[Idech]

My blue eye kole tang had white spots and I had to treat it in copper. I can’t see your video so I can’t say if it looks like what mine had.

New blue eye kole tang with light spots

I lost most of my fish to an unknown disease so I’m worried as this is the first fish I’m adding to the tank. I waited a month to make sure the disease wasn’t reappearing on the remaining fish after treatment in the DT. Here is the story of the disease ...

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