Weird discoloration on dorsal fin of Angelfish

[Wrassefan78]

Good Day,

For some reason my angelfish’s fin is turning white. Is this an injury or something more? I have lost 3 additional angelfish with the same markings. In addition my white tail bristle tooth has acted pretty aggressive towards all of the fish that passed and this current one. None of the other fish on the tank have this issue. All fish were quarantined for 30 + days. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What is the full fish list for this tank?
What species (and sizes) were the 3 other angels?

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Good Day,

For some reason my angelfish’s fin is turning white. Is this an injury or something more? I have lost 3 additional angelfish with the same markings. In addition my white tail bristle tooth has acted pretty aggressive towards all of the fish that passed and this current one. None of the other fish on the tank have this issue. All fish were quarantined for 30 + days. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

What other occupants do you have in the tank? This looks like something stemmed from a bite and has developed into a secondary infection Or water quality issue. Also little bumps present.
What is your current ammonia-nitrate-ph-salinity ?
What foods are you feeding ?

Tang is a suspect

 

[Wrassefan78]

What other occupants do you have in the tank? This looks like something stemmed from a bite and has developed into a secondary infection Or water quality issue. Also little bumps present.
What is your current ammonia-nitrate-ph-salinity ?
What foods are you feeding ?

Tang is a suspect

Hello,

Tank is a Cade 1500 about a 180 gallon system when you

Ammonia is 0
Nitrate is 10
Salinity- 1.025

I do a weekly water change of around 25 percent using tropic marin salt

Other inhabitants are

Powder Blue Tang Never had issues
Conspicuous Angel
Tiger Angel
Zebra Tang
Gem Tang
Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
White Tail Bristle tooth

Things seemed to go down hill when I introduced the bristle tooth.

I feed a diet consisting of nori for tangs and angels
PE Mysis pellets and flakes
Prime Reef
and a few other frozen foods.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

Tank is a Cade 1500 about a 180 gallon system when you

Ammonia is 0
Nitrate is 10
Salinity- 1.025

I do a weekly water change of around 25 percent using tropic marin salt

Other inhabitants are

Powder Blue Tang Never had issues
Conspicuous Angel
Tiger Angel
Zebra Tang
Gem Tang
Scott’s Fairy Wrasse
White Tail Bristle tooth

Things seemed to go down hill when I introduced the bristle tooth.

I feed a carried diet consisting on nori for tangs and angels
PE Mysis pellets and flakes
Prime Reef
and a few other frozen foods.

PBT and Bristle are again suspects for what looks like bite marks. The way to know is to isolate the bristle at minimum in a quarantine tank or acclimation box for at least three weeks and see what happens but before this, , , set your cell phone on video mode for about 40 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a monster at feeding time trying to steal all the food

 

[Wrassefan78]

PBT and Bristle are again suspects for what looks like bite marks. The way to know is to isolate the bristle at minimum in a quarantine tank or acclimation box for at least three weeks and see what happens but before this, , , set your cell phone on video mode for about 40 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a monster at feeding time trying to steal all the food

Thanks I will try that. Funny thing is that I’ve had the bristle tooth for 2 months and he’s never shown an interest in any of the foods I’ve given him. He just eats off the rocks and the bottom of the tank since it’s bare. I have watched fro afar a few times and have never seen the powder blue act aggressively. Even when the bristle tooth was introduced I simply put a mirror up for a day and half and he never has shown any aggression after that other than the occasional fin flare up. I guess I’ll have to get the bristle tooth out when I get home from work this evening.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks I will try that. Funny thing is that I’ve had the bristle tooth for 2 months and he’s never shown an interest in any of the foods I’ve given him. He just eats off the rocks and the bottom of the tank since it’s bare. I have watched fro afar a few times and have never seen the powder blue act aggressively. Even when the bristle tooth was introduced I simply put a mirror up for a day and half and he never has shown any aggression after that other than the occasional fin flare up. I guess I’ll have to get the bristle tooth out when I get home from work this evening.

Some foods to consider are :

LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

 

[Wrassefan78]

Some foods to consider are :

LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

Thank you for the list,

I’ve tried most of those other than the plankton and brine shrimp. He’s fat and healthy. The only thing I’ve seen him eat out of the water column is fish poop lol.

It’s weird he’s only going after the smaller angels. Thank you for all your suggestions.

 

[MnFish1]

Thanks I will try that. Funny thing is that I’ve had the bristle tooth for 2 months and he’s never shown an interest in any of the foods I’ve given him. He just eats off the rocks and the bottom of the tank since it’s bare. I have watched fro afar a few times and have never seen the powder blue act aggressively. Even when the bristle tooth was introduced I simply put a mirror up for a day and half and he never has shown any aggression after that other than the occasional fin flare up. I guess I’ll have to get the bristle tooth out when I get home from work this evening.

