Ich? Something else?

[northernreefin]

Hello y’all, purchased a tomini tang 9 days ago and stuck in observation tank along with a chromis. In store I thought the white spots were sand stirred up getting caught, but I have noticed they haven’t disappeared. Store has a good quarantine process for 2+ weeks in copper for all non copper sensitive fish. Some spots just look like light spots on the fish, but at least one looks like a grain of sand/salt and hasn’t disappeared in 9 days. Uncertain for sure if all the others were there at start though at least 3 were. Nothing on fins. Fish is healthy, no flashing or odd behavior except hides when I walk by, and it and the chromis are eating. No signs on the chromis. Think I should nuke with copper power or just wait and see for another week? Picture is unfortunately impossible just have to take my word all spots are size of a grain of salt and one looks actually like a grain of salt on him.

 

[ScottF]

I'm far from an expert, but I am under the impression that most stores that keep fish in copper don't maintain therapeutic levels of copper. They just put a little copper in the water to help prevent outbreaks. Not enough to actually treat the fish for ich or velvet.

You will probably need to post a picture to get an answer to your question.

 

[northernreefin]

I'm far from an expert, but I am under the impression that most stores that keep fish in copper don't maintain therapeutic levels of copper. They just put a little copper in the water to help prevent outbreaks. Not enough to actually treat the fish for ich or velvet.

You will probably need to post a picture to get an answer to your question.

Appreciate it. Definitely unable to get a picture worth a darn, plus being the size of a grain of salt doesn’t help. Looking more for opinions on proceeding and opinions.

 

[jmcdona6]

Appreciate it. Definitely unable to get a picture worth a darn, plus being the size of a grain of salt doesn’t help. Looking more for opinions on proceeding and opinions.

Probably Ich. Probably best to just go ahead and do a copper regimen since you already have it in QT. Same with the Chromis since it's been exposed.

Its the safe thing to do but up to you. No one here is going to be able to tell you different without good photos.

Also echo the other guy. Doubt your LFS actually QTs properly for two weeks. Kudos if they do...but not likely.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello y’all, purchased a tomini tang 9 days ago and stuck in observation tank along with a chromis. In store I thought the white spots were sand stirred up getting caught, but I have noticed they haven’t disappeared. Store has a good quarantine process for 2+ weeks in copper for all non copper sensitive fish. Some spots just look like light spots on the fish, but at least one looks like a grain of sand/salt and hasn’t disappeared in 9 days. Uncertain for sure if all the others were there at start though at least 3 were. Nothing on fins. Fish is healthy, no flashing or odd behavior except hides when I walk by, and it and the chromis are eating. No signs on the chromis. Think I should nuke with copper power or just wait and see for another week? Picture is unfortunately impossible just have to take my word all spots are size of a grain of salt and one looks actually like a grain of salt on him.

Pics would help to identify but this is the reason for quarantine especially with tangs. Treat fish in a separate tank using coppersafe at 2.25ppm for a full 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored with a Hanna Brand copper test kit. 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]

Hello y’all, purchased a tomini tang 9 days ago and stuck in observation tank along with a chromis. In store I thought the white spots were sand stirred up getting caught, but I have noticed they haven’t disappeared. Store has a good quarantine process for 2+ weeks in copper for all non copper sensitive fish. Some spots just look like light spots on the fish, but at least one looks like a grain of sand/salt and hasn’t disappeared in 9 days. Uncertain for sure if all the others were there at start though at least 3 were. Nothing on fins. Fish is healthy, no flashing or odd behavior except hides when I walk by, and it and the chromis are eating. No signs on the chromis. Think I should nuke with copper power or just wait and see for another week? Picture is unfortunately impossible just have to take my word all spots are size of a grain of salt and one looks actually like a grain of salt on him.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

We really need a clear video under white lights to help you diagnose this.

Spots that are in the same spot on a fish for 9 days are not ich. Because of the life cycle, the stage that lives on the fish drops off to reproduce after 3 days or so. This results in spots that change location and change in numbers, with a general trend of increasing over time. White spots on the clear portion of fins and the eyes are diagnostic for ich.

 

[northernreefin]

Probably Ich. Probably best to just go ahead and do a copper regimen since you already have it in QT. Same with the Chromis since it's been exposed.

Its the safe thing to do but up to you. No one here is going to be able to tell you different without good photos.

Also echo the other guy. Doubt your LFS actually QTs properly for two weeks. Kudos if they do...but not likely.

Absolutely certain they do QT for 2 weeks in Cu. I haven’t tested but I trust them, that said accidents happen

Pics would help to identify but this is the reason for quarantine especially with tangs. Treat fish in a separate tank using coppersafe at 2.25ppm for a full 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored with a Hanna Brand copper test kit. 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.

I think you missed that the fish are in an observation tank (QT), not display. Good advice if they weren’t.

 

[northernreefin]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

We really need a clear video under white lights to help you diagnose this.

Spots that are in the same spot on a fish for 9 days are not ich. Because of the life cycle, the stage that lives on the fish drops off to reproduce after 3 days or so. This results in spots that change location and change in numbers, with a general trend of increasing over time. White spots on the clear portion of fins and the eyes are diagnostic for ich.

This is why I have been hesitant to dump copper in there. Looks like Ich, but doesn’t behave like Ich.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Absolutely certain they do QT for 2 weeks in Cu. I haven’t tested but I trust them, that said accidents happen

I think you missed that the fish are in an observation tank (QT), not display. Good advice if they weren’t.

You will find many outlets running at 1.5ppm which is not enough and 2 weeks often too short. We really need a video and/or pics under bright white light intensity to clearly identify as I suspect you may have mucus cones which these fish obtain from skin irritation

 

[jmcdona6]

You will find many outlets running at 1.5ppm which is not enough and 2 weeks often too short. We really need a video and/or pics under bright white light intensity to clearly identify as I suspect you may have mucus cones which these fish obtain from skin irritation

Not only that, but even if they used the right levels...bio security. Do they have the facilities to keep treated and untreated fish separately without cross contamination? Do they batch the fish properly not to add new fish before the older fish finish the QT process? Do they QT EVERY fish? Did they completely sanitize or fallow their sales system in the beginning? So many questions.

@northernreefin not trying to be negative but it's really resource intensive (read: costly) to mass QT the right way. It's very rare that a LFS is meeting the mark required to be considered effective QT. Usually it's a separate operation with much higher price tags attached.