Question about My Bristletooth Tang

ljblmyrt · Feb 22, 2018

About a month ago, I diagnosed my Bristletooth Tang with flukes. I ended up dosing the whole DT tank with Prazi at manufacturers recommended dose. I did this for three treatments, dosing every five days. It has been about three weeks or so since treatment. I was noticing a week ago or so he started with a white spot on his nose. He is now getting white spots on his face where the flukes were, a couple on his body and one on his fin. He is eating, no heavy breathing, swimming around but every once in a while looks like he is a little itchy. I was suspecting either a re-infestation or possibly ich but he seems to be the only one in the tank affected. This Tang seemed to be the only one in the tank affected by the flukes as well. If it were ich, how long would it take for him to get really sick from it? Why aren't the other fish infected with anything? Is it common for flukes to come back a few weeks after treatment? The only other fish that may be showing some signs of something is one of my blue star leopard wrasses. She has been hiding a lot lately.

I have a 90 gallon Fish only tank. All parameters are great. This Tang is not a new addition (about 4 months) but was a rescue Tang and I think he had the flukes and whatever else but I didn't notice them because he was not symptomatic when I got him and of course I made the mistake of not quarantining. The tank has been up and running since last September.

HotRocks · Feb 22, 2018

Would it be possible to get some pics of the fish. It sounds as if you may have ridden the flukes, possible velvet or ich infestation?

Big G · Feb 22, 2018

There are some praziquantel resistant flukes. Can we get a picture?

ljblmyrt · Feb 22, 2018

I have been trying to get a picture of him all morning long. Every time I try, he hides. I will keep trying.

ljblmyrt · Feb 22, 2018

There are three spots on his forehead.

ljblmyrt · Feb 22, 2018

I will try to get a better picture.

Big G · Feb 22, 2018

Well those spots are very suspicious. If it was my fish, I would pull it out for a freshwater dip to confirm or eliminate flukes. If it is Ich/velvet, the dip will be good for it anyway. If confirmed Ich/velvet, a bath in acriflavine and then copper or CP for 30 days in a QT.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499399
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.286639/#post-3487082

ljblmyrt · Feb 22, 2018

Oh boy, there goes my awesome rockwork again. He avoids being caught as well as he avoids pictures. He won't even go near a trap. All the other fish will be hanging out in the trap and he will be the only one not in there.

Maritimer · Feb 22, 2018

I know the feeling.

Recently took all the rock out of my 220, kept it out (in Sterilite bins) for a couple of days and put it back in . . . with one fish - a midas blenny - still inside the rock, for the entire time. Got some light fishing line and size 26 barbless hooks . . . .

How do you get a brine shrimp on a hook again?

~Bruce

4FordFamily · Feb 22, 2018

Agree, you really need a freshwater dip in a dark bucket. If you see small, sesame seed-looking things at the bottom, it’s flukes.

Other fish aren’t as susceptible as tangs to most parasites. Ich and velvet especially, although nearly all fish will succumb to velvet.

The spots on the face could be flukes or velvet, IMO. If they become more numerous seemingly overnight or over 1-3 more days, it’s almost guaranteed velvet and you need to act quickly.

ljblmyrt · Feb 23, 2018

that's the thing. They don't seem to be getting worse, just kind of staying there in the same spot. It has been like a week now. Or a couple more here and there. I am thinking it is the flukes again. Ugh. Sometimes they even go away. At first I thought it was just sand getting on him because it goes away but then it comes back. I will freshwater dip him this weekend.

My one question now is if it is ich or velvet, wouldn't it be getting worse quicker?

Big G · Feb 23, 2018

ljblmyrt said:
My one question now is if it is ich or velvet, wouldn't it be getting worse quicker?

Depends on the fish's immune system and the growth rate of the parasites. Problem is that external symptoms don't always show up. Velvet especially goes for the internals of the fish's gills. So you need to be extra vigilant in your inspections of that area of the fish.

ljblmyrt · Feb 23, 2018

Is this picture any better?

ljblmyrt · Feb 24, 2018

Did the freshwater dip on the Tang for 10 minutes. Nothing left in the water that I can see so it is not flukes. He is in QT and I am waiting til he settles and I will look at him again.

Big G · Feb 24, 2018

Ok. Good job. So now we know it's probably ich or Lymphocystis. Now that you can see them up close, are they cauliflower like, cotton like, protruding from the skin? If so its probably lympho
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/#post-3043397
If the spots look more like sprinkles of sugar or salt, it's probably ich
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

ljblmyrt · Feb 24, 2018

The actual raised spot things are no longer there but in their place are larger flat spots that look like he is missing scales there. They are where the flukes were attached to him the most when I first treated for flukes. He also has some on his sides. They look sort of like scars or like he was scraped up but not red. I am now wondering if it is a secondary bacterial infection.

ljblmyrt · Feb 24, 2018

ljblmyrt said:
The actual raised spot things are no longer there but in their place are larger flat spots that look like he is missing scales there. They are where the flukes were attached to him the most when I first treated for flukes. He also has some on his sides. They look sort of like scars or like he was scraped up but not red. I am now wondering if it is a secondary bacterial infection.

Now the flat patches are gone. I don't get it. The patches were where the white spots were initially but the spots are gone. Even the side patches are not there except for a shadow of them. Why are they now gone and is it coincidental they showed up where the spots and flukes were initially? I don't get it, I don't know what to do at this point. I feed this fish with selcon everyday and he has a good diet. Do you think I should try to treat for a bacterial infection?

4FordFamily · Feb 24, 2018

Is this fish in QT or DT?

If in DT I’d let it be and see what happens, spending on tankmates and future additions.

If in QT it wouldn’t hurt to treat with metroplex for 10 days, dosing every other day and doing 25% water changes every other day.