Yellow Tang Diagnostic Help

[BigHildy53]

I'd like help determining if the white spots I see on the fins of my yellow tang are a cause for concern. They are only noticeable when up close. It's one of those things I don't know if they were always there. I don't see anything on the body. I don't notice any scratching against the rocks.

I'm really hoping that it's nothing to be concerned about. I did a full quarantine and I'd be disappointed if it's ich, or another disease.

 

[4FordFamily]

That's so strange, this is the second or third yellow tang I have seen with this in the past two weeks -- it looks like really really bad lymph, but I cannot rule out something else.

What I can see doesn't look like velvet. It could certainly have ich -- it's odd for lymph to randomly attach in spots throughout the body like that so this is why I am hesitating to say it is NOT ich. Doesn't look much like brook to me, either but I am no brook expert.

I might keep some antibiotics (furan 2, metroplex, and kanaplex) handy, and acriflaven wouldn't be a bad choice to keep around as well just in case. Devoid of other typical ich/velvet symptoms, I am inclined to believe this is a bad case of lymph. Lymph is harmless, so long as it does not grow over the gills to the point where they cannot breathe, or the mouth to the point that they cannot eat. This rarely happens, and the fish is likely to kick the virus on its' own.

You should keep the water quality high and feed high quality foods soaked in selcon and/or vita chem to hopefully aid the immune response. Observe, at this point. There's really not anything else you can do. If it grows over the gills or mouth you can scrape off some of the growth with a razor blade but I doubt that is necessary.

I am calling in some other experts for their opinions on this one.

@Humblefish @melypr1985 @Maritimer @aykwm @ngoodermuth

 

[Humblefish]

It looks like a really bad case of Lympho to me as well, all over the fish's body. Of course, some bacterial diseases can look like that as well. Can you pull him out & QT if needed?

 

[BigHildy53]

I can do my best to catch him; with help I probably could. Problem is that my QT tank has ORA clownfish that have just started their first week of PraziPro. I've already been soaking the seaweed sheets in Selcon. If this is bacterial, would bringing a UV sterilizer on-line help? With a very low flow. I wasn't using one when doing Zeovit. But I am no longer doing Zeovit. With my manifold I can bring the UV sterilizer on-line quickly.

 

[4FordFamily]

I can do my best to catch him; with help I probably could. Problem is that my QT tank has ORA clownfish that have just started their first week of PraziPro. I've already been soaking the seaweed sheets in Selcon. If this is bacterial, would bringing a UV sterilizer on-line help? With a very low flow. I wasn't using one when doing Zeovit. But I am no longer doing Zeovit. With my manifold I can bring the UV sterilizer on-line quickly.

I wouldn't think a UV would help since the virus is within the fish. If I were you I'd observe unless it materializes in another way or worsens significantly.

 

[aykwm]

^^ agree with the above, i recently finished quarantinig a PBT and after second day in DT it developed some nasty bacterial infections. So far im just observing it and feeding metro and kanaplex with garlicguard and selcon. I also dosed paraguard as an extra measure. I believe you have the same case as my fish developed the infection near its head and its tail fin. In both cases, rich food will help the fish fight it on its own, kana and metro will give it a push in case of bacterial infection.

 

[melypr1985]

I'm seeing lympho for sure, but the spots that appear to be on the body look to just be specs floating in the water.

 

[Humblefish]

If this is bacterial, would bringing a UV sterilizer on-line help? With a very low flow.

If its bacterial, a UV will actually help by eliminating free floating bacteria in the water. This cuts down on the number of bacterium afflicting the fish.

If its Lympho (a virus), it won't help. The fish already has the virus inside it's body. The immune system can get symptoms under control, but the virus is there for life.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I think an acriflavine bath might be helpful, maybe see how that goes? That helped my clownfish with his fuzzy white growth. And keep antibiotics on hand for back-up.