Purple Tang HELP!

mitchmiller · Feb 16, 2023

Recently bought a purple tang roughy 2.5”/3 from the LFS on January 21st. Got it home and put it straight into my QT tank.
20 gallon
Sponge filter
Heater
PVC pipe.
2 bio spheres and some ruble. (cycled)
The tried and tested usual…
On January 23rd I saw signs of ick. I began treating CP slowly raising it up over 3 days to 2.5 ppm. The tang slowly came around and 3 days later on January 26th I had no signs of ick. Great!!

Then approximately 5/6 days later the tang starts showing signs of velvet with uncountable white spots. So..
A full tank water change and a fresh water dip for 5 mins then again 48 hours later.
The tang then starts to look better swimming and eating great.
No real signs of stress. Still alittle shy. a few week pass no signs or symptoms.

Now all of sudden we are back with ick like spots!

50% water changes have been continuously done every 3/4 days. With a steady 2.5 ppm on copper power. Parameters have been stable.

Can anybody help me out? Am I missing something here? Any advice on what I can do or add?

Been in the hobby for 6+ years. But new member to reef

vetteguy53081 · Feb 16, 2023

mitchmiller said:
Recently bought a purple tang roughy 2.5”/3 from the LFS on January 21st. Got it home and put it straight into my QT tank.
20 gallon
Sponge filter
Heater
PVC pipe.
2 bio spheres and some ruble. (cycled)
The tried and tested usual…
On January 23rd I saw signs of ick. I began treating CP slowly raising it up over 3 days to 2.5 ppm. The tang slowly came around and 3 days later on January 26th I had no signs of ick. Great!!

Then approximately 5/6 days later the tang starts showing signs of velvet with uncountable white spots. So..
A full tank water change and a fresh water dip for 5 mins then again 48 hours later.
The tang then starts to look better swimming and eating great.
No real signs of stress. Still alittle shy. a few week pass no signs or symptoms.

Now all of sudden we are back with ick like spots!

50% water changes have been continuously done every 3/4 days. With a steady 2.5 ppm on copper power. Parameters have been stable.

Can anybody help me out? Am I missing something here? Any advice on what I can do or add?

Been in the hobby for 6+ years. But new member to reef

Please provide a pic or two under white lighting. A couple of issues I see is the process of ramping up copper which is not helpful to treatment as therapeutic level must be reached in 24 ,up to 36 hours. You will need to reset the treatment regimen and follow as below.
Some signs of velvet IF. . velvet are:
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Rapid, labored breathing
- Fins clamped against the body
- rapid breathing

Fish with velvet will typically stay at the surface of the water, or remain in a position where a steady flow of water is present in the aquarium. As the disease progresses outwards from the gills, the cysts then become visible on the fins and body. Although these cysts may appear as tiny white dots the size of a grain of salt, like the first sign of Saltwater Ich or White Spot Disease, what sets Oodinium apart from other types of ich is that at this point the fish have the appearance of being coated with what looks like a whitish or tan to golden colored, velvet-like film, thus the name Velvet Disease.
Remove fish from main tank and give them a FW dip or bath and then place them into a QT with vigorous aeration provided. Treat the fish in the QT with a copper-based medication. Although many over-the-counter remedies contain the general name as ich or ick treatments, carefully read the box to be sure it is specifically designed to target Oodinium. My choice is coppersafe or copper power at 2.25-2.5 therapeutic level at 80 degrees for a FULL 30 days monitored by a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna Brand (no api brand ). Assure the medication you use states treats Oodinum

Jay Hemdal · Feb 16, 2023

mitchmiller said:
Recently bought a purple tang roughy 2.5”/3 from the LFS on January 21st. Got it home and put it straight into my QT tank.
20 gallon
Sponge filter
Heater
PVC pipe.
2 bio spheres and some ruble. (cycled)
The tried and tested usual…
On January 23rd I saw signs of ick. I began treating CP slowly raising it up over 3 days to 2.5 ppm. The tang slowly came around and 3 days later on January 26th I had no signs of ick. Great!!

Then approximately 5/6 days later the tang starts showing signs of velvet with uncountable white spots. So..
A full tank water change and a fresh water dip for 5 mins then again 48 hours later.
The tang then starts to look better swimming and eating great.
No real signs of stress. Still alittle shy. a few week pass no signs or symptoms.

Now all of sudden we are back with ick like spots!

50% water changes have been continuously done every 3/4 days. With a steady 2.5 ppm on copper power. Parameters have been stable.

Can anybody help me out? Am I missing something here? Any advice on what I can do or add?

Been in the hobby for 6+ years. But new member to reef

I wonder if this velvet, sounds more like an ich relapse to me. Velvet’s primary, and sometimes only symptom is very rapid breathing.
Can you post a video of the fish?
Jay

vetteguy53081 · Feb 16, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
I wonder if this velvet, sounds more like an ich relapse to me. Velvet’s primary, and sometimes only symptom is very rapid breathing.
Can you post a video of the fish?
Jay

Im thinking same.

mitchmiller · Feb 16, 2023

Hey guys thanks for the reply’s! I’ll get a video and photos first thing once I get the lights on!

mitchmiller · Feb 17, 2023

Tried my best in the time frame to get good photos. Had to feed to get him out and about. Still very shy. I’ll try get some clearer pictures again tonight. Spots are not any worse or better today. Tang is acting normal just shy. Normal breathing.

To add on. The spots look like the first round of spots after first purchasing the fish. Roughly 6-10 each side (Assuming ick)
the second round was heavily covered smaller spots. Uncountable (Assuming velvet)
This seems to be similar to the first round of spots that accrued. Right side has 6-10 spots ,left side is 4-6 spots.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 17, 2023

mitchmiller said:
Tried my best in the time frame to get good photos. Had to feed to get him out and about. Still very shy. I’ll try get some clearer pictures again tonight. Spots are not any worse or better today. Tang is acting normal just shy. Normal breathing.

To add on. The spots look like the first round of spots after first purchasing the fish. Roughly 6-10 each side (Assuming ick)
the second round was heavily covered smaller spots. Uncountable (Assuming velvet)
This seems to be similar to the first round of spots that accrued. Right side has 6-10 spots ,left side is 4-6 spots.

Based on size of dots, this appears to be ich.
Place fish in Quarantine tank and treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

adittam · Feb 17, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
Based on size of dots, this appears to be ich.
Place fish in Quarantine tank and treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank may have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off
A quarantine tank can be as simple as a starter kit from Walmart which most of the needed essentials.

I know you're copying and pasting your ich treatment paragraph for efficiency, since you get a dozen of these threads every day, but the fish has never been in his DT. Take a look at the OP again.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 17, 2023

adittam said:
I know you're copying and pasting your ich treatment paragraph for efficiency, since you get a dozen of these threads every day, but the fish has never been in his DT. Take a look at the OP again.

I caught that and changed likely as you were typing.

mitchmiller · Feb 20, 2023

Update. I raised the temperature in the Tank to 80 two days ago. The white spots have now increased drastically. Copper level has been at 2.5ppm for three weeks.
Tang is breathing normal, eating great and swimming fine.
Is this Ich still?
Any suggestions would be amazing!