What is this?

SaltlifeHokie · Nov 30, 2020

I’ve had my purple tang in QT for about 4 weeks now. About a week ago during Copper this white speck shows up where his fin meets his head. It’s literally been the only white speck for the last 7-10 days. I’ve ran Prazi, Antibiotics, Copper, Ruby Reef Rally bath, and a FW Dip. It appears that it’s raised and NOT some sort of cut that has taken his purple color away. I really thought by now and all the treatments he’s had it would have fallen off or went away. Any ideas?

WIReefer · Nov 30, 2020

It could be from copper use I’ve heard this is normal. What does @Jay Hemdal think?

vetteguy53081 · Nov 30, 2020

My guess would be viral lymphocystis, which manifests itself as white growth on the skin or fin, which resembles white irregularly-shaped dots, that later grow into large asymmetrical spots with a cauliflower-like appearance. In its early phase, the white formations of the Lymphocystis virus tend to cover the fins of the fish and until developed will appear small and round. often in its initial stages, the nodules of Lymphocystis are often mistaken for ich but the two do not have anything in common.

SaltlifeHokie · Nov 30, 2020

WIReefer said:
It could be from copper use I’ve heard this is normal. What does @Jay Hemdal think?

It did appear while in copper power which I thought was weird

Jay Hemdal · Nov 30, 2020

It could be Lymphocystis, but that is an unusual location for it. Obviously too large to be ich, flukes would not be that visibly white. A bacterial infection would grow or recede, not stay stable like that. I’ve not seen this as a result of copper treatments. So - I’ve told you what it isn’t, so what is it? I don’t know (grin). If it showed up looking pretty much like this and has been unchanged since then, I’d say it is a granuloma from a minor injury.
Jay

SaltlifeHokie · Nov 30, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
It could be Lymphocystis, but that is an unusual location for it. Obviously too large to be ich, flukes would not be that visibly white. A bacterial infection would grow or recede, not stay stable like that. I’ve not seen this as a result of copper treatments. So - I’ve told you what it isn’t, so what is it? I don’t know (grin). If it showed up looking pretty much like this and has been unchanged since then, I’d say it is a granuloma from a minor injury.
Jay

thanks I’ll continue to monitor it. I was going to be transferring him to the DT tank soon but can hold off until it goes away.

SaltlifeHokie · Dec 3, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
It could be Lymphocystis, but that is an unusual location for it. Obviously too large to be ich, flukes would not be that visibly white. A bacterial infection would grow or recede, not stay stable like that. I’ve not seen this as a result of copper treatments. So - I’ve told you what it isn’t, so what is it? I don’t know (grin). If it showed up looking pretty much like this and has been unchanged since then, I’d say it is a granuloma from a minor injury.
Jay

Can I transfer him to the DT tank? The white spot hasn’t fell off but other than that appears healthy and I’ve finished all treatments.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 3, 2020

SaltlifeHokie said:
Can I transfer him to the DT tank? The white spot hasn’t fell off but other than that appears healthy and I’ve finished all treatments.

With your understanding that there is always some risk in moving fish into a DT, it sounds to me that you have given this fish a comprehensive quarantine, and it will benefit from being into a more stable DT. I listened to a lecture this afternoon where the aquatic veterinarian described a case where the fish in the DT were actually harboring a sub-acute infection, and moving the fish from the QT to the DT caused the infection to break - very depressing!

Jay