Mucus Plug on purple tang?

[kayli72701]

Hello, so this is my first post here as I generally am able to find the information either already posted on here or elsewhere so I apologize if I don’t give enough info right away. I have a 150gal saltwater and all my other fish are fine except for my purple tang. She has these plug looking things sticking out of her side and I have never in all my years keeping saltwater fish experienced or heard of what ‘mucus plugs’ are (photo posted). A few showed up about two days ago and I thought she might have scratched herself on a rock or something and it was just skin hanging off but it’s definitely not since more have shown up. Now I did have to treat the tank a week ago for a fungal/bacterial infection that my baby blue tang had (since I couldnt catch her for QT) as she had scratched her eye and gotten a fungal infection but only she had it and it cleared up two days ago. I haven’t heard of mucus plugs before this and have found no good information for treatment or if it’s even a thing. So what is this if not ich? What would you treat for?

 

[McCarrick]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello, so this is my first post here as I generally am able to find the information either already posted on here or elsewhere so I apologize if I don’t give enough info right away. I have a 150gal saltwater and all my other fish are fine except for my purple tang. She has these plug looking things sticking out of her side and I have never in all my years keeping saltwater fish experienced or heard of what ‘mucus plugs’ are (photo posted). A few showed up about two days ago and I thought she might have scratched herself on a rock or something and it was just skin hanging off but it’s definitely not since more have shown up. Now I did have to treat the tank a week ago for a fungal/bacterial infection that my baby blue tang had (since I couldnt catch her for QT) as she had scratched her eye and gotten a fungal infection but only she had it and it cleared up two days ago. I haven’t heard of mucus plugs before this and have found no good information for treatment or if it’s even a thing. So what is this if not ich? What would you treat for?

Hi, yes, some tangs produce mucus out of pores in their skin during times of stress - sort of like this playdoh factories. The trouble is, one of the stresses that can cause these is ich itself.

I can see some smaller spots on the tang that could be ich. How long have you had this fish and when was the last fish added to the tank?

Jay

 

[kayli72701]

Hi, yes, done tangs produce mucus out of pores in their skin during times of stress - sort of like this playdoh factories. The trouble is, one of the stresses that can cause these is ich itself.

I can see some smaller spots on the tang that could be ich. How long have you had this fish and when was the last fish added to the tank?

Jay

So I’ve had her for about 7 months now and the last fish that was added was about a month ago. I have my own business selling corals and moved her from my shop to my personal tank a month ago as well so she could have gotten ich from the stress of moving too? That would be my best guess if they can produce mucus plugs at any time when they are under stress (like ich) and that is what the protruding things are. The plugs should naturally disappear once the ich is gone correct?

 

[kayli72701]

So I’ve had her for about 7 months now and the last fish that was added was about a month ago. I have my own business selling corals and moved her from my shop to my personal tank a month ago as well so she could have gotten ich from the stress of moving too? That would be my best guess if they can produce mucus plugs at any time when they are under stress (like ich) and that is what the protruding things are. The plugs should naturally disappear once the ich is gone correct?

The other fish including the one added a month ago still show no signs of ich or plugs themselves. All are eating and acting normal as well.

Kayli

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So I’ve had her for about 7 months now and the last fish that was added was about a month ago. I have my own business selling corals and moved her from my shop to my personal tank a month ago as well so she could have gotten ich from the stress of moving too? That would be my best guess if they can produce mucus plugs at any time when they are under stress (like ich) and that is what the protruding things are. The plugs should naturally disappear once the ich is gone correct?

Yes - once the stress is removed, the mucus plugs will go away. However, if there is ich, that needs to be treated. Watch for tiny spots that come and go and change location every few days, that is more likely to be ich. the large protruding spots are the mucus plugs.

Jay