Been fighting this since July 1, need feedback

[Doglips56]

#reefsqaud

I have no idea what this is or how to treat it. I have a 50 total net water volume tank. It has one very large rock that I moved from a 125 gallon system over a year ago. Everything was seemingly fine until July 1 when the tank completely crashed for still unclear reasons. Everything was fine at lights out, went to ER in middle of night for illness and when we got home around 7 everything looked like it was dying and all my snails were dead and fire shrimp almost dead, peppermint shrimp and hermits were fine. Fish were severely stressed and anemones were barely hanging on.

Was able to move most of my livestock except the anemones out of the tank into hospital tanks and eventually everything made a full recovery. But my tang developed a weird black spot on its tail fin and a couple of ich-looking white spots above one eye. He was eating and breathing and acting normal, as he is now, but I moved him into a hospital tank and treated with copper for about 3 weeks. He was blemish free after 24 hours so figured I could put him back in DT. Almost immediately spots appeared again but only a few and then they would go away. Now, over the past week he has developed this lesion. Still eating and reaching normally but I’m worried

I can put him back in copper but I’m more concerned about what’s going on in my tank. I did an ICP test about 6 weeks ago and it was fine. I’ve had some trouble keeping the temp where I want it, been running warm lately, heater hasn’t been kicking on but when I turn the fan on it drops the temp too much too fast so I’ve just been letting it be.
Current parameters:
Temp - 79.3
Specific gravity - 1.025
dKH - 8.3
PO4 - .14
NO3 - 2.5

many ideas on what this growth/lesion is? Copper my best strategy? Do I need to treat the whole tank? I’m dry fitting plumbing for my new 110 g and I’m scared to move all my rocks and corals and livestock into it if there’s something in the tank causing this. As you can see everything else looks happy

 

[Saltyreef]

Sounds like you need a fallow period

 

[Sharkbait19]

Looks like a viral infection on the tang - possibly lymphocytosis. Viral infections don’t really have a cure other than clean water and good food.
#fishmedic

 

[Wasabiroot]

@Jay Hemdal #reefsquad (I saw the u and a were reversed)...Hopefully you can get this figured out. Good luck

 

[Goby Bryant]

Looks like a viral infection on the tang - possibly lymphocytosis. Viral infections don’t really have a cure other than clean water and good food.
#fishmedic

It does look like lymphocystis. It also could be flukes, but that’s a long shot. @Jay Hemdal

 

[Doglips56]

Ok so this tang will ONLY eat Nori. We feed food quality frozen food alternating with pellets but he only recently looks like he tries for the frozen. Do you think the stress of the tank crash 2 months ago could’ve caused it? Would garlic help at all? Copper did knock the spots down which I thought were ick but now I’m not sure. Have never had a problem with fish health till that crash happened

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok so this tang will ONLY eat Nori. We feed food quality frozen food alternating with pellets but he only recently looks like he tries for the frozen. Do you think the stress of the tank crash 2 months ago could’ve caused it? Would garlic help at all? Copper did knock the spots down which I thought were ick but now I’m not sure. Have never had a problem with fish health till that crash happened

The July 1 crash is concerning since the reason wasn't identified. That starts the diagnostic process off with a huge unknown. Massive crashes have major reasons, they don't happen from minor issues. However, they can be tough to track down. You could have had a power outage, or something could have been sprayed near the tank. I once had an aquarist accidentally plug a tank's filter into an outlet that was controlled by a wall switch - we would have random problems, depending on if somebody flipped the switch or not!

The lesions isn't Lymphocystis, but the picture isn't clear enough to say much more than that. In the second picture, the fish and the tank in general look pretty good. Can you post a better picture, or maybe a short video?

Definitely work on getting the tang to eat more meaty foods as opposed to just nori.

Jay

 

[Goby Bryant]

The July 1 crash is concerning since the reason wasn't identified. That starts the diagnostic process off with a huge unknown. Massive crashes have major reasons, they don't happen from minor issues. However, they can be tough to track down. You could have had a power outage, or something could have been sprayed near the tank. I once had an aquarist accidentally plug a tank's filter into an outlet that was controlled by a wall switch - we would have random problems, depending on if somebody flipped the switch or not!

The lesions isn't Lymphocystis, but the picture isn't clear enough to say much more than that. In the second picture, the fish and the tank in general look pretty good. Can you post a better picture, or maybe a short video?

Definitely work on getting the tang to eat more meaty foods as opposed to just nori.

