Yuck, what is this on my Yellow Tang?

[AquaBear]

Hey Forum....got a little issue here.

I got a Yellow Tang a couple weeks ago and it had been doing just fine in my QT, and then yesterday, some brownish spots appeared on one side, about halfway between the dorsal and pectoral fins. At first, I thought it might have brushed up against something and gotten dirty. Tonight, however, the eye on that side is a little puffy and cloudy, and it looks like some of the yellow color is fading to white, or perhaps it's covered with something whitish. Could this be velvet?

The Yellowtail Damsel in QT with it seems to be okay, but of course I know if one has something, they will most likely both come down with it. I've been watching the Damsel to see if any ich spots show up, because they're hard to see on the Tang. So far, no white spots. But this latest development has only started happening since I left for work this morning.

I did look through the "Blue Tang/Yellow Tang" post just a little further below, but didn't see the original thread, so I'm not sure of what that poster's original symptoms were. But from what I've read, if this *is* velvet, it sounds like I'm going to lose the tang very quickly.

Any advice would be appreciated. TIA,
--Aquabear

 

[quarryshark]

Could this be velvet?

Maybe, but if she's eating Ok and acting normal it most likely is not. Physical marking usually show up with velvet after the fish is in peril. The early signs are lack of eating, listlessness, cloudy eyes, flashing, etc. A pic would be a great help.
Its may very well be a physical injury. With 1 cloudy eye, this is usually the case. A parasitic outbreak usually will effect both eyes.

But from what I've read, if this *is* velvet, it sounds like I'm going to lose the tang very quickly.

Not at all, there are good treatments that can be used to beat this parasite and since the fish is already in qt, very easy to quickly implement.
Please post that pic if you can, it would be a great help, also how are her eating habits?

 

[srgetz]

Are you doing regular water changes in qt? They should be frequent due to the size of the system, bacteria can build up fast. My tang suffered fin rot in qt. Solution: 3-4 large water changes with well mixed (24hrs) and temp, ph & sg tested SW. Also make sure the PH is 8.1-8.3, tangs start to have problems if Ph falls lower. This should allow him to heal on his own if it's not a parasite condition. I would do this first to insure water quality is perfect, then see if he improves and decide if an antibiotic may be needed.

 

[Jason]

how big are the spots? maybe that poor little guy was cyanide caught.

 

[AquaBear]

Hey everybody....

Well, it appears to be ich after all. The morning after I left that post, I went to feed her and she swam by on her left side, and the cloudiness in the eye is gone now. I also noticed, for the first time, the little white spots on her fins. I immediately started adding fresh water for hyposalinity.

I'm dropping it .001 - .002 per day, I don't dare take it any faster. I checked the pH, which is perfect, and I don't think water quality is the problem. I mix 50% donor water from the main tank (to maintain bio-filter and keep the environments level) and 50% freshly-aged water. But I will certainly be changing a lot of water over the next week, to get down to 1.009. (I'm using a refract, but SG has more frame of reference for me)

The only other thing I've noticed that's different is that some of the algae on the bottom of the tank is very dark, almost black. Since it's a bare-bottom tank and the tang is herbivorous, I thought a little algae growth would help feed the tang and at the same time help maintain bio-filter. But this stuff is gross and the tang won't touch it, so I'm going to begin scraping it out. Could this be partly because I'm feeding a tang? She eats Spirulina flakes, Formula One flakes and the occasion Sea Veggies seaweed. Never seen algae this color before.

QShark...my digital camera is dead right now, but I'll try to get a pic out here in the next day or so. It's just a little patch. I thought about physical injury too, because it didn't appear over a period of time, it wasn't there that morning, and then it was there that evening. I always watch my flock eat so I can monitor changes in their appearance, plus make sure they all get enough food.

But at least it's not VELVET. I know how to treat ich. I'm just concerned that she may have been infested with it so long that irreversible damage has been done. Does anybody know if this is possible? If I get rid of 100% of the ich, is she going to be fine? (Assuming the brown spots are nothing to worry about after all).

Thanks everybody, I appreciate it.

--Aquabear

 

[quarryshark]

I immediately started adding fresh water for hyposalinity.

If you sure it is ick, its a good treatment. You will need to get it to 0.009 SPG and maintain it there for at least 4 weeks. What are you using to measure SPG?

I'm dropping it .001 - .002 per day, I don't dare take it any faster.

You can lower it faster than that. Fish can take a fast drop in SPG, they just cannot take a fast rise in it. You can lower it to the treatment level within the next 48 hrs with no problem. When you get to raising it, you then need to do at a slow rate of .001-.002 per day.
Do twice daily 20% water changes with RO FW over the next 2 day, measuring with a good refractometer and that should get you about there. You will need to keep a close eye on PH because it will drop as the SPG is lowered. I would suggest adjusting your change water to the proper PH, that should help to keep it stable. Also of course keep an eye on ammonia.

I've noticed that's different is that some of the algae on the bottom of the tank is very dark, almost black. Since it's a bare-bottom tank and the tang is herbivorous, I thought a little algae growth would help feed the tang and at the same time help maintain bio-filter. But this stuff is gross and the tang won't touch it, so I'm going to begin scraping it out. Could this be partly because I'm feeding a tang? She eats Spirulina flakes, Formula One flakes and the occasion Sea Veggies seaweed. Never seen algae this color before

I get algae in my qt tank too. No worries just scrape and siphon it out. When you feed, go light and siphon out any uneaten food within about 15 minutes. Do not want to get the ammonia spiking. What I do for Tangs, just like in the main is stick a clip of nori in there for them. Nori is slow to foul water quality and give her something to do.

It's just a little patch. I thought about physical injury too, because it didn't appear over a period of time, it wasn't there that morning, and then it was there that evening. I always watch my flock eat so I can monitor changes in their appearance, plus make sure they all get enough food.

You know what that could be? Yellow Tangs (as well as other fish) get (what I call) sleeping stripes at night. I see them on my Yellow if I check her at night. Is it uniform on both sides? If so that is pretty normal.
Keep us posted.

 

[AquaBear]

UPDATE:

The SG is nearly down to treatment level, but I can already tell a difference in the reduction of white spots on the Tang. The yellow is evening out more (not as much whitish patches), the eye is all clear, and those brown spots have almost faded completely away. She's still eating like a little piggy, so I think I might have gotten to her in time.

The damsel hasn't shown any signs of infestation, but of course I know he's got to be treated as well.

When I was scraping that gunk off the walls/bottom of the tank, I think I figured out what caused it. I've been trying to find other things the tang will eat, and one of the things I've tried is Red Seaweed. Apparently, a few pieces of it broke off and settled in a corner of the tank behind one of the small pieces of LR, and it started to rot. I pulled a piece out the other day that had only been in there for about 6 hours, and it smelled exactly the same as the crud I scraped off earlier. Perhaps that means I should remove it sooner, but she usually won't touch it for the first few hours.

Since I switched over to almost completely RO water, I've had to keep an eye on the pH and kH in all my SW tanks. I treat with buffers as regular course of maintenance now.

So I will continue to watch, but I think I must have dodged a bullet...again.

Thank you all very much.

--Aquabear

 

[quarryshark]

Glad it is going well for you.
You are treating in a qt setting, right ? Leave the SPG at treatment level for at least 4 week and the main tank fisless for at least 6 weeks and you should be golden.