Scopa Tang Spots

CamKole · Jul 24, 2021

Hi,

I bought this fish about two months ago from my LFS. Their protocol with new fish is QT with copper for 14 days. When we brought it home, a month later we found it lying on the bottom of the tank gasping for air and white spots all over it.
We immediately moved it to our QT tank where a few other fish were just about to start their 3 day copper ramp up period. Once the tang was in QT for a few days he started to recover. Then he started eating and swimming after a week. The 14 day copper regiment is over and we want to start transitioning them into regular non treated water. I’ve noticed over the last few days he has developed some brown spots. The other fish all look perfectly healthy and yes eating and swimming like normal. I know tangs sometime change their color but I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t something serious before moving to the next steps.
Please see attached.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 24, 2021

Those could just be granulomas - a skin reaction/scar from the ich trophonts. It could also be flukes.

IMO - 14 days really isn't long enough of a copper treatment, I prefer 30. You see, copper does not kill the tomont, the ich resting stage. Those can remain viable for a long period (30 days at least). I've found that a 30 day copper treatment is best. If this tang is destined to return to the tank that had ich in it, you need to be really careful to avoid reinfection. Many people will leave their DT fishless for 76 days in order to ensure that the ich tomonts have died out from lack of a host. I think it needs to be at least 45 days.

Jay

CamKole · Jul 28, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
Those could just be granulomas - a skin reaction/scar from the ich trophonts. It could also be flukes.

IMO - 14 days really isn't long enough of a copper treatment, I prefer 30. You see, copper does not kill the tomont, the ich resting stage. Those can remain viable for a long period (30 days at least). I've found that a 30 day copper treatment is best. If this tang is destined to return to the tank that had ich in it, you need to be really careful to avoid reinfection. Many people will leave their DT fishless for 76 days in order to ensure that the ich tomonts have died out from lack of a host. I think it needs to be at least 45 days.

Jay

Thank you Jay, I've read your stuff and will be following your regiment the next time i get fish. The spots are gone for the most part and all fish are happy and healthy.