Ich/white spots on wrasse

[Bigfish6055]

Hi all. I am new to the hobby with my first tank that was set up October of 2024. Innovative Marine 25 gallon lagoon. Fully cycled the tank with two clowns. Added a starry blenny in November. I had no issues whatsoever until I added a line spot flasher wrasse on February 6th. On February 17th I noticed small white specs on the wrasse. I immediately went to my LFS that same day which happens to be WWC in Orlando. Which is also where I’ve purchased all of my fish and inverts and my one GSP frag. They recommended I caught the infection early and to start by treating with metroplex and focus in my frozen mysis shrimp as well as to slowly raise the tanks temperature to 82° from 78°. I did this and the spots seemed to go away for a while. However today, February 25, the spots have come back significantly. I have inspected both clowns and the blenny as close as I can and do not see any spots on any of them. I don’t have a QT set up at this time. All fish are acting as normal as I can tell and swimming and breathing fine and they are all eating great including the wrasse who will eat as much as I put into the tank. I am just not sure what else I should be doing to try to cure the disease.

The first three photos are the original infection. The next set of three is the current state of the wrasse.

I’m sorry I am new at this. Please let me know if there is any other information I should have included in this post and I will edit as soon as possible.

 

[Bigfish6055]

Here are some more pictures under intense white light to hopefully help with diagnosis. Thanks in advance.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all. I am new to the hobby with my first tank that was set up October of 2024. Innovative Marine 25 gallon lagoon. Fully cycled the tank with two clowns. Added a starry blenny in November. I had no issues whatsoever until I added a line spot flasher wrasse on February 6th. On February 17th I noticed small white specs on the wrasse. I immediately went to my LFS that same day which happens to be WWC in Orlando. Which is also where I’ve purchased all of my fish and inverts and my one GSP frag. They recommended I caught the infection early and to start by treating with metroplex and focus in my frozen mysis shrimp as well as to slowly raise the tanks temperature to 82° from 78°. I did this and the spots seemed to go away for a while. However today, February 25, the spots have come back significantly. I have inspected both clowns and the blenny as close as I can and do not see any spots on any of them. I don’t have a QT set up at this time. All fish are acting as normal as I can tell and swimming and breathing fine and they are all eating great including the wrasse who will eat as much as I put into the tank. I am just not sure what else I should be doing to try to cure the disease.

The first three photos are the original infection. The next set of three is the current state of the wrasse.

I’m sorry I am new at this. Please let me know if there is any other information I should have included in this post and I will edit as soon as possible.

Does indeed look lie ich and fish will have to be treated in a separate quarantine tank and treated with coppersafe at 2.15-2.25 range and monitored with a hanna brand copper test kit. Add an air stone to tank and also a deep bowl with some sand to keep fish comfy.
Can you post some pics under white light only - No blue for confirmation?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here are some more pictures under intense white light to hopefully help with diagnosis. Thanks in advance.

Ok- white light- Thank you

 

[Sharkbait19]

Metro and focus won’t do anything for ich - generally that will be better for certain bacterial or parasitic worm issues (and even then is rarely dosed properly). Raising the temperature also won’t help - it will only make the ich spread faster.
Like mentioned, copper treatment in qt for all fish will be the way to go to clear the infection.

 

[Bigfish6055]

Ok- white light- Thank you

I posted them I think at the same time you had posted your original reply lol. Thank you. I don’t have another tank currently to set up as a QT tank. I can go and get one first thing tomorrow morning. All it would really need is an air stone? How large of a tank do I need for this? 5-10 gallons? I have also heard that wrasse do not really handle copper well? Is that something I also need to be concerned about? What sort of bowl do recommend? Sorry for all the dumb questions.

 

[Bigfish6055]

Metro and focus won’t do anything for ich - generally that will be better for certain bacterial or parasitic worm issues (and even then is rarely dosed properly). Raising the temperature also won’t help - it will only make the ich spread faster.
Like mentioned, copper treatment in qt for all fish will be the way to go to clear the infection.

Should I stop dosing the metro and focus then and return the tank temperature to 78°?

