Patchy Tang (HELP!)

[AwildcatsZ]

I have had my White Tail Tang for roughly a month. About a week in, I noticed a small white patch form on his side. Over the last couple weeks, the patch has gotten larger and looks to be raised off his body. I’ve also noticed a second patch forming on the opposite side, near the bottom of his body.

The tang still eats aggressively. He is fed mysis daily and nori a couple times a week. Very active swimming around the tank, grazing on the rock work.

I did not QT. I live in an apartment and QT is not really an option, as space is limited. I can do my best if necessary, but it would likely be a 20 gal tank or smaller. Catching him might also pose a problem.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Kathy Floyd]

#fishmedic

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have had my White Tail Tang for roughly a month. About a week in, I noticed a small white patch form on his side. Over the last couple weeks, the patch has gotten larger and looks to be raised off his body. I’ve also noticed a second patch forming on the opposite side, near the bottom of his body.

The tang still eats aggressively. He is fed mysis daily and nori a couple times a week. Very active swimming around the tank, grazing on the rock work.

I did not QT. I live in an apartment and QT is not really an option, as space is limited. I can do my best if necessary, but it would likely be a 20 gal tank or smaller. Catching him might also pose a problem.

Thank you in advance!

These are scrape injury or can even be tail strike from another tang. While this heals on its own, it has potential to get infected. At minimum, you can add ruby Rally pro to the display tank. More effective would be a broad spectrum treatment in a separate treatment tank. You can obtain seachem Kanaplex and observe fish for signs of healing the next 48 hours. If not, start treatment

 

[AwildcatsZ]

These are scrape injury or can even be tail strike from another tang. While this heals on its own, it has potential to get infected. At minimum, you can add ruby Rally pro to the display tank. More effective would be a broad spectrum treatment in a separate treatment tank. You can obtain seachem Kanaplex and observe fish for signs of healing the next 48 hours. If not, start treatment

Thank you for a quick reply.

So this is “common”? That’s a relief. A friend said it could be flukes. Nothing I read/seen shows this happening from flukes, but wanted to throw that possibility out there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for a quick reply.

So this is “common”? That’s a relief. A friend said it could be flukes. Nothing I read/seen shows this happening from flukes, but wanted to throw that possibility out there.

generally, you cant see flukes and even the neobendia are not as pronounced. With flukes you would likely see loss of appetite, heavy breathing, flashing and darting across tank or shaking head to dislodge them as examples

 

[AwildcatsZ]

generally, you cant see flukes and even the neobendia are not as pronounced. With flukes you would likely see loss of appetite, heavy breathing, flashing and darting across tank or shaking head to dislodge them as examples

So, I saw a few more patches forming and finally caught him. I did a 5 minute freshwater dip, and these fell off of every spot. I currently have him in an isolation box in the main display. I am setting up a 20 gallon QT and will dose prazipro and an antibiotic.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

@vetteguy53081 i realized my photo wasn’t attached. Can you ID these?

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 i realized my photo wasn’t attached. Can you ID these?

My gosh- looks like neobendenia flukes
Is fish breathing heavy and loss of appetite and sudden twitching? These would be signs
I’m getting a second set of eyes from @Jay Hemdal to confirtm

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@vetteguy53081 i realized my photo wasn’t attached. Can you ID these?

100%, those are Neobenedenia flukes. They can be tough to treat, they are egg layers, and the eggs resist all normal treatments. you need to keep the treatment up until all of the eggs have hatched, and you've killed all of the new flukes before they can lay new eggs.

The best option would be to house all fish exposed to this one in a hyposalinity treatment tank for 30 days at a specific gravity of 1.012 (no invertebrates of course). Praziquantel/prazipro can be used, but those darn eggs will keep hatching, and it takes just one to start the infection up again. The prazi can be used in a tank with corals and invertebrates though. Generally, you dose prazi once, then again 8 days later. With Neobendenia, a third or fourth treatment is usually needed.

Jay

 

[AwildcatsZ]

100%, those are Neobenedenia flukes. They can be tough to treat, they are egg layers, and the eggs resist all normal treatments. you need to keep the treatment up until all of the eggs have hatched, and you've killed all of the new flukes before they can lay new eggs.

The best option would be to house all fish exposed to this one in a hyposalinity treatment tank for 30 days at a specific gravity of 1.012 (no invertebrates of course). Praziquantel/prazipro can be used, but those darn eggs will keep hatching, and it takes just one to start the infection up again. The prazi can be used in a tank with corals and invertebrates though. Generally, you dose prazi once, then again 8 days later. With Neobendenia, a third or fourth treatment is usually needed.

Jay

Thank you, Jay. Do you recommend a prazi treatment in the QT tank prior to doing the hyposalinity, or 30 days in hyposalinity alone would do the trick?

 

[AwildcatsZ]

@Jay Hemdal do the eggs dispersed throughout the tank, or do they stay on the original host fish?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@Jay Hemdal do the eggs dispersed throughout the tank, or do they stay on the original host fish?

They get dispersed. They also have sticky tendrils that adhere to just about everything.

 

[AwildcatsZ]

They get dispersed. They also have sticky tendrils that adhere to just about everything.

Ok. Well, I managed to catch every fish, except my two clowns…they’re too smart. Going to continue to try and catch them and then dose prazi in a QT tank for 4 treatment cycles and keep them all in the QT for 30 days. Hopefully that wipes out the cycle in the fish and the DT.

Dream fish quickly became a nightmare