What are these white dots?

[Mflores888]

Got this little blue tang some time ago. Had it in QT for about a month and a half with copper to help with Ich. I had it in a 15 g with a cardinal with two air stones and a filter. Only thing is u can't figure out what those white dots running down its back are. They are on both sides of its body and no other dots. It isn't Ich or velvet but I can't figure out what it is. I was thinking it was the start of some other illness but it doesn't seem like anything else I've seen. It started to get restless so I took the risk of transferring it to the DT. So far it eats, swims and hides like any normal fish. Pecks at the rocks, hangs out with the clowns and behaves like normal. However the spots are still there, same size same place. I can't really get any more pics since it moves around too much when I place the phone near the glass.

 

[Reefer40b]

Looks like the start of lateral line disease, if its been QT'd a month and half it ready for the display and get it out of the copper. That will go away quickly once this happens in my experience

 

[Mflores888]

Looks like the start of lateral line disease, if its been QT'd a month and half it ready for the display and get it out of the copper. That will go away quickly once this happens in my experience

Thats what I thought it might be, which is why I decided to just put it in the DT. Should I just feed it like I normally do or should I do something extra to speed up the healing?

 

[Reefer40b]

I have always just fed normally my frozen mix and some nori here and there, should see it fade rather quickly.

 

[schuby]

Have you been feeding him nori in QT? It is a critical part of a tang's diet. Has he been in copper for a month and a half? That would be a very long time.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Apparently no one answered your question. The white dots appear to be Ich parasite which will cause fish to be pouty and possible rapid breathing, hiding, scratching and more.
Treatment best in a quarantine tank with copper at level of 1.2. When treating with copper- Always have a copper test kit as higher levels can be lethal.
I use and love Polyp Lab "MEDIC", which is reef safe and treats this also. Start with a freshwater dip for 5 min and begin treatment. Copper kills corals and inverts.

For the HLLE:
Assure water quality is optimum and its due in part to vitamin deficiency. Feed at Minimum:

Nori seaweed basted in garlic extract
small plankton
mysis shrimp
Formula 2 flake and frozen
LRS Herbivore diet
sm New Era pelets

Add selcon vitamins to food 2x per week and garlic extract the other 2-3 days per week.

 

[SaltyT]

I agree with the others that said HLLE. If you're running carbon on your DT take it out. Good water quality and good food will help it heal.