And the angelfish tail. it certainly looks like an injury. Perhaps you could (if not cemented) - re-arrange your rock a little - to de-establish territory?

 

[MnFish1]

I'm going to back up a bit - if you've lost 3 angelfish with the same problem thats a bit different to me. Unless one of the fish is some kind of assassin - like the bristle tooth. Can you give some more information - How did you QT the fish (and the others) - and what type of angel was this one sold to you as?

 

[Wrassefan78]

I'm going to back up a bit - if you've lost 3 angelfish with the same problem thats a bit different to me. Unless one of the fish is some kind of assassin - like the bristle tooth. Can you give some more information - How did you QT the fish (and the others) - and what type of angel was this one sold to you as?

Hello,

It’s a captive bred tiger Pyge. They were quarantined through Among the Reef and Marine Collectors for 30+ days. I had them do it because they are the experts .It’s only affecting the Pygmy angels. All my other fish are unaffected. I also have a UV sterilizer to bring down any unwanted pathogens. I’ve never had ich or any other parasitic infection. Most of my gosh have been in there for 7 months. I’ve seen the white tail bristle tooth chase just about everything but the tangs and conspic.

 

[MnFish1]

Hello,

It’s a captive bred tiger Pyge. They were quarantined through Among the Reef and Marine Collectors for 30+ days. I had them do it because they are the experts .It’s only affecting the Pygmy angels. All my other fish are unaffected. I also have a UV sterilizer to bring down any unwanted pathogens. I’ve never had ich or any other parasitic infection. Most of my gosh have been in there for 7 months. I’ve seen the white tail bristle tooth chase just about everything but the tangs and conspic.

Just curious - did you QT each fish before the angel?

 

[Wrassefan78]

Just curious - did you QT each fish before the angel?

Every fish has been quarantined for at least 30 days or more before going into my tank. I don’t have the extra space at the moment so I didn’t personally do it . The tiger pyge was one of my first fish.

 

[MnFish1]

Every fish has been quarantined for at least 30 days or more before going into my tank. I don’t have the extra space at the moment so I didn’t personally do it . The tiger pyge was one of my first fish.

I guess - I wondered - what was the quarantine they went through? (i.e. with medication or just observation)?

 

[Wrassefan78]

I guess - I wondered - what was the quarantine they went through? (i.e. with medication or just observation)?

They did both observation and medicine. Both Elliot and Eric are pretty good at what they do. Elliot “Marine Collectors” has more than a few episodes on BRS tv about quarantine. Eric has been in the fish business for over 20 years I think.

Anthony

 

[MnFish1]

They did both observation and medicine. Both Elliot and Eric are pretty good at what they do. Elliot “Marine Collectors” has more than a few episodes on BRS tv about quarantine. Eric has been in the fish business for over 20 years I think.

Anthony

Sorry - I meant the specific medications and length.

 

[Wrassefan78]

Sorry - I meant the specific medications and length.

Sorry - I meant the specific medications and length.

30-45 days and as far as medication goes that would be a question for them. As mentioned before Elliot has gone over what he uses on BRS.

 

[MnFish1]

30-45 days and as far as medication goes that would be a question for them. As mentioned before Elliot has gone over what he uses on BRS.

Well the reason I asked was not to 'bother you' - It was - since you asked the question on this forum, it's probably not unreasonable to ask what exact quarantine program you used. So - I guess what I would suggest to you - is to ask the source of your fish, why it could have the lesions it does - and what they think could be causing it? Guessing - without knowing all of the information - it's related to bullying from your tang.

 

[Wrassefan78]

Well the reason I asked was not to 'bother you' - It was - since you asked the question on this forum, it's probably not unreasonable to ask what exact quarantine program you used. So - I guess what I would suggest to you - is to ask the source of your fish, why it could have the lesions it does - and what they think could be causing it? Guessing - without knowing all of the information - it's related to bullying from your tang.

Who said you were bothering me? I’m trying to tell you what I know and what I don’t.The fish in question is from Bali aquarich as he’s captive bred. I’ve had the fish for over 7 months there’s been no issues until the last three weeks or so. So I doubt it has to do with their qt process. As you guessed it probably has to do with one of the tangs. It also could have been the other angelfish.

 

[Wrassefan78]

Who said you were bothering me? I’m trying to tell you what I know and what I don’t.The fish in question is from Bali aquarich as he’s captive bred. I’ve had the fish for over 7 months there’s been no issues until the last three weeks or so. So I doubt it has to do with their qt process. As you guessed it probably has to do with one of the tangs. It also could have been the other angelfish.

Quick update on the fish. It seems as more of his dorsal fin is missing. When the lights come on I can take some more pictures. On the positive side he still eats like a pig and none of the other fish seem to have contracted the infection. It looks like it was the bristle tooth tang who bit him. So he will be taken to the local fish store along with the powder blue to eliminate any risk. Ultimately there were too many tangs in this tank. So all I’ll have left is two.

Anthony