Parasite id? Yellow tang...

[geckoejon]

Hello,

Would anyone be able to help id the parasite on my yellow tang?

Background...

- tank is 5 weeks into hyposalinity for ich at 1.008.... Have 3 other tangs (powder blue, hippo, tomini) that look perfect...

- just started on the yellow a couple weeks ago and is spreading on it, and it alone that I can see.

- still eats well and is active. It's actually kinda chunky. Lol

- starts like a small white cyst. When the cyst goes away, it leaves a divet of skin missing

- treated with prazi in the 2 round recommended dosage a month ago.

*** going to pull all the fish and treat with cuprimine. I want to make sure I'm treating with the right thing, and leave the tank fallow long enough...

 

[melypr1985]

It seems to me, that the places where the ich parasite are attaching and releasing are getting infected right after... that's causing the holes that seem to spread. If that's the case, then you have a variant of ich that is hypo-resistant. It's probably prudent to move them all over to be treated with copper since if one fish has this variant, they all have it. Let's see what @Humblefish has to say.

 

[geckoejon]

melypr1985, maybe? Thought maybe black ich? It seems odd that all the fishes skins looked perfect for a month, and then the yellow starts breaking out... the powder blue looks perfect, and seems like they are the first ones to come down with ich.

I'm kind of doubtful about infection. The white "cycst" seems to last a couple days, and then there is a divit

I was planning on copper... want to make sure about the fallow period as well.. I hate to have it pop up once I start stocking. Right now the 220g only had a handful of fish, including the 4 tangs...

 

[melypr1985]

Black ich will present quite differently than the white dots I'm seeing in those pictures. That looks like ich to me.
Picture of Black ick, which isn't acutally ich at all..

Picture of ich (crypto)

Who develops infections like this depends on the individual and their immune system.

 

[Humblefish]

It seems to me, that the places where the ich parasite are attaching and releasing are getting infected right after... that's causing the holes that seem to spread. If that's the case, then you have a variant of ich that is hypo-resistant. It's probably prudent to move them all over to be treated with copper since if one fish has this variant, they all have it. Let's see what @Humblefish has to say.

^^ I agree this is the most likely explanation. When hypo fails, osmotic shock bursts most of the free swimmers before they can attach to a fish, but a few survive, latch on and begin feeding. The same thing happens when a fish is treated with nontherapeutic copper. These scenarios apply to both ich & velvet; and to a greater degree Brooklynella which copper will suppress but not eradicate.

I would move all fish to a QT environment, and treat with either copper or CP. You're also going to need an antibiotic (Kanaplex and/or Furan-2) to help the YT recover from his secondary infections.

 

[geckoejon]

Yes, I'm planning on pulling the fish and treating with cuprimine. It still puzzles me why the powder blue looks perfect, and the yellow has been getting more and more spots the last 2 weeks? Maybe it's immune system is not up to par, and hence the divits?

Would this mean I need to leave the tank fallow for another 72 - 76 days? Ugh... I can't catch a break! Lol

 

[melypr1985]

Maybe it's immune system is not up to par, and hence the divits?

Yes

Would this mean I need to leave the tank fallow for another 72 - 76 days? Ugh... I can't catch a break! Lol

Unfortunately, yes again.

 

[Humblefish]

Yes, I'm planning on pulling the fish and treating with cuprimine. It still puzzles me why the powder blue looks perfect, and the yellow has been getting more and more spots the last 2 weeks? Maybe it's immune system is not up to par, and hence the divits?

Would this mean I need to leave the tank fallow for another 72 - 76 days? Ugh... I can't catch a break! Lol

Yes & yes

Sorry

 

[geckoejon]

thanks reef peeps... today i will drain the 220g to catch the fish... this is my 5th tank, but first big one. what a pita to catch fish and get going! lol that's alright... it will be awesome once it's up and running!

 

[geckoejon]

Piece of cake! lol drained the tank, and had to remove every last rock to get the final gobie. Lol all fish are in qt, and will be treated... makes me want to go down to a nano tank!

 

[melypr1985]

Piece of cake! lol drained the tank, and had to remove every last rock to get the final gobie. Lol all fish are in qt, and will be treated... makes me want to go down to a nano tank!

Awesome job! I'm always impressed by people who are willing to do this to treat their fish the right way.