Need an ID

[ReefMan692]

I've read that if you can count them on your fingers it's ich, otherwise it's something else.

Whatever this is, it doesn't seem to be particularly lethal IE it doesn't kill quickly, this guy here has been going on with it for close to 3 weeks now. Also whatever it is doesnt' seem to affect 'every fish in the tank' -- it does seem to get going in some of the other fish depending on how bad the tang gets (I figure the tang is like a breeding ground for it and the other fish eventually show a little sign if the tang is left to proliferate it).

I talk like I've been dealing with this for more than 3 weeks because, I think it's been in my tank for a long time but only shows up when I introduce a tang. I've also had a yellow in the tank with this PBT for the past 4 weeks and as of the moment the yellow is still looking rather pristine -- it probably wont last long given how bad the PBT has gotten.

In the past, once the tangs fell to whatever this is (actually I think they fell to me trying to 'treat' whatever this is, rather then whatever this is itself killing them.) the tank cleared and the remaining inhabitants (not tangs) never showed any signs.

Anyways, I'd like to know what I'm dealing with for certain although I know it can be difficult to know sometimes.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That is almost positively Cryptocaryon, ich. A closer picture might help, but the spots on the pectoral fin rule out other issues. The idea about being able to count the spots only pertains to early infections. In later stages, the skin becomes cloudy and you’ll have a tough time seeing spots at all.
Some people are able to manage ich, by supporting the fish’s natural resistance through good water an diet, and perhaps UV. In other cases, the number of ich parasites grows and the disease progresses. I think your fish is at that point. The best course of action is a tough one - moving all of the fish to a treatment tank and treating with copper.
Jay

 

[ReefMan692]

Thanks Jay, hardest part of that would be catching the fish I think I'd have to rip all the rocks out first. I am considering it!

The other day I moved 2 of my black ice clowns from 30 gallon to my main DT, I had 8 or 9 other clowns in the main DT and they all get along so I didn't think much of it... Then the orange clowns (percula, occelaris) starting going ham on the biggest black ice clown.

I had to watch that go on for about 3-4 days because basically the black ice were impossible to catch in the main DT. It was only after they started to get weak/tired from getting ganged up on by the other clowns that I was finally able to net them out and move them back into the 30 gallon.

Happy to report all is well with them, and for whatever reason they don't have the ich.

I only deal with the Ich when the tangs show up and it seems to go away if the tangs who are suffering from it die. C'iest la vie.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Powder blue tangs almost always show ich before any other fish. I stopped ordering them years ago for that reason - so frustrating!
Jay

 

[ReefMan692]

Well as an update, the powder blue tang passed on, rest of the tank now appears to be "recovered". I guess ill wait a while before trying one of those again...