Unidentified white lumps/spots - Regal Blue Tang

[Ben.QLD2]

Hi all, I'm after some help identifying these white spots/lumps on my Regal Blue Tang. Possibly lymphocystis lesions as I have a Regal Angelfish in the same tank recovering from lymphocystis. No new fish additions for about 4 weeks but have added some coral drags recently and also done a chemiclean course, so possibly stress from that influencing a lymphocystis infection. Parameters are -

pH: 8.1
KH: 9
NH3: 0.0
NO2: 0.0
NO3: 2.0
PO4: 0.02
Temp: 25C, kept in 1 degree range.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Ben.QLD2]

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like mucus spores from crypto outbreak
Did this fish have ich or recently treated for such?
You will have to quarantine and treat with coppersafe for full 30 days at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 at 80 degrees monitoring with a reliable copper test kit such as Hanna brand
A 5 minute freshwater dip will offer temporary relief

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Tough to see in the photos - are they "bumps" in that they seem to arise from under the skin? How long have they been there?

Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Thanks for the responses. The spots/lumps seem like tiny pimples. Round but irregular and raised, not the usual cryptocaryon presentation and size (in my experience anyway). I went away on Friday morning and returned at midday Saturday and they were there, so appeared in about a 28 h period.

This fish has been well for a long time. All new fish additions are quarantined by me with Cu, except for the Regal Angel which came quarantined from a very reputable source.

Cheers,

Ben.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks for the responses. The spots/lumps seem like tiny pimples. Round but irregular and raised, not the usual cryptocaryon presentation and size (in my experience anyway). I went away on Friday morning and returned at midday Saturday and they were there, so appeared in about a 28 h period.

This fish has been well for a long time. All new fish additions are quarantined by me with Cu, except for the Regal Angel which came quarantined from a very reputable source.

Cheers,

Ben.

I would rule out lymphocystis in this case.

There are some turbellarian worms that develop cysts under the skin, but they don’t show up quickly and not in long term captives.

Are the spots randomly distributed or just on one side?

Nothing obvious is coming to me here….

Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

The spots/lumps seem a little fewer today and others are certainly more raised as of they have a protrusion from them. They are randomly scattered but seem more concentrated on the aft of the fish, but bilaterally.

I wonder if perhaps it stumbled into a jardenei or torch coral throughout the night when I was away. Although that usually leaves an abrasion/burn type mark.

I guess I want it to be anything but cryptocaryon really... Treatment is very limited with a reef tank and removing the coral and scape to catch all the fish doesn't excite me.

I can rule out Oodinium as spots are too large and not numerous enough. Not Brooklynella as no sloughing, and the 2 Ocellaris Clownfish in the tank are fine.

My Regal Angelfish is still recovering from lymphocystis but it's mostly gone now. I can confirm that the Blue Tang has been exposed to lymphocystis before as I've had this fish for about 7 years.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The spots/lumps seem a little fewer today and others are certainly more raised as of they have a protrusion from them. They are randomly scattered but seem more concentrated on the aft of the fish, but bilaterally.

I wonder if perhaps it stumbled into a jardenei or torch coral throughout the night when I was away. Although that usually leaves an abrasion/burn type mark.

I guess I want it to be anything but cryptocaryon really... Treatment is very limited with a reef tank and removing the coral and scape to catch all the fish doesn't excite me.

I can rule out Oodinium as spots are too large and not numerous enough. Not Brooklynella as no sloughing, and the 2 Ocellaris Clownfish in the tank are fine.

My Regal Angelfish is still recovering from lymphocystis but it's mostly gone now. I can confirm that the Blue Tang has been exposed to lymphocystis before as I've had this fish for about 7 years.

That’s where I was going - thinking it could be a sting, but that is less likely since it is bilateral and fairly random.

Sorry I don’t have a clear answer for you….

It isn’t velvet, as the primary, and sometimes only symptom would be rapid breathing.

Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

I've actually just noticed that one of the tank mates, a Desjardini Tang, is breathing a bit fast. It's otherwise actiand healthy and pigging out in food.

May be a little stressed with conflict etc. It sometimes hassles the Blue Tang and the Regal Angel.

Hopefully unrelated...

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I've actually just noticed that one of the tank mates, a Desjardini Tang, is breathing a bit fast. It's otherwise actiand healthy and pigging out in food.

May be a little stressed with conflict etc. It sometimes hassles the Blue Tang and the Regal Angel.

Hopefully unrelated...

Try to get a count on the desjardini - number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4. That can give a some idea how serious it is…..
Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Try to get a count on the desjardini - number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4. That can give a some idea how serious it is…..
Jay

Accuracy is an issue but I counted around 160 'breaths' per minute.

 

[Ben.QLD2]

I thought I would take a night time respiration rate and it's around 110 per minute.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Accuracy is an issue but I counted around 160 'breaths' per minute.

Wow - that is way up there. Less than 100 would be best, and over 200 is close to respiratory collapse. If it stops eating, it could be velvet. I would consider gill flukes as another possibility if it continues to feed.
Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Wow - that is way up there. Less than 100 would be best, and over 200 is close to respiratory collapse. If it stops eating, it could be velvet. I would consider gill flukes as another possibility if it continues to feed.
Jay

Definitely a very active fish and eating really well. Considering it's still alive and well I don't think it's velvet. Possibly flukes but it's the only fast breather and it's been in the tank for about 3 months. Would gill flukes be a single infection like that or would all fish be affected?

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Video 1

 

[Ben.QLD2]

Video 2

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Video 2

I couldn’t get a good count from the videos, but it’s definitely breathing too fast. It could have chronic gill damage from some old issue, or a chronic gill fluke infection.
Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

I'm going to do a praziquantel course. I've ordered tablets and hopefully they arrive tomorrow. Prazipro isn't a thing in Australia unless imported by the buyer...

I have read on another thread that the reef tank dose is 2.5mg per litre. I will have 100mg tablets and the total water volume to treat is 500 litres. That should mean 12.5 tablets per dose.

Hopefully the only thing I lose is bristleworms.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I'm going to do a praziquantel course. I've ordered tablets and hopefully they arrive tomorrow. Prazipro isn't a thing in Australia unless imported by the buyer...

I have read on another thread that the reef tank dose is 2.5mg per litre. I will have 100mg tablets and the total water volume to treat is 500 litres. That should mean 12.5 tablets per dose.

Hopefully the only thing I lose is bristleworms.

Your math checks out, however, your tablets may have excipients/binders in them, I can't tell you that. Are they designed for aquarium use? Some of those might cause problems if not. At the very least, you need to know the % active ingredient, and calculate that into the dose.

Remember to aerate the tank well. The bristle worms will get "stunned" but won't likely die.....

Jay

 

[Ben.QLD2]

They are an aq product, though likely made for a fish only situation. Apparently they use an inert excipient called cellulose so hopefully no issues with that.

I don't know the exact percentage of active ingredient, just that each tablet contains 100mg of praziquantel.

I'll update on the treatment as I go.

Thank you.