Sick Hippo Tang

[dyno]

Please help identify ailment with my 6 year old hippo tang. @Jay Hemdal

FOWLR
No Ammonia or Nitrite
SG - 1.015
No additions last 4 months but I had a clownfish with brook in another tank in the same room.
No other fish in the tank showing any signs whatsoever.
Fish scratching body against rock occasionally
Looks like fine fuzzy detritus stuck on fish

 

[vetteguy53081]

Please help identify ailment with my 6 year old hippo tang. @Jay Hemdal

FOWLR
No Ammonia or Nitrite
SG - 1.015
No additions last 4 months but I had a clownfish with brook in another tank in the same room.
No other fish in the tank showing any signs whatsoever.
Fish scratching body against rock occasionally
Looks like fine fuzzy detritus stuck on fish

This appears to be velvet and needs immediate treatment in a separate quarantine tank. With velvet, some signs will be fish will scratch body against hard objects, lethargic behavior, Loss of appetite and weight loss, Rapid, labored breathing, Fins clamped against the body, and typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium.
Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, read the box to be sure it targets Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe or copper power at 2.25-2.5 therapuetic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna Brand (no api brand). Assure the medication you use states treats Oodinum.

 

[dyno]

This appears to be velvet and needs immediate treatment in a separate quarantine tank. With velvet, some signs will be fish will scratch body against hard objects, lethargic behavior, Loss of appetite and weight loss, Rapid, labored breathing, Fins clamped against the body, and typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium.
Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, read the box to be sure it targets Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe or copper power at 2.25-2.5 therapuetic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna Brand (no api brand). Assure the medication you use states treats Oodinum.

Thank you @vetteguy53081

I am here scratching my head because nothing has entered the tank in 4-5 months. Where the heck did I get velvet all of a sudden. Man!

Can I go to 2.5 ppm with Copper power right away or would you recommend increasing over two days? Say 1.25ppm today and get to 2.5 by tomorrow?

 

[Mikeltee]

You need to qt all of your fish immediately. I've had a PBT for 3 months and within 24 hours it killed 20+ fish. Looks like you too will learn the hard way that it's irresponsible to not quarantine.

 

[Mikeltee]

What size tank is that?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you @vetteguy53081

I am here scratching my head because nothing has entered the tank in 4-5 months. Where the heck did I get velvet all of a sudden. Man!

Can I go to 2.5 ppm with Copper power right away or would you recommend increasing over two days? Say 1.25ppm today and get to 2.5 by tomorrow?

Do not ramp but get to it within 24 hours. Ramping often allows disease to gain control of fish

 

[dyno]

You need to qt all of your fish immediately. I've had a PBT for 3 months and within 24 hours it killed 20+ fish. Looks like you too will learn the hard way that it's irresponsible to not quarantine.

I have not added anything new! Have had these fish for years!

 

[Mikeltee]

I see you are getting a new tank. Take the live rock out and put it in a Brute and quarantine them immediately... like take tomorrow off and get this done now.

 

[dyno]

I see you are getting a new tank. Take the live rock out and put it in a Brute and quarantine them immediately... like take tomorrow off and get this done now.

Screw tomorrow doing it now! Thanks

 

[Mikeltee]

I have not added anything new! Have had these fish for years!

Ohh that's odd. I had a hippo in twice the tank and he was smaller and he stressed out and went crazy. It stressed all the other fish out and they died. I'll never own another hippo. I never intend to get a monster tank like you though. I don't know what to say bro. If you haven't added ANYTHING it sure is a head scratcher.

 

[Mikeltee]

Seachem matrix works well for quarantine tanks. Just do water changes every couple of days until your Matrix has cycled. I'll run 4 fish in a 20g with a Tidal 55 and small bag of Matrix. I've never had ammonia issues and I don't do water changes either. I swap tanks at 2 weeks. Monitor your ammonia and you will be fine.

 

[Mikeltee]

You can probably keep a rock or two in there as well. Just throw it out once the new tank comes. Measure your copper everyday to make sure that the rock isn't doing something to the level. Run 2.5ppm. I usually go straight to 2.5ppm within 24 hours.

 

[dyno]

You can probably keep a rock or two in there as well. Just throw it out once the new tank comes. Measure your copper everyday to make sure that the rock isn't doing something to the level. Run 2.5ppm. I usually go straight to 2.5ppm within 24 hours.

