Tomini tang having white blotches/ discoloration

[Stevenpandas]

my tomini tang has some white blotches on him. He’s is about 3 inches including tail, active, and eating normally, has plenty of algae growing in the tank. He occasionally picks up mysis and pellets I feed to the tank. He bites at my lawnmower Benny at times, probably for territorial reasons. He dives underneath the rock work when spook, so I thought it was scratches. It’s a bare bottom tank. But I don’t know think that is it. Is it stress? Tank mates are a flasher wrasse, 2 adult females molly, 2 baby molly, and a lawnmower blenny, 2 emerald crabs, hermits, asterea snails in a 55 gallon tank that is plumb to a 10 sump/ refugium and a 20 gallon long anenome tank

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello! Welcome to Reef2Reef!

How long have you had then tang and how long has it had these spots? Did they appear suddenly or did the increase in number over time?

I don’t think this is directly stress related. They could be scratches from diving under rocks, but not likely. It could be a skin discoloration as a reaction to external parasites, possibly flukes.

Jay

 

[DeniseAndy]

Did he go through any qt process? What was he treated with?

 

[Stevenpandas]

Hello! Welcome to Reef2Reef!

How long have you had then tang and how long has it had these spots? Did they appear suddenly or did the increase in number over time?

I don’t think this is directly stress related. They could be scratches from diving under rocks, but not likely. It could be a skin discoloration as a reaction to external parasites, possibly flukes.

Jay

I also suspected scratched from diving under the rocks, but also thought it was unlikely. I had the tang about a month. I did add a light that help brighten things up a bit, so maybe stress from that? Doesn’t increase or decrease. I saw one spot then it went away and now there was More, then went away and now this. However I read about nutrition, so I decided to feed some soaked mysis. My banggai cardinals just got out of quarantine, so I added them yesterday. The tang is now more lively, swimming around, blotches are almost not there anymore. My suspicion is that the tank was too empty that the tang felt unsafe OR nutrition, but I feed my fish pretty well. Also a variety of food like brine , mysis, 2 different types of pellets, and flakes .

 

[TangGang]

my tomini tang has some white blotches on him. He’s is about 3 inches including tail, active, and eating normally, has plenty of algae growing in the tank. He occasionally picks up mysis and pellets I feed to the tank. He bites at my lawnmower Benny at times, probably for territorial reasons. He dives underneath the rock work when spook, so I thought it was scratches. It’s a bare bottom tank. But I don’t know think that is it. Is it stress? Tank mates are a flasher wrasse, 2 adult females molly, 2 baby molly, and a lawnmower blenny, 2 emerald crabs, hermits, asterea snails in a 55 gallon tank that is plumb to a 10 sump/ refugium and a 20 gallon long anenome tank

Looks like it’s either scratches from a rock or stings by a sponge. Mine has similar markings every once and a while for both of those reasons. However, if the fish isn’t giving an indication that it is stressed or infested with parasites, it will be ok. Watch it for the next couple days and if it gets worse then be worries but for now it should heal.

 

[Stevenpandas]

Did he go through any qt process? What was he treated with?

I did a fresh water dip near the beginning becuz I wasn’t going to risk parasites.

Looks like it’s either scratches from a rock or stings by a sponge. Mine has similar markings every once and a while for both of those reasons. However, if the fish isn’t giving an indication that it is stressed or infested with parasites, it will be ok. Watch it for the next couple days and if it gets worse then be worries but for now it should heal.

I just came home today and I guess I was wrong. The blotches are still there. I didn’t know sponges can sting. I don’t think it would be any other corals stinging it either. it usually doesn’t get close to them except pecking at the algae. The only stress I can think of is from my lawnmower blenny. My tang would attack it, bite it, and tail slap it. Im thinking of eventually rehoming my blenny if it keeps on going.

 

[Stevenpandas]

Did he go through any qt process? What was he treated with?

I did a fresh water dip in the beginning of his quarantine. Other than that, he was healthy and fine. He’s a small tang so I make sure his belly is full

 

[TangGang]

I did a fresh water dip near the beginning becuz I wasn’t going to risk parasites.

I just came home today and I guess I was wrong. The blotches are still there. I didn’t know sponges can sting. I don’t think it would be any other corals stinging it either. it usually doesn’t get close to them except pecking at the algae. The only stress I can think of is from my lawnmower blenny. My tang would attack it, bite it, and tail slap it. Im thinking of eventually rehoming my blenny if it keeps on going.

If you ever want more fish, rehome the tang and not the blenny. Tomini tangs can be evil sometimes, I had mine for 5 years with no problems to anything, except for when I put in wrasses. It destroys any wrasses I put in. It’s my fault I should have seen it when she was picking fights with my naso who is 4 times her size. I’m getting rid of my tomini, and you might want to do the same. I’d rather have a lawnmower blenny anyways it’s smaller and is a better algae eater.

 

[Stevenpandas]

If you ever want more fish, rehome the tang and not the blenny. Tomini tangs can be evil sometimes, I had mine for 5 years with no problems to anything, except for when I put in wrasses. It destroys any wrasses I put in. It’s my fault I should have seen it when she was picking fights with my naso who is 4 times her size. I’m getting rid of my tomini, and you might want to do the same. I’d rather have a lawnmower blenny anyways it’s smaller and is a better algae eater.

I just did freshwater dip because I wanted to rule out flukes or any other parasites. I also wanted read that fresh water dip would help get rid of bacteria infections. It was so hard to catch him. A few white particles came off as well as what looks like dead skin. I hope it was flukes and the fresh water help my tomini. Accidentally nip one of his fins, so hopefully that grows back. Going to have to watch to see if the the blotches go away now. I like my tomini tang, so I don’t think I would get rid of it. My lawnmower blenny knocks off my corals, but he’s a character too. I added 3 banggai cardinals and everyone seems to be doing fine. The only chasing is between my mollys and sometimes my tomini attacks the lawnmower