White Spot on Coral Beauty

[CarrieB]

I have a small coral beauty that just finished TTM with two doses of Prazipro. She has been very timid, spending most of her time hiding either in the PVC elbow or a dark corner, but started to come out looking for food the last few days, so I figured maybe just a scaredy-fish in a strange environment.

So while I was moving her into my QT/grow out/ see how she does with coral before putting her into the DT tank, I noticed a white spot on her side.

So much for observation during TTM. Anyway, I took some not great pictures and I'm hoping for opinions on what this might be and whether I should treat her or wait and see.

 

[melypr1985]

It's difficult to tell from those pictures, but it looks a little big to be ich. Could be lympho.... you'll know if it doesn't fall off after a couple days... instead it will stay in the same place and get larger, looking a bit like cauliflower

 

[Maritimer]

@melypr1985, any possibility that could be an early-stage bacterial infection? That was kind of my knee-jerk reaction . . .

~Bruce

 

[melypr1985]

@melypr1985, any possibility that could be an early-stage bacterial infection? That was kind of my knee-jerk reaction . . .

~Bruce

It's possible, but not possible to tell from these pictures.

 

[CarrieB]

It shouldn't be ich, as she's been through TTM. I thought about lympho, but there didn't seem to be any bump. Looked flat to me.

My apologies for the lousy pictures. I was scrambling to get her moved before leaving for work.

 

[CarrieB]

Could it be a wound healing up? (Me being ever hopeful.)

 

[melypr1985]

Could it be a wound healing up? (Me being ever hopeful.)

It could be. I'd prefer a better picture before making any diagnosis. If it's flat against the fish then it would probably be an infection setting in. Best if she stays in a QT that can be medicated while we figure this out.

 

[CarrieB]

She's currently in a Biocube 29 with live rock and a few frags, some snails and a few hermit crabs. I'll move her back into a clean tank if I need to treat her with something non-reef friendly.

She's still hiding in the rocks this morning but actively swimming around and picking at the rocks. No obvious change to the spot. In the shade it just looks like a pale spot. Probably why I missed it. It's more obvious as she turns.

 

[4FordFamily]

Being cryptic, going through TTM, and white spot (could it be color loss?) have me thinking velvet. Add that it's an angel and it seems like 1/2 of them have velvet these days from the distribution system, I worry.

If velvet it's very fast moving and deadly. You'll need a qt and copper asap if that's the ailment

 

[CarrieB]

Golly, I really hope not. What's the time frame for velvet to show up? What do I look for to decide to start copper?

 

[CarrieB]

Just wanted to note that she's been shy since I got her 13 days ago. If that was an effect of velvet, she'd be gone by now?

I'm sorry to hear that velvet is so prevalent in angels. Makes one think twice about buying them. This one is from Hawaii, according to the distributor.

 

[Humblefish]

Just wanted to note that she's been shy since I got her 13 days ago. If that was an effect of velvet, she'd be gone by now?

If she was exposed to nontherapeutic copper (before you got her) then that can mask symptoms of velvet for up to 30 days. Many collectors/wholesalers/LFS indiscriminately use copper to keep the bugs away, but don't test to ensure it remains therapeutic or allow the fish to remain in copper long enough to finish the job.

The white spot on her side looks more like a bacterial infection to me, only because Lympho typically starts on the fins & spines before moving to the body.

 

[CarrieB]

Would it hurt to start her on meds for a bacterial infection, as it seems to be the most likely cause?

 

[Brew12]

Would it hurt to start her on meds for a bacterial infection, as it seems to be the most likely cause?

It wouldn't hurt to start her on meds but I don't think I would quite yet. This fish just went through TTM and was then put into a new tank which can be very stressful. I would watch it for another day or two. If it looks like it is getting worse, either bigger or more pronounced, I would treat it ASAP. Otherwise, I would watch it for another few days and see if it starts clearing up on its own now that the fish should be under less stress.

 

[CarrieB]

Will do. Thanks for all the help folks. So nice to have backup.

 

[CarrieB]

Are these pictures any better? I took a video and pulled some stills.

 

[Humblefish]

That definitely doesn't look like Lympho to me. More of a discoloration of the skin/scales. It looks like something that is healing on its own, compared to your previous photos.

 

[CarrieB]

Thanks, Humblefish. That's what I was hoping. The previous pictures were under very blue (morning) LEDs and I think they made the patch look more white. Certainly more noticeable.

For the video I turned the "flash" on my iPhone on, so I think the second batch of pictures is more true color.

Could she have scratched herself because of parasites (hopefully now gone)? I'm pretty sure she didn't have the patch when I got her.

 

[CarrieB]

So the good news is that the spot seems to be healing and she is out and about more. Still skittish but cruising around to pick off the rocks on top of the pile and out around the edges. She is starting to look a little filled out, instead of terribly skinny and she ate the mysis I put in the tank very aggressively. So definitely seems to be feeling better.

The bad news is that the end of one whisker ( I'm sure that's not the right word) seems to be white now. Like she might have scraped it? Wasn't that way when I took the previous pictures.

Any ideas?

 

[melypr1985]

So the good news is that the spot seems to be healing and she is out and about more. Still skittish but cruising around to pick off the rocks on top of the pile and out around the edges. She is starting to look a little filled out, instead of terribly skinny and she ate the mysis I put in the tank very aggressively. So definitely seems to be feeling better.

The bad news is that the end of one whisker ( I'm sure that's not the right word) seems to be white now. Like she might have scraped it? Wasn't that way when I took the previous pictures.

Any ideas?

She certainly looks better! It's good she healed up on her own. The little white bit, I wouldn't worry about just yet. Wait and watch. Probably another abrasion. I just wonder how these are happening? Getting picked on maybe?