Help Identifying Tang Discoloration

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I have a new Tomini Tang that’s been in observational qt for only about 3 days now. I’ve started noticing some discoloration on one side just above his gills. I can’t really get a good look at it (much less a photo), but as best I can tell, it looks kind of pale or powdered. He seems to be acting fine so far. No small white specs observed or anything else unusual.

I have a couple of videos. I’m not sure if they’ll be useful or not but here they are…

Tomini Tang

youtube.com

Tomini Tang 2

youtube.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a new Tomini Tang that’s been in observational qt for only about 3 days now. I’ve started noticing some discoloration on one side just above his gills. I can’t really get a good look at it (much less a photo), but as best I can tell, it looks kind of pale or powdered. He seems to be acting fine so far. No small white specs observed or anything else unusual.

I have a couple of videos. I’m not sure if they’ll be useful or not but here they are…

Tomini Tang

youtube.com

Tomini Tang 2

youtube.com

I see the area and it is very possible it is rubbing/damage from fish being netted. It amazes me how some LFS emplyees can be aggressive when netting a fish.
Other possibility is bacterial but with fresh tank, its a low possibility.
Fish is moving a lot and cant focus on it- Is it breathing normal or labored?
Is fish eating?

Low white intensity a little to keep fish relaxed as its startling easily.

 

[dangles]

I see the area and it is very possible it is rubbing/damage from fish being netted. It amazes me how some LFS emplyees can be aggressive when netting a fish.
Other possibility is bacterial but with fresh tank, its a low possibility.
Fish is moving a lot and cant focus on it- Is it breathing normal or labored?
Is fish eating?

Low white intensity a little to keep fish relaxed as its startling easily.

Thanks.

It seems to be breathing normally (as far as my new eye can tell), and eating. The lights are usually lower than that, I just had them turned up for the video to try to get a better look at it. And the qt tank is in my basement, so it doesn't get much traffic.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have a new Tomini Tang that’s been in observational qt for only about 3 days now. I’ve started noticing some discoloration on one side just above his gills. I can’t really get a good look at it (much less a photo), but as best I can tell, it looks kind of pale or powdered. He seems to be acting fine so far. No small white specs observed or anything else unusual.

I have a couple of videos. I’m not sure if they’ll be useful or not but here they are…

Tomini Tang

youtube.com

Tomini Tang 2

youtube.com

+1 that it looks like a scrape/bruise. In the first video, the fish is breathing a bit hard, might just be scared of having its picture taken, but it bears watching.
Observational quarantine doesn’t treat for anything, I prefer a proactive quarantine process:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[dangles]

An update...

I'm not feeling good about how he's looking. He seems to be pale and developing a "powdery" look to him. Not defined little specks like you'd see with Ich, though. He does still seem to eat ok though.

May 16, 2023

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(the lights are never up that high unless I'm trying to get photos by the way)

 

[dangles]

Looking through the fish disease index with pictures, the closest "look" I see there is either Velvet (the second photo) or Brook

 

[dangles]

For what it’s worth, I have a tail spot blenny in the same observation tank that seems unaffected so far.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

More probably, the fish has flukes - it looks kind of tattered, and is acting “flakey” moving back and forth.
Ich would show white spots and velvet would cause rapid breathing.
Prazipro would be an option that is generally safe to try.
Jay

 

[dangles]

More probably, the fish has flukes - it looks kind of tattered, and is acting “flakey” moving back and forth.
Ich would show white spots and velvet would cause rapid breathing.
Prazipro would be an option that is generally safe to try.
Jay

Is a freshwater dip before Prazipro necessary? Or should I just go straight to Prazipro?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Is a freshwater dip before Prazipro necessary? Or should I just go straight to Prazipro?

I would go straight into Prazipro. Dips are good diagnostic tools, but not as treatments. I've also seen a LOT of people tear their fish up trying to catch them for a dip.

Jay

 

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[dangles]

https://youtube.com/shorts/HBa6iRGhFZU?feature=share

I got a few pretty decent pics and a video. I just started the Prazipro a couple of hours ago.

 

[dangles]

The white specks on the side of his face are reflections from the flashlight I was using. They’re not there when the flashlight is off.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The white specks on the side of his face are reflections from the flashlight I was using. They’re not there when the flashlight is off.

I think it is breathing faster than it was. Is it still eating?
Jay

 

[dangles]

I think it is breathing faster than it was. Is it still eating?
Jay

Yes he appears to be eating, maybe less appetite though. He's still very skittish and prefers to hide for the most part. No behavioral or condition changes since yesterday. I can't quite tell if he's breathing faster than normal. I'm not sure I have the experience to be able to tell what's normal and what's not with his breathing honestly.

The shop I bought him from suggested I try Paraguard. They said it may not help but it's worth at least trying. They also said if it was Brook or Velvet he'd be dead by now. Hopefully that means it's something less serious.

 

[dangles]

I was able to net him without too much difficulty so I gave him a fresh (RODI) water bath for a little under 5 min. I noticed a thin clear layer of mucous came off, but no flukes whatsoever. I was hoping it would be that simple. I took a short video to capture his breathing (although I imagine it was faster than normal because he had just been netted and placed in freshwater).

May 17, 2023

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Those fw dips feel barbaric

I'm going to leave him alone for the rest of the night. Whatever it is, hopefully the fw dip will give him some relief until I can get it figured out for sure and treat it specifically.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yes he appears to be eating, maybe less appetite though. He's still very skittish and prefers to hide for the most part. No behavioral or condition changes since yesterday. I can't quite tell if he's breathing faster than normal. I'm not sure I have the experience to be able to tell what's normal and what's not with his breathing honestly.

The shop I bought him from suggested I try Paraguard. They said it may not help but it's worth at least trying. They also said if it was Brook or Velvet he'd be dead by now. Hopefully that means it's something less serious.

Paraguard has not worked well for me for marine fish issues, I stopped using it except for freshwater fish.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I was able to net him without too much difficulty so I gave him a fresh (RODI) water bath for a little under 5 min. I noticed a thin clear layer of mucous came off, but no flukes whatsoever. I was hoping it would be that simple. I took a short video to capture his breathing (although I imagine it was faster than normal because he had just been netted and placed in freshwater).

May 17, 2023

youtube.com

Those fw dips feel barbaric

I'm going to leave him alone for the rest of the night. Whatever it is, hopefully the fw dip will give him some relief until I can get it figured out for sure and treat it specifically.

Yes - if it is flukes, the FW dip will buy you some time. If it is flukes (the fish should improve about 48 hours after the FW dip) then you should run the prazipro treatment.

Only one species of fluke, (Neobenedenia) will be visible in the dip water without using a microscope.

Jay

 

[dangles]

Well it’s been 48 hours since the FW dip and about 72 since starting Prazipro (I started that the day before the fe dip). I’m not seeing any appreciable changes.

But… he’s not getting worse, and he’s still eating.

Should I go ahead and continue just watching and do a second dose of Prazipro around day 6? Is copper worth starting at this point or should I wait to see if the Prazipro works?

 

[dangles]

Also of note, the tailspot blenny is still doing peachy. Completely normal. How can that be if he’s in the same tank?