Filefish parasite?

B Lo

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I am skeptical there is anything wrong and let me tell you why. First, this fish was a Diver's Den fish from LiveAquaria and I think they do a decent job quarantining to begin with so the source was certainly not a sketchy one. That aside, this fish was in my own QT for 2-1/2 weeks and was prophylactical treated with Seachem ParaGuard and fed food mixed with Seachem Focus, Metroplex & Kanaplex for the entire time. I cannot imagine this wouldn't have killed ich were that the cause. However, upon introducing him to my display tank, I noticed two almost microscopic little dots on the base of his lower fin. I really don't want to stress him out by yanking him and medicating him unnecessarily as I just went through it and he didn't show any sign of issue in QT. Should I just keep an eye on him?

Sorry for the blurry photo. He flutters those fins like crazy and it's next to impossible to get a passably good shot. I could anaesthetize him, if need be, to get a better photo. I've got the fish drugs!

Fish.jpg
 

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If it is anything, you just introduced it to your DT. No need to quarantine anymore.
 
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B Lo

B Lo

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So if this ends up being nothing to worry about, you're saying there's no need to quarantine anything any longer? Or if it's ich, I am somehow protected from cirolanid isopods being brought in so I don't need to quarantine anything. Wow, that's super helpful. You must be the life of the party.

Maybe you didn't understand what I wrote in plain English but I specifically mentioned he was treated without showing any symptoms whatsoever in quarantine. After going through prophylactic treatment, he was introduced to my display tank. Only at that point did I see anything on him.

So if you'd care to offer some helpful commentary, feel free. Otherwise, you are welcome to observe as others who aren't unnecessarily nasty and sarcastic chime in. You might learn a thing or two about interacting with others.

Have a lovely night; you certainly deserve one!

If it is anything, you just introduced it to your DT. No need to quarantine anymore.
 

Qasimja

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Kinda tough to see you might have to take a wait a see approach check his activity see if he gets more spots or his scratching himself on the sand or rocks or swimming into the power head
 

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I’m not familiar with filefish, I think I see the dots you’re referring to... no chance it’s a little sand stuck on him?
Have all your other fish been through the same QT process?
Lastly...just wanted to say I received a DD fish with internal parasites and a bacterial infection. It’s too risky for us to automatically assume it’s clean because of where it came from. I had the same mindset and I’m really glad I QTed. She’s still there for longer observation.
 

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Hello,

Nice looking guy. You just put him in, I would observe. No reason to stress him out more. He is a male so he has the white bristle like things all over, could be that is what you saw? i would watch closely and look for changes

edit, I just saw what you were saying about on his clear part of the fin. I would still just hold off and observe
 
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B Lo

B Lo

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Thanks for the reply. Filefish are a bit tricky to observe in that they can camouflage to blend in and frequently change color/pattern. Moreover, they have little spiky projections all over their bodies which may look like tiny white spots from a distance.

That said, to the time I saw the two little dots on the lower fin, every creature in the display tank has been in quarantine for some meaningful period of time. Two urchins were in quarantine for months by themselves. All fish were treated with the same regimen of ParaGuard in the water and medicated food to treat just about anything (except viruses) internally.

I definitely don't rely exclusively on DD's quarantine process but it makes me feel better that they have one which is apparently more thorough than many of their competitors. I always quarantine and medicate fish before adding. Other wildlife is typically kept in QT for at least 2 months to observe in a fishless environment. Only exception ever was an anemone which I did not have the ability to quarantine as desired - largely due to lighting requirements (and this was after noticing the two little spots on the filefish). He got a dip before being added.

"It’s too risky for us to automatically assume it’s clean because of where it came from." I have a buddy, who has never had an aquarium, who badly needs to learn that lesson.

QUOTE="TriggerFinger, post: 7538850, member: 111404"]
I’m not familiar with filefish, I think I see the dots you’re referring to... no chance it’s a little sand stuck on him?
Have all your other fish been through the same QT process?
Lastly...just wanted to say I received a DD fish with internal parasites and a bacterial infection. It’s too risky for us to automatically assume it’s clean because of where it came from. I had the same mindset and I’m really glad I QTed. She’s still there for longer observation.
[/QUOTE]
 
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B Lo

B Lo

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You definitely see what I mean. Even with the best photo I could manage to take, it's very difficult to see. It could even be a little fraying for all I know as he flutters that particular fin incredibly fast.

