YWG has large white splotches with dark outlines

[cowfootball]

Tank is a 135g, 4ft mixed reef. Current stocking is 1 YWG, 2 Ocellaris, 2 cleaner shrimp and a mix of Trochus and Cerrith snails.

My YWG has looked a little lethargic the last few days and in the last day or so gained these fairly large white splotches in various spots on his body. He is still eating and moving about the tank, just with a little less energy than previously.

The YWG and the clownfish have been in the tank since it finished cycling, approx 6 weeks ago. The only newly added inhabitants since then are coral and snails.

Is this Ich? I always thought ich was lighter, smaller white spots but these appear to be beige without clearly defined margins. They don’t appear to be raised but they do appear to be on the skin.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 7.5
Phos 0.27
Calcium 400
Alk 7.2
Magnesium 1430
Salinity 1.025
pH/temp graphs attached

Test kits are Hanna checkers except for calcium which is Red Sea.

 

[SaltySqueeble]

Maybe flukes…

 

[vetteguy53081]

Tank is a 135g, 4ft mixed reef. Current stocking is 1 YWG, 2 Ocellaris, 2 cleaner shrimp and a mix of Trochus and Cerrith snails.

My YWG has looked a little lethargic the last few days and in the last day or so gained these fairly large white splotches in various spots on his body. He is still eating and moving about the tank, just with a little less energy than previously.

The YWG and the clownfish have been in the tank since it finished cycling, approx 6 weeks ago. The only newly added inhabitants since then are coral and snails.

Is this Ich? I always thought ich was lighter, smaller white spots but these appear to be beige without clearly defined margins. They don’t appear to be raised but they do appear to be on the skin.

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 7.5
Phos 0.27
Calcium 400
Alk 7.2
Magnesium 1430
Salinity 1.025
pH/temp graphs attached

Test kits are Hanna checkers except for calcium which is Red Sea.

Appears to be scrape injury which is not uncommon with them. You rarely see flukes but rather symptoms which I rule out. Brighter pics under white light intensity would be helpful.
If scrapes, should heal on their own however you can prevent any sores, etc by adding Ruby rally pro which is safe for coral

 

[cowfootball]

It’s difficult to get a good shot even with the lights off since he’s skittish. I don’t think they’re scrapes because the YWG spotted fluorescent patches are visible over the top of the markings and I’d imagine the scrapes would be surface down, not just below. The one right between his nose looks to be the first one that appeared too.

It does kind of look like flukes.

 

[MnFish1]

Did you quarantine this fish, and others? This does not look like ich.

 

[cowfootball]

Did you quarantine this fish, and others? This does not look like ich.

I did a humblefish hybrid tank transfer quarantine on these ~6 weeks ago before they were introduced. There's been nothing but snails/shrimp added since then which I didn't QT but I was under the impression invert bringing in anything too bad is unlikely.

I agree it doesn't look like Ich. I'm going to work on the assumption that it's flukes and treat with Prazipro in the DT and set-up a bottle trap to try to grab him and get him into QT in the mean time.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’ve been seeing a number of these show up here with blotchy skin - I wonder if this is a bacterial infection? It could also be flukes.

The change in behavior needs to be monitored.

I don’t suppose you have a treatment tank you could use?

 

[cowfootball]

I’ve been seeing a number of these show up here with blotchy skin - I wonder if this is a bacterial infection? It could also be flukes.

The change in behavior needs to be monitored.

I don’t suppose you have a treatment tank you could use?

I don't but I can get something set-up. He has an entire network of caves under a very large, epoxied rock structure so I'm not 100% I can actually get him. I'm going to try to set-up a bottle trap as he is quite a voracious feeder and I suspect some Mysis might do OK as bait.

As an aside, the Clownfish look fine and whatever it is appears to only be affecting the YWG (for now).

