Velvet, ich, or what?

[Rp8]

Unsure if this is ich, or what. They are acting fine, eating, and energetic. The butterfly has spots and areas that look faded and fins looking rough. They are flashing and twitching. So should i assume for the worse remove them from the tank and treat them with copper? Still hoping to properly diagnose them. Params are all good. Tank is 3 months old

 

[gentlefish]

Would you have additional info to parameters and timing, also better pictures of the spots?
What is the respiratory rate? Are you saying the last thing into the tank is 3 months ago? If so, it’s too late for ick and velvet. The description makes one wonder about flukes. Can you get one fish out for freshwater dip (diagnostic)?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Unsure if this is ich, or what. They are acting fine, eating, and energetic. The butterfly has spots and areas that look faded and fins looking rough. They are flashing and twitching. So should i assume for the worse remove them from the tank and treat them with copper? Still hoping to properly diagnose them. Params are all good. Tank is 3 months old

Heniochus are really prone to Neobenedenia flukes. The tank being only 3 months old, that is likely the issue. However, mixed infections are pretty common - you need to rule out ich. Do you see any salt grain white spots on the fish? Especially on the fins? The spots will come and go daily. All I can see is probable fluke damage on the heni.

Is this a fish only tank? If so, you'd want to treat it with hyposalinity as that takes care of ich and Neo. If you have invertebrates, you would be stuck to using Prazipro. That doesn't cure ich and isn't a really good treatment for Neo (you may need to dose it 3x, a week apart).

Jay

 

[Rp8]

Heniochus are really prone to Neobenedenia flukes. The tank being only 3 months old, that is likely the issue. However, mixed infections are pretty common - you need to rule out ich. Do you see any salt grain white spots on the fish? Especially on the fins? The spots will come and go daily. All I can see is probable fluke damage on the heni.

Is this a fish only tank? If so, you'd want to treat it with hyposalinity as that takes care of ich and Neo. If you have invertebrates, you would be stuck to using Prazipro. That doesn't cure ich and isn't a really good treatment for Neo (you may need to dose it 3x, a week apart).

Jay

Thanks Jay, I have qt fish and started the fallow. Started copper dosing in case of ich. There are white spot on on the body and multiple on fins of 3 fish (heni, tang, coral beauty)Heni has spots where the fins have degraded to nothing. I will start hyposalinty also. What are signs of flukes, and when would I know treatment is working?

thanks again.

 

[Rp8]

I can’t dip right now, but will when I return home. Just a quick dip in DI water and see what falls off?

Would you have additional info to parameters and timing, also better pictures of the spots?
What is the respiratory rate? Are you saying the last thing into the tank is 3 months ago? If so, it’s too late for ick and velvet. The description makes one wonder about flukes. Can you get one fish out for freshwater dip (diagnostic)?

 

[Rp8]

Would you have additional info to parameters and timing, also better pictures of the spots?
What is the respiratory rate? Are you saying the last thing into the tank is 3 months ago? If so, it’s too late for ick and velvet. The description makes one wonder about flukes. Can you get one fish out for freshwater dip (diagnostic)?

Also, respiratory rate was fast, but I assumed by he is very active.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I can’t dip right now, but will when I return home. Just a quick dip in DI water and see what falls off?

A FW dip will show Neobenedenia - they will look like loose scales at the bottom of the container after the dip. However, other flukes are too small to see in a dip without a microscope.

Jay