Please help- PT has 1 large white spot in gill (Not Ich)

[Aliciasch]

Hi, all help appreciated!
My Purple tang has been in my tank for about 3 months now, and has been very healthy. I had to treat him for Ich when I brought him home but he did great and has always had a healthy appetite.

Last night I noticed he was breathing rapidly. I also noticed he has a white spot coming out of his right gill. Its large so i know it's not ich. It almost looks furry, but i can't tell for sure because he was hiding in the dark last night when i noticed. His color on his body is still wonderful, and no frayed fins... but his mouth area is looking like it's losing color (turning white, especially his lips).

Parameters are all good in water, and he doesn't seem stressed and still eating. All other fish look fine. He's a healthy tang and so i know he can fight through this but I need to know what it is and how to help him. I love this fish so much. please help.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Hi, all help appreciated!
My Purple tang has been in my tank for about 3 months now, and has been very healthy. I had to treat him for Ich when I brought him home but he did great and has always had a healthy appetite.

Last night I noticed he was breathing rapidly. I also noticed he has a white spot coming out of his right gill. Its large so i know it's not ich. It almost looks furry, but i can't tell for sure because he was hiding in the dark last night when i noticed. His color on his body is still wonderful, and no frayed fins... but his mouth area is looking like it's losing color (turning white, especially his lips).

Parameters are all good in water, and he doesn't seem stressed and still eating. All other fish look fine. He's a healthy tang and so i know he can fight through this but I need to know what it is and how to help him. I love this fish so much. please help.

A picture will help tremendously

 

[Aliciasch]

A picture will help tremendously

I will try to get one this afternoon. Unfortunately with him hiding in the dark and me needing to get to work i didn't have time.

I will get one!

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I will try to get one this afternoon. Unfortunately with him hiding in the dark and me needing to get to work i didn't have time.

I will get one!

That will help with a diagnosis and welcome to R2R!!!!

 

[Aliciasch]

Was able to get a pic. Also noticed some twitching and his waste is white

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Can you get another pic? The dried water drip on the tank is just over what you want us to see I think.

 

[Aliciasch]

New pic of Thanos

 

[Aliciasch]

Also good to mention is idk if all his waste is white but he did let out a white puff of something.... Slime or similar, when I saw him

 

[Aliciasch]

UPDATE: so I had done a FW dip with no changes. He did fine in the dip but still has his spot. After the dip he had a little energy...He ate a little but not as much a usual. I decided to go to sleep and perhaps I would find out in the morning.
When I woke up and turned on the tank, I saw a bristle worm running across the rock. I have had another tank with bristle worms and i HATE the creatures (they've killed a ton of fish in my first tank before i realized what they were). Sooooo, that being said, my new theory is that Thanos got pricked by this worm (which i think was a baby worm).... and i know when they get bitten they develop a slime over the injured part.
Can anyone else confirm this is a possibility? Would it explain his sluggishness, scratching, breathing? If so, will he be ok if i get rid of the worms???

 

[Manthanol]

UPDATE: so I had done a FW dip with no changes. He did fine in the dip but still has his spot. After the dip he had a little energy...He ate a little but not as much a usual. I decided to go to sleep and perhaps I would find out in the morning.
When I woke up and turned on the tank, I saw a bristle worm running across the rock. I have had another tank with bristle worms and i HATE the creatures (they've killed a ton of fish in my first tank before i realized what they were). Sooooo, that being said, my new theory is that Thanos got pricked by this worm (which i think was a baby worm).... and i know when they get bitten they develop a slime over the injured part.
Can anyone else confirm this is a possibility? Would it explain his sluggishness, scratching, breathing? If so, will he be ok if i get rid of the worms???

Have you made a positive ID of the worm? Bristle worms are harmless akin to earthworms and help the CUC. It is possible if it is a fire worm, it can sting you and your fish and some can even eat corals but not likely if it is a common bristle worm. There are many websites helpful with ID and DYI traps.

 

[Aliciasch]

Fire worms are a type of bristle worm from my knowledge. Bristle worms come in a few types, I know that much from a friend who has had tanks for a few years. Some are beneficial but those that are not can cause issues. Some are carnivorous.

From what i know, a white worm is safe, red is not (which is a fire worm but also a type of bristle worm). The one in my tank is definitely red/orange.

I've had this issue a few times but in the past it's killed any fish it's hurt, so I'm seeing if there's a way in general to treat for the bite?

 

[Halal Hotdog]

So right off the bat it looks like thanos has HLLE. Do you run a lot of carbon? What do you feed and how often? A dramatic change in appetite is definitely concerning.

 

[Manthanol]

Fire worms are a type of bristle worm from my knowledge. Bristle worms come in a few types, I know that much from a friend who has had tanks for a few years. Some are beneficial but those that are not can cause issues. Some are carnivorous.

From what i know, a white worm is safe, red is not (which is a fire worm but also a type of bristle worm). The one in my tank is definitely red/orange.

I've had this issue a few times but in the past it's killed any fish it's hurt, so I'm seeing if there's a way in general to treat for the bite?

Yes you are right, fireworm is a type of bristleworm and there are over 10,000 different species out there. I meant the common bristleworms that are grayish or pinkish and usually small in size. Anything else I would try to trap it. I don't know of any Tx for the sting, if the lesion is not increasing in size you can monitor and let it run its course, treat if you observe any secondary infection.

 

[Aliciasch]

So right off the bat it looks like thanos has HLLE. Do you run a lot of carbon? What do you feed and how often? A dramatic change in appetite is definitely concerning.

Thanks for letting me know, I wasn't aware this was an issue as he's had this line since i bought him.
I do run carbon, and have been meaning to take some out, I guess this would be a good time for that.
I feed frozen brine/misis mix and he always has algae in the tank. Usually he can eat it in a couple days but lately he's left it and i've had to throw it out.

 

[Aliciasch]

So right off the bat it looks like thanos has HLLE. Do you run a lot of carbon? What do you feed and how often? A dramatic change in appetite is definitely concerning.

any thoughts of how to fix the HLLE other than removing some carbon?

 

[Aliciasch]

Yes you are right, fireworm is a type of bristleworm and there are over 10,000 different species out there. I meant the common bristleworms that are grayish or pinkish and usually small in size. Anything else I would try to trap it. I don't know of any Tx for the sting, if the lesion is not increasing in size you can monitor and let it run its course, treat if you observe any secondary infection.

Thank you. I will keep an eye on him. Just worried as he's been so sluggish.

 

[scuzy]

Have you dipped him for flukes?

 

[Aliciasch]

Have you dipped him for flukes?

Yes, negative for flukes/ich. Nothing came off in the dip

 

[Halal Hotdog]

any thoughts of how to fix the HLLE other than removing some carbon?

HLLE typically treated with a varied balance diet and pristine water. Dipping food in Selcon seems to help. Some people have accounted carbon use to HLLE, definitely not black and white. I would take it off just in case. Is there aggression from other fish in the tank? How big is the tank?

 

[Aliciasch]

HLLE typically treated with a varied balance diet and pristine water. Dipping food in Selcon seems to help. Some people have accounted carbon use to HLLE, definitely not black and white. I would take it off just in case. Is there aggression from other fish in the tank? How big is the tank?

Just clowns, dragonets, couple angels. It's a 150 . no aggression at all.
Would you recommend removing most or all carbon?
I feel he does have a balanced diet with both the frozen food and algae, though if you recommend more i will try. I am going to get Selcon, seems like it will help all the fish.