Black marks on juvenile mimic tang

[The Coug]

I’ve had this fish about 4 days now and it’s developing these irregular black spots. I treated with prazipro two days ago but the spots are getting worse today. It started off as a small dot on the top fin and has grown/spread since. From my reading, I thought it was black ich but I’m concerned since it has gotten worse.
The fish is currently eating and swimming fine, no rubbing. In an observation tank currently. Any ideas?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’ve had this fish about 4 days now and it’s developing these irregular black spots. I treated with prazipro two days ago but the spots are getting worse today. It started off as a small dot on the top fin and has grown/spread since. From my reading, I thought it was black ich but I’m concerned since it has gotten worse.
The fish is currently eating and swimming fine, no rubbing. In an observation tank currently. Any ideas?

These look to be bite marks or scrape marks. Any fish annoying it within the tank? Hawkfish would be a suspect as are clowns if any

 

[codi-saltwaterguy]

Not sure if it’s the same thing I was going thru…. But when my moorish idol had black ich, I treated with prazi for 5 days. Did a water change then prazi for another 5 days. After the 2nd dose of prazi I still noticed “marks” on the idol, however it turned out to be his scratch marks from when he rubbed the rock to itch.

 

[The Coug]

These look to be bite marks or scrape marks. Any fish annoying it within the tank? Hawkfish would be a suspect as are clowns if any

It’s in there just with the hawkfish, no other fish. I haven’t seen any aggression but good idea. I’ll spend some time specifically watching for that. They have both been good aggressive eaters.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s in there just with the hawkfish, no other fish. I haven’t seen any aggression but good idea. I’ll spend some time specifically watching for that. They have both been good aggressive.

Another thing you can do as fish will be on their best behavior in your presence. ., . Next time you go to feed,
set your cell phone on video mode for about 20 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a bully at feeding time.
Review the video and see if hawk is the culprit

 

[SeaWolf95]

You got a fox face in that tank by any chance? My fox face does not like my Mimic tang . Turns out i read somewhere that the fox face are aggressive towards lemon peel fish, which ufort is what the mimic looks like until they are older. Mine chases my mimic around a but but not to the point of any damage. He has even enlisted the aid of the purple tang to help.

 

[The Coug]

No foxface. If it makes it out of observation, it the mimic will go in with a yellow tang, maroon clown, and coral beauty.
For now though, it’s just the mimic and hawkfish in the tank.

 

[The Coug]

I took a video a secret video. I didn’t see aggression but significant rubbing against the rocks.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I took a video a secret video. I didn’t see aggression but significant rubbing against the rocks.

That scratching is almost always a sign of flukes. Prazi causes flukes to drop off, but the wounds they leave can still cause a fish to scratch for a few days. also, maybe your prazi treatment wasn't correct? Here is a post I made about dosing it:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-praziquantel-pzq.1105700/
I would still treat these fish with coppersafe to prevent protozoan issues.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/

 

[The Coug]

Thank you, that’s a great article! I wonder if I’m not getting a therapeutic PraziPro dose. I’ve dose my QT tank several times in the past with other fish in the past 4 months. This puts me in a challenge: move the fish and try to get my QT tank reset or wait and see how the tang does with the current questionable dosing.