I bought him along with another as a pair from DiversDen. His wife/girlfriend/sister/amiga/whatever is still in quarantine as she was not eating as well as I like to see before adding to the display. He's named "Dweezil" and she's "Moonunit." They are such peculiar critters; I love the eyeballs on them!

Nice looking guy. You just put him in, I would observe. No reason to stress him out more. He is a male so he has the white bristle like things all over, could be that is what you saw? i would watch closely and look for changes

edit, I just saw what you were saying about on his clear part of the fin. I would still just hold off and observe
 

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How is he eating? My thought on this,

I would leave him as long as he is active and behaving normal. Feed a fortified diet, black worms and selcon can’t hurt if you have access. Watch for scratching, breathing issues, flashing.

The other option is the concern it is ich and pull it. Down sides are stress it out more, cure it and it is still going back on DT unless you go fallow.

Lets see if @Big G can help.
 
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B Lo

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You've read my mind. He's been eating extremely well. Since I obtained him, he's been eating mostly V2O Foods (same distributor as Elos) 50/50 Plus Mix - Brine Shrimp / Bloodworms with Mysis added. I've always mixed Selcon and, sometimes, minced garlic.

I wonder, though... I have a wrasse that may have had lymphocystis. Thinking back to that, this actually looks somewhat similar in presentation. As that's a virus, I wonder if this could be the same thing (assuming that the original diagnosis was correct). The thing that makes me think this is more likely is that nothing I medicated with would treat a virus but it would treat protozoa, worms, bacteria, and funguses - pretty much everything else.

I've got Cupramine and Copper Power as well as Chloroquine Phosphate and Cipro - none of which have ever been used on any of the aquarium's inhabitants. As to the Chloroquine Phosphate and Cipro, I try not to use common "people" drugs on fish as I'd like to be able to take something (if need be) and have it remain effective without building up resistant strains in the aquarium. My hands are in the tank too often to risk superbugs.

I have in date Tricaine-S so I can always sedate him to get a perfect photo but I just took a video of him. I'm trying to figure out how to upload a video as it actually shows the spots better than still photos.

How is he eating? My thought on this,

I would leave him as long as he is active and behaving normal. Feed a fortified diet, black worms and selcon can’t hurt if you have access. Watch for scratching, breathing issues, flashing.

The other option is the concern it is ich and pull it. Down sides are stress it out more, cure it and it is still going back on DT unless you go fallow.

Lets see if @Big G can help.
 

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I definitely would not do sedition. Also don’t think it’s Lympho.

The pic you had was good and your diet is good. Any signs on any other fish? I would give it a day or 2 more if everything else is normal and it is only 2 spots. If there are any other signs that is different
 

Big G

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Time out for 30 days on these hard to view type fish.
If you are suspecting Lympho, add Beta Glucan to the food mix. It usually works really well on supporting a fish's immune system to the point where the presentation of the "condition" goes away. But as you know, Lympho is like the human herpes virus. Once you have it, you have it for life.
 
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B Lo

B Lo

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I'm definitely paranoid about diseases in the aquarium after having battled cirolanids and having eventually had to opt for the nuclear option. I won but it was a miserable experience. Now that I'm back up and running, I'm much more open to yanking all fish, medicating in a QT, and letting the main system go fallow for however long need be.

I have a second QT on order - another 20 gallon glass system. It can't hurt to have a second quarantine tank. In fact, I have some snails in a 5 gallon bucket I'm using as an extra QT at the moment. With this setup, I could have put them and any other inverts into their own 20 gallon system.

The two spots are still there but I don't see more or any change in position or size.

I definitely would not do sedition. Also don’t think it’s Lympho.

The pic you had was good and your diet is good. Any signs on any other fish? I would give it a day or 2 more if everything else is normal and it is only 2 spots. If there are any other signs that is different
 
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B Lo

B Lo

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As long as all infected fish disclose their condition before sleeping with other fish, I won't hold it against them. It's not my place to set terms on consensual relationships, following full disclosure, between adult fish.

Time out for 30 days on these hard to view type fish.
If you are suspecting Lympho, add Beta Glucan to the food mix. It usually works really well on supporting a fish's immune system to the point where the presentation of the "condition" goes away. But as you know, Lympho is like the human herpes virus. Once you have it, you have it for life.
 
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