Hyper-Melanization and Ich?

[dudluk]

I just started my first marine tank around two months ago. I have 2 fish: black molly and citron goby, no corals.

Last time I checked parameters it was ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10-20, temp 25-26C, salinity: 1.022


I had molly for over a month and I added goby around 10 days ago. The next day I noticed two things that worried me:

1. On the second day after adding goby to the tank (so about week ago) I noticed a dark spot at his bottom. I can't tell if he was like this when I put him into the tank or not. That's the best photos I managed to take today:

Not sure if relevant, but when I zoom I can see lots of tiny dark spots on his skin, you can't see it with naked eye. Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a good close up photo of the dark spot, so not sure if it's the same thing:

That's how it looked on the day I noticed it:

Is this Hyper-Melanization? I asked the guy from LFS what it is and he said he wouldn't worry about it, but didn't tell me what it is. But I do worry, hence the question


2. While I was observing him I noticed another thing. Small white spots. Again, I can't tell if he was like this when I put him into the tank or not.

I noticed it on the on the same day or a day after I noticed as the black patch tank (so about a week ago). I went away after day or two, but now I can see them again.

Is it marine ich, lymphocytes or something else?



Below some videos where you can see the black patch and also small white spots on his fins:

Video 1 (week ago):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1vl5_DdymPeZMaVQ?e=T3NBFB

Video 2 (week ago):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1uFnDttdO2nXpuLg?e=vH1FhN

Video 3 (today - it's more stressed after I was trying to take a good photo of him for a while):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1wGAspiQrXiwSl6g?e=fw5cH2

It's my first fish so I can't tell if he is acting normal or not. I didn't noticed anything too worrying. It is a bit scared sometimes and swims away as soon as I come closer, but sometimes doesn't seem to be bothered at all. Maybe a bit of heavy breathing a bit heavy especially after feeding, but I can't tell if it's normal or not. I didn't noticed any rubbing against rock. It eats ok, sometimes spits out some food, but I assumed he just didin't liked it.

It's my first post so applogize if it's too little or too much info or I forgot about something.

Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just started my first marine tank around two months ago. I have 2 fish: black molly and citron goby, no corals.

Last time I checked parameters it was ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10-20, temp 25-26C, salinity: 1.022


I had molly for over a month and I added goby around 10 days ago. The next day I noticed two things that worried me:

1. On the second day after adding goby to the tank (so about week ago) I noticed a dark spot at his bottom. I can't tell if he was like this when I put him into the tank or not. That's the best photos I managed to take today:

Not sure if relevant, but when I zoom I can see lots of tiny dark spots on his skin, you can't see it with naked eye. Unfortunately I didn't manage to take a good close up photo of the dark spot, so not sure if it's the same thing:

That's how it looked on the day I noticed it:

Is this Hyper-Melanization? I asked the guy from LFS what it is and he said he wouldn't worry about it, but didn't tell me what it is. But I do worry, hence the question


2. While I was observing him I noticed another thing. Small white spots. Again, I can't tell if he was like this when I put him into the tank or not.

I noticed it on the on the same day or a day after I noticed as the black patch tank (so about a week ago). I went away after day or two, but now I can see them again.

Is it marine ich, lymphocytes or something else?



Below some videos where you can see the black patch and also small white spots on his fins:

Video 1 (week ago):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1vl5_DdymPeZMaVQ?e=T3NBFB

Video 2 (week ago):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1uFnDttdO2nXpuLg?e=vH1FhN

Video 3 (today - it's more stressed after I was trying to take a good photo of him for a while):

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1wGAspiQrXiwSl6g?e=fw5cH2

It's my first fish so I can't tell if he is acting normal or not. I didn't noticed anything too worrying. It is a bit scared sometimes and swims away as soon as I come closer, but sometimes doesn't seem to be bothered at all. Maybe a bit of heavy breathing a bit heavy especially after feeding, but I can't tell if it's normal or not. I didn't noticed any rubbing against rock. It eats ok, sometimes spits out some food, but I assumed he just didin't liked it.

It's my first post so applogize if it's too little or too much info or I forgot about something.

Thanks

This may be a sting but can also be the onset of rectal prolapse but thats a maybe as its not extended. The fins looks more like lymphocystis which is a viral condition than a disease. Ich will move and relocate each 24 hors and the body does not appear to have the same dots. Often Lympho (for short) is caused by poor water quality, poor diet or both)
Poor water quality can be from the store where you made purchase or elevated ammonia and nitrate in your tank. With proper husbandry, it will fall off.
The marks at anal area, you can safely add ruby rally pro or for more effectiveness treat in a separate setting using seachem neoplex with added aeration and again maintain good water quality

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Without corals in the tank, I don't think it is any sort of a sting, but I can't tell you why there are those dark spots. However, the white spots on the fin are almost assuredly ich, and will need to be treated.

 

[dudluk]

Thank you both for the answers.

What would be the bast way to check if it's Ich or Lympho? Do I need to observe the fish and check if spots are moving or is there a more reliable way to check it?

From what I read getting rid of Ich from the tank is quite a mission so I'm thinking I should make sure first if it's 100% ich before progressing.

One thing I noticed is that one of the white spots on top of his head floats almost freely, like it's barely attached to the fish, not sure if that would help to id what it is.

Here's the video:

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1xMTdjEjYMEEa6TA?e=fod4IU

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you both for the answers.

What would be the bast way to check if it's Ich or Lympho? Do I need to observe the fish and check if spots are moving or is there a more reliable way to check it?

From what I read getting rid of Ich from the tank is quite a mission so I'm thinking I should make sure first if it's 100% ich before progressing.

One thing I noticed is that one of the white spots on top of his head floats almost freely, like it's barely attached to the fish, not sure if that would help to id what it is.

Here's the video:

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsUPrr5SEeP_hJ1xMTdjEjYMEEa6TA?e=fod4IU

This does not look like Lymphocystis at all. It is either one of three things: ich, mucus plugs or microsporidians. The last one can't be treated. No real way to tell them apart except with a microscope, so the general rule is to go with the most common diagnosis - ich.

What you can do is to begin preparing for an ich treatment, but then carefully watch the exact location of the spots on the fish - if the spots come and go and change location, then it is ich. If the same spots are in the same location after three days, it isn't ich.

 

[dudluk]

Thank you Jay for the explanation.

I noticed that spots are moving so I assume it is unfortunately Ich. I moved both my fish to QT and started slowly lowering salinity preparing for Hyposalinity.

When I was moving my Goby I took a photo from a different angle, it looks like the spots got bigger, he looks much worse than yesterday.

I also managed to take a close up photo of the black spot yesterday: