Purple tang White area on the body

[kevsqn]

Hi. i just bought a purple tang. he came from a trusted friend. and he has been copper-quarantined for 3 weeks. my concern is im seeing white-ish stuff in one certain area of his body. it definitely isnt white spots. im thinking its just the scars from previous disease or something like that?

should a purple tang's skin just be flawless(lol)? like just smooth blue all throughout..or is it normal to see like faded white on his skin.

he is eating flakes also. never seen him knock his body on rock to stratch himself too.
*note* this photo was taken during night time. no lights whatsoever. just camera flash thats it.

and i think thats also lateral line disease but i dont see it during daytime(frankly i just saw it with the camera flash).

can the tang masters diagnose this please
thanks alot!!

 

[sc50964]

A picture without flash could help but it does look more like HLLE

 

[kevsqn]

here you go. taken with lights all on 100%

 

[Jmblec2]

looks like ich to me

 

[Humblefish]

I think that may be flukes. Do a FW dip to confirm: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/freshwater-dip.248898/

Also, check out the video here so you'll know what flukes look like in the water: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.214/

 

[kevsqn]

I think that may be flukes. Do a FW dip to confirm: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/freshwater-dip.248898/

Also, check out the video here so you'll know what flukes look like in the water: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.214/

ill be trying the fw dip later.
if confirmed flukes, should i return the tang to the dt after the 5 minutes is up? or to the qt?

if not flukes then im thinking ich? (which im confused since he just came from a copper treatment tank)

 

[Humblefish]

ill be trying the fw dip later.
if confirmed flukes, should i return the tang to the dt after the 5 minutes is up? or to the qt?

if not flukes then im thinking ich? (which im confused since he just came from a copper treatment tank)

Return to DT and dose with Prazipro (reef safe): https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/prazipro.247598/

Because if he has flukes, then all your fish in the DT will start getting them too.

In no flukes show, then I'm inclined to agree with @Jmblec2 and say it is probably ich. That can't be fixed whilst he's in the DT unfortunately.

 

[kevsqn]

Return to DT and dose with Prazipro (reef safe): https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/prazipro.247598/

Because if he has flukes, then all your fish in the DT will start getting them too.

In no flukes show, then I'm inclined to agree with @Jmblec2 and say it is probably ich. That can't be fixed whilst he's in the DT unfortunately.

thanks alot! will update on how it goes. by the way. is there any other product besides prazipro that will work? maybe the seachem line? not sure if we have prazipro here.

 

[sc50964]

thanks alot! will update on how it goes. by the way. is there any other product besides prazipro that will work? maybe the seachem line? not sure if we have prazipro here.

Don't think seachem has anything as effective as prazipro, which is available through amazon prime 2 day shipping.

 

[kevsqn]

last question. what if its ich. i have 2 other clowns only in the tank. will they have ich also? or no. or could my tank have free floating ich?
so far they have no white spots or any disease that i can see what so ever.
what should i do?

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

For ich, QT the tang along with the clowns in either hyposalinity (1.009) or in copper. Your clowns most likely have ich/ will get ich very soon in the dt, even when the tang is removed.

You're going to have to keep your DT fishless for at least 76 days to allow all of the ich to starve off

 

[Humblefish]

thanks alot! will update on how it goes. by the way. is there any other product besides prazipro that will work? maybe the seachem line? not sure if we have prazipro here.

Hypo (for a week) will eliminate flukes & their eggs. Or doing a 45 min formalin bath, followed by transfer into a new/sterile QT to prevent reinfection. The formalin bath procedure would need to be repeated in a week to eliminate any larvae from unhatched eggs.

 

[Humblefish]

For ich, QT the tang along with the clowns in either hyposalinity (1.009) or in copper. Your clowns most likely have ich/ will get ich very soon in the dt, even when the tang is removed.

