Small White Nubs at Edge of Yellow Tang Tail

[slingfox]

Hello Reef2Reef, I am a new to the hobby and just started putting fish into my tank after going through an 8 day cycle. The very first fish I added was a 2" Biota Yellow Tang. It has one companion---a juvenile one spot fox face from an LFS.

The Yellow Tang seems to have two tiny white nubs at the edge of its tail fin. Is this something I should quarantine and treat for?

Update: It looks like one white dot on one of its pectoral fins as well. I assume this is potentially ich? If so should I treat both fish?

 

[swervinscoot]

Are they both eating? I'd keep the stress low and monitor if more spots start to show up.

 

[slingfox]

Are they both eating? I'd keep the stress low and monitor if more spots start to show up.

Yes both fish are eating well. I will monitor this thread for now and keep checking on the fish. I will order a Hanna Copper High Range checker just in case things do down that route

 

[Baka Mop]

Might just be lympho. If it stops eating, that's usually when I'll start treating.

 

[swervinscoot]

Yes both fish are eating well. I will monitor this thread for now and keep checking on the fish. I will order a Hanna Copper High Range checker just in case things do down that route

Fish only system? I would not get upset just yet. Keep them eating (lots of nori).

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello Reef2Reef, I am a new to the hobby and just started putting fish into my tank after going through an 8 day cycle. The very first fish I added was a 2" Biota Yellow Tang. It has one companion---a juvenile one spot fox face from an LFS.

The Yellow Tang seems to have two tiny white nubs at the edge of its tail fin. Is this something I should quarantine and treat for?

Update: It looks like one white dot on one of its pectoral fins as well. I assume this is potentially ich? If so should I treat both fish?

Appears to be lymphocystis which is a condition and not disease. Often its associated with water quality issue as simple as elevated ammonia or nitrate and can be that of water from LFS and not yours. Assure to provide Good water quality monitored by a reliable test kit and feed nutritious food with fats such as LRS nano frenzy and mysis shrimp as Yellow tang is somewhat thin.
I have another concern - The video shows yellow tang which is breathing at a very high respiration rate and I encourage you to check water quality, mainly ammonia-nitrate-ph and add an air stone for added oxygen
And you dont wait for a fish to stop eating to react as its a sign something is wrong.

 

[slingfox]

Fish only system? I would not get upset just yet. Keep them eating (lots of nori).

Yes, the only things I have in the tank so far are the Yellow Tang and One Spot Foxface. I also have 2 emerald crabs and a handful of small snails.

I appreciate the help! Will keep feeding the fish.

 

[swervinscoot]

Yes, the only things I have in the tank so far are the Yellow Tang and One Spot Foxface. I also have 2 emerald craps and a handful of small snails.

I appreciate the help! Will keep feeding the fish.

Definitely check your water parameters as stated above as well! Don't add copper to your main system with the inverts in there.

Your welcome, I know the feeling.

 

[slingfox]

Appears to be lymphocystis which is a condition and not disease. Often its associated with water quality issue as simple as elevated ammonia or nitrate and can be that of water from LFS and not yours. Assure to provide Good water quality monitored by a reliable test kit and feed nutritious food with fats such as LRS nano frenzy and mysis shrimp as Yellow tang is somewhat thin.
I have another concern - The video shows yellow tang which is breathing at a very high respiration rate and I encourage you to check water quality, mainly ammonia-nitrate-ph and add an air stone for added oxygen
And you dont wait for a fish to stop eating to react as its a sign something is wrong.

Thank you @vetteguy53081 for the quick response and detailed advice. I have two ammonia alert badges sitting in the sump and both are bright yellow which is supposedly safe. I will open up the various Salifert and Hanna test kits I ordered and test everything and report back. I will also proactively do a 10% water change just in case as well.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you @vetteguy53081 for the quick response and detailed advice. I have two ammonia alert badges sitting in the sump and both are bright yellow which is supposedly safe. I will open up the various Salifert and Hanna test kits I ordered and test everything and report back. I will also proactively do a 10% water change just in case as well.

Yes please do
After about 2 weeks sitting in water, I lose faith in those alert badges

 

[slingfox]

Yes please do
After about 2 weeks sitting in water, I lose faith in those alert badges

@vetteguy53081 Your instincts were spot on. Apparently my water parameters are terrible---most likely due to overfeeding / too much uneaten food in system.

Ammonia: < 0.15
Nitrite: 2
Nitrate: 100

All above from Salifert tests

I have only 20 gallons of saltwater in hand but am mixing another 45 gallons so I should be able to do close to a 50% water change in 90 minutes.

I also have a lot to MicroBacter7 left (opened a month and a half ago when I started cycling a gallon of Seachem Matrix in a 5 gallon bucket). Should I pour some of the MicroBacter 7 in or is that a bad idea?

 

[slingfox]

Set up two air stones right underneath one of my MP40s to increase oxygenation while waiting for saltwater to mix.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Set up two air stones right underneath one of my MP40s to increase oxygenation while waiting for saltwater to mix.

Coming into this late - looks like Lymphocystis to me, but both fish in the video are breathing too fast. See if the air stone provides better gas exchange and slows that breathing down. If it doesn't you'll need to update us so we can dive in a bit deeper.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 Your instincts were spot on. Apparently my water parameters are terrible---most likely due to overfeeding / too much uneaten food in system.

Ammonia: < 0.15
Nitrite: 2
Nitrate: 100

All above from Salifert tests

I have only 20 gallons of saltwater in hand but am mixing another 45 gallons so I should be able to do close to a 50% water change in 90 minutes.

I also have a lot to MicroBacter7 left (opened a month and a half ago when I started cycling a gallon of Seachem Matrix in a 5 gallon bucket). Should I pour some of the MicroBacter 7 in or is that a bad idea?

Bacter 7 will help with denitrification - by all means use it

 

[swervinscoot]

What is the update today? Have the fish slowed their breathing?

 

[kevgib67]

I’m curious as well.

 

[slingfox]

The breathing has slowed down a bit but still looks too fast. I was not able to take a video since I was on calls all morning and my phone apparently can only take photos when that happens. I dumped in 4 fl oz of Fritz TurboStart (not Microbacter7 as accidentally stated in posts above) before I left for work and have the two air stones running underneath an MP40. I also repositioned the two MP40s to sit higher in the tank to increase surface agitation. Upon reflection I wished I moved them even higher.

I will test water parameters later this afternoon and take a video and post it here. I sincerely appreciate the help. Without Reef2Reef and the experts here I would have had no idea what to do!

 

[slingfox]

I tested the water this afternoon. Parameters are improving but still don't look great. I will change out more water once I have more saltwater made.

Ammonia < 0.15
Nitrite 0.75 (somewhere between 0.5 and 1.0)
Nitrate 75 (somewhere between 50 and 100)

The Yellow Tang's breathing seems to have improved a bit but I assume both fish would like cleaner water. See video below:

 

[swervinscoot]

Definitely improved, also white specs are gone!

 

[slingfox]

Definitely improved, also white specs are gone!

I didn't even notice that the white spots were gone until I saw your comment! I have been so focused on the water parameters and fish breathing. Really glad Reef2Reef community is here to help newbies like me!