Yellow Tang with brown spots by fin and white chest and belly

[Zagreus]

#1
He also looks a pail white around the chest and belly and is acting sluggish and eating but slow and lost interest in nori. Is this septicimia? I have him in Qt 2.3 p copper for now about 18 days. He isnthe qt boss with a powder and purple both of which are in great shape. Amonia badge shows yellow safe and nitrates are between 20 to 30ppm as i have been feeding heavy. Food consists of nori on clip with 1 am 1 pm feedinh of .5 cube of spirolina loaded brine shrimp and .5 inch square of frozen lrs herbavore frenzy.

Just did a 10 gallon water change dosed with copper power to keep levels constant.

I read similar posts and heard everything from upgrade water quality and wait to treat with nitro.

Not sure what to so other than upgrade water change scedule and watch. Also have access to nitro but have never used it in a tank only as a dip. If this is bacterial and nitro is perscribed, i will need detailed instructions on what to do. Anyway talking to much now....thoughts please help?

Zag

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I can’t see the brown spots mentioned, but the pale area near the base of the tail could be a bacterial issue.
Is it breathing normally?
You could treat with nitrofurazone, but perhaps back off on the copper, just to reduce the chance of interaction...
Jay

 

[Zagreus]

Here is another picture. Looks like he is breathing a little heavy. Should i take him out amd treat with nitro or wait a bit and keep changing water?

 

[mmorriso]

I have encountered similar issues with my yellow tang, the orange / brown marking near the tail was a bacterial infection.

Get the water quality right, you will likely need to back off / remove the copper in order to help his immune system fight off the infection. Feed plenty of algae, live food if possible or vitamin soaked pellets. The don't need special medication for the infection, they're able to recover themselves but the copper will not be helping along with the stress of QT

Took about 10 days for mine to fully recover.

 

[Zagreus]

@Jay Hemdal and @mmorriso thank you for the feedback and advice. Frankly this is my 4th qt cycle i have done with copper so i am new to this and i am ultra paranoid about loosing a yellow tang. Thus far the brown circle infront the tail is gone. But as you cam see from the picture the tang is white and pail. In the morning after sleeping he has more color and progresively gets pailer as the day continues. I have been focuses on water quility and feeding brine gut loaded what the heck spirolina and lrs reef frenzy and nori. He is eating and moveing slowly but still is alive and chugging along. Perhaps this is also a stress reaction of a small qt and copper. I will keep you posted and am greatfull for the advice. Zag

 

[ehealy13]

My YT had the same and some HLLE after cupramine treatment...fortunately feeding a bit heavier and adding Selcon to the morning feeding got him back on track. I also notice my tangs fade temporarily with even minor stressors (i.e., I usually don't run my lights on the FOWLR, so when I turn them on the tangs are a bit frazzled. It's usually only 5-10 minutes though.)

PSA: Selcon at 5am will wake you up faster than coffee, LOL!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@Jay Hemdal and @mmorriso thank you for the feedback and advice. Frankly this is my 4th qt cycle i have done with copper so i am new to this and i am ultra paranoid about loosing a yellow tang. Thus far the brown circle infront the tail is gone. But as you cam see from the picture the tang is white and pail. In the morning after sleeping he has more color and progresively gets pailer as the day continues. I have been focuses on water quility and feeding brine gut loaded what the heck spirolina and lrs reef frenzy and nori. He is eating and moveing slowly but still is alive and chugging along. Perhaps this is also a stress reaction of a small qt and copper. I will keep you posted and am greatfull for the advice. Zag

What copper are you using, I presume copper power based on the dose? Tangs are very resistant to copper issues, you really need to overdose them to have any issues.

The breathing aspect is what worries me (and the lethargy of course). At first, I was thinking bacterial issue based on the spot, but rapid breathing isn't a common symptom with that. Can you try to get a respiration rate? Count the number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiple by four. I can use that number to get some sense as to how fast the fish is breathing.

Jay

 

[Zagreus]

What copper are you using, I presume copper power based on the dose? Tangs are very resistant to copper issues, you really need to overdose them to have any issues.

The breathing aspect is what worries me (and the lethargy of course). At first, I was thinking bacterial issue based on the spot, but rapid breathing isn't a common symptom with that. Can you try to get a respiration rate? Count the number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiple by four. I can use that number to get some sense as to how fast the fish is breathing.

