White patches on purple tang

[acorn88]

Sorry for another white patch identification thread but this doesn’t look to me to be ich or velvet. Tank parameters have been steady and I’ve had the tang for 1.5 yrs. She’s in a mixed reef aquarium and has been eating normally and being her usual reclusive self.

 

[threebuoys]

Some more info about your tank and its occupants will be helpful.

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[MnFish1]

Agree with needing more information. As above.

But - while waiting - it looks to me like it could be an early protozoal infection (Brook?) - though uncommon in tangs. or a multitude of other things. It also looks a little like a sting (i.e. from a coral). Additionally - external manifestations of an internal (or external) bacterial infection as well.

the above assumes no bullying, no other new additions, no chemicals added, etc.

One more question - did it come on 'overnight' - is it getting better, staying the same, worse, etc? Was the picture taken early in the AM (or late in the PM) - when color patterns can change.

Any case - I might consider a hospital tank set-up of some kind - in case things get worse. Hope this helps - and please give us more information!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry for another white patch identification thread but this doesn’t look to me to be ich or velvet. Tank parameters have been steady and I’ve had the tang for 1.5 yrs. She’s in a mixed reef aquarium and has been eating normally and being her usual reclusive self.

For a little more history, when did this begin?
Is fish breathing normally?
Any twitching or head shaking?
Is fish gasping at the water surface?
My suspicion is flukes which requires prazi pro for treatment or even mucus spores
If flukes, fir determination and temporary relief, give fish a 5 minute freshwater dip as long as there is no heavy breathing in a clean container with tap water the same temperature as the display tank
After 5 minutes, return fish to display tank and look on bottom of container for what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. If you can see any- flukes
In display, increase aeration with an air stone
What foods are you feeding?

 

[MnFish1]

For a little more history, when did this begin?
Is fish breathing normally?
Any twitching or head shaking?
Is fish gasping at the water surface?
My suspicion is flukes which requires prazi pro for treatment or even mucus spores
If flukes, fir determination and temporary relief, give fish a 5 minute freshwater dip as long as there is no heavy breathing in a clean container with tap water the same temperature as the display tank
After 5 minutes, return fish to display tank and look on bottom of container for what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. If you can see any- flukes
In display, increase aeration with an air stone
What foods are you feeding?

Curious - because - frankly - I find flukes difficult. How often would you think a 1.5 year old tang in an established tank would/could develop flukes (assuming no new additions) - Second - do you know if its possible to bring flukes in on coral, etc.?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Curious - because - frankly - I find flukes difficult. How often would you think a 1.5 year old tang in an established tank would/could develop flukes (assuming no new additions) - Second - do you know if its possible to bring flukes in on coral, etc.?

Coral can bring in an array of foreign things and flukes being a type of flatworm can pop up just like parasites do
Flukes are common on many captive fish at low levels and spread when the fish become stressed due to poor water quality, diet, or lack of quarantine.

 

[MnFish1]

Coral can bring in an array of foreign things and flukes being a type of flatworm can pop up just like parasites do
Flukes are common on many captive fish at low levels and spread when the fish become stressed due to poor water quality, diet, or lack of quarantine.

Thanks - it was more the timing aspect.

 

[acorn88]

Some more info about your tank and its occupants will be helpful.

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

www.reef2reef.com

So it’s a 120gal mixed reef setup with a sump refugium, nitrates hold steady around .5ppm & phosphates .05ppm, temperature is steady between 77.8 & 78.1 the tank is 3.5 years old.

The last fish I added were 8 months ago- helfrichi firefish, copperband butterfly, anthais trio. Other than that I have a blue spot goby, a pair of Wyoming white clowns, a trio of pajama cardinals, a pair of green chromis, a green mandarin, and a spotted crouching goby.

I have a bubble magus auto dosing system with calcium alkalinity mag, coral amino, tropic Marin trace, and I run a small amount of bacto balance.

I run a ATO with Rodi water that keeps my salinity pretty well constant at 1.025.

i feed a 1/4 sheet of nori a couple times a week, and feed spirulina enriched mysis as well as PE mysis shrimp. I typically feed 4 cubes (2 of each) once a day or twice a day when I have the day off.

it has also probably been almost a year since I have added any coral. My fish additions last September were the final livestock purchase I made.

I appreciate everyone’s insight!

 

[acorn88]

Agree with needing more information. As above.

