Sick Kole Tang

Echomsp · Jan 9, 2020

I picked up this guy along with 4 other tangs 6 weeks ago. They were observed for 2 weeks with no issues and then transferred into my display tank. Yesterday he was sitting on the bottom of the tank not moving, so I did a fresh water dip. I found what looked like 2 flukes. So I treated the tank with prazi. Others started picking on him so I moved him into hospital tank and treated it with prazi. Today, he's still alive, but not swimming. He's laying on the bottom but still breathing.

Here is a pick from the display yesterday and another from the hospital tank today. It looks like little air bubbles on his body. Anything else I can try?

Idoc · Jan 9, 2020

Are you sure those are air bubbles in the second picture? It looks like ich spots.

Echomsp · Jan 9, 2020

Idoc said:
Are you sure those are air bubbles in the second picture? It looks like ich spots.

Certainly not sure. Just trying to describe what they look like. I'll try to get a better picture

Echomsp · Jan 9, 2020

I took him out and did another fresh water dip, they were bubbles and are now gone. I don't see any flukes in the water and I'm second guessing if there were any yesterday. I'm not sure what else could be affecting him.

Idoc · Jan 9, 2020

A freshwater dip will give temporary relief for Ich or velvet. I've never seen air bubbles residing on a fish. I'd treat for ich.

Uncle99 · Jan 10, 2020

You can bring down the salinity in your HT to say 1.019.....this will make it easier for him to breath and maybe we can get him to stand.
If it’s ick, you can use hypo on him at 1.009 salinity........watch ammonia carefully.
If it’s velvet, you can use a copper treatment, but, it’s a fast killer.

if I had to guess, I’d say ick. This is because the dots look more oval than round.

Halal Hotdog · Jan 10, 2020

Observational QT is not very effective because parasites can hide in the gills of a fish, invisible to anyone looking at the fish externally. I have never seen a fish come back from this kind of behavior, but I hope this guy makes it. Would definitely start treatment right away for ich/velvet, but I don't think he will live long. Your other fish that were housed with the kole tang will require treatment as well.