Need help Identifying Disease

[EMS503]

My Powder Blue Tang started with what appeared to be Ich on his side fins. I started treating the tank with Kick-Ich (no hosp. tank)Today was the third dose, Now the white spots look like they were smudged. Still only on his side fins. Other then this there are no other signs or symptoms.He is swimming all over the tank and eating with as much Vigor as always.
His colors are still great and he is still plump(loves to eat algae )
No other fish have any illness or these smudges. All the other fins and body are clear. I am attaching a photo (not as good as the one that stopped the fan blades)

 

[fishfreek]

I prefer to use garlic oil to treat ich. I feed my powder blue tang garlic soaked algae once a week as a preventivie.

Follow the directions to the letter with your medication. ICH has at least two different life cycles. One of these cycles is the visible cycle of the cysts that attach to the host. The second phase is when the cysts burst and release ICH larva. This larva has a life cycle of 21 days or so that it can live with out a host.

Not sure on how reefsafe the Kick-ICH product is.

 

[CaliGal]

EMS503,

I sure hope, however you treat this beauty, it works! Please follow up with a progress report in a couple of days, and let us know how s/he does.

In my limited experience, ICH appears as you describe here. I am wondering if short-term use of a UV sterilizer would be in order, for the sake of all inhabitants. (Possibly you could borrow one from your LFS for the duration of treatment.)

I'm sending you good vibes for a speedy recovery.


Sue
(Are the corals in this photo actually as pink as they appear? They are beautiful!)

 

[EMS503]

ID Disease

Hi. Not sure if you got my first reply, Site froze.
Thanks for the reply. I am running a 25 watt UV sterilizer.
I knew this type of Tang was an Ich magnet when I purchased him.
He has been in my tank just shy of three months, Without any problems.
This is the first problem with him and hopefully the last.
Actually the corals are a little more colorful then the picture shows.
I will be posting pictures of my tank in the photo gallery tonight along with the pictures of my son's FW plant tank. Take a look if you would like I would appreciate any comments on the tank.

Thanks John

 

[CaliGal]

John,

I am so sorry to read that your Tang is contracting a problem after being in your tank for some time. Some how I just feel once these beautiful beasts are acclimated and part of the community they are immune to any problems. I would be sick, this happening now.

It will be very interesting to hear how it comes out, especially when you are running the UVS. Has it been running since the first sign of a problem?

Good luck!

Sue

 

[fishfreek]

One problem I have with UV's is that they only kill what is in the water that flows thru them.

How do you have your UV hooked up to your system? The slower the water flow thru the UV unit the longer the exposure to the UV light. The longer the exposure the higher the kill rate.

To many people attach these units incorrectly and have them with a high flow rate thus resulting in very low contact time with the UV light.

The best setup for a UV would be to have it on an independant flow with the help of a powerhead.

 

[EMS503]

UV Sterilizer hook up

Looking at it the way you explain it, I guess im one of those people that have to much flow going through my UV. I have it on my return line after the sump. How about if I hooked it up from the sump with a power head and returned it to the main tank? What size power head would you suggest,Please don't suggest Rio's I have no luck with them :x .
I have a rise of about 4.5 feet to my main tank. Just incase there are any members that are following this, As im sure you are very much aware UV sterilizers do not kill parasites (ICH).

On another topic I am running a 15 gal. refugium I just placed my algae plants in the tank (2 days ago) Some of the plants are looking good some so so. I am lighting with 2, 15 watt Triton bulbs. I just ordered a PC smart light 65 watts. Do you think this will be to much light. I am running lights on 24/7.

Thanks in the short time I have been a member you and the other members have been a great help.

John
EMS503

 

[fishfreek]

Just incase there are any members that are following this, As im sure you are very much aware UV sterilizers do not kill parasites (ICH).

Was that a typo?

With the correct flow rate the UV light will kill just about anything that flows thru it. The larger the 'nasty' that you want to kill the slower the flow rate. When it comes to ICH the only time the UV has a chance on killing it is when its in the free floating stage. When its attached to the fish the UV unit will be of no good as the UV light has to come in contact to kill.

The manufacture of your UV unit might have some suggested flow rates on their website. When I had a UV unit it was a little 8W unit and I was using a RIO 600 powerhead to push water thru it. I had 0' of head as it was a hang on UV and the PH was just a few inches below the water surface.

 

[EMS503]

UV Sterilizers

Sorry no Typo. I have always been advised UV will not kill parasites at any
stage. But I could be getting the wrong information. This info. was from my
LFS which has helped me a lot when I was just getting my Reef started. A
little free advertisement the store is Fish Tails in Bricktown, NJ anyone
there ask for Cliff the owner. He is hard to get as they are building a
bigger store. This is one reason why I have dropped all the other Web sites.
Aquarium advise is no nonsense and does not make anyone feel as if they are
not wanted and does not talk down to them. Keep up the great work I love it.
EMS503

 

[Bang Guy]

I agree with Fishfreak completely. A UV will be able to kill Ick Tomonts (sp??) if they float through the UV at a slow enough rate. The problem is that it needs to be a very slow rate. They are mainly only effective in diminishing the chance for infection. I don't believe a UV can cure an Ick outbreak unless it's one of the big boys like a 110 watt UV. Otherwise the parasites on an infected fish can easily reproduce faster then the UV unit can kill them.

* * guess mode * *
I'm thinking that something is stressing your fish. This is an easy guess because PB Tangs will stress about anything. I've seen them freak out after hanging a new picture on a wall. For a migrating fish I have no idea how they cope with change in the wild!

It could be a tank mate, the tank size, PH, stray voltage, just about anything can stress a PB enough to lower their immunity. I've almost killed one before by carrying a mirror past the tank 8O

I think Cleaner shrimp help by making the tang more at ease. Meanwhile chek all of your parameters again. Once in morning, once in afternoon. Incluse PH, Salinity, temp, ALK and Ca in addition to the standard Nitrogen levels (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate).

What size is the tank? How much free swimming room is there (longest stretch of open water)? This is probably the most common stress producer for PB Tangs.

 

[EMS503]

PB Tang with Ich

Hi. all Just an update on my PB Tang. His Ich is just about gone only very small dots on the fin's. im not dropping my guard yet & hope I didn't just jinx him. I finnished the Kick Ich with okay results, But I took the suggestions from the members about slowing the flow down on my UV sterilizer. and tinted the one end of the tank he was fighting. All may be coincidence but I will take it .
Thankyou all for the help
John EMS503

 

[CaliGal]

So glad for you! It must be a great feeling to pull your beautiful PB through, and I hope he remains disease free. I believe you will need to continue running the UVS for a month or so after signs leave the PB completely to rid the tank of all phases of the ICH cycle.

Keep us posted, please. It is so nice to read success stories. We all kind of feel involved! =]

Sue