What’s my enemy here?

[bcarl77]

Hi all,

A few weeks ago (first week) of AprilI began to notice numerous small white dots all over my yellow tang and white tailed kole tang. I had added a new wrasse after a 14 day observational QT (too short) from a VERY trusted source. This was the only change I can point to. No symptoms on the new wrasse but he died after a few days in the display.

A few days later I noticed several very small dots on my yellow and kole tangs. They were hardly visable. As the fish acted fine and continued eating no action was taken. After a few more days the dots became worse. No other behavior symptoms. I did attempt to catch the fish for QT but was unsuccessful.
After about a week I lost the kole tang. See pictures. I had the QT still set up so I netted the clowns and convinced the yellow tang to eat from a pitcher so he was removed. All fish received a H2O2 bath prior to QT and ate normally for the first week. No visible symptoms. Over the last 2 days, the yellow tang is acting erratically and has heavy breathing, red gills laying on his side. Due to Covid my QT treatment has been limited. I still have one last wrasse in the display I am actively trying to catch. Any idea on what I am fighting?

 

[Phil D.]

Ich, you can get Polyp Labs Reef Medic and directly treat you DT. I had an outbreak and used it with great success. It targets the trophont in the free swimming stage and in the sand.

 

[bcarl77]

The only thing that makes me think this is not Ich is that the only way you saw the dots on the tang was under blues in the display. They were so small on both tangs I couldn't even get them to show on camera.

Also noticed a lack of color in the kole before he died and was swimming erratically and breathing heavy.

 

[Uncle99]

Likely ick, a copper based product like Cupramine in QT will work.
If you have no meds, you can use Hypo on them in QT.
Review detailed procedures, but in general, you will reduce salinity in QT only to 1.009, in 4-8 days spots will disappear, go another 21 days (after all spots gone) then bring up salinity daily by .002 until 1.025.
(Try) to feed small amounts of high protein pellets to build strength
Your DT must go fish less for 76 days to break the parasite cycle.

Have a read on ick (maybe velvet) to see if it matches what you see.

Keep in mind that Hypo works only on ick, copper works on both.

 

[MERKEY]

Hi all,

A few weeks ago (first week) of AprilI began to notice numerous small white dots all over my yellow tang and white tailed kole tang. I had added a new wrasse after a 14 day observational QT (too short) from a VERY trusted source. This was the only change I can point to. No symptoms on the new wrasse but he died after a few days in the display.

A few days later I noticed several very small dots on my yellow and kole tangs. They were hardly visable. As the fish acted fine and continued eating no action was taken. After a few more days the dots became worse. No other behavior symptoms. I did attempt to catch the fish for QT but was unsuccessful.
After about a week I lost the kole tang. See pictures. I had the QT still set up so I netted the clowns and convinced the yellow tang to eat from a pitcher so he was removed. All fish received a H2O2 bath prior to QT and ate normally for the first week. No visible symptoms. Over the last 2 days, the yellow tang is acting erratically and has heavy breathing, red gills laying on his side. Due to Covid my QT treatment has been limited. I still have one last wrasse in the display I am actively trying to catch. Any idea on what I am fighting?

I'm sorry for your losses....

Ich could have been the culprit but sounds like you could have had velvet.

The only tried and true way to eliminate these is to go fallow for 76 days. All other methods are just bandaids, there are tons of threads about this just do a quick search on ich treatment.

Treat the others with Copper in the QT and watch them closely for infections.

You can get cuppermine and a seacham copper test from Amazon overnight.

 

[bcarl77]

Yes, the goal is to go fallow in the display for the 76 days, once we catch the last pesky wrasse.

Was hoping to catch him faster, but wanted to do the copper treatment all at once for all the fish. Unfortunately the tang may succumb before that happens.

 

[bcarl77]

Now I think about it, I did have a suspected case of Ich in January. Was the only fish effected, maybe a spec or 2 on the Kole tang if I remember correctly. Both fish resolved on there own until my current situation.