Royal Gamma ich?

[jpvot3]

Been out of town for 2 days, just got back and during feeding I noticed that my royal gamma wasn’t eating. Normally he’s a pig. Upon further inspection I noticed some small white dots on his tail and he was itching (rubbing on rocks).
Tank is 2.5 months old and he is the first fish I got for the tank. Noticed he started making a den under one of the rocks about 4/5 days ago. Only recent change is I added a flame hawkfish.
I don’t have a QT tank, it’s acting normal otherwise, still being territorial with my blue throat wrasse.
Any suggestions on what to do are greatly appreciated, want to nip this before it becomes anything more serious. Tank currently has just fish, snails, and hermit crabs.

 

[Tahoe61]

Just to get started please look at the link.
Any images under white lighting are appreciated.
Reaching out to @fishmedic

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/fish-disease-index-pictorial-guide.199/

 

[Subsea]

Been out of town for 2 days, just got back and during feeding I noticed that my royal gamma wasn’t eating. Normally he’s a pig. Upon further inspection I noticed some small white dots on his tail and he was itching (rubbing on rocks).
Tank is 2.5 months old and he is the first fish I got for the tank. Noticed he started making a den under one of the rocks about 4/5 days ago. Only recent change is I added a flame hawkfish.
I don’t have a QT tank, it’s acting normal otherwise, still being territorial with my blue throat wrasse.
Any suggestions on what to do are greatly appreciated, want to nip this before it becomes anything more serious. Tank currently has just fish, snails, and hermit crabs.

It’s already serious. Did all fish come from the same vendor? If it’s your LFS, let them know so they can nip it in the bud.

Keep tank parameters stable, feed high quality food and reduce stress. Provide numerous hiding places.

Please take a full tank shot with white light. Then get a picture of fish with white dots using white light.

How was this tank cycled and what are the present parameters?

 

[James CNM]

Recent thread,

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/royal-gramma-looks-sick-but-not-sure.1174981/#post-14595465

 

[Fish Fan]

Been out of town for 2 days, just got back and during feeding I noticed that my royal gamma wasn’t eating. Normally he’s a pig. Upon further inspection I noticed some small white dots on his tail and he was itching (rubbing on rocks).
Tank is 2.5 months old and he is the first fish I got for the tank. Noticed he started making a den under one of the rocks about 4/5 days ago. Only recent change is I added a flame hawkfish.
I don’t have a QT tank, it’s acting normal otherwise, still being territorial with my blue throat wrasse.
Any suggestions on what to do are greatly appreciated, want to nip this before it becomes anything more serious. Tank currently has just fish, snails, and hermit crabs.

Dots on the tail sounds like Ich, but could you take a couple of clear pictures or even a short video to confirm? Please use the whitest lights you have turning off all your bue lights for clarity. For videos, it's best if possible to first upload the video to YouTube and then link it back here. That way, all R2R members will be able to view your video. Some members have issues with videos uploaded directly to R2R.

 

[jpvot3]

It’s already serious. Did all fish come from the same vendor? If it’s your LFS, let them know so they can nip it in the bud.

Keep tank parameters stable, feed high quality food and reduce stress. Provide numerous hiding places.

Please take a full tank shot with white light. Then get a picture of fish with white dots using white light.

How was this tank cycled and what are the present parameters?

All fish came from the same vendor. Been feeding frozen mysis shrimp. Tank was cycled for 3 weeks with ocean water. I live in west palm beach and got clean clear water from the ocean. Tank parameters are nitrates 0-10ppm nitrites 0-1 ppm and ammonia 0. I only have test strips right now.
Good thing is he is eating today. Looks like less spots on his tail, but his tail is torn up today when it was fine last night.

 

[jpvot3]

It’s already serious. Did all fish come from the same vendor? If it’s your LFS, let them know so they can nip it in the bud.

Keep tank parameters stable, feed high quality food and reduce stress. Provide numerous hiding places.

Please take a full tank shot with white light. Then get a picture of fish with white dots using white light.

How was this tank cycled and what are the present parameters?

Tank was cycled for 3 weeks and I used ocean water. I live in west palm beach so I got clean clear water from out in the ocean. All fish have come from the same vendor. Parameters nitrates 0-10 ppm nitrite 0-1 ppm and ammonia 0. All I have are the test strips to test the water right now.

