White spot on Achilles tang *NOT ICK*

[armspar]

Hi bought an achilles tang from live aquaria 1 month ago and the whole time it has had a white spot on its gill, looks like a grain of rice. He has been in a quarantine tank and has been treated with cupramine for 2 weeks, then prazi pro for 2 weeks. I have done freshwater and ick x dips because it has formaldehyde.

Through these treatments only the minor flukes he had have been treated but the mystery white thing stays. I have very clean water and good bio filter. The fish eats a lot of selcon and garlic nori everyday and he eats frozen mega marine algae by hikarii. He eats pellets too occasionally. With the pictures below, one is the left gill which is normal, and the right gill which is slightly red and has a white spot. Can someone help me out with this to identify it and give a treatment idea? Thanks

 

[melypr1985]

I'm thinking it's one of two things, but I want to ask a couple questions first. Has this white growth been there the whole time- or when did it show up? Has it changed in size or shape at all?

He has been in a quarantine tank and has been treated with cupramine for 2 weeks, then prazi pro for 2 weeks. I have done freshwater and ick x dips because it has formaldehyde.

Now about these treatments.... are you treating prophylactically or is there something specific your going after with this? For ich and velvet you want to do copper for 30 days straight. Prazi is only 2 doses 5 to 7 days apart with a water change in between. With the prazi and copper there isn't much reason for the formaldehyde dips.... they can be very harsh on the fish. I would suggest you remove the meds from the water at this point. Once we identify the growth in the gill, we can move from there.

Sorry if all that sounded harsh, it's not meant to be. I'm trying to get the situation correct in my head before going any further.

 

[armspar]

The white growth was there when i got it. I did the copper as a safety measure. I did fresh and prazi pro dips after the prazi pro treatment.

 

[melypr1985]

The white growth was there when i got it. I did the copper as a safety measure. I did fresh and prazi pro dips after the prazi pro treatment.

Ok, so the copper at two weeks wasn't enough to clear the fish of ich, but that's neither here nor there. You can stop the prazi dips and treatments. Two doses is enough.

Has the growth gotten bigger or stayed the same since you got him?

 

[armspar]

The growth has stayed the exact same size. I even took the fish out while the lights were off and tried to gently take it off with tweezers but it didnt come off. I stopped prazi pro recently. I only did cupramine to rid of general parasites I am not too woried about ick right now until i figure out the white growth.

 

[melypr1985]

The growth has stayed the exact same size. I even took the fish out while the lights were off and tried to gently take it off with tweezers but it didnt come off. I stopped prazi pro recently. I only did cupramine to rid of general parasites I am not too woried about ick right now until i figure out the white growth.

Ok. So I'm thinking it's Lymph

Lymphocystis:

Symptoms - Lymphocystis appears as a white or beige colored cauliflower-like growth that usually starts on the fins and spines and sometimes spreads to the body. Initially it may be small (looks like ich), and then grows in size (which is how you know it’s not ich). Lympho is a virus that many fish carry for life. Fortunately, it is rarely fatal or even harmful to the fish, and symptoms will come and go.

Treatment options - No known cure or treatment exists. However, feeding vitamin-enriched foods and maintaining pristine water conditions may expedite the “going away” process.

The biggest problem with that is it's on the gill plate there. It could start to hinder his breathing. If after following these treatment suggestions (above) it doesn't go away on its own, you may think about cutting it off. For now, and for a couple weeks, I would just wait it out. Usually it goes away with good care.

 

[armspar]

Yea ive had him for a good amount of time, Ill keep feeding him like i do and I will put him in my sps reef tank in the next week. In there he will continue to be alone until he is established then i will add other fish and the water quality is fit for sps so it is fit for an achilles. When or if it gets bigger then I will take it off. Thank you no one else has given me a sensible answer!

 

[melypr1985]

Yea ive had him for a good amount of time, Ill keep feeding him like i do and I will put him in my sps reef tank in the next week. In there he will continue to be alone until he is established then i will add other fish and the water quality is fit for sps so it is fit for an achilles. When or if it gets bigger then I will take it off. Thank you no one else has given me a sensible answer!

No problem. If you have to remove it please let us know! I'm sure we can help with that as well... or well.. humble would be better for that than me. I've never done "surgery" on a fish before.

 

[armspar]

Yes any advice on removing it soon since I have a chance to catch him?

 

[melypr1985]

Yes any advice on removing it soon since I have a chance to catch him?

Not from me. I wouldn't want to hazzard a guess on how to start without having done it myself. Humble is on vacation but I'll put the call out to him so if he's able to check in, he can give his advice.
@Humblefish

 

[Darryl]

to remove it you need a scaple and a steady hand cut /scrape it not cut into it and then antibacterial and qt
i would save this until the fish shows signs of distress .
it should recede with good care and good WQ

 

[Humblefish]

I wouldn't attempt surgery unless it gets much worse. Start soaking his food with vitamin supplements - Selcon one day, Zoecon the next - to give his immune system a boost to beat this naturally. This approach works for me every time when dealing with Lympho.

 

[Reefahholic]

I'll almost bet that's a large fluke. Although most are tiny there are larger flukes. We typically see the smaller ones in our hobby, but that looks like a large Monogenean gill fluke. Gezz!

 

[armspar]

I soak all of his food in garlic already and Ill continue to hope for the best. Thanks everyone!

 

[Humblefish]

I soak all of his food in garlic already and Ill continue to hope for the best. Thanks everyone!

Garlic ain't the same as vitamins. It's usefulness is limited to either being an appetite stimulant or possibly parasites don't like the taste of it as it leaches out of a fish's pores. Just the smell of it will keep me far away.

 

[melypr1985]

I soak all of his food in garlic already and Ill continue to hope for the best. Thanks everyone!

Garlic is not a vitamin supplement. Its meant to get a fish who is not currently eating to start eating. You'll want to get one of the supplements humble mentioned above.


aaaand humble beat me to it lol

 

[armspar]

Any brands of specific vitamin supplements you recommend?

 

[D311]

Selcon, zoecon, vitachem

 

[melypr1985]

Selcon, zoecon, vitachem

^^^ these

 

[armspar]

@Humblefish

Turns out the white spot on the gill was just some sort of deformity. After constantly feeding him he's doubled in size, and the white spec now just blends in to the rest of the white in his gill.
The Achilles is doing great and is one of a kind in personality.