Clown Fish with Black Pimple - What to Do?

[o2manyfish]

We have a 1500g reef system. Part of the system is 2 180g outdoor sun lit frag tanks.

There are over 200 fish in the system. The system has 320w UV and heavy ozone dosing.

We haven't had any 'disease' issues in the system in many years. Of the 200+ fish currently there is a Black & White Heniochus we have had for 4+ years that has had a popeye issue for over a month. Fish is eating well and happy.

Several times a year we collect imperfect baby clownfish from a local breeder and donate them rather than the breeder having to cull them.

In May we picked up almost 100 of these imperfect babies. The majority of the clowns have Flared Gills / Lionhead. Some are stubby, some are bent, some have mis-shaped fins. But all eat well, grow, and delight the people who adopt them.

In the past month I was travelling and not checking the outdoor tanks. This morning I noticed these black pimples on one of the clowns.

From the photos you can see the fish is eating well and looks fat.

Questions are:
1) What is this on the fish? (There appear to be 2 on one side of fish and one on the other)
2) Is it communicable?
3) Is it fixable?
4) What is the most humane and safest steps to take?

Thank you

Dave B

 

[littlefoxx]

Do you have any tangs? Kinda looks like a tail strike to me?

 

[o2manyfish]

Thank you for the response.

There are several small tangs in the tank - Zebrasoma, Mimic, Bristletooth and Hippo.

My experience with Tangs is they slice and they definitely tear the flesh.

These are 3 distinct bumps protruding from the body and other than the black head on the uppermost there is no marking or scarring on the surrounding area.

Dave B

 

[vetteguy53081]

We have a 1500g reef system. Part of the system is 2 180g outdoor sun lit frag tanks.

There are over 200 fish in the system. The system has 320w UV and heavy ozone dosing.

We haven't had any 'disease' issues in the system in many years. Of the 200+ fish currently there is a Black & White Heniochus we have had for 4+ years that has had a popeye issue for over a month. Fish is eating well and happy.

Several times a year we collect imperfect baby clownfish from a local breeder and donate them rather than the breeder having to cull them.

In May we picked up almost 100 of these imperfect babies. The majority of the clowns have Flared Gills / Lionhead. Some are stubby, some are bent, some have mis-shaped fins. But all eat well, grow, and delight the people who adopt them.

In the past month I was travelling and not checking the outdoor tanks. This morning I noticed these black pimples on one of the clowns.

From the photos you can see the fish is eating well and looks fat.

Questions are:
1) What is this on the fish? (There appear to be 2 on one side of fish and one on the other)
2) Is it communicable?
3) Is it fixable?
4) What is the most humane and safest steps to take?

Thank you

Dave B

This looks to have stemmed from an injury and may become very infected and should be treated in a separate tank using seachem neoplex and added aeration with airstone.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Just a guess - but since these seem to be internal, rising to the skin, I’d say these are Mycobacterium nodules. Does the fish swim stiffly?

It is virtually 100% that your tank has Mycobacterium in it - virtually all well established tanks have it. It doesn’t usually cause acute disease and only causes chronic disease in fish that are otherwise compromised - and development or genetic issues certainly can compromise a fish.

No treatment for this and even if you do “cure it”, succeptable fish will just get it again.