Purple tang white spots -> ich or velvet?

[timocean]

Dear all,

today I discovered white spots on my purple tang. The fish is behaving and eating normally. Can the following video hint on if it is ich or velvet?
Video of purple tang: As I am afraid that it could be velvet, I tried to catch the fish with a catch bowl, but it was hiding in the reef and I had no chance. Any hints welcome! Many, thanks!

 

[MnFish1]

I think it might be something else - if it's velvet - you could have a big problem with the rest of your fish. To me it looks more like a fluke type thing - but - since we don't know your QT procedure, its hard to say

 

[timocean]

Thanks for the reply. Googled some pictures with flukes, and feel the spots look a bit bigger. Anyhow, if the video does not give it away, I will try to catch the fish (have a nyos trap now) and will try to figure out. If anybody has a hint based on the video, that would help of course.

I did not QT this or any of the other fish, as my LFS is QTing before selling. I know many people who also buy there for years, and did not have issues.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dear all,

today I discovered white spots on my purple tang. The fish is behaving and eating normally. Can the following video hint on if it is ich or velvet?
Video of purple tang: As I am afraid that it could be velvet, I tried to catch the fish with a catch bowl, but it was hiding in the reef and I had no chance. Any hints welcome! Many, thanks!

Looks like ich or mucus cones but can’t confirm as video lighting is very dark
Please repost under white light intensity
Often cones will be mixed with ich
Ich and velvet will treat the same using copper safe or copper power for 30 days

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I think you can rule out velvet. I can't really see the ich spots, but that is more likely to be the issue. this species is also prone to skin flukes.

Velvet causes rapid breathing, not eating and then death in a few days.....

 

[timocean]

I think you can rule out velvet. I can't really see the ich spots, but that is more likely to be the issue. this species is also prone to skin flukes.

Velvet causes rapid breathing, not eating and then death in a few days.....

Thanks for the feedback all. Extremely happy that you think it is not velvet!
I don't think that it is mucus cones either, at least I feel these look different as compared to photos from the web.
The fish is still swimming and eating normally, and the white spots do not seem to have gotten more in the last 20 hours. I though cannot differentiate if it is ich or flukes though. Took two more videos with daylight.
Can you ID it based on these videos? Shall I do a fresh water dip in any case?
Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks for the feedback all. Extremely happy that you think it is not velvet!
I don't think that it is mucus cones either, at least I feel these look different as compared to photos from the web.
The fish is still swimming and eating normally, and the white spots do not seem to have gotten more in the last 20 hours. I though cannot differentiate if it is ich or flukes though. Took two more videos with daylight.
Can you ID it based on these videos? Shall I do a fresh water dip in any case?
Thanks!

Looks like ich to me. A FW dip won’t help with that. The fish could also have flukes, those are not always directly visible - you diagnose them by watching for frequent scratching.

 

[timocean]

Looks like ich to me. A FW dip won’t help with that. The fish could also have flukes, those are not always directly visible - you diagnose them by watching for frequent scratching.

Ok, thanks! The fish is not scratching, so then I will treat it as itch and skip the fresh water dip.

 

[timocean]

Dear all, in the meantime all my fish have recovered. Which makes me really happy!! I have been following Jay's Ich Management guidelines, which have seemed to be doing the trick. Thanks!

Though, now I am asking myself how long I should continue using the oversized UV (80W for 500L)? Read somewhere that too much UV can also be harming. So any suggestions when to stop or phase out the UV?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Dear all, in the meantime all my fish have recovered. Which makes me really happy!! I have been following Jay's Ich Management guidelines, which have seemed to be doing the trick. Thanks!

Though, now I am asking myself how long I should continue using the oversized UV (80W for 500L)? Read somewhere that too much UV can also be harming. So any suggestions when to stop or phase out the UV?

You cannot overdose with UV. A really large unit can overheat you tank, but that is the only risk to running it 24/7.
Be careful though, due to its life cycle, it is pretty common for ich spots to come and go at first.

 

[timocean]

Ok, then I will keep it running for now. Shall I also stick to the other routines (medicine, siphoning, extra feeding)? Have actually stopped them already. Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

How long have the spots been gone? If more than a week, you can stop those other routines, if less than 3 days, I’d start them back up.

 

[timocean]

It’s about five days now, that there are no spots visible anymore. Will then start back the extra feeding and symphony every second evening. Ist that a good idea?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It’s about five days now, that there are no spots visible anymore. Will then start back the extra feeding and symphony every second evening. Ist that a good idea?

Tough to say really! The trouble with ich management is that if the fish are stressed for any reason, it can come back, sometimes as a full blown infection. I’d siphon the sand at least two more days.

 

[timocean]

Ok, do so and still no ich. Hope it will remain… Many thanks, Jay!