Blue Hippo Tang QT issue

[C1-10P]

Good afternoon,

noticed a small white patch on my hippo tang in QT, current QT protocol below, any idea? I was thinking maybe a viral legion of some kind?

running a HOB with matrix and was previously used on QT tank been up and running with copper for about 30 days now, no fish for last 14 days.

day one copper at 1.5; added dose of API general cure
Day two copper at 1.75
Day three copper at 2.05

been changing about 10% water daily, replacing out of the same batch of pre-made water so everything matches.Today is day 5 and I noticed the white spot on top of head near dorsal fin.

breathing has been a bit heavy, ammonia badge started to look a bit green so I did about a 50% water change and added prime before I left for work.

Would appreciate any ideas!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Good afternoon,

noticed a small white patch on my hippo tang in QT, current QT protocol below, any idea? I was thinking maybe a viral legion of some kind?

running a HOB with matrix and was previously used on QT tank been up and running with copper for about 30 days now, no fish for last 14 days.

day one copper at 1.5; added dose of API general cure
Day two copper at 1.75
Day three copper at 2.05

been changing about 10% water daily, replacing out of the same batch of pre-made water so everything matches.Today is day 5 and I noticed the white spot on top of head near dorsal fin.

breathing has been a bit heavy, ammonia badge started to look a bit green so I did about a 50% water change and added prime before I left for work.

Would appreciate any ideas!

You definitely want to keep the ammonia below 0.25 ppm. See if your LFS has a different ammonia test to confirm your badge. 10% water changes won’t do much for high ammonia - it can build up faster than that from the fish waste if there is not enough beneficial bacteria.
The spot looks to my like a scrape, maybe it panicked and ran into something?
Any other symptoms?
Not breathing fast, still eating?
Jay

 

[C1-10P]

You definitely want to keep the ammonia below 0.25 ppm. See if your LFS has a different ammonia test to confirm your badge. 10% water changes won’t do much for high ammonia - it can build up faster than that from the fish waste if there is not enough beneficial bacteria.
The spot looks to my like a scrape, maybe it panicked and ran into something?
Any other symptoms?
Not breathing fast, still eating?
Jay

According to the two ammonia badges (I added a second because it seemed like ammonia issue when it was breathing fast) it has been <.05ppm level. I will use my API test when I get home to double check.

only other symptom is fast breathing, seems to be eating well, although the Achilles is hogging the food (which I’m ok with because I’ve heard it’s hard to get them to eat). It is very stand off-fish and hides whenever there is movement around the tank. It swims down to the corner of the PVC and lays on its side but comes back out when it thinks I’m not watching.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

According to the two ammonia badges (I added a second because it seemed like ammonia issue when it was breathing fast) it has been <.05ppm level. I will use my API test when I get home to double check.

only other symptom is fast breathing, seems to be eating well, although the Achilles is hogging the food (which I’m ok with because I’ve heard it’s hard to get them to eat). It is very stand off-fish and hides whenever there is movement around the tank. It swims down to the corner of the PVC and lays on its side but comes back out when it thinks I’m not watching.

Is the Achilles a good sized fish? They can be pretty rough on other tangs.

The rapid breathing can be a general sign that something else is wrong, but it isn't a specific symptom of any one issue.

Jay

 

[C1-10P]

Is the Achilles a good sized fish? The4y can be pretty rough on other tangs.

The rapid breathing can be a general sign that something else is wrong, but it isn't a specific symptom of any one issue.

Jay

Yea the Achilles is bigger but doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to the hippo. I’ll keep a closer eye on them today.

 

[Uncle99]

Maybe he had a taste of Blue Tang.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You definitely want to keep the ammonia below 0.25 ppm. See if your LFS has a different ammonia test to confirm your badge. 10% water changes won’t do much for high ammonia - it can build up faster than that from the fish waste if there is not enough beneficial bacteria.
The spot looks to my like a scrape, maybe it panicked and ran into something?
Any other symptoms?
Not breathing fast, still eating?
Jay

I will never trust a $7 badge or api kit in the hands of a few hundred dollars of livestock
Do consider Hanna or salifert kits
I also recommend taking a water sample to a trusted LFS THAT does Not use api kits and see what readings they come up with and to compare with yours

 

[C1-10P]

Pretty sure it wasn’t aggression, they are both chilling in the same PVC and seem fine.

the blue tang is looking better just the same white spot but doesn’t seem worse.

I may move the blue to his own QT tomorrow just to be safe

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Pretty sure it wasn’t aggression, they are both chilling in the same PVC and seem fine.

the blue tang is looking better just the same white spot but doesn’t seem worse.

I may move the blue to his own QT tomorrow just to be safe

If they are hanging out together, it isn't aggression - would moving it just create additional stress? Also, if it does end up having a communicable disease, then you would have to treat two tanks....

Jay

 

[C1-10P]

If they are hanging out together, it isn't aggression - would moving it just create additional stress? Also, if it does end up having a communicable disease, then you would have to treat two tanks....

Jay

I guess my though was helping in reducing ammonia build up. It’s a 20g QT, I had ordered an approx 2” blue tang and 2” white tail, got a 2.5” blue and an almost 4” Achilles. The 20 just seemed small for them both. But good point about additional stress and spreading any disease.

so far just going to continue to monitor ammonia and see how the progress is today.

Thanks for all the insight!

 

[C1-10P]

Well here I am 14 days into copper and the tang seems to be taking a turn for the worse again. Been keeping ammonia in check and dosing prime just in case. Copper at 2.06 and stayed right around there the whole time. Two doses of general cure, 7 days apart, Most recent dose was yesterday.

She is just laying on the bottom, which she has been hiding under the edge of the pvc anytime she saw me but now isn’t even swimming. Put her in a specimen container to take some pics and a closer look and when I put her back in the water just floated to the bottom not even trying to swim. Doesn’t appear to be actively eating although I think she has been picking at the food after i leave the room.

should I just water change out the copper and keep an eye on her? Any other ideas?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Don’t mix meds. Stop using prime. If you are worried about ammonia add bacteria in a bottle at a higher dose than recommended. Hippo tangs are profoundly shy, I will not be getting anymore in the future. I’m not really sure what’s going on with your Hippo, but as said above, a hippo with an Achilles is not the best combination. Achilles are dominant, aggressive tangs. Hippos are meek. Good luck.

 

[C1-10P]

Don’t mix meds. Stop using prime. If you are worried about ammonia add bacteria in a bottle at a higher dose than recommended. Hippo tangs are profoundly shy, I will not be getting anymore in the future. I’m not really sure what’s going on with your Hippo, but as said above, a hippo with an Achilles is not the best combination. Achilles are dominant, aggressive tangs. Hippos are meek. Good luck.

Not sure what meds I mixed? It seems common practice to dose general cure with copper power. It has also been tested that prime is safe with copper power.

to clarify I did end up moving her in with the white tail a day or so after my last post. Wanted the Achilles to have more room. Havnt noticed any signs of bullying from the white tail.

 

[C1-10P]

This is the main question of my mind, if the blue tang doesn’t make it. Is it wise to keep the other two tangs in QT until I can QT another blue tang so I can add them all at the same time? Or is it likely a blue tang would be ok added to the display once the Achilles and white tail have been in there a few weeks already?

 

[52728299]

My thought process had gone to low o2 maybe idk just a thought