Xanthichthys auromarginatus "ulcerations" on face

[great-reef]

Hello,

I have been keeping 2 female and 1 male Xanthichthys auromarginatus for about two years now. In the beginning, I had a hard time getting the male to eat. He got very thin and lost nearly all his color. After some time he started eating, and for about a year now he has been eating very well and a lot. He gained some weight but is still on the slimmer side (you can still slightly see his jaw bones), and his color has also not returned. Around 8 months ago he developed the first "ulceration" on the front of his face. It has not spread but has stayed the same ever since. 2-3 months ago, one of the females also started developing these "ulcerations" on her face. The second female has none. Both females have been eating very well from the beginning and look well fed to me.

Since then, I have checked with some local people and tried to diagnose the issue using the resources here and the book "Diseases of Marine Aquarium Fishes" by Dr. Bassleer, but was not able to identify the disease. I would therefore appreciate any help and advice from the #fishmedic and others.

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Reef
Aquarium water volume: 700g
Filtration type: Sump, Skimmer, Roller, Activated Charcole, 160w UVC, 10mg Ozone in skimmer air
Lighting: LED
How long has the aquarium been established?: 2 Years
Digital image of the whole aquarium under white light:

Water quality:
Temperature: 26°C measured using digital sensor, calibrated against hanna
pH: 7.9
Salinity / specific gravity: ~35 ppt, measured using hydrometer calibrated monthly against ICP
Ammonia: 0 (salifert)
Nitrite: 0,07 mg/l
Nitrate: 17,7 mg/l
Phosphorus: 0,091 mg/l
Copper: 1,6 µg/l
Other tests that have been done: Complete ICP: https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/318387

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? - No, last fish death was a yellow tang about two months ago that only showd heavy breathing but not other signes.
Are any invertebrates affected? - No
Respiration rate of affected fish: Honestly i cant really tell as they are swimming to fast and gill movement is not that easy to see with them in the first place.
Are the affected fish still feeding? - Yes, with large appetite
What remedies have you tried so far? - Adding vitamines + garlic to the food
Digital image of the fish with the health issue, taken under white light: See Below
A short video of the fish: The order of fish in the video is: 1. Male, 2. Unaffected Female, 3. Affected Female:

Female 1:

Male:

Thanks!
- Alex

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

I have been keeping 2 female and 1 male Xanthichthys auromarginatus for about two years now. In the beginning, I had a hard time getting the male to eat. He got very thin and lost nearly all his color. After some time he started eating, and for about a year now he has been eating very well and a lot. He gained some weight but is still on the slimmer side (you can still slightly see his jaw bones), and his color has also not returned. Around 8 months ago he developed the first "ulceration" on the front of his face. It has not spread but has stayed the same ever since. 2-3 months ago, one of the females also started developing these "ulcerations" on her face. The second female has none. Both females have been eating very well from the beginning and look well fed to me.

Since then, I have checked with some local people and tried to diagnose the issue using the resources here and the book "Diseases of Marine Aquarium Fishes" by Dr. Bassleer, but was not able to identify the disease. I would therefore appreciate any help and advice from the #fishmedic and others.

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Reef
Aquarium water volume: 700g
Filtration type: Sump, Skimmer, Roller, Activated Charcole, 160w UVC, 10mg Ozone in skimmer air
Lighting: LED
How long has the aquarium been established?: 2 Years
Digital image of the whole aquarium under white light:

Water quality:
Temperature: 26°C measured using digital sensor, calibrated against hanna
pH: 7.9
Salinity / specific gravity: ~35 ppt, measured using hydrometer calibrated monthly against ICP
Ammonia: 0 (salifert)
Nitrite: 0,07 mg/l
Nitrate: 17,7 mg/l
Phosphorus: 0,091 mg/l
Copper: 1,6 µg/l
Other tests that have been done: Complete ICP: https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/318387

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? - No, last fish death was a yellow tang about two months ago that only showd heavy breathing but not other signes.
Are any invertebrates affected? - No
Respiration rate of affected fish: Honestly i cant really tell as they are swimming to fast and gill movement is not that easy to see with them in the first place.
Are the affected fish still feeding? - Yes, with large appetite
What remedies have you tried so far? - Adding vitamines + garlic to the food
Digital image of the fish with the health issue, taken under white light: See Below
A short video of the fish: The order of fish in the video is: 1. Male, 2. Unaffected Female, 3. Affected Female:

Female 1:

Male:

Thanks!
- Alex

I see a series of ulcers and looks to stem from a bacterial issue or previous injury. I suggest Broad spectrum treatment such as Seachem Kanaplex, but see you are in Germany and would suggest Waterlife Myxazin

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello,

I have been keeping 2 female and 1 male Xanthichthys auromarginatus for about two years now. In the beginning, I had a hard time getting the male to eat. He got very thin and lost nearly all his color. After some time he started eating, and for about a year now he has been eating very well and a lot. He gained some weight but is still on the slimmer side (you can still slightly see his jaw bones), and his color has also not returned. Around 8 months ago he developed the first "ulceration" on the front of his face. It has not spread but has stayed the same ever since. 2-3 months ago, one of the females also started developing these "ulcerations" on her face. The second female has none. Both females have been eating very well from the beginning and look well fed to me.

Since then, I have checked with some local people and tried to diagnose the issue using the resources here and the book "Diseases of Marine Aquarium Fishes" by Dr. Bassleer, but was not able to identify the disease. I would therefore appreciate any help and advice from the #fishmedic and others.

Aquarium Parameters:
Aquarium type: Reef
Aquarium water volume: 700g
Filtration type: Sump, Skimmer, Roller, Activated Charcole, 160w UVC, 10mg Ozone in skimmer air
Lighting: LED
How long has the aquarium been established?: 2 Years
Digital image of the whole aquarium under white light:

Water quality:
Temperature: 26°C measured using digital sensor, calibrated against hanna
pH: 7.9
Salinity / specific gravity: ~35 ppt, measured using hydrometer calibrated monthly against ICP
Ammonia: 0 (salifert)
Nitrite: 0,07 mg/l
Nitrate: 17,7 mg/l
Phosphorus: 0,091 mg/l
Copper: 1,6 µg/l
Other tests that have been done: Complete ICP: https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/318387

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? - No, last fish death was a yellow tang about two months ago that only showd heavy breathing but not other signes.
Are any invertebrates affected? - No
Respiration rate of affected fish: Honestly i cant really tell as they are swimming to fast and gill movement is not that easy to see with them in the first place.
Are the affected fish still feeding? - Yes, with large appetite
What remedies have you tried so far? - Adding vitamines + garlic to the food
Digital image of the fish with the health issue, taken under white light: See Below
A short video of the fish: The order of fish in the video is: 1. Male, 2. Unaffected Female, 3. Affected Female:

Female 1:

Male:

Thanks!
- Alex

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Thank you for the very thorough disease report, that allows me to rule out a number of issues.

What I see is a chronic plaque forming infection. What I can’t tell you is the cause. It could be bacterial, but more likely viral. The length of time the fish have shown these without mortality, indicates that there is no rush to treat this. If it is viral, there won’t be any treatment possible.

One chronic bacterial infection to consider is mycobacterium marinum. Triggerfish skin is different than many other fish, thick and tough. Mycobacterium might look different in these fish. Certainly thinned and pale coloration are two common symptoms.