Good news is he is eating today. And it seems like most of the dots on his tail are gone, but his tail is now a little torn up when last night it had no damage.

 

[jpvot3]

Dots on the tail sounds like Ich, but could you take a couple of clear pictures or even a short video to confirm? Please use the whitest lights you have turning off all your bue lights for clarity. For videos, it's best if possible to first upload the video to YouTube and then link it back here. That way, all R2R members will be able to view your video. Some members have issues with videos uploaded directly to R2R.

I tried posting a video I’m not sure if it worked

 

[Fish Fan]

I was able to view your video. The fish looks a bit thin, and its tail fin is badly beaten up. Are there other fish in the tank with this fish?

I do believe I see a couple of spots on the tail that may be Ich.

Let's see if the #fishmedic team can take a look for you. Would you be able to post a YouTube version of your video? Some people have a hard time with videos uploaded directly to R2R.

 

[jpvot3]

I was able to view your video. The fish looks a bit thin, and its tail fin is badly badly beaten up. Are there other fish in the tank with this fish?

I do believe I see a couple of spots on the tail that may be Ich.

Let's see if the #fishmedic team can take a look for you. Would you be able to post a YouTube version of your video? Some people have a hard time with videos uploaded directly to R2R.

Yes there’s a small clownfish, blue throat wrasse, and flame hawkfish in the tank with it. I also have an arrow head crab, blue leg hermits, and trochus? Snails
I don’t have a YouTube account and have never posted on there but I will look into it!

 

[Fish Fan]

I think you have some aggression issues going on here for sure, and possibly some spots that may be Ich. You may need to separate that fish, and if it's Ich, then all the fish should be treated.

Could you post some pics under white light? See if you can focus on the fins where Ich often shows.

 

[jpvot3]

I think you have some aggression issues going on here for sure, and possibly some spots that may be Ich. You may need to separate that fish, and if it's Ich, then all the fish should be treated.

Could you post some pics under white light? See if you can focus on the fins where Ich often shows.

You think it’s the flame hawkfish? This happened after I added it. The clownfish is super small less than 1” and the wrasse keeps to itself, if anything I usually see the royal chasing the wrasse.

I’ll try and get some better pics and post them.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

You think it’s the flame hawkfish? This happened after I added it. The clownfish is super small less than 1” and the wrasse keeps to itself, if anything I usually see the royal chasing the wrasse.

I’ll try and get some better pics and post them.

Thanks for all the help!

The tail erosion on the gramma can really only be tankmate aggression - tough to say who, but the flame hawk could be the culprit. That said, clownfish often start to squable, even when they had been living well together for some time.

A side note, the previous symptom of not eating isn't one seen with flukes OR ich, until VERY late in the infection. Now that it's eating again, it may be that there was some aggression, but that it is beginning to sort itself out....

 

[jpvot3]

The tail erosion on the gramma can really only be tankmate aggression - tough to say who, but the flame hawk could be the culprit. That said, clownfish often start to squable, even when they had been living well together for some time.

A side note, the previous symptom of not eating isn't one seen with flukes OR ich, until VERY late in the infection. Now that it's eating again, it may be that there was some aggression, but that it is beginning to sort itself out....

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!
Ya the royal and the clownfish were put in the tank together and have been buddies since, also the royal is about double the size of the clown. So if anything I think it’s the flame hawkfish.
Royal seems to be doing better, I don’t have a QT tank as an option right now. I could separate it into the sump but that’s still part of the system.
Do you guys recommend any of these reef safe treatments for the tank? Seems like the most viable solution at the moment.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!
Ya the royal and the clownfish were put in the tank together and have been buddies since, also the royal is about double the size of the clown. So if anything I think it’s the flame hawkfish.
Royal seems to be doing better, I don’t have a QT tank as an option right now. I could separate it into the sump but that’s still part of the system.
Do you guys recommend any of these reef safe treatments for the tank? Seems like the most viable solution at the moment.

There really are NO reef safe ich medications that actually work for active ich infections, it’s all marketing hype.

Sometimes, light cases of ich can be “managed” and part of that process can be carefully dosing with peroxides.