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I don't but I can get something set-up. He has an entire network of caves under a very large, epoxied rock structure so I'm not 100% I can actually get him. I'm going to try to set-up a bottle trap as he is quite a voracious feeder and I suspect some Mysis might do OK as bait.

As an aside, the Clownfish look fine and whatever it is appears to only be affecting the YWG (for now).

Have you seen the goby scratch/flash off the bottom? Is it breathing faster?

You can treat for flukes in your display, so if we can confirm that diagnosis, you won’t need a treatment tank.

 

[cowfootball]

Have you seen the goby scratch/flash off the bottom? Is it breathing faster?

You can treat for flukes in your display, so if we can confirm that diagnosis, you won’t need a treatment tank.

He’s been sitting on the sand more and in tighter segments of rock than I’ve seen previously. I wasn’t sure if it was lethargy or scratching though.

Hard to tell with breathing. He’s still sifting sand pretty regularly and chasing food in the tank so his big mouth is always moving.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s difficult to get a good shot even with the lights off since he’s skittish. I don’t think they’re scrapes because the YWG spotted fluorescent patches are visible over the top of the markings and I’d imagine the scrapes would be surface down, not just below. The one right between his nose looks to be the first one that appeared too.

It does kind of look like flukes.

Looks like a scratch imperfection for sure. Keep an eye on it as mentioned

 

[Jay Hemdal]

He’s been sitting on the sand more and in tighter segments of rock than I’ve seen previously. I wasn’t sure if it was lethargy or scratching though.

Hard to tell with breathing. He’s still sifting sand pretty regularly and chasing food in the tank so his big mouth is always moving.

Scratching is pretty obvious - the fish will suddenly speed up and rub its head or body on something. That can be a sign of flukes, along with rapid breathing.

I don’t see anything really to diagnose here. It could be bacterial, but as long as the fish is still eating well, you might want to observe it.

 

[cowfootball]

He’s not looking great so I’m going to try and set up a trap and grab him into a QT bucket. He’s started laying on the sand on the far side of the tank in the open instead of in his cave.

If I can get him I’ll do a freshwater dip to try to confirm flukes.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

He’s not looking great so I’m going to try and set up a trap and grab him into a QT bucket. He’s started laying on the sand on the far side of the tank in the open instead of in his cave.

If I can get him I’ll do a freshwater dip to try to confirm flukes.

Just be aware that using a FW dip to diagnose flukes requires a microscope or at least a good magnifying glass, only one type of fluke is large enough to see with the naked eye. Now, if the fish improves a day or so after the dip, that can indirectly diagnose flukes.

 

[cowfootball]

Just be aware that using a FW dip to diagnose flukes requires a microscope or at least a good magnifying glass, only one type of fluke is large enough to see with the naked eye. Now, if the fish improves a day or so after the dip, that can indirectly diagnose flukes.

Yeah, I would expect that the white spots would start to disappear if Fluke treatment (either a dip or Prazipro) was successful, right?

 

[cowfootball]

No success catching him. He’s a little too skittish to even try for Mysis in the bottle trap so I’m doing to dose the DT with Prazi in an attempt to identify it.

One interesting thing is that the white spot between his eyes is now surrounded by black patches. I’m not sure what that means.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

No success catching him. He’s a little too skittish to even try for Mysis in the bottle trap so I’m doing to dose the DT with Prazi in an attempt to identify it.

One interesting thing is that the white spot between his eyes is now surrounded by black patches. I’m not sure what that means.

The last picture seems to show what you are describing. That could be something called granulotomous (spelling?) tissue, essentially, a healing reaction from the skin as it fights a bacterial infection.

 

[cowfootball]

The last picture seems to show what you are describing. That could be something called granulotomous (spelling?) tissue, essentially, a healing reaction from the skin as it fights a bacterial infection.

Yeah, that was my hope.. maybe he can figure it out himself. He's still eating so I'm not super stressed yet but he was our first fish and my fiance is quite attached so keeping a very close eye.