Please help me diagnose powder blue

[PranK]

Hi All,

Pic is below. Can't believe she let me take a photo, this is probably the best I've ever been able to get!

She shares the tank with a few other fish, theres been similar spots on a rabbit and 2 other tangs but to a far lesser degree and they all seem fine now. The spots are ten fold worse today than yesterday and we initially noticed spots on her fins about 2 weeks ago.

I have been trerating with Polyp Lab Medic but I'm just not convinced it is ich/white spot. The fluffyness of the white on her fins makes me think its fungal or Lymphocystis.

She's not scratching or really behaving any differently. Swims fine, happy to relax, eating well. No behavioural changes.

I introduced a UV steriliser when I thought it was white spot. Maybe it will still help with whatever it is.

Thanks so much in advance!

Christian

EDIT: See below for pic

 

[PranK]

Better, zoomed in pic

 

[HotRocks]

Severe ich + velvet possibly.

Do you have a QT?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

 

[PranK]

Severe ich + velvet possibly.

Do you have a QT?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-cryptocaryon-irritans.191226/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

I could set one up quite easily. It would be a nightmare to catch her.

If it is ich and velvet, both of them can be treated with Medic (https://www.polyplab.com/products/medic). I have increased the dose on it in the past 2 days. Also the UV should help also, right?

I'm a bit perplexed by the outbreak. The fish are all fat and healthy.

 

[HotRocks]

I could set one up quite easily. It would be a nightmare to catch her.

If it is ich and velvet, both of them can be treated with Medic (https://www.polyplab.com/products/medic). I have increased the dose on it in the past 2 days. Also the UV should help also, right?

I'm a bit perplexed by the outbreak. The fish are all fat and healthy.

Personally I would move all fish to a QT and treat with copper.

I wouldn't run UV with any meds.

Uv may help control it post meds. Being you have an acanthurus tang though it would be best to treat all fish with copper in QT and allow DT to be fallow for 76 days.

 

[4FordFamily]

Looking at the fins I think I see flukes as well. I’d start this journey with a freshwater dip in a dark bucket. If little sesame seed looking things drop off, I’d do a Prazi dip, treat in copper, then treat in Prazi again 6 days apart.

 

[PranK]

Ok, thanks guys.

To remove all the fish will take forever and even catching her will be hard. I'll wait till lights out and see if I can scoop her up as she sleeps.

I have a anemone tank which is plumbed into the same sump as the DT, so I'll turn the return pump off on that tank and pop the nems in the sump while I treat her.

I am travelling internationally in 4 weeks! :( Hopefully this is under control by then.

Thanks again.

 

[PranK]

The bad news is that the blue didn't make it. It's broken my heart and I feel I did the right things.

I dosed the tank with Polyp Lab Medic as well as Prazi. The powder Blue was still the only fish to exhibit symptoms.

I caught her and put her in another tank and did 2 freshwater dips 3 days apart. She seemed to bounce back fine after each one. But she died about 18h after the second one.

I had noticed her faster gulping over the last few days and she was pretty uninterested in food also.

She was looking so good towards the end with minimal blemishes and good colour.

About 12h after recovering her body (I had to hide her from the kids) I went to discard her and I noticed these white crystals on her. Was hoping somebody could tell me what they are?

I've done a big water change and reinstated carbon and UV along with my skimmer. Fingers crossed I don't have whatever it was anymore.

Thanks in advance guys, I guess I should consider myself lucky that this was my first run in with these issues in 15 years of keeping salt water fish.

 

[60CubeReefer]

That pic looks like ich or velvet. If it is either one of those, ALL of your other fish in the tank also have it.

 

[PranK]

That pic looks like ich or velvet. If it is either one of those, ALL of your other fish in the tank also have it.

The tank has just had a 20 day treatment of polyp Lab Medic. Dosed per the container. I see no sign on my other fish.

 

[Reefahholic]

100% not velvet based on the pictures and the description you gave about the fishes behavior. Doesn't look like ICH either.

If I had to guess, I would say fungal or bacterial infection with possible flukes.

 

[60CubeReefer]

The tank has just had a 20 day treatment of polyp Lab Medic. Dosed per the container. I see no sign on my other fish.

There are only 2 known cures for ich/velvet-- tank transfer method or copper. Polyp Lab Medic will NOT cure your tank of ich.

 

[PranK]

100% not velvet based on the pictures and the description you gave about the fishes behavior. Doesn't look like ICH either.

If I had to guess, I would say fungal or bacterial infection with possible flukes.

Bacterial would explain why only she got sick, right? She responded really well to the FW dips. From what I've read, thats a good sign of flukes if they all come off (which they did).

There are only 2 known cures for ich/velvet-- tank transfer method or copper. Polyp Lab Medic will NOT cure your tank of ich.

Well, I'm not convinced its either of those. Unless I see symptoms on any other fish I'm just going to leave it now.

 

[Reefahholic]

There are only 2 known cures for ich/velvet-- tank transfer method or copper. Polyp Lab Medic will NOT cure your tank of ich.

Chloroquine Phosphate and Hypo-salinity have also been effective. Although I wouldn't trust Hypo because there are some strains that may be resistant to it.

For ich...Copper and TTM combined are the best combination on planet earth. :)

 

[Reefahholic]

Bacterial would explain why only she got sick, right? She responded really well to the FW dips. From what I've read, thats a good sign of flukes if they all come off (which they did).



Well, I'm not convinced its either of those. Unless I see symptoms on any other fish I'm just going to leave it now.

Me either....I'm going with Fungal infection 1st...possible bacterial infection second. It looks more like a Fungal infection though.

 

[HotRocks]

Chloroquine Phosphate and Hypo-salinity have also been effective. Although I wouldn't trust Hypo because there are some strains that may be resistant to it.

For ich...Copper and TTM combined are the best combination on planet earth. :)

I agree. Certain fish fair better in CP. For the most part chelated copper with a Hanna checker is the way to go!

 

[Reefahholic]

I agree. Certain fish fair better in CP. For the most part chelated copper with a Hanna checker is the way to go!

Agree 100%.

Theoretically...if you examine the life cycles of both ICH and Velvet you'll note that ICH can stay on a fish for about 3-7 days max. Velvet's entire life cycle is typically over within 4 days. Although the dinospores can infect fish for up to about 15 days IN NON-THERAPEUTIC CONDITIONS. So if the fish are in therapeutic conditions, and you transfer and dip the fish twice....it's highly likely that after the second transfer...you've already eliminated both. But don't stop there...seal the deal even more and get a few more transfers and dips in.

This is why for me....I've went to a "hybrid method." Not only do I tank transfer for both ICH and Velvet...but I'm also running therapeutic copper levels at the same time...with multiple dips as needed in FW or Acriflavine just prior to a transfer. We know tank transfer will only work on ICH. However, if TTM is used with Velvet, you will drastically reduce numbers and drastically increase your success rate.

Remeber...if you have accurate THERAPEUTIC LEVELS....the parasite or dinoflagellate cannot land on or seek out a fish host.

Think of it like this...if you are injected with a skeletal muscle relaxant like succinylchline....you will absolutely not be able to move. It will basically paralyze you. Real THRAPEUTIC LEVELS of copper will indeed have the same affect on parasites like ICH or dinoflagellates like Velvet.

I've been sitting at 100% success rate with this method for a long time now with the two mentioned above.