Pimples on a Regal Angel

[Ben jammin]

These are pics of the Red Sea regal angel I "rescued" from my buddy's LFS this weekend. (See my regal rescue thread in the fish forum). He is developing these large white nodules on his head and body that almost look like zits. Any idea what these are?

 

[kschweer]

I am by no means an expert on disease/treatment, but I would Guess by the looks of it that its flukes. The fact that it seems concentrated by the head/gills is my my main reasoning for this. Hopefully we can get you a more certain answer and some help for the fish. @Humblefish [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG]

 

[Shep]

I would agree with the flukes diagnosis.

 

[4FordFamily]

Flukes. Treat your whole tank with prazipro. It's reef safe I've used it in many reef tanks without issue.

Prazi kills probably 90% of the slexkes of flukes.

That is a likely culprit for why he isn't eating!

 

[Humblefish]

I would perform a FW dip before treating with Prazi. If those are flukes, they should fall off the fish during a 5 min dip. Prazi causes flukes to spasm, dislodge from the fish and ultimately die. The problem is if a fish is loaded with flukes, all those spasms can actually kill the fish. Doing a FW dip causes some of them to just fall off, so when you treat with Prazi the spasms are not as many.

Btw, I'm not 100% convinced those are flukes. The FW dip will tell us for sure.

 

[Humblefish]

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[Ben jammin]

Sorry for the delayed response - lost power for an extended period due to the storms here in Texas, then been traveling for work and just got back. Anyway, did a FW dip for 10 minutes on Tuesday evening. It was in a clear plastic container so not great contrast, but I did not see any flukes come off. The pimples did not "pop" and are still there. It looks like there are even a few along his lateral line now. It's hard to get a great look as he hides in his PVC pipe when I approach. I'll post a pic from my iPad.

I have some prazipro that I can dose with - sounds like it may not hurt to try. The fish still isn't eating even though I've given him a small piece of live rock with sponge on it. Does prazipro expire? I have had half a bottle leftover in my closet for several months.

 

[Ben jammin]

Here are some pics from tonight - best I could get as he is a little timid.

If I dose prazi it looks like I need to turn off my skimmer and sterilizer for a while?

 

[Humblefish]

If no white specks fell off/out of him during the FW dip, then he doesn't have flukes. I'm thinking it may just be Lymphocystis (a harmless virus). However, the virus won't clear until he gets healthy again/starts eating, so his immune system can fight it off. So, I would recommend NOT using Prazipro at this time... as that will just further suppress his appetite. For now, I would focus entirely on getting him to eat.

 

[Ben jammin]

Ok, thanks for the advice. I'll hold off on prazi. An LFS near me is supposed to get some live black worms in tomorrow and I plan to pick some up. If those don't get him eating I don't know what else to try, so fingers crossed.

 

[4FordFamily]

Time and frequent small feedings, and Blackworms were my success factors.

 

[Tony-o]

Ok, thanks for the advice. I'll hold off on prazi. An LFS near me is supposed to get some live black worms in tomorrow and I plan to pick some up. If those don't get him eating I don't know what else to try, so fingers crossed.

Hi Ben. I’m new in this forum. Seems like I have the same problem you had with your regal angel in my QT. I’m wondering if you fish made it. And what was the treatment. I’ll appreciate any help. Thank you.