 

[Bigfish6055]

Does indeed look lie ich and fish will have to be treated in a separate quarantine tank and treated with coppersafe at 2.15-2.25 range and monitored with a hanna brand copper test kit. Add an air stone to tank and also a deep bowl with some sand to keep fish comfy.
Can you post some pics under white light only - No blue for confirmation?

How long do I have him quarantined? Will I need to be water changing or dosing copper regularly or testing for the rest of the water parameters? Does it need to be a cycled tank?

 

[vetteguy53081]

How long do I have him quarantined? Will I need to be water changing or dosing copper regularly or testing for the rest of the water parameters? Does it need to be a cycled tank?

Ooops- will be for a 30 day period and monitor water and change as needed. You can start with fresh seawater but adding a seeded sponge will be of help.
When changing water, as an example if copper is 2.21, mix new water at 2.21

 

[vetteguy53081]

I posted them I think at the same time you had posted your original reply lol. Thank you. I don’t have another tank currently to set up as a QT tank. I can go and get one first thing tomorrow morning. All it would really need is an air stone? How large of a tank do I need for this? 5-10 gallons? I have also heard that wrasse do not really handle copper well? Is that something I also need to be concerned about? What sort of bowl do recommend? Sorry for all the dumb questions.

Air stone is an addition,. You can use a power filter but remove carbon from cartridge. A plastic or glass bowl is safe to use and the 2.15 level iss a safe range. Other option to coppersafe is chloroquine phosphate but must be used precisely.

 

[Tcook]

Your lagoon tank will need to run fallow for 45/60 days depending on temp. This wrasse does not sleep in sand so no need gor nowl

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Should I stop dosing the metro and focus then and return the tank temperature to 78°?

I agree with the others, this looks like ich.

Yes, stop dosing that, unless you calculate the dose properly (1% by weight) it won’t be effective. And then, oral metro isn’t very effective against external protozoans. Keep the water at 78 to 79 degrees.

 

[Bigfish6055]

Ooops- will be for a 30 day period and monitor water and change as needed. You can start with fresh seawater but adding a seeded sponge will be of help.
When changing water, as an example if copper is 2.21, mix new water at 2.21

Where would I get a seeded sponge? Do I need to be quarantining all four fish or just the wrasse? Would you recommend pulling out all the fish to leave my DT empty for an 80 day period? Would a 10 gallon tank be enough? Do you recommend the 100% water changes or just change as needed?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Where would I get a seeded sponge? Do I need to be quarantining all four fish or just the wrasse? Would you recommend pulling out all the fish to leave my DT empty for an 80 day period? Would a 10 gallon tank be enough? Do you recommend the 100% water changes or just change as needed?

Treat all as they have been exposed to ich and often a fellow reefer and even LFS will have one to sell or part with

 

[Bigfish6055]

Treat all as they have been exposed to ich and often a fellow reefer and even LFS will have one to sell or part with

Ok great thank you. Do I feed as normal or reduced? Or switch to a pellet of some kind? Are the fish fine to stay in the copper quarantine tank for the full 80 days so I can be sure my DT is free of ich? Will ich host in the invertebrates or coral to survive?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok great thank you. Do I feed as normal or reduced? Or switch to a pellet of some kind? Are the fish fine to stay in the copper quarantine tank for the full 80 days so I can be sure my DT is free of ich? Will ich host in the invertebrates or coral to survive?

6-8 weeks is sufficient and feed as normal but slightly smaller portions to keep ammonia potential down

 

[dwest]

Ok great thank you. Do I feed as normal or reduced? Or switch to a pellet of some kind? Are the fish fine to stay in the copper quarantine tank for the full 80 days so I can be sure my DT is free of ich? Will ich host in the invertebrates or coral to survive?

I would do this (but start on day #2). After flukes treatment, just observe until DT fallow period is over.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/

 

[Sharkbait19]

Ok great thank you. Do I feed as normal or reduced? Or switch to a pellet of some kind? Are the fish fine to stay in the copper quarantine tank for the full 80 days so I can be sure my DT is free of ich? Will ich host in the invertebrates or coral to survive?

Ich can only survive and reproduce with a fish host - inverts can’t be infected. Continue feeding as normal.
After 30 days, you can do a water change to bring copper levels down.
For media in the qt, anything from the dt filter would work.