Tang in .54 cupramine

[painfullycurious88]

Got this tang a big ago he’s been in qt tried to save him from a velvet tank. He was doing amazing until today. These spots do not look like any ich I’ve seen and they don’t look like velvet. He’s irritated and I’m just trying to figure out if I need to pull him from copper early?

 

[painfullycurious88]

Would post video but of the three I’ve posted they don’t show.

 

[jaganshi066]

Got this tang a big ago he’s been in qt tried to save him from a velvet tank. He was doing amazing until today. These spots do not look like any ich I’ve seen and they don’t look like velvet. He’s irritated and I’m just trying to figure out if I need to pull him from copper early?

How long has he been there? I recently treated my yellow tang in cupramine and for the first couple of days he didn’t eat or anything,
But he’s doing fine now. I brought up the dose to 0.5 slowly.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Also there is no flashing or itching just swimming quickly he’s eating great.

How long has he been there? I recently treated my yellow tang in cupramine and for the first couple of days he didn’t eat or anything,
But he’s doing fine now. I brought up the dose to 0.5 slowly.

He’s been in there 11 days. First couple days he wouldn’t eat dealing with the velvet all the spots went away and his breathing slowed on day 4 day 7 and beyond he’s ate like a pig.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Also there is no flashing or itching just swimming quickly he’s eating great.

He’s been in there 11 days. First couple days he wouldn’t eat dealing with the velvet all the spots went away and his breathing slowed on day 4 day 7 and beyond he’s ate like a pig.

He even ate like a pig today I’ve just rapidly noticed these spots appearing. Wondering if they are bacterial or mucus.

 

[painfullycurious88]

 

[DinoMagnet]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I just replied via PM - now THAT gets confusing(grin). Let's keep it to the open message board, so that others can read along. Here is what I asked:

Is the fish in a full dose of copper right now? That is a big change from Tuesday to today. If it has been in full copper, then I can rule out a protozoan infection, but if not a full dose, it could be ich (that looks different in later stages than when it first starts up).
No other fish with it?
Water tests are all ok?

Jay

 

[painfullycurious88]

I just replied via PM - now THAT gets confusing(grin). Let's keep it to the open message board, so that others can read along. Here is what I asked:

Is the fish in a full dose of copper right now? That is a big change from Tuesday to today. If it has been in full copper, then I can rule out a protozoan infection, but if not a full dose, it could be ich (that looks different in later stages than when it first starts up).
No other fish with it?
Water tests are all ok?

Jay

Copper dose: .5-.54 entire 11 days
Other fish? No.
ammonia outside a water change (predosed at .5) is solidly safe since earlier discussions.
Ph holding steady at 8.2.
salinity:1.025 to match dt

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Copper dose: .5-.54 entire 11 days
Other fish? No.
ammonia outside a water change (predosed at .5) is solidly safe since earlier discussions.
Ph holding steady at 8.2.
salinity:1.025 to match dt

I see you said the fish is still feeding well? If so, then my next thought is that these are mucus plugs. I see these in tangs, especially ones that have been in cupramine. I've heard people say these plugs are bacterial (they aren't) or viral (nobody can say since we don't have the ability to diagnose those issues). HOWEVER, in your fish's case, I see some mucus/spots on the pectoral fins. I've NEVER seen mucus plugs on a tangs fins, they just don't develop there.

So - that leaves a "stale" case of ich (unlikely due to the Curpramine dose), or a bacterial issue, or mucus plugs plus some bacterial issue.

Next steps? Tough to say. 11 days really isn't a complete dose for copper, and you risk a relapse if you stop it now. The mucus plugs will go away on their own after the copper is stopped. The bacterial possibility could require antibiotics...so a number of choices here.

Jay

 

[painfullycurious88]

I see you said the fish is still feeding well? If so, then my next thought is that these are mucus plugs. I see these in tangs, especially ones that have been in cupramine. I've heard people say these plugs are bacterial (they aren't) or viral (nobody can say since we don't have the ability to diagnose those issues). HOWEVER, in your fish's case, I see some mucus/spots on the pectoral fins. I've NEVER seen mucus plugs on a tangs fins, they just don't develop there.

So - that leaves a "stale" case of ich (unlikely due to the Curpramine dose), or a bacterial issue, or mucus plugs plus some bacterial issue.

Next steps? Tough to say. 11 days really isn't a complete dose for copper, and you risk a relapse if you stop it now. The mucus plugs will go away on their own after the copper is stopped. The bacterial possibility could require antibiotics...so a number of choices here.

Jay

Would you move the tang to freshwater dip to see the outcome? I saw a couple large spots on the fins around noon noted it. At 9pm est I walked down stairs and saw what I’ve said. I have a water change being measured for copper, a fresh water dip being agitated and a second tank ready to go if need be. What is the right choice here?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Would you move the tang to freshwater dip to see the outcome? I saw a couple large spots on the fins around noon noted it. At 9pm est I walked down stairs and saw what I’ve said. I have a water change being measured for copper, a fresh water dip being agitated and a second tank ready to go if need be. What is the right choice here?

Freshwater dips are really a diagnostic tool for some species of fluke. They can also buy some time in severe protozoans infections. I don't think the spots are flukes - typically you don't see spots from flukes, they are mostly invisible, what you see is the skin damage from them feeding.

This is just a thought: can you move the fish to the new tank, but leave the copper tank running? That way, if the problem worsens, you can move the fish back into the copper. On the other hand, it it improves in the new tank, you can be more certain that the issue is from the copper. If the fish neither worsens or improves, well, then, hobson's choice would be bacterial. I guess since you'll have the fish in hand, the FW dip, for five minutes won't hurt. Examine the dip water after the dip for signs of flukes (little oval gray things at the bottom that look like fish scales).

Jay

 

[painfullycurious88]

In the freshwater dip it looks like raised bumps on the skin.

Freshwater dips are really a diagnostic tool for some species of fluke. They can also buy some time in severe protozoans infections. I don't think the spots are flukes - typically you don't see spots from flukes, they are mostly invisible, what you see is the skin damage from them feeding.

This is just a thought: can you move the fish to the new tank, but leave the copper tank running? That way, if the problem worsens, you can move the fish back into the copper. On the other hand, it it improves in the new tank, you can be more certain that the issue is from the copper. If the fish neither worsens or improves, well, then, hobson's choice would be bacterial. I guess since you'll have the fish in hand, the FW dip, for five minutes won't hurt. Examine the dip water after the dip for signs of flukes (little oval gray things at the bottom that look like fish scales).

Jay

 

[Miami Reef]

What copper test kit?

 

[painfullycurious88]

What copper test kit?

Seachem

 

[painfullycurious88]

How it can change this much in 12 hours is beyond me. Maybe I bit off more than I can chew.

 

[painfullycurious88]

New fun looks like he has slime coming off him in the water guessing shedding mucus.

 

[Miami Reef]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

New fun looks like he has slime coming off him in the water guessing shedding mucus.

Can you post new pictures/video?

Did you give it a FW dip last night then?

Jay

 

[painfullycurious88]

Can you post new pictures/video?

Did you give it a FW dip last night then?

Jay

Yes. Nothing came off in the fresh water dip. While he was in there I did a water change and made sure 100% everything was good to go in the tank. I was ready to move him to the new tank but I stopped when I noticed white spots on the back fin and sides. I didn’t want to exacerbate the problem further.