Possible Parasite on Baby Blue Tang

[AquaScott]

Hello,

I’ve had this baby Blue Tang for about a week. A couple days ago I noticed this white spot right up by its dorsal fin on the left side. Does this look like a parasite? Is there a treatment for this particular parasite? I’m hoping the picture is good enough.

Thank you,

 

[Sharkbait19]

Was the fish quarantined beforehand?
Keep an eye on the spot. Tangs will sometimes have random mucus plugs.
That said, it could be ich, so be ready to treat if necessary.
#fishmedic

 

[threebuoys]

I agree with @Sharkbait19 that looks more like a mucus plug to me due to its size. But watch closely and be prepared to treat if more begin to appear.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

I’ve had this baby Blue Tang for about a week. A couple days ago I noticed this white spot right up by its dorsal fin on the left side. Does this look like a parasite? Is there a treatment for this particular parasite? I’m hoping the picture is good enough.

Thank you,

This is one to keep an erye on. Too large to be ich especially with one dot and may be Lymphocystis. Tomorrow if there are not a few dots, likely lympho which is viral and not parasitic and often triggered by poor water quality, diet or both.
The water quality could be that of the LFS and as long as you provide good water quality, should fall off by itself.

What foods do you intend to feed it?
How as fish acclimated and for how long?

 

[AquaScott]

This is one to keep an erye on. Too large to be ich especially with one dot and may be Lymphocystis. Tomorrow if there are not a few dots, likely lympho which is viral and not parasitic and often triggered by poor water quality, diet or both.
The water quality could be that of the LFS and as long as you provide good water quality, should fall off by itself.

What foods do you intend to feed it?
How as fish acclimated and for how long?

 

[AquaScott]

Thank you Vetteguy! I have been feeding mysis shrimp and Thera Plus A pellets. Fish was acclimated by floating bag 15 minutes, then adding about 1/2 cup tank water every 5 minutes to his/her bag, + draining some bag water after it got too full for about 30 minutes. ~45 minutes all together. I am currently working to improve water quality. New ro membrane and media have been central to that for over a month, used for water changes and top off and 2 part calc + Alk.

 

[AquaScott]

Was the fish quarantined beforehand?
Keep an eye on the spot. Tangs will sometimes have random mucus plugs.
That said, it could be ich, so be ready to treat if necessary.

Thank you Sharkbait19! I don’t, currently have a quarantine tank up and running. Up until last week all I had was one acro, one clownfish, and three blue/green chromis. Probably will need quarantine tank going forward.

I will keep an eye on it, as recommended. I have seen ich before and I think this is different. Fish seems okay, not bothered, not rubbing anything. It does look more like a plug than like salt crystals now that you mention “plug.” That made me think about how I would describe it and is probably the best description. That’s what made me think parasite. What is a mucus plug? Will it go away on its own?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you Vetteguy! I have been feeding mysis shrimp and Thera Plus A pellets. Fish was acclimated by floating bag 15 minutes, then adding about 1/2 cup tank water every 5 minutes to his/her bag, + draining some bag water after it got too full for about 30 minutes. ~45 minutes all together. I am currently working to improve water quality. New ro membrane and media have been central to that for over a month, used for water changes and top off and 2 part calc + Alk.

Acclimation should be flaying at least 20 minutes and pouring contents into clean container and adding water until salinity from bag matched salinity if tank
Alk. And ca- I assume you have voral?
For foods, add:
LRS herbivore diet
Small plankton
Spirulina brine shrimp
Hikari marine cuisine
Hikari veggie diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen

 

[threebuoys]

Mucus plugs will go away on their own. I had a convict tang with one that stayed around for 4 months.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Was the fish quarantined beforehand?
Keep an eye on the spot. Tangs will sometimes have random mucus plugs.
That said, it could be ich, so be ready to treat if necessary.

Thank you Sharkbait19! I don’t, currently have a quarantine tank up and running. Up until last week all I had was one acro, one clownfish, and three blue/green chromis. Probably will need quarantine tank going forward.

I will keep an eye on it, as recommended. I have seen ich before and I think this is different. Fish seems okay, not bothered, not rubbing anything. It does look more like a plug than like salt crystals now that you mention “plug.” That made me think about how I would describe it and is probably the best description. That’s what made me think parasite. What is a mucus plug? Will it go away on its own?

Mucus plugs are what it sounds like, a bit of extra mucus. It looks a lot like ich because the white spots you see on ich are the mucus. Often the plugs are due to some irritation, and it eventually goes away on its own.

 

[AquaScott]

I’m noticing a few spots now on the baby blue tang and a powder brown tang I put in on the same day, from the same lfs. If it is ich, I need medicine and set up a quarantine tank?

 

[threebuoys]

I’m noticing a few spots now on the baby blue tang and a powder brown tang I put in on the same day, from the same lfs. If it is ich, I need medicine and set up a quarantine tank?

Pictures would help to confirm diagnosis. If ich or velvet, QT with copper will be the way to go.

 

[AquaScott]

Hard to get that little blue tang to take a good photo. But, the spots on the powder brown are pretty visible, I think.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Disregard

 

[AquaScott]

Acclimation should be flaying at least 20 minutes and pouring contents into clean container and adding water until salinity from bag matched salinity if tank
Alk. And ca- I assume you have voral?
For foods, add:
LRS herbivore diet
Small plankton
Spirulina brine shrimp
Hikari marine cuisine
Hikari veggie diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen

Do I need all these fish foods?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hard to get that little blue tang to take a good photo. But, the spots on the powder brown are pretty visible, I think.

Pics fuzzy to tell on my phone. Please submit under white lighting

 

[threebuoys]

I would proceed with QT and copper treatment based on what I see in the new photos.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do I need all these fish foods?

No- these are options
LRS herbivore diet is best

 

[Sharkbait19]

I agree with @threebuoys
It does look like ich on the pbt, so treatment would be wise.

 

[AquaScott]

@Sharkbait19 @vetteguy53081 @threebuoys Okay, so I have a quarantine tank 29 gal. set up, filled up, not quite dialed in with thermometer, but I do have a heater with a thermostat. Thermometers are on the way. New filter on the way. Currently running HOB skimmer with a little bio media only and skimmer skimming. Filled the QT with half water from DT, half ro/di w/instant ocean. I got Rid Ich as this was the recommendation from lfs. Is Rid Ich an effective treatment? Probably should have grabbed copper too?
Based on reading some other posts, I was thinking it might be wise to leave infected fish in main tank and keep a close eye on them. I am under the impression that QT is stressful and may do more harm? The fish seem healthy. Still eating very well, no rubbing on the rocks or anything. The level of infection (outward signs) doesn’t appear to be worse today. I’d say about the same. Is this irrational, wishful thinking?