Purple Tang white string and on gills

[hugopenn]

I have this purple tang that burdens me. He’s new so I want to help him. Jay already helped me with the swim issue but it might be more now. He had a string of white poop almost as long as him. That fell off and watching him, I think he has some ****e stuff coming from gills. My gut says to treat. I’m unsure how to get him out safely. I have a jug of reef rally and a tiny jar of prazipro and metronidazole.

Is this poop? If no, do we know what it is? How to treat? How serious (ie, stay up late establishing a qt and move him)?

 

[hugopenn]

 

[hugopenn]

 

[hugopenn]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[Fish Fan]

I'm sorry about your issue here! I'm sure that Jay and the rest of the R2R fish medic guys will be along shortly to help you.

Good luck!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Purple tang has odd swim pattern but cannot clearly see fish in pics which are a little fuzzy

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

What foods are you feeding it? Can you get it to take more plant material (nori) or frozen brine shrimp? The idea is to flush to intestines out a bit faster to reduce the mucus and in turn, reduce any parasites that might be present (specifically a protozoan called Hexamita).

If you're not seeing scratching/flashing, I wouldn't dose the prazi, that only works for external parasites.

I think one side effect of the negative buoyancy is that the fish must swim fast to stay in the water column. That then causes "glass surfing" and expending a lot more energy than it normally would.

 

[MnFish1]

If you've seen the poop (and its the poop like the one in your last picture) more than once - I would wonder if part of your initial problem is/was air in the GI tract - or constipation which caused your abnormal swelling and now large amounts of poop are coming out.

What exactly are you seeing on the gills? I don't see that in the picture. Are other fish affected? Is he breathing quickly?

As far as treatment. I would try diet changes - I would be more concerned with any gill issue than the 'poop' - at this point.

One comment - if you ask a question about a fish - its helpful to keep questions about that fish in the same thread - only because the whole history, etc is there and its much easier to help with all of the information. For example - I don't know the details of the swimming issue. I can also not see your video.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

If you've seen the poop (and its the poop like the one in your last picture) more than once - I would wonder if part of your initial problem is/was air in the GI tract - or constipation which caused your abnormal swelling and now large amounts of poop are coming out.

What exactly are you seeing on the gills? I don't see that in the picture. Are other fish affected? Is he breathing quickly?

As far as treatment. I would try diet changes - I would be more concerned with any gill issue than the 'poop' - at this point.

One comment - if you ask a question about a fish - its helpful to keep questions about that fish in the same thread - only because the whole history, etc is there and its much easier to help with all of the information. For example - I don't know the details of the swimming issue. I can also not see your video.

That sounds plausible, but I think the buoyancy issue with this fish was negative, not positive like gas in the GI tract would cause.

 

[MnFish1]

That sounds plausible, but I think the buoyancy issue with this fish was negative, not positive like gas in the GI tract would cause.

Thanks - I didn't remember the initial post.

 

[hugopenn]

Yes, sorry. I had inadvertently sent the initial question in a DM.

The other fill has nothing. What medicine would treat internal parasites? I had read somewhere deep in the interwebs that a parasite or bacterial infection could be causing the deflated bladder or float issue.

 

[MnFish1]

Yes, sorry. I had inadvertently sent the initial question in a DM.

The other fill has nothing. What medicine would treat internal parasites? I had read somewhere deep in the interwebs that a parasite or bacterial infection could be causing the deflated bladder or float issue.

I'm not sure what I'm looking at can you get a better picture? I know its a hassle - but its important to see what's really going on

 

[hugopenn]

 

[hugopenn]

Near impossible to get a clear picture. Here’s an attempted video. The white part behind his right gill appears to be flappy. I can’t catch him or I’d try to pull it off. I dosed prazipro a few days ago. Have not added anything else since then. Did a water change first.