Purple tang ich or something else?

[Mrcote1]

So 13 days ago I posted about my purple tang that had ich and velvet I suspect due to the insane amount of dots of all different sizes on him. He is in a 20 gallon QT and I started copper immediately. So he has been in 2ppm of copper for 11 days (took 2 days to ramp up the copper) and his HLLE is getting worse. I feed nori all day and also once or twice a day feed selcon soaked mysis. He went through a round of furan-2 and kanaplex at the onset of the outbreak and he went through 2 rounds of prazi prior to that. But even after 11 days of 2ppm of copper power he still has the white dots. But they are not perfect dots, some are not perfectly round and still all different sizes. What should be my next course of action? I need to get him in my DT as soon as possible to help the HLLE

Thank you!

 

[Mrcote1]

Also will his colors come back? He looks more grey than purple and has been that way since I got him. Purple tangs are normally gorgeous but this one has been a mess and I hope I can nurse it back

 

[HotRocks]

This either has to be bacterial or flukes. If it were my fish. I would do a 5 min FW dip and see if any of that dislodges. If so, then I would wait to treat with prazi until copper treatment is finished. If not I would start antibiotics and continue for 10-14 days.

 

[HotRocks]

Also HLLE is common in zebrasoma tangs and copper. Add zoecon to food it will help.

Do you have a second QT you can move this fish to in 2 more days (14 day therapeutic mark)?

 

[Mrcote1]

I've already done 2 rounds of prazipro and a full treatment of furan 2, kanaplex and metroplex. All food is soaked in selcon as well. I do not have a 2nd QT but I have plenty of 5 gallon buckets. He is only like an inch long so id think a 5 gallon would be sufficient for 2 days at a time

 

[Mrcote1]

So do a freshwater dip and transfer to a clean 5 gallon bucket in 2 more days (the 14 day mark)?

then perhaps do Meds and prazipro again while in the 5 gallon bucket?

 

[HotRocks]

5 min FW dip, then back to copper tank for 2 more days.

I'd never recommend using a bucket on a tang for a couple days. They are fish that like a lot of real estate.

Let us know how the dip goes.

Such things do exist:
Prazi Resistant flukes.

Also antibiotics used in conjunction with copper won't always clear up an infection 100%. Copper supresses the immune system. So sometimes they will only control an infection or prevent from worsening.

If nothing comes off in dip. I would run a full 10 days of antibiotics post copper.

 

[Mrcote1]

I don't have another aquarium to transfer to so doesn't that mean I need to do a full 30 days of copper?

 

[HotRocks]

I don't have another aquarium to transfer to so doesn't that mean I need to do a full 30 days of copper?

Yes, if using a single tank you need 30 days. Even a Rubbermaid tote that holds 10-20 gallons would work for a short time. I would just avoid buckets.

 

[Mrcote1]

Yes, if using a single tank you need 30 days. Even a Rubbermaid tote that holds 10-20 gallons would work for a short time. I would just avoid buckets.

I would go get a 10 gallon tub but I didn't put a filter sponge in my DT to get bacteria so that would just create ammonia issues. Have you ever done a paragard dip? I have it but never used it. I also have acriflavine

 

[Mrcote1]

Okay did the FW dip and now the tang is in acriflavine for a 60 minute bath. These little dots in it look like pieces of salt... are these flukes or ich falling off?
Finally able to get decent pictures as well since it wasn't moving around