Tang with big white spots not raised

smilinviking · Dec 28, 2015

Hello all,
I can use a little help. I got this guy about three months ago and almost immediately I noticed a couple of white spots. Upon talking to my local shop he didn't think it was ick and after seeing forums I agree. Does anyone know what this is? At the top of my list was Marine Velvet Disease. It does look like it has gotten worse. I don' t think that he is scraping himself. Thank you for any help!

joshkirkland83 · Dec 28, 2015

if I had to guess I would say something bacterial. Velvet kills in a very short period of time.

smilinviking · Dec 28, 2015

joshkirkland83 said:
if I had to guess I would say something bacterial. Velvet kills in a very short period of time.

you think a first step would be an RODI dip? Thank you for your response

joshkirkland83 · Dec 28, 2015

@Humblefish is the forum expert. IF it is bacterial an antibiotic is best. He does need to be in QT a.s.a.p. until you get to the bottom of this.

shoelaceike · Dec 28, 2015

It could be ammonia burns

Humblefish · Dec 28, 2015

It is an infection, and a pretty serious one at that.

Without prompt antibiotic treatment, I don't think this fish is gonna make it. However, there also could be an underlying parasite problem in play here as well. How long have you had this fish? And how exactly did you acclimate him into your tank (so we can hopefully rule out ammonia burn as a precursor)?

smilinviking · Dec 28, 2015

shoelaceike said:
It could be ammonia burns

I tested my ammonia levels out...0PPM

smilinviking · Dec 28, 2015

Humblefish said:
It is an infection, and a pretty serious one at that. Without prompt antibiotic treatment, I don't think this fish is gonna make it. However, there also could be an underlying parasite problem in play here as well. How long have you had this fish? And how exactly did you acclimate him into your tank (so we can hopefully rule out ammonia burn as a precursor)?

Had him for about 3 months. Acclimation was temperature acclimation only. I put the bag in for about 1 hour. I dont know much about ammonia burn but I just tested my water and it 0ppm. My cleaner shrimp cleans him all the time but I havent seen it as much recently. He also seems very normal and happy.

shoelaceike · Dec 28, 2015

He could have gotten the burns during transport....or maybe you have a one of a kind big spot kole tang....sell him for $10K

Humblefish · Dec 28, 2015

smilinviking said:
Had him for about 3 months. Acclimation was temperature acclimation only. I put the bag in for about 1 hour. I dont know much about ammonia burn but I just tested my water and it 0ppm. My cleaner shrimp cleans him all the time but I havent seen it as much recently. He also seems very normal and happy.

Ammonia burn would have killed him by now. He definitely has an infection of some sort. Obviously, I cannot say if a parasite is also in play here until symptoms present themselves.

If you want, you can soak Seachem Kanaplex (antibiotic) in his food by using Seachem Focus to bind the medication to the food. This approach is not as fast acting as dosing antibiotics into a QT, but it's still better than doing nothing.

smilinviking · Dec 28, 2015

Humblefish said:
Ammonia burn would have killed him by now. He definitely has an infection of some sort. Obviously, I cannot say if a parasite is also in play here until symptoms present themselves.

If you want, you can soak Seachem Kanaplex (antibiotic) in his food by using Seachem Focus to bind the medication to the food. This approach is not as fast acting as dosing antibiotics into a QT, but it's still better than doing nothing.

Great! Thank you for your help. I also found a picture of him in October. This was a month after I got him. As you can see the spots have gotten bigger.

Breakthecycle2 · Dec 28, 2015

Why did you just float the bag and not drip?

smilinviking · Dec 29, 2015

What do you think the chances are of flukes

Humblefish · Dec 29, 2015

smilinviking said:
What do you think the chances are of flukes

Unlikely, as skin flukes cause little bite marks but not large splotches like that. However, you can always confirm/rule out the presence of flukes by performing a FW dip (see below).

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

smilinviking · Jan 4, 2016

Unfortunately I lost him yesterday. I had two treatments of antibiotics but I think it was to late. If anyone is reading the post for information I guess the moral of the story is dont let any white spots go untreated. Thank you all for your help!

Humblefish · Jan 4, 2016

smilinviking said:
Unforgettable I lost him yesterday. I had two treatments of antibiotics but I think it was to late. If anyone is reading the post for information I guess the moral of the story is dont let any white spots go untreated. Thank you all for your help!

Sorry to hear this.

Treating for a bacterial infection can be tricky because a lot of times the fish's immune system can fight it off naturally. Especially a gram positive infection. But if it lingers and starts looking worse, that means the fish's immune system is fighting a losing battle. You have to treat with antibiotics or at the very least, give something like Melafix or Artemiss a try.