You're going to have to keep your DT fishless for at least 76 days to allow all of the ich to starve off

+1 Although TTM would be another treatment option for ich: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tank-transfer-method.192655/

 

[Sistawolf]

Isn't it kind of weird he came out of a copper tank and possibly has ick?

 

[kevsqn]

Isn't it kind of weird he came out of a copper tank and possibly has ick?

Thats what weirding me out too. is it even possible? prior to adding the tang. i only had two clownfishes and they are healthy. no signs of skin diseases too.

 

[ngoodermuth]

here you go. taken with lights all on 100%

There have been other well-trained eyes on these, so I could be wrong, but I see spots more than flukes :/

I know you trust the person who quarantined, but is it possible there could have been a mistake with a test kit or any chance the copper level may have dropped (water change error,etc) during treatment? If the level dipped below therapeutic at any time there could be a chance ich survived.

Again, I could be wrong and it could be flukes.

 

[melypr1985]

I think my first action would be a freshwater dip to confirm/rule out flukes in this case. It could also be an infection setting in. Ich is also a possibility for all the reasons mentioned by ngoodermuth. We start by ruling out what it isn't. The FW dip is the quickest and easiest thing to do. As humble mentioned, if flukes show, then he goes back into the dt for prazi treatment. If nothing shows, then I'd transfer to QT for further investigation. At that point, I would assume ich as the worst case scenario and get all fish into QT for treatment. You can always combine copper with antibiotics to treat for both.

 

[4FordFamily]

I don't know, I see some ich spots but also this looks primarily like velvet to me. I think the fish may have both or even all three. The discoloration and obvious lethargy in the photos has me further concerned.

Unfortunately you cannot trust anyone to properly qt, you'll have to do it to ensure its done correctly. Fish stores and people that quarantine for others often add fish throughout the process which restarts the clock. Also, they often don't have enough copper in the tank to eradicate it entirely -- rather it masks noticeable symptoms but the parasite remains which is why people mistakenly think they're in the clear.

I hope I'm wrong, but I would keep a close eye. Is the tang swimming in to powerheads and hiding more?

 

[Sistawolf]

I don't know, I see some ich spots but also this looks primarily like velvet to me. I think the fish may have both or even all three. The discoloration and obvious lethargy in the photos has me further concerned.

Unfortunately you cannot trust anyone to properly qt, you'll have to do it to ensure its done correctly. Fish stores and people that quarantine for others often add fish throughout the process which restarts the clock. Also, they often don't have enough copper in the tank to eradicate it entirely -- rather it masks noticeable symptoms but the parasite remains which is why people mistakenly think they're in the clear.

I hope I'm wrong, but I would keep a close eye. Is the tang swimming in to powerheads and hiding more?

So true.. I'm pretty sure that the lfs doesn't take all fish out and replace water and copper when adding new fish.. putting the fish previously in copper in a different tank..
I have a lfs around me that treats with copper in his tanks and I do not purchase his fish.. on one hand I see why and the other hand I don't agree because it can mess with the immune system.. so many fish have ich and velvet these days.. but these lfs don't have time to do this properly in my opinion.. you should always qt first just to make sure.. I would def listen to @Humblefish @melypr1985 and @4FordFamily .. I had ick and velvet and with their help was able to save my fish.. if they suggest a FW dip and go from there.. I suggest doing so.. they won't give you false advice.. I promise that..

 

[4FordFamily]

So true.. I'm pretty sure that the lfs doesn't take all fish out and replace water and copper when adding new fish.. putting the fish previously in copper in a different tank..
I have a lfs around me that treats with copper in his tanks and I do not purchase his fish.. on one hand I see why and the other hand I don't agree because it can mess with the immune system.. so many fish have ich and velvet these days.. but these lfs don't have time to do this properly in my opinion.. you should always qt first just to make sure.. I would def listen to @Humblefish @melypr1985 and @4FordFamily .. I had ick and velvet and with their help was able to save my fish.. if they suggest a FW dip and go from there.. I suggest doing so.. they won't give you false advice.. I promise that..

Thank you, we try.