Hippo tang - scratching on rock no white spots

LMSquire

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Hey all,

First time using emergency prefix but think this warrants it as it may mean a tear down of my aqua scape and corals.

My small hippo tang is scratching (flashing?) itself up against a chalice coral. I noticed it last night and it is still going on this morning.

All of my other fish seem fine.

I have 5 firefish that have been in tank for months. A biota yellow tang who was in a smaller tank for about 3 months. Two clowns from a clown breeder who have been in for two months. Just added a small foxface from LFS that was in their system running therapeutic copper for over a month before I purchased.

I have added a a lobo and small torch from same LFS, and a lobo from a website over the last 10 days.

Of course I am thinking ich, but I do not see white spots on the hippo, or anyone else. The foxface who would have been the likely culprit being from LFS looks just fine.

Everyone is eating like a pig.

I REALLY don’t want to tear my 72 gal RSR down with 50+ corals, but I will if I have to. I had a bout with what I believe to have been velvet after which I left tank fallow for over three months save for one firefish that didn’t get it and a fairy wrasse who didn’t get it, and who has since bailed from the tank before I got my Kraken lid.

I do maintain a cycled 40 gallon breeder as a qt tank they can be transferred to in the event of a tear down but the thought of doing this gives me a near panic attack.

Any suggestions? Could this be something other than ich? Do hippos just flash? Any help is greatly appreciated.

* please - no tang police. The blue tang is a baby and the yellow tang is still a juvenile and I will certainly either have a 240+ tank or rehome to a friend before they have outgrown this tank.
 

Jay Hemdal

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Hey all,

First time using emergency prefix but think this warrants it as it may mean a tear down of my aqua scape and corals.

My small hippo tang is scratching (flashing?) itself up against a chalice coral. I noticed it last night and it is still going on this morning.

All of my other fish seem fine.

I have 5 firefish that have been in tank for months. A biota yellow tang who was in a smaller tank for about 3 months. Two clowns from a clown breeder who have been in for two months. Just added a small foxface from LFS that was in their system running therapeutic copper for over a month before I purchased.

I have added a a lobo and small torch from same LFS, and a lobo from a website over the last 10 days.

Of course I am thinking ich, but I do not see white spots on the hippo, or anyone else. The foxface who would have been the likely culprit being from LFS looks just fine.

Everyone is eating like a pig.

I REALLY don’t want to tear my 72 gal RSR down with 50+ corals, but I will if I have to. I had a bout with what I believe to have been velvet after which I left tank fallow for over three months save for one firefish that didn’t get it and a fairy wrasse who didn’t get it, and who has since bailed from the tank before I got my Kraken lid.

I do maintain a cycled 40 gallon breeder as a qt tank they can be transferred to in the event of a tear down but the thought of doing this gives me a near panic attack.

Any suggestions? Could this be something other than ich? Do hippos just flash? Any help is greatly appreciated.

* please - no tang police. The blue tang is a baby and the yellow tang is still a juvenile and I will certainly either have a 240+ tank or rehome to a friend before they have outgrown this tank.

Ich doesn't cause scratching/flashing as a main symptom, and you would see white spots. Flukes can cause scratching with no real skin/visual symptoms, at least not at first.

Jay
 
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LMSquire

LMSquire

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Update: I went to my LFS and bought an 18w UV sterilizer, and it seems to have wiped out the ich overnight. Almost nothing on the yellow tang, and the blue tang isn’t scratching anymore. It could be a coincidence but I have my fingers crossed for now!
 

Set it and forget it: Do you change your aquascape as your corals grow?

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  • I occasionally change something in my aquascape.

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  • I rarely change something in my aquascape.

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  • I never change something in my aquascape.

    Votes: 20 12.3%
  • Other.

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