Powder blue tang

[Susanak6]

My powder blue that I’ve had for a year has had a couple of minor ich breakouts that I would notice one evening and would be gone the next day. He’s always seem happy otherwise. Recently, I added a lemon peel angel that was quarantined and treated for 5 weeks before adding to main tank. My lemon peel angel started not eating and died after two weeks and now my powder blue, from one day to the next, had this fuzzy stuff on it. I tried to catch it to quarantine and wasn’t able to until this morning. The fuzz came off but he has discoloration and patches of white/yellowish fuzz. See pictures attached. What is it and how should I treat it?

170 gallon tank
Nitrates 10
Phosphates 0.25
Ammonia 0
pH 8.0
Alk 7.2
Calcium 400
Salinity 1.025
Temp 78 degrees

 

[JOKER]

Maybe velvet. I would get into QT asap!

 

[GHsaltie]

How long has it been showing symptoms? Is it showing any other behaviors such as scratching/flashing or heavy breathing? It kind of looks like an infection but I can’t rightly say. @ngoodermuth @melypr1985 @4FordFamily
Also once you get this figured out it would be a perfect time to run your tank fallow to get rid of the ich. Unfortunately tangs in the acanthirus family have a high mortality rate in ich maintenance situations, powder blues especially so.

 

[Susanak6]

I got him out to quarantine but not sure what to treat it for. He’s been showing symptoms for three days but last 24 hours he looked worse. Up until now, he’s been eating and swimming normal. No flashing.
I don’t have he appropriate set up right now in order to run the tank fallow. My quarantine tank is too small for the number of fish I have for such an extended period of time.

 

[GHsaltie]

It looks kind of like brook, but I’m not certain on that diagnosis. Here’s the thread on brook https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/brooklynella.247938/
I would start with a formalin or acriflavine bath, transfer to a new sterile QT and follow up with metroplex treatment. Hopefully some others will start to chime in to confirm/rule out that diagnosis.

 

[Fishfinder]

Looks like a lot going on ick or velvet with and a bacterial or fungal infection. I would start antibiotics and something for a fungal infection along with it

 

[GHsaltie]

Does it look like a film or spots?

 

[Fishfinder]

@Humblefish @melypr1985
@4FordFamily

 

[dbl]

I moved this over to fish disease forum for additional help. Thanks @GHsaltie

 

[Susanak6]

I moved this over to fish disease forum for additional help. Thanks @GHsaltie

Thank you

 

[Susanak6]

Does it look like a film or spots?

It has both but he definitely had a film like lint all over

 

[Humblefish]

The timeline (spots there one day, gone the next) strongly suggests velvet over ich here. Also, it is possible brook and/or a bacterial infection may also be in play.

Your best treatment option for this scenario is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

In particular, do the acriflavine bath, and mix metronidazole with copper in QT.

The blue words above contain links to more detailed info for each treatment.

 

[Susanak6]

The timeline (spots there one day, gone the next) strongly suggests velvet over ich here. Also, it is possible brook and/or a bacterial infection may also be in play.

Your best treatment option for this scenario is here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

In particular, do the acriflavine bath, and mix metronidazole with copper in QT.

The blue words above contain links to more detailed info for each treatment.

Thank you

 

[ngoodermuth]

I think it's probably a secondary bacterial infection from the reoccurring ich. One of the risks with ich management (not judging, I'm doing the same at the moment)

Freshwater dip, acriflavine bath, and QT with copper/CP and kanaplex & metroplex is what I would personally do. Would cover most of your bases.

If you aren't able to QT, all of your fish I would at least treat him and get him healthy again. You can rehome him (that's what I did with my powder brown) or try to re-introduce him, but acanthus tangs are notoriously bad candidates for ich-managed tanks because they are so prone to these infections.