Unknown disease with powder blue

[MileZer0Reef]

Can’t figure out what this tang has. Looks similar to anchor worms. Got him about a month ago and the spots fall off them come back in different spots daily. He’s had them since I got him. Still eating nori daily and a homemade mix of fresh tuna grouper jack shrimp scallop conch roe and dolphin soaked in selcon. Tank has been running about 3 months. It’s hard to get a good photo as he hides from me. He only has them on his head, cheeks, and pectoral fins. Sometimes it looks as if his mucus is sloughing on his pectoral fins. He doesn’t get them anywhere else on his body. Last night I noticed them on his eyes as well. A couple days ago he was itching himself against the algae on the back glass. Any ideas??

 

[Spare time]

#fishmedic

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Need better pictures preferably a video for folks to identify. It it has mucus it may be brooklynella but it could be another parasite such as flukes.

You probably need to move him to a hospital tank. I have had success with using Hydroplex using a 10 minute saltwater dip to get the bugs off the fish. It is a low stress, quick relief. Further treatment will be needed. If it is a parasite such as flukes, ich, or broolynella, Seachem Cupramine or Copper Power will treat it. See if you can post something better and a medic can help out further tomorrow morning.

 

[Spare time]

It could be turbellarians of which prazipro would work in tank

 

[MnFish1]

Suggest - as others have said - move to a hospital tank - and treat. But - first - any other fish affected? How long was the fish shipped/acclimated/how? Unfortunately - you're correct its hard to tell 'what it is'. Spots that 'come and go' - sounds like Cryptocaryon - though Im not sure I see this in the pictures

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Those look like monogenean flukes. Treatment would be praziquantel.

Ideally with a powder blue that is prone to various diseases, ALL fish in the tank would be pulled, given a 90 minute bath in Ruby Reef Rally Pro (helps knock off flukes and eliminates Brooklynella, helps eliminate velvet), then moved into a sterile quarantine and treated with cupramine for 30 days, followed by praziquantel every 7 days for 3 treatments (21 days), and 7 days observation to make sure it is completely clear of all disease. In this situation, I might even switch the praziquantel and copper treatments around since the fish has obviously visible flukes.

All new fish added after this is done would go through the same treatment before being added to the display to help keep diseases out, and I also run a UV sterilizer for about a week before and 2-3 weeks after adding any new fish.

 

[MileZer0Reef]

He’s had it for a solid 3 weeks already at first I thought it was lymph so I left him in the tank did a water change and started feeding more so I’m assuming if it was an aggressive disease he would’ve already died. He’s in a 240G with 2 clowns a yellow tang and a Foxface. Bought the fish as “pre-quarantined” from a reputable vendor. Used a different vendor this time compared with my other tanks. Tank was dry rock/sand and nothing was in the tank before I got these fish so it must’ve came in transit. No other fish have any visible symptoms. FedEx was late 6 hrs on shipment, added prime and dripped for 45 mins with an air stone till salinity matched. But the fact they fall off so quick and reattach has me puzzled. Was hoping I can prazi the DT as there’s only fish in there and then monitor? Or should I pull all and send them through a full QT? I’ll try and get better pics tomorrow thanks everyone for the responses

 

[Fishfreak2009]

He’s had it for a solid 3 weeks already at first I thought it was lymph so I left him in the tank did a water change and started feeding more so I’m assuming if it was an aggressive disease he would’ve already died. He’s in a 240G with 2 clowns a yellow tang and a Foxface. Bought the fish as “pre-quarantined” from a reputable vendor. Used a different vendor this time compared with my other tanks. Tank was dry rock/sand and nothing was in the tank before I got these fish so it must’ve came in transit. No other fish have any visible symptoms. FedEx was late 6 hrs on shipment, added prime and dripped for 45 mins with an air stone till salinity matched. But the fact they fall off so quick and reattach has me puzzled. Was hoping I can prazi the DT as there’s only fish in there and then monitor? Or should I pull all and send them through a full QT? I’ll try and get better pics tomorrow thanks everyone for the responses

Dosing the display with prazi is doable. Just shut the skimmer and UV off, and make sure you treat 3x, 7 days apart to break the lifecycle and completely eradicate. Monogeneans can be a PITA. When I've had to treat a display I technically leave the skimmer on, but remove the collection cup entirely so it just foams back into the sump. Helps keep dissolved O2 levels high since dosing prazi can lower them.

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Dosing the display with prazi is doable. Just shut the skimmer and UV off, and make sure you treat 3x, 7 days apart to break the lifecycle and completely eradicate. Monogeneans can be a PITA. When I've had to treat a display I technically leave the skimmer on, but remove the collection cup entirely so it just foams back into the sump. Helps keep dissolved O2 levels high since dosing prazi can lower them.

I looked up pictures of the neobenedenia flukes and that’s exactly what it is supposedly they’re the obviously visible flukes affecting fins face and eyes. Going to start prazi in the morning. Also feed metroplex too just in case. Thank you all so much!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

I looked up pictures of the neobenedenia flukes and that’s exactly what it is supposedly they’re the obviously visible flukes affecting fins face and eyes. Going to start prazi in the morning. Also feed metroplex too just in case. Thank you all so much!

