So this is bizarre ..

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

Hey All

So this is bizarre ... I have never experienced this before. I have a FAT powder blue tang. Always cruises around the tank and eat pellets with precision speed and accuracy, as well as brine shrimp. Hes a beast and the king of the tank.

All of a sudden I noticed that he looks like he cant see where the pellet is and has to really search for it before he finds it and eats it. Then it looked like he was in the area where some fell to the bottom, and he was almost like "puffing/blowing" on the sand where the pellet was ... like he was looking for it or something.

I will say that he is NOT running into corals or walls or anything like that and he is swimming around the corals just fine. It even appears that he can see when I am walking near the tank. BUT again he cant seem to locate the food it looks like.

Now I will say that it looks like there is a bit more ick on them .. nothing crazy but noticeable. He had some on occasion before, but just fought it off and it was never a problem for the 3 years I have had him.

I dont want you to think they always had ick and I just ignored it because it was not common. The times I did see it it would be a very very small white spot. Would be gone in no time. Not it looks like it may be a bit worse.

Would this cloud his eye sight due to them on his eyes or something?

Look forward to hearing back ...

HotRocks · Jun 7, 2018

specialk said:
Hey All

So this is bizarre ... I have never experienced this before. I have a FAT powder blue tang. Always cruises around the tank and eat pellets with precision speed and accuracy, as well as brine shrimp. Hes a beast and the king of the tank.

All of a sudden I noticed that he looks like he cant see where the pellet is and has to really search for it before he finds it and eats it. Then it looked like he was in the area where some fell to the bottom, and he was almost like "puffing/blowing" on the sand where the pellet was ... like he was looking for it or something.

I will say that he is NOT running into corals or walls or anything like that and he is swimming around the corals just fine. It even appears that he can see when I am walking near the tank. BUT again he cant seem to locate the food it looks like.

Now I will say that it looks like there is a bit more ick on them .. nothing crazy but noticeable. He had some on occasion before, but just fought it off and it was never a problem for the 3 years I have had him.

I dont want you to think they always had ick and I just ignored it because it was not common. The times I did see it it would be a very very small white spot. Would be gone in no time. Not it looks like it may be a bit worse.

Would this cloud his eye sight due to them on his eyes or something?

Look forward to hearing back ...

Parasite affliction can most definitely affect the eyes of a fish. Can you post some pics of your fish so we can take a look? Acanthurus tangs are especially succeptable to this due to their very thin mucus coat.

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

HotRocks said:
Parasite affliction can most definitely affect the eyes of a fish. Can you post some pics of your fish so we can take a look? Acanthurus tangs are especially succeptable to this due to their very thin mucus coat.

Yah let me try to grab a shot ...

Also, will this eventually go away ? (if that is what it is)

HotRocks · Jun 7, 2018

This may be a good read for you.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/

Lets take a look at the pics once you post them. If it is ich/velvet/flukes you are dealing with, you may need to QT your fish and treat to get rid of it. It will never go away completely without treatment and proper fallow period of your tank.

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

Here ya go ...

HotRocks · Jun 7, 2018

This resembles velvet more than ich to me, especially the fin coverage. Lets get some additional eyes.

Have you added anything recently to your tank? Fish, Inverts, corals?

Other than not eating as well as normal, Is the fish showing any other symptoms like swimming into flow of powerhead, sensitivity to light, flashing or scratching?

@4FordFamily @Humblefish @melypr1985 @Big G @Maritimer @dwwataz

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

HotRocks said:
This resembles velvet more than ich to me, especially the fin coverage. Lets get some additional eyes.

Have you added anything recently to your tank? Fish, Inverts, corals?

Other than not eating as well as normal, Is the fish showing any other symptoms like swimming into flow of powerhead, sensitivity to light, flashing or scratching?

@4FordFamily @Humblefish @melypr1985 @Big G @Maritimer @dwwataz

No I have not added anything recently.

And YES... he is always swimming around the one powerhead, like hanging out there and then swimming back around and doing it again.

(working on the pics ... )

drstardust · Jun 7, 2018

By appearance, would agree with velvet being highest on the differential. Is the tang rubbing/flashing? Sometimes they can literally injure their eyes by rubbing against things when they have parasites on their skin/head.

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

drstardust said:
By appearance, would agree with velvet being highest on the differential. Is the tang rubbing/flashing? Sometimes they can literally injure their eyes by rubbing against things when they have parasites on their skin/head.

Well hes always hanging down by the cleaner wrasse... that's for sure...in between hanging by the power head. And a little bit of flashing ...although I've been blessed with healthy fish in my 10 years of doing this so I may not know what flashing is if I do see it

HotRocks · Jun 7, 2018

Do you have a QT tank?

What are your other fish?

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

HotRocks said:
Do you have a QT tank?

What are your other fish?

I can certainly set one up. Have a goby (who would be a bear to catch) 2 clowns, anthias, tilefish and 3 chromis. That's it

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

I'm assuming even with velvet I have to qt them? All of the fish?

Maritimer · Jun 7, 2018

Absolutely, and if you could get it set up yesterday, that would be a good idea.

Velvet is a swift killer, and can empty a tank in short order. I'd agree that the dusting on that tang's pectoral fin looks very velvet. Ich can sometimes be managed, velvet is an order of magnitude more difficult.

How to deal with it? I've never seen the process detailed more readably or more thoroughly than by Humblefish, here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499399

~Bruce

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

Maritimer said:
Absolutely, and if you could get it set up yesterday, that would be a good idea.

Velvet is a swift killer, and can empty a tank in short order. I'd agree that the dusting on that tang's pectoral fin looks very velvet. Ich can sometimes be managed, velvet is an order of magnitude more difficult.

How to deal with it? I've never seen the process detailed more readably or more thoroughly than by Humblefish, here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499399

~Bruce

What makes this situation all the better ... I have to leave in an hour to catch a flight out of here. I will be returning on Sunday around 2.

Absolutely. Incredible.

HotRocks · Jun 7, 2018

Yes you will want to remove all fish. Allow the DT to be fallow for 6 weeks for velvet. 76 days for ich. I would go the full 76 days to be safe.

Since you have Anthias copper will be your best bet for treatment. I would recommend copper power.

Bruce has you covered on treatment plan above. I would follow all three steps! Time is of the essence here.

Big G · Jun 7, 2018

In your unique situation, you could try treating the tank with Ruby Reef Rally. Dosing would be required for at least 3 days though.
http://www.rubyreef.net/rally/

4FordFamily · Jun 7, 2018

Velvet, unfortunately. No way a powder blue was going to come in without it or ich and succumb if untreated, unfortunately.

Good luck you’re in good hands here!

specialk · Jun 7, 2018

Think Iwill be ok until sunday?

And btw... what causes this?

cmcoker · Jun 7, 2018

specialk said:
Think Iwill be ok until sunday?

And btw... what causes this?

Unfortunately I would anticipate loss of fish by Sunday with no treatment, is anybody watching your tank?

Bruce posted the link you need to understand what causes this. Somehow velvet got in the tank, it could have been on anything wet, ie snails, corals, rock, etc. Added anything like that in the past month?