Ich or Velevet

[chaser]

Blue tang has had white spots developing on him for the past 3 days. Started with one single white spot. Now 3 days later they are covering a lot more of him. I’ve increased feeding to 3-4 times per day. He’s still out swimming and has an appetite. If it weren’t for the spots I wouldn’t think anything is wrong. If I watch him long enough I’ll see him do a single scratch against a rock. Not sure if this is ich and can possibly go away on its own or if it’s velvet. I do have a QT tank but it’s currently being occupied by a naso tang that is half way through his “new fish qt” I’d want to avoid exposing my brand new tang to whatever this is.

 

[Fish Fan]

Sorry about your Tang!

#fishmedics may be able to help here.

Would you be able to get a little clearer pic if possible? I think that might help them.

Good luck!

 

[Sharkbait19]

Clearer pics would help, but it does look to be ich. It won’t go away on its own. To treat it, you will have to pull all fish and quarantine them in copper for 30 days, leaving the display tank fishless for 60 days.

 

[chaser]

Clearer pics would help, but it does look to be ich. It won’t go away on its own. To treat it, you will have to pull all fish and quarantine them in copper for 30 days, leaving the display tank fishless for 60 days.

I’m confused. So many things I’ve read state that ich will often go away on its own as long as the fish are well fed.

 

[Fish Fan]

Clearer pics would help, but it does look to be ich. It won’t go away on its own. To treat it, you will have to pull all fish and quarantine them in copper for 30 days, leaving the display tank fishless for 60 days.

Thank you for your diagnosis here. Would you not suggest that the OP adds the sick tang in with the tang in QT, and just restarts the QT “clock” at zero days? Given that the display should sit fallow for a couple months anyway?

I’m confused. So many things I’ve read state that ich will often go away on its own as long as the fish are well fed.

No, it won’t go away on its own. It can be managed and suppressed, and having healthy, well-fed fish would go a long way, but the parasite will still be in your tank. If at anytime the fish get stressed, the disease can rear its ugly head again and quickly. Best practice I believe would be to try to eradicate the Ich if possible.

 

[Uncle99]

I’m confused. So many things I’ve read state that ich will often go away on its own as long as the fish are well fed.

Sometimes. Maybe. Sometimes not.
But then it can infect other fish.

Mine did come, stay about 3 weeks, ramping up, then just dimished to nothing. Looked like ick, acted like ick.

Not returned after a year or so.

If my fish get infected I can not help them. No way, any fish can be manually remove from my DT without major destruction of years of coral growth.

Lucky I assume. Fingers crossed.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’m confused. So many things I’ve read state that ich will often go away on its own as long as the fish are well fed.

Ich can be managed, but it’s not a reliable method. The best results are generally in large and very well established tanks. You’d be spending more money and putting more effort into building an “ich management” tank than you would quarantining imo.
Is this tank a fowlr? Hyposalinity is an option, but it would be toxic to inverts.

Thank you for your diagnosis here. Would you not suggest that the OP adds the sick tang in with the tang in QT, and just restarts the QT “clock” at zero days? Given that the display should sit fallow for a couple months anyway?

Frankly, that depends on the number of fish. If it were just one it could work but with a lot of fish you risk overstocking the qt and creating issues on that front.

 

[Fish Fan]

Ich can be managed, but it’s not a reliable method. The best results are generally in large and very well established tanks. You’d be spending more money and putting more effort into building an “ich management” tank than you would quarantining imo.
Is this tank a fowlr? Hyposalinity is an option, but it would be toxic to inverts.

Frankly, that depends on the number of fish. If it were just one it could work but with a lot of fish you risk overstocking the qt and creating issues on that front.

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[chaser]

Blue tang has had white spots developing on him for the past 3 days. Started with one single white spot. Now 3 days later they are covering a lot more of him. I’ve increased feeding to 3-4 times per day. He’s still out swimming and has an appetite. If it weren’t for the spots I wouldn’t think anything is wrong. If I watch him long enough I’ll see him do a single scratch against a rock. Not sure if this is ich and can possibly go away on its own or if it’s velvet. I do have a QT tank but it’s currently being occupied by a naso tang that is half way through his “new fish qt” I’d want to avoid exposing my brand new tang to whatever this is.