is my blue tang injured or infected

[DavL]

Hi Everyone,

I have my hippo tang since she was a baby (less than a year ago). She has been happy and healthy in my 90g reef tank, which has a PENTAIR EU40 UV System at recommended low flow rate (about 157) to control parasites. Recently, I added some dry rocks into my display tank for more corral space, my blue tank loves to hide and twitch inside the small gaps/spaces of the newly added rocks/caves. Since last week, I found that in one side of her body, there are some white spots (see movie attached). I am not sure if this is scratch injuries through twitching against the rough surface of the rocks, or infected with parasites (itch? flukes?). Overall, she is very active, eating well.

If she is infected, I am wondering whether I should see if she can naturally recover by changing fresh saltwater more often and have the UV sterilizer on constantly (I have it on constantly since I installed it about 6 months ago) to help to break the parasite life cycle in the display tank because it would be very difficult to take her out from the display tank for QT and other fish in the tank seem happy and healthy.

I appreciate your advices in advance.

David

 

[Nano_Man]

#fishmedic

 

[MnFish1]

Hi Everyone,

I have my hippo tang since she was a baby (less than a year ago). She has been happy and healthy in my 90g reef tank, which has a PENTAIR EU40 UV System at recommended low flow rate (about 157) to control parasites. Recently, I added some dry rocks into my display tank for more corral space, my blue tank loves to hide and twitch inside the small gaps/spaces of the newly added rocks/caves. Since last week, I found that in one side of her body, there are some white spots (see movie attached). I am not sure if this is scratch injuries through twitching against the rough surface of the rocks, or infected with parasites (itch? flukes?). Overall, she is very active, eating well.

If she is infected, I am wondering whether I should see if she can naturally recover by changing fresh saltwater more often and have the UV sterilizer on constantly (I have it on constantly since I installed it about 6 months ago) to help to break the parasite life cycle in the display tank because it would be very difficult to take her out from the display tank for QT and other fish in the tank seem happy and healthy.

I appreciate your advices in advance.

David

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi Everyone,

I have my hippo tang since she was a baby (less than a year ago). She has been happy and healthy in my 90g reef tank, which has a PENTAIR EU40 UV System at recommended low flow rate (about 157) to control parasites. Recently, I added some dry rocks into my display tank for more corral space, my blue tank loves to hide and twitch inside the small gaps/spaces of the newly added rocks/caves. Since last week, I found that in one side of her body, there are some white spots (see movie attached). I am not sure if this is scratch injuries through twitching against the rough surface of the rocks, or infected with parasites (itch? flukes?). Overall, she is very active, eating well.

If she is infected, I am wondering whether I should see if she can naturally recover by changing fresh saltwater more often and have the UV sterilizer on constantly (I have it on constantly since I installed it about 6 months ago) to help to break the parasite life cycle in the display tank because it would be very difficult to take her out from the display tank for QT and other fish in the tank seem happy and healthy.

I appreciate your advices in advance.

David

Appears to be a skin irritation which began as itching and progressed to mucus cones with possibly ich mixed in. Recommended is quarantine and treatment using coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone. Keep an eye on other fish as this may not be contagious but be prepared to treat them too if others show any signs.

 

[DavL]

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

Here is a YouTube link to a short video. Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is a YouTube link to a short video. Thanks

Video is a little dark and too short- Please post video of 20-30 secs in the future

 

[KrisReef]

A still shot of the side of the fish that shows the injury could be more helpful.

I agree that it looks like a rubbing irritation with mucus cones and possibly ich. The other fish don't appear to have any spots, but they are moving fast and the blue light is difficult to see them.

 

[DavL]

Video is a little dark and too short- Please post video of 20-30 secs in the future

Here is the longer video. Thanks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is the longer video. Thanks.

unfortunately as this fish moves around a lot, 8 seconds is too short- Need at least 20-25 secs

 

[DavL]

unfortunately as this fish moves around a lot, 8 seconds is too short- Need at least 20-25 secs

here is a long video. sorry, the fish move fast because the auto-feeder was on.



Thanks

 

[DavL]

Unfortunately I can see neither the picture nor the movie. Can you upload to YouTube - or perhaps someone else will answer. Have you added anything new>?

here is a YouTube video.



Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

here is a YouTube video.



Thanks

Problem here is blue light on blue fish- Hard to see clearly however I froze a few frames and as you know, this fish startles easily and will dive into rocks and crevices and injure itself. In turn, looks like skin irritation and musus cones have developed as mentioned. Try still pics with no blue- Just white intensity when you get opportunity

 

[DavL]

A still shot of the side of the fish that shows the injury could be more helpful.

I agree that it looks like a rubbing irritation with mucus cones and possibly ich. The other fish don't appear to have any spots, but they are moving fast and the blue light is difficult to see them.

Thanks. I posted a long YouTube video. it is difficult to get a still shot of the injury side of the fish because it is very shy when I approached it with my iPhone

 

[DavL]

Problem here is blue light on blue fish- Hard to see clearly however I froze a few frames and as you know, this fish startles easily and will dive into rocks and crevices and injure itself. In turn, looks like skin irritation and musus cones have developed as mentioned. Try still pics with no blue- Just white intensity when you get opportunity

Thanks. The problem is not the blue light, but the blue background of my tank which I cannot adjust. I will try to see if I can get still pics.

 

[DavL]

Appears to be a skin irritation which began as itching and progressed to mucus cones with possibly ich mixed in. Recommended is quarantine and treatment using coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone. Keep an eye on other fish as this may not be contagious but be prepared to treat them too if others show any signs.

Thanks. I will try that......

 

[MnFish1]

Thanks. I will try that......

In most cases I would suggest if you're treating one you should probably treat them all. If you could post a picture - that would be great (white)

 

[DavL]

In most cases I would suggest if you're treating one you should probably treat them all. If you could post a picture - that would be great (white)

Here is a back/white pic of the injury side. Any new suggestions? Thanks.

 

[DavL]

Thanks. The problem is not the blue light, but the blue background of my tank which I cannot adjust. I will try to see if I can get still pics.

Here is the bl/wt still pic. Thanks

 

[DavL]

A still shot of the side of the fish that shows the injury could be more helpful.

I agree that it looks like a rubbing irritation with mucus cones and possibly ich. The other fish don't appear to have any spots, but they are moving fast and the blue light is difficult to see them.

here is a still shot of the injury side. Thanks.

 

[DavL]

Just a follow up report to share my experience dealing with my hippo tang's issue shared earlier (ich or rubbing injury?). I got all the supplies for ich treatment. But in the last min I decided to try ich management first due to the hassle of taking the hippo tang and other fish out of a mixed reef tank. In addition to fresh regular water changes, I provided more healthy food (seaweed, live warms) to the fish to improve their immune system, slowed down the water flow rate to the lowest level to my UV system (Pentair EU40) as recommended for protozoa bacteria treatment. To my surprise, the scratch on my hippo tang was gone in a week or so. She and other fish in the tank remain healthy up to now (over 8 months later).

Sorry for the late update due to my busy schedules.