Jay

Thank you Jay.
1. Yes Copper Power...since we last spoke I noticed some bullying. Made am small acclimation box, a penalty box for the bullies along with a mirror and fixed that problem. Bullying stopped and color returned and kept eating, but still slow moving compared to the other tangs.

2. Today 4/21 about 9 days since we last spoke, 30 days QT with copper power between 2.0 to 2.5 ppm hanna tested and last week treated additionally with General Cure. All completed today.

3.. The plan was to put the yellow in the DT first to build him up in the.neq tank etc before adding the other tangs he was.QT with. Problem is the white tail bristle tooth that was already in the display turned out to be am agro tang and jumped on the yellow immediately and repeatedly so I quickly decided that since there was no way to catch the yellow in my dt I should add the other 2 tangs from the qt to create more distractions for the yellow. I also hung a mirror on the side and the strategy worked while the lights have been on.

4. I am attaching a video of the yellow in my display tank hanging by the mirror. His gill plates appear to be consistently moving between 30 to 40 pulses per 15 seconds or 120 to 160 pulses per minute. No doubt he looks stressed and exacerbated and is not moving like the others.

5. If he continues to decompensate and gets to the point I can net him and move him to a safe qt again I will. I Will also do at least a 50% water change in advance and treat with carbon to.get the copper down low.

What are your thoughts and persribed directions please? Also I have a small bagie of nitro my lfs gave me if that is useful.

Thank you,

Zag

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you Jay.
1. Yes Copper Power...since we last spoke I noticed some bullying. Made am small acclimation box, a penalty box for the bullies along with a mirror and fixed that problem. Bullying stopped and color returned and kept eating, but still slow moving compared to the other tangs.

2. Today 4/21 about 9 days since we last spoke, 30 days QT with copper power between 2.0 to 2.5 ppm hanna tested and last week treated additionally with General Cure. All completed today.

3.. The plan was to put the yellow in the DT first to build him up in the.neq tank etc before adding the other tangs he was.QT with. Problem is the white tail bristle tooth that was already in the display turned out to be am agro tang and jumped on the yellow immediately and repeatedly so I quickly decided that since there was no way to catch the yellow in my dt I should add the other 2 tangs from the qt to create more distractions for the yellow. I also hung a mirror on the side and the strategy worked while the lights have been on.

4. I am attaching a video of the yellow in my display tank hanging by the mirror. His gill plates appear to be consistently moving between 30 to 40 pulses per 15 seconds or 120 to 160 pulses per minute. No doubt he looks stressed and exacerbated and is not moving like the others.

5. If he continues to decompensate and gets to the point I can net him and move him to a safe qt again I will. I Will also do at least a 50% water change in advance and treat with carbon to.get the copper down low.

What are your thoughts and persribed directions please? Also I have a small bagie of nitro my lfs gave me if that is useful.

Thank you,

Zag

All of the fish are breathing too fast, but the YT is the worst - do you have good aeration in the tank to drive off excess CO2? The copper should have controlled any protozoans that cause rapid breathing, so that really only leaves low oxygen/high CO2 or gill flukes.

Jay

 

[Zagreus]

All of the fish are breathing too fast, but the YT is the worst - do you have good aeration in the tank to drive off excess CO2? The copper should have controlled any protozoans that cause rapid breathing, so that really only leaves low oxygen/high CO2 or gill flukes.

Jay

I treated them with General Cure...does that cover gill flukes?

In terms of o2/co2 ratios I will put an air stone in asap and will look what other test I have to check that. I think my seneye can test that so I will get some more slides asap.

Be back in touch soon.

Thank you,

Zag

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I treated them with General Cure...does that cover gill flukes?

In terms of o2/co2 ratios I will put an air stone in asap and will look what other test I have to check that. I think my seneye can test that so I will get some more slides asap.

Be back in touch soon.

Thank you,

Zag

Yes - GC will cure some flukes and provide temporary relief for others.

Jay

 

[Zagreus]

Yes - GC will cure some flukes and provide temporary relief for others.

Jay
Think you I doubt it's an issue with the C02/02 as I have got so many pumps my skimmer plus 2 MP 40s and 2 mp10 but will test. How would you treat for flukes?

 

[MagicMiller72]

All of the fish are breathing too fast, but the YT is the worst - do you have good aeration in the tank to drive off excess CO2? The copper should have controlled any protozoans that cause rapid breathing, so that really only leaves low oxygen/high CO2 or gill flukes.

Jay

Agreed