No problem! Just took my exam on fish parasites in my parasitology course for veterinary school this morning, so got a nice refresher on these guys this past week.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I looked up pictures of the neobenedenia flukes and that’s exactly what it is supposedly they’re the obviously visible flukes affecting fins face and eyes. Going to start prazi in the morning. Also feed metroplex too just in case. Thank you all so much!

Skip the metroplex in the food, it won't be of any benefit for external issues, and getting the dose right is nearly impossible by just eyeballing it. The full dose for metro is 5000 ppm in food, fed 3x. The trouble is, metro is REALLY bitter. Few fish will eat it at the full dose.

Neobenedenia has a nasty egg stage that prazi does not affect. You sometimes need to dose 3x, nine days apart to break the life cycle. That said, Neobenedenia is clear, you can see them if they are on the fish's eyes by slight cloudiness. You will not see them on the skin, you only see the damage that they do - the skin will look tattered and worn. When you treat them (prazi or FW dip), they turn opaque and you can see them. Additionally, Neo doesn't come and go like that, the adults flukes stay in place and can live for weeks.

Can you get better pics? Maybe a short video would be easier to get?

Jay

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Skip the metroplex in the food, it won't be of any benefit for external issues, and getting the dose right is nearly impossible by just eyeballing it. The full dose for metro is 5000 ppm in food, fed 3x. The trouble is, metro is REALLY bitter. Few fish will eat it at the full dose.

Neobenedenia has a nasty egg stage that prazi does not affect. You sometimes need to dose 3x, nine days apart to break the life cycle. That said, Neobenedenia is clear, you can see them if they are on the fish's eyes by slight cloudiness. You will not see them on the skin, you only see the damage that they do - the skin will look tattered and worn. When you treat them (prazi or FW dip), they turn opaque and you can see them. Additionally, Neo doesn't come and go like that, the adults flukes stay in place and can live for weeks.

Can you get better pics? Maybe a short video would be easier to get?

Jay

The ones I can visibly see are opaque/white with no prazi or FW dip. These come and go in a day or 2. It doesn’t look like a cyst like ich or velvet either they look like cylindrical rods with a little head that attaches on the mucus layer. I can get a better video or picture when I get home tonight. This is the best photo I have at the moment. The right fin is sloughing

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Can’t attach video

 

[RusticsReef]

Seems exactly what Im dealing with on my PBT. Started PraziPro a couple days ago and he now has no visible signs and totally stopped scratching.

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Seems exactly what Im dealing with on my PBT. Started PraziPro a couple days ago and he now has no visible signs and totally stopped scratching.

In the DT? I’m on my second dose now still has some spots but not as bad and not scratching either. Let me know how yours progresses

 

[RusticsReef]

In the DT? I’m on my second dose now still has some spots but not as bad and not scratching either. Let me know how yours progresses

Yes in the DT. Recently set up 150 gallon so I don't have many corals in it. No ill effects so far. No other fish got it and he's been eating like a pig but its been a couple weeks so I decided to give it a shot.

 

[Chrisv.]

Still eating ... a homemade mix of fresh tuna grouper jack shrimp scallop conch roe and dolphin... Any ideas??

Well the first idea that comes to mind is that this fish eats way better than I do!

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Well the first idea that comes to mind is that this fish eats way better than I do!

We joke about that all the time lol. My reefing buddy commercial fishes down here in key west so we get everything nice and fresh

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Day 7 of prazi treatment and no signs of whatever it was on the fish. First time since I got him a month ago. Still eating.

 

[bruce337]

I'm in same boat almost. PBT probably has flukes though- keeps rubbing belly/snout on glass side of tank and twitching a bit. not breathing heavy, no spots, no HLLD color is still good. Still eating, still energetic. Gets all excited when he sees me coming with his seaweed clip. He knows what the clip looks like even before I put it in tank and knows every other day he gets it. Once it's in he eats like a pig- poops a lot after too. Non clip days mysis and/or flake/pellets. I hate the seaweed/algae sheets though he leaves pieces of it all over then I have to clean it. But he REALLY REALLY likes his clip of seaweed- starts swimming in a circle at the top until I affix it to glass. its been 2 weeks and I have been alternating between Prazipro and mardel parashield 1 day praz 1 day para then a day off. No ammonia when tested, nitrate 0.5 rite 0 (Idk how I've kept them so low for so long) ph 8, temp 76 filters changed on 15th w/ 10% water change. I have lots of coral so no copper meds, my QT tank sprung a leak so thats out. I have 3 snails, 4 crabs, 2 red bta, and 3 maroon goldflake clowns in with him no one else has any spots nor are they twitching or rubbing -the meds are probably good for a preventative for them. I've heard about FW dip I'm kind of scared it will stress him out and make things worse. plus I'd have to deconstruct all the caves in the tank to catch him that would stress every fish out. any ideas?