Powder blue tang erratic and flashing

[Logan’s Reef]

I have this pbt which has been in qt for 4 months with my blue tang and some wrasses. The fish have all been through a lot the past few months with parasites. I have treated with copper power at 2.25 ppm for 30 days. I also just completed 1 dose of prazi pro which lasted 48 hours. The powder blue tang had been scratching the past few days and has a few raised bumps which look like the powder blue tang photo I attached. However, mine has less bumps. Both tangs struggled with mucus plugs which went away with pristine water conditions. The blue tang doesn’t have these bumps but most fish in qt are breathing pretty fast. They have been breathing fast for a few weeks or more so I am not sure if it’s just stress or maybe flukes. If someone can help that would be great!

 

[bluemon]

As a side note, is there a reason your tang was in QT for four months? And in full strength copper for 30 days?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have this pbt which has been in qt for 4 months with my blue tang and some wrasses. The fish have all been through a lot the past few months with parasites. I have treated with copper power at 2.25 ppm for 30 days. I also just completed 1 dose of prazi pro which lasted 48 hours. The powder blue tang had been scratching the past few days and has a few raised bumps which look like the powder blue tang photo I attached. However, mine has less bumps. Both tangs struggled with mucus plugs which went away with pristine water conditions. The blue tang doesn’t have these bumps but most fish in qt are breathing pretty fast. They have been breathing fast for a few weeks or more so I am not sure if it’s just stress or maybe flukes. If someone can help that would be great!

You may have been looking at skin irritations all along and quarantining unnecessarily. Prazi should last 7-8 days , not 48 hrs as it takes 48 hours for it to start to take effect. The raised bumps are mucus cones which it will often get and alone, good water quality will keep it in check and coppersafe or copper power will treat it as often it may be mixed in with ich.
Heavy breathing can be flukes but you will see also sudden darting, itching, loss of appetite and inflamed gills as examples. Heavy breathing also due to high temp/low oxygen, and velvet which is a gill disease

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have this pbt which has been in qt for 4 months with my blue tang and some wrasses. The fish have all been through a lot the past few months with parasites. I have treated with copper power at 2.25 ppm for 30 days. I also just completed 1 dose of prazi pro which lasted 48 hours. The powder blue tang had been scratching the past few days and has a few raised bumps which look like the powder blue tang photo I attached. However, mine has less bumps. Both tangs struggled with mucus plugs which went away with pristine water conditions. The blue tang doesn’t have these bumps but most fish in qt are breathing pretty fast. They have been breathing fast for a few weeks or more so I am not sure if it’s just stress or maybe flukes. If someone can help that would be great!

First, be sure the tank has good aeration - not just circulation, you need to have bubbles breaking the surface tension of the water in the tank - if nothing else, that will help with the rapid breathing symptoms.

Did you see ANY relief after the first prazi dose? Prazi is only active for a day or so, and then it degrades. If fish have flukes, they may show greater symptoms for a few days after the first dose, as the flukes fall off and leave open wounds in the skin and gills.

 

[Logan’s Reef]

First, be sure the tank has good aeration - not just circulation, you need to have bubbles breaking the surface tension of the water in the tank - if nothing else, that will help with the rapid breathing symptoms.

Did you see ANY relief after the first prazi dose? Prazi is only active for a day or so, and then it degrades. If fish have flukes, they may show greater symptoms for a few days after the first dose, as the flukes fall off and leave open wounds in the skin and gills.

I did not see much relief after.

 

[Logan’s Reef]

As a side note, is there a reason your tang was in QT for four months? And in full strength copper for 30 days?

They are in qt for around 4 months because I had to treat a few parasites which they were struggling with. My copper was pretty much full maybe being lower for like 2 hours during a water chsnge

 

[Reefering1]

Have you considered observing them, in un medicated/ clean saltwater, for a few weeks? 4 months sounds like a long and stressful time...

 

[Logan’s Reef]

You may have been looking at skin irritations all along and quarantining unnecessarily. Prazi should last 7-8 days , not 48 hrs as it takes 48 hours for it to start to take effect. The raised bumps are mucus cones which it will often get and alone, good water quality will keep it in check and coppersafe or copper power will treat it as often it may be mixed in with ich.
Heavy breathing can be flukes but you will see also sudden darting, itching, loss of appetite and inflamed gills as examples. Heavy breathing also due to high temp/low oxygen, and velvet which is a gill disease

He doesn’t seem to be eating as much so I think it may be flukes. Can u recommend something for me to do next. Should I redose prazi for like 5 more daysb

 

[Logan’s Reef]

Have you considered observing them, in un medicated/ clean saltwater, for a few weeks? 4 months sounds like a long and stressful time...

Yes I have

 

[christinna77]

As a side note, is there a reason your tang was in QT for four months? And in full strength copper for 30 days?

They are in qt for around 4 months because I had to treat a few parasites which they were struggling with. My copper was pretty much full maybe being lower for like 2 hours during a water chsnge

Not an expert, but doesn't that mean you'd have to restart the timer each time it dropped below 2.0 ppm? Since theronts could potentially attach to the fish in that time.

 

[vetteguy53081]

He doesn’t seem to be eating as much so I think it may be flukes. Can u recommend something for me to do next. Should I redose prazi for like 5 more daysb

To be safe , dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval lasting for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

 

[Logan’s Reef]

Yes I have

To be safe , dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval lasting for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite. If running a skimmer, leave cup off first 24 hrs as skimmer will go nuts from the glycol solution in Prazi

Hi everyone, I have a photo of my powder blue tang. The raised bumps seem to be whiteish but I don’t think this is ich because it has had these I think for a few weeks without an outbreak.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi everyone, I have a photo of my powder blue tang. The raised bumps seem to be whiteish but I don’t think this is ich because it has had these I think for a few weeks without an outbreak.

As mentioned - mucus cones likely from irritation and may be mixed with ich

 

[Logan’s Reef]

As mentioned - mucus cones likely from irritation and may be mixed with ich

Ok thanks does it not look like flukes. However it is not itching in this area maybe there are more of these spots on other areas.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok thanks does it not look like flukes. However it is not itching in this area maybe there are more of these spots on other areas.

No and flukes are Raely seen with the naked eye

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

They are in qt for around 4 months because I had to treat a few parasites which they were struggling with. My copper was pretty much full maybe being lower for like 2 hours during a water chsnge

I’ve kept fish in coppersafe that long with no issues, I presume copper power would be the same.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I did not see much relief after.

Read the first post in this thread to ensure you are dosing prazi correctly. You will likely need three doses.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-praziquantel-pzq.1105700/

 

[Logan’s Reef]

Read the first post in this thread to ensure you are dosing prazi correctly. You will likely need three doses.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-praziquantel-pzq.1105700/

Guys an update today is that it seems like those spots are like peeling away like it’s flesh or something. They look more like cones. It’s condition seems to be worsening and now there are spots on the other side as well. They don’t look like the flesh ones tho

 

[Logan’s Reef]

Guys an update today is that it seems like those spots are like peeling away like it’s flesh or something. They look more like cones. It’s condition seems to be worsening and now there are spots on the other side as well. They don’t look like the flesh ones tho

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Your last post was blank, did you mean to add more info?

This could well be mucus cones/plugs, something a few fish, including tangs, show as a reaction to stress. The stress can be previous or active disease, water quality issues, even tankmate aggression. In some cases, the cause isn’t clear. If the fish isn’t showing any other symptoms, then I would just watch it for now.