But - while waiting - it looks to me like it could be an early protozoal infection (Brook?) - though uncommon in tangs. or a multitude of other things. It also looks a little like a sting (i.e. from a coral). Additionally - external manifestations of an internal (or external) bacterial infection as well.

the above assumes no bullying, no other new additions, no chemicals added, etc.

One more question - did it come on 'overnight' - is it getting better, staying the same, worse, etc? Was the picture taken early in the AM (or late in the PM) - when color patterns can change.

Any case - I might consider a hospital tank set-up of some kind - in case things get worse. Hope this helps - and please give us more information!

I included some more tank info on another reply, I first noticed the spots three days ago after work. I thought possibly something stressed her out but it hasn’t improved or gotten worse for that matter.

She is actually the bully of the tank, although mostly consists of flashing out of the rock work occasionally to assert her dominance over the butterfly.

I worry about the added stress I would put on her trying to catch her in the display tank to move to a hospital tank honestly.

 

[acorn88]

For a little more history, when did this begin?
Is fish breathing normally?
Any twitching or head shaking?
Is fish gasping at the water surface?
My suspicion is flukes which requires prazi pro for treatment or even mucus spores
If flukes, fir determination and temporary relief, give fish a 5 minute freshwater dip as long as there is no heavy breathing in a clean container with tap water the same temperature as the display tank
After 5 minutes, return fish to display tank and look on bottom of container for what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. If you can see any- flukes
In display, increase aeration with an air stone
What foods are you feeding?

She is currently behaving normally, no twitching or gasping, I saw her go check in with my pair of skunk cleaner shrimp once but they didn’t seem to find anything worth spending time on.
I included my feeding regiment on a previous reply.

thank you much!

 

[Enkopaaisen]

is she eating?? and acting as normal?? if yes, its maybe just some scratches from the rocks, if you have shrimps to clean the wonds, as long as no sign of infections, she will be fine again soon.
my hippo had two 1/4 " holes on its body, which you can see red/pink fleshes, the wounds came out no where, and I thought I would lose him.... but he is 100% fine now...

 

[vetteguy53081]

She is currently behaving normally, no twitching or gasping, I saw her go check in with my pair of skunk cleaner shrimp once but they didn’t seem to find anything worth spending time on.
I included my feeding regiment on a previous reply.

thank you much!

I saw the diet. It’s inadequate
Add:
LRS herbivore diet
Hikari marine cuisine
Hikari veggie diet
Small plankton
Rods original formula
Formula 2
Spirulina brine shrimp

Add selcon vitamins to the foods occasionally for overall stamina

 

[Dburr1014]

I had a condy anenome at one time in my reef. My PT hated it. Every once in a while I would see white patches on the fish and thought it was getting sick or something attacked it. But one day and many other times actually, I saw the PT try to swipe it with its tale. It was getting stung every time it did and would end up with similar white dots or streaks.

What other inhabitants do you have with this tang?

 

[MnFish1]

Diet aside - which could be more varied - I do not feed multiple foods, is the same as yours -

To me - given that you haven't added anything recently - and the way it looks - it looks like stings to me. Lets call @Jay Hemdal

 

[Petcrazyson]

Sorry for another white patch identification thread but this doesn’t look to me to be ich or velvet. Tank parameters have been steady and I’ve had the tang for 1.5 yrs. She’s in a mixed reef aquarium and has been eating normally and being her usual reclusive self.

Hello. This may be Flukes. This can be terminated with a freshwater dip or Prazipro

 

[Dburr1014]

What type is this?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry for another white patch identification thread but this doesn’t look to me to be ich or velvet. Tank parameters have been steady and I’ve had the tang for 1.5 yrs. She’s in a mixed reef aquarium and has been eating normally and being her usual reclusive self.

Can you try for a short video? Sometimes, the video has better focus than a single image like this has. The spots look diffuse, but I can't tell if it is the spots, or the focus of the image.

Are the spots about equally spaced on both the left and right sides of the fish?

Jay

 

[acorn88]

I saw the diet. It’s inadequate
Add:
LRS herbivore diet
Hikari marine cuisine
Hikari veggie diet
Small plankton
Rods original formula
Formula 2
Spirulina brine shrimp

Add selcon vitamins to the foods occasionally for overall stamina

 

[acorn88]

I forgot to add I have an auto feeder that goes off 3 times a day with new life spectrum’s algaemax and reef macro, as well as some PE mysis pellets and seaweed extreme. Good news though everyone, the white patches have cleared up as of today!