Hi Mike alright will go straight to 2.5. Appreciate the input. I recently set up a new nano and lost a percula clownfish to a parasite. I think I accidentally cross contaminated my tanks man. I was so careful but must of mossed a drop somewhere on feeding tongs, or frozen food thawing cup, or somewhere. Will keep you guys updates.

My hippo holds his own against a large Picasso trigger but never harasses anyone. Fish have their own personalities I have learned even within the same species.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Please help identify ailment with my 6 year old hippo tang. @Jay Hemdal

FOWLR
No Ammonia or Nitrite
SG - 1.015
No additions last 4 months but I had a clownfish with brook in another tank in the same room.
No other fish in the tank showing any signs whatsoever.
Fish scratching body against rock occasionally
Looks like fine fuzzy detritus stuck on fish

Hepatus tangs have scales that can look like this with some skin infections. I don't see the rapid respiration associated with velvet.

Some follow up questions:

Is the fish still eating?
How long has it looked like this?
Does it have any other symptoms?
Why are you running a specific gravity of 1.015? That isn't low enough to treat any diseases, but can still cause stress to the fish.

Jay

 

[dyno]

Hepatus tangs have scales that can look like this with some skin infections. I don't see the rapid respiration associated with velvet.

Some follow up questions:

Is the fish still eating?
How long has it looked like this?
Does it have any other symptoms?
Why are you running a specific gravity of 1.015? That isn't low enough to treat any diseases, but can still cause stress to the fish.

Jay

I noticed the behavior change just yesterday Jay. I have had this fish a very long time and have raised it from a baby. Have never seen the skin look like this. Still eating well and other than a little scratching and spending more time towards the surface no other symptoms. Occasionally doing those jolting shakes not sure what to call them. I have always had good luck keeping the salinity a little lower, in my mind I feel it takes less for their body to deal with the salt difference inside and out and gives them a chance to use their energy else where? Totally not sure if that is true but fish do well at this sg and I pay less for salt. So far I have the tang at 2.5ppm copper power.

Dinesh

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I noticed the behavior change just yesterday Jay. I have had this fish a very long time and have raised it from a baby. Have never seen the skin look like this. Still eating well and other than a little scratching and spending more time towards the surface no other symptoms. Occasionally doing those jolting shakes not sure what to call them. I have always had good luck keeping the salinity a little lower, in my mind I feel it takes less for their body to deal with the salt difference inside and out and gives them a chance to use their energy else where? Totally not sure if that is true but fish do well at this sg and I pay less for salt. So far I have the tang at 2.5ppm copper power.

Dinesh

There is some argument for keeping fish in seawater that is more isotonic with their blood reduces physiological stress, but the typical value is 1.018 to 1.019, 1.015 starts to get into the realm where long term issues can crop up.

From what I see, the fish probably has flukes. The scratching/flashing all lean towards that. Still eating and not breathing fast points away from velvet. The months since adding something new also points to flukes.

Jay

 

[dyno]

Jay this is interesting I wonder if it is Bacterial Tufts that hippo tangs can commonly get.

Bacterial Tufts & Viral Nodules

(Updated 3-2-2023) Bacterial Tufts Note: Credit for "bacterial tufts" terminology goes to Dr. Charlie Gregory (https://www.aquaveterinarian.com). It basically refers to white growths on a fish that are bacterial in nature. They oftentimes start out looking similar to Marine Ich trophonts (or...

humble.fish

Dinesh

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Jay this is interesting I wonder if it is Bacterial Tufts that hippo tangs can commonly get.

Bacterial Tufts & Viral Nodules

(Updated 3-2-2023) Bacterial Tufts Note: Credit for "bacterial tufts" terminology goes to Dr. Charlie Gregory (https://www.aquaveterinarian.com). It basically refers to white growths on a fish that are bacterial in nature. They oftentimes start out looking similar to Marine Ich trophonts (or...

humble.fish

Dinesh

I’ve done scrapes of these and they are just mucus, no bacteria was involved. Could it be viral? Well, viruses get blamed for a lot of health issues and are too small to be seen, but these don’t behave like a virus infection does regarding onset and then clearing.
Have you ever seen one of those playdoh extruder toys? That’s how these look - mucus being extruded from the skin cells.

Jay