Jay

The spots on the tang look like stress spots, or maybe flukes though.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The spots on the tang look like stress spots, or maybe flukes though.

I agree, I was focused on the thing on the head, as that seems a lot more serious.

Jay

 

[Goby Bryant]

I agree, I was focused on the thing on the head, as that seems a lot more serious.

Jay

Oh. I was focusing on the body. Those whiteish yellow spots.

 

[Goby Bryant]

You’re right. That looks a lot worse.

 

[Goby Bryant]

I agree, I was focused on the thing on the head, as that seems a lot more serious.

Jay

The bump on the head could be a bacterial infection. Either way, this fish is in bad shape.

 

[Doglips56]

So the fish isn’t in bad shape. He’s fat and not stressed but obviously has an issue. He (or she) has a good appetite and no behavioral changes, just the skin issue. I can put him back in my hospital tank with copper or whatever if that’s what I need to do. I only have the tang, 2 clowns and a Diamond goby. I don’t want to lose him. I will take a video as it’s really difficult to get a good photo when the subject won’t stay still!

 

[Doglips56]

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The body spots aren't the focus right now, they could just be stress spots mixed in with a few random bump marks.

The head lesion is either a fungal or bacterial infection. External fungal infections are very rare in marine aquariums, but I've seen a few cases. Trouble is, neither can be treated in the DT, and each has a different treatment (antibiotic for bacteria, formalin dips for fungal). Add to this, Naso tangs do not handle being put in a small quarantine tank very well at all.

Probably, whatever happened to the tank caused the naso to run into something. If that's what happened, this is most likely bacterial. In some cases, the fish recovers with no treatment. If the lesion has stopped growing larger, I would be inclined to just watch it for now. If it is still getting larger, or if other symptoms show up, then you would be forced to move and treat with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic.

Jay

 

[Doglips56]

The body spots aren't the focus right now, they could just be stress spots mixed in with a few random bump marks.

The head lesion is either a fungal or bacterial infection. External fungal infections are very rare in marine aquariums, but I've seen a few cases. Trouble is, neither can be treated in the DT, and each has a different treatment (antibiotic for bacteria, formalin dips for fungal). Add to this, Naso tangs do not handle being put in a small quarantine tank very well at all.

Probably, whatever happened to the tank caused the naso to run into something. If that's what happened, this is most likely bacterial. In some cases, the fish recovers with no treatment. If the lesion has stopped growing larger, I would be inclined to just watch it for now. If it is still getting larger, or if other symptoms show up, then you would be forced to move and treat with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic.

Jay

My QT is a 20g long. Not huge but he did very well in it when I had him in copper right after the crash. He had spots that looked like ich which disappeared almost immediately. Soon as I put him back into the DT (after approx3 weeks) they came right back but then went away. They would come and go then all of a sudden this thing blew up on his head. I just added Prazi to the DT in case it’s an isssue in the tank. I can catch him fairly easily because he’s not afraid of us at all. I have a low level of copper in the QT now, not near therapeutic. What would you recommend? I have some Reef Rally here which I believe contains formalin. I could do a bath with that then put him into QT with the antibacterial?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My QT is a 20g long. Not huge but he did very well in it when I had him in copper right after the crash. He had spots that looked like ich which disappeared almost immediately. Soon as I put him back into the DT (after approx3 weeks) they came right back but then went away. They would come and go then all of a sudden this thing blew up on his head. I just added Prazi to the DT in case it’s an isssue in the tank. I can catch him fairly easily because he’s not afraid of us at all. I have a low level of copper in the QT now, not near therapeutic. What would you recommend? I have some Reef Rally here which I believe contains formalin. I could do a bath with that then put him into QT with the antibacterial?

Yes, a Ruby Reef bath (I think there is a higher dose for it when used as a both) and then move to the QT with a good antibiotic would be a decent plan. Skip the prazi, I don't see any immediate need for that. You need a good broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic - Neoplex, Kanaplex or Maracyn 2.

Jay

 

[Doglips56]

Copper level currently in QT is 2.33. Can I add the broad spectrum abx to that?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Copper level currently in QT is 2.33. Can I add the broad spectrum abx to that?

It isn’t ideal to mix medications (can increase stress) but it is commonly done.
Jay

 

[Doglips56]

It isn’t ideal to mix medications (can increase stress) but it is commonly done.
Jay

Thanks so much Jay. We are so very lucky to have you. I will move him to the copper. He’s done very well with it in the past then add Kanaplex slowly. I don’t have the equipment to set up a third tank right now.