Help with a Powder Brown Tang diagnosis

[djandy]

Upgraded my mixed reef tank back in November. Have had all my fish for 1 1/2 - 2 years. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a few white spots on my Powder brown tang. Installed a 25 watt Aqua Ultraviolet UV and soaked all food in garlic power, vitachem, selcon. After a couple days I noticed some spots popping up on my other fish as well… Tomini Tang, pair of black storm clowns (only visible on one), coral beauty, and a starry blenny. All fish were eating normal but definite decrease in PB tang eating. After a few more days there were only a few spots left on the tomini tang and coral beauty. The PB tang started hiding between the rocks and not coming out and basically stopped eating. At the end of last week the starry blenny died. The PB tang started coming out of the rocks again, but he looks like the photos now. He will pick at a few food pieces passing by but that’s about it. He mostly swims just above the sand and hovers a lot in the same spot. He does not appear to be breathing heavy and I do not see him scratching on anything although he appears to have some scratches on the one side. The tomini tang and coral beauty are eating, swimming normally, both still have a couple spots on them. There are still spots on the one clown but they look like a bunch of tiny spots. They are both swimming and eating normally. All corals, urchin, snails, and hermits are fine.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Upgraded my mixed reef tank back in November. Have had all my fish for 1 1/2 - 2 years. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a few white spots on my Powder brown tang. Installed a 25 watt Aqua Ultraviolet UV and soaked all food in garlic power, vitachem, selcon. After a couple days I noticed some spots popping up on my other fish as well… Tomini Tang, pair of black storm clowns (only visible on one), coral beauty, and a starry blenny. All fish were eating normal but definite decrease in PB tang eating. After a few more days there were only a few spots left on the tomini tang and coral beauty. The PB tang started hiding between the rocks and not coming out and basically stopped eating. At the end of last week the starry blenny died. The PB tang started coming out of the rocks again, but he looks like the photos now. He will pick at a few food pieces passing by but that’s about it. He mostly swims just above the sand and hovers a lot in the same spot. He does not appear to be breathing heavy and I do not see him scratching on anything although he appears to have some scratches on the one side. The tomini tang and coral beauty are eating, swimming normally, both still have a couple spots on them. There are still spots on the one clown but they look like a bunch of tiny spots. They are both swimming and eating normally. All corals, urchin, snails, and hermits are fine.

Garlic wont stop this and UV will only address what passes through the unit and not erase this from fish which looks to be velvet. Velvet affects the gills and will cause fish to stop eating and breath heavier as well as cloudy eyes and swimming in path of low, This fish and all others will need immediate treatment in a separate tank using coppersafe at treatment level 2.25 for a full 30 day period, no less and monitored with a hanna brand copper test kit and added aeration using air stone.
Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off and with occupants exposed, they too should go into quarantine
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a tank from a second hand store or a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Upgraded my mixed reef tank back in November. Have had all my fish for 1 1/2 - 2 years. About 2 weeks ago I noticed a few white spots on my Powder brown tang. Installed a 25 watt Aqua Ultraviolet UV and soaked all food in garlic power, vitachem, selcon. After a couple days I noticed some spots popping up on my other fish as well… Tomini Tang, pair of black storm clowns (only visible on one), coral beauty, and a starry blenny. All fish were eating normal but definite decrease in PB tang eating. After a few more days there were only a few spots left on the tomini tang and coral beauty. The PB tang started hiding between the rocks and not coming out and basically stopped eating. At the end of last week the starry blenny died. The PB tang started coming out of the rocks again, but he looks like the photos now. He will pick at a few food pieces passing by but that’s about it. He mostly swims just above the sand and hovers a lot in the same spot. He does not appear to be breathing heavy and I do not see him scratching on anything although he appears to have some scratches on the one side. The tomini tang and coral beauty are eating, swimming normally, both still have a couple spots on them. There are still spots on the one clown but they look like a bunch of tiny spots. They are both swimming and eating normally. All corals, urchin, snails, and hermits are fine.

This is a long term ich infection. As mentioned, you are going to need to treat all of the fish in a treatment tank away from invertebrates. Coppersafe would be your best option, followed by hyposalinity. I should point out that once fish begin to die from ich, it is difficult to stop the infection in time to keep additional fish from dying.