 

[Uncle99]

Hope everyone had a happy Halloween!
Ya the royal and the clownfish were put in the tank together and have been buddies since, also the royal is about double the size of the clown. So if anything I think it’s the flame hawkfish.
Royal seems to be doing better, I don’t have a QT tank as an option right now. I could separate it into the sump but that’s still part of the system.
Do you guys recommend any of these reef safe treatments for the tank? Seems like the most viable solution at the moment.

What are hoping to treat?
Except for the nipped tail on the RG, which is not overly bad, I can’t see anything wrong.
Sure, the RG and the Hawk. I have these two together as well, years no issue.

Perhaps it was just a small argument which is finished. Even with the same group years, once in while, someone gets rude, but, it’s usually just one moment in time, triggered by something I’ll never know.

If it’s “reef safe” likely not effective much, but great in lowering your bank account.

I’d just keep an eye on the group, parameters rock solid and stable, let everything settle unless you see spots, in the pic I can’t.

I’ve only been successful in solving ick with copper based product in isolation 30 days, and a fallow tank at 60 days.

 

[jpvot3]

There really are NO reef safe ich medications that actually work for active ich infections, it’s all marketing hype.

Sometimes, light cases of ich can be “managed” and part of that process can be carefully dosing with peroxides.

dang ok good to know. Thank you!

 

[jpvot3]

What are hoping to treat?
Except for the nipped tail on the RG, which is not overly bad, I can’t see anything wrong.
Sure, the RG and the Hawk. I have these two together as well, years no issue.

Perhaps it was just a small argument which is finished. Even with the same group years, once in while, someone gets rude, but, it’s usually just one moment in time, triggered by something I’ll never know.

If it’s “reef safe” likely not effective much, but great in lowering your bank account.

I’d just keep an eye on the group, parameters rock solid and stable, let everything settle unless you see spots, in the pic I can’t.

I’ve only been successful in solving ick with copper based product in isolation 30 days, and a fallow tank at 60 days.

Ya looks like I might have to invest in a QT tank.
Ya he is already looking better, I just wanted to try and take care of it before it became an issue with all the fish in the tank. There’s like maybe 2 tiny white spots on its tail but it’s hard to tell.
Would it be possible that it’s scratching itself on the rocks when it goes into its den?
Thanks for all the help it’s greatly appreciated!

 

[Uncle99]

Ya looks like I might have to invest in a QT tank.
Ya he is already looking better, I just wanted to try and take care of it before it became an issue with all the fish in the tank. There’s like maybe 2 tiny white spots on its tail but it’s hard to tell.
Would it be possible that it’s scratching itself on the rocks when it goes into its den?
Thanks for all the help it’s greatly appreciated!

I’ve seen a couple of dots on my fish here and there, that were just sand.

in the pic, I really don’t see any ick, looks clean and acting normal.

RG is famous for flashing a rock as a territorial display to others, as well as jaw dropping.

A fish might also scratch a rock to relieve itself of a parasite, no way to no for sure.

I few weeks ago my 5 year old RG stopped eating He looked a little beaten. I thought he was going to die. 5 days later, back out looks great, feeding as normal. What’s that?

My theory is that when we are not around, two fish get into a squabble. Then the loser needs several days to recover. Of course, just a thinking.

In the past, I’d jump to conclusions quickly, and proceed to make everything unstable and in the end worse.

These days I take my time to diagnos accurately and follow only the tried and true methods for resolution.

I wish I could be more help, but I don’t see ick visually or in his behaviour.

 

[jpvot3]

I’ve seen a couple of dots on my fish here and there, that were just sand.

in the pic, I really don’t see any ick, looks clean and acting normal.

RG is famous for flashing a rock as a territorial display to others, as well as jaw dropping.

A fish might also scratch a rock to relieve itself of a parasite, no way to no for sure.

I few weeks ago my 5 year old RG stopped eating He looked a little beaten. I thought he was going to die. 5 days later, back out looks great, feeding as normal. What’s that?

My theory is that when we are not around, two fish get into a squabble. Then the loser needs several days to recover. Of course, just a thinking.

I wish I could be more help, but I don’t see ick visually or in his behaviour.

Ya this theory sounds likely honestly. Cause he almost seems a little scratched up like he got in a “fight” I’ll keep monitoring him and hopefully it continues to improve.
Thank you for the help!