Diagnosis and Second Opinion...

[klwade]

All-

I think my Blue Hippo Tang may have black ich, however I am not 100% sure - and why I am coming to you...

<a href="http://imgur.com/Z7iISGZ"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Z7iISGZ.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/QTSZT5f"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/QTSZT5f.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/ZxTJgxE"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZxTJgxE.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/UqStHXS"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/UqStHXS.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

I have a 125g display tank with a 40g sump. It has been set up for around 10 months. Before I started anything in this hobby, I acquired a "mentor," who helped me understand reefing. He also inherited to me his sand, rock, and water - as he was upgrading/moving to a house.

My feeding occurs around every other day - every three days. I feed frozen/cubed spirulina brine shrimp and frozen mysis shrimp (all the fish prefer the brine - a lot of them spit out the mysis). I also feed "Seaweed Salad: Green Marine Algae" on a clip on my off feeding days. My Hippo Tang likes to eat the brine shrimp, and will readily graze on the algae clip. His eating seems to be okay (I fed tonight).

His behavior seems...okay? Maybe a little more hyper/jumpy/scared than before. He darts around the tank and rocks. When I fed tonight, he was a little more scared than normal. He hid in his sleeping cave for a while, but came out and ate like crazy in the end. I haven't noticed him scratching tonight. Lights are off at the moment - and fish are sleeping.

I noticed these darker spots on my tang earlier tonight. After a little freak-out to my husband, I texted my reefer "mentor" (the guy who helped me along when I first started. The guy who also inherited to me his sand, rock, sump, and water). What he told me was:

"It happens to every reefer. Every tank has ich. Do small 5 gallon water changes. There is nothing more you can really do, and it's not a big deal. Tangs get ich when stressed. You have and will always have ich in your tank. It's only when stressed that the parasite hatches. You're over worrying"

My gut is telling me this IS something I should worry about. I've read far too many horror stories on these forums re: ich.

Last thing I have added to my tank was my Diamond Goby from my LFS. I added him maybe 2-3 weeks ago? I have never QT'd any fish in the past.

My Questions for You:
1) Does this look like ich?

2) Would you recommend setting up a QT? Treat with what? I have a 55g aquarium just sitting empty on top of my washer/dryer that I use for large water changes.

<a href="http://imgur.com/CQFdLXv"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/CQFdLXv.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

3) If you recommend a QT, would you recommend putting ALL my fish in there, and keeping them in there for several weeks to rid my display of any possible parasites? (This may be REALLY tricky, as I have 2 goby fish who have their tunnels...). I've read that as long as the parasite doesn't have a host to attached itself to, it will die - ultimately ridding your set-up of the parasite, and never having to worry in the future...

4) I've read that once a fish gets ich - if it then recovers, it will be "immune." Any truth to this?

I have a million other questions, but for the moment...how about these above questions?

Thanks in advance,

jokywade

[klwade]

ARGH! I forgot....

Just in case you are needing more information:

My parameters:
*All Tested Tonight*
Used API Testing, except for Mag which is Salifert
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 0ppm
Phosphates: 0ppm
Calcium: 400ppm
Alk: 5dkh (Yes....low...)
Mag: Above 1400 (yes....high...)
Salinity: 1.025 (tested with refractometer that was calibrated last week)
ph: 8

Other Tank Inhabitants:
1 Blue Hippo Tang
1 Yellow Tang
1 Bristle Tooth Tang
1 Flame Angel
3 Bangaii Cardinals
1 Maroon Clown hosted in Anemone
1 Ocellaris Clown
1 Yellow Watchman Goby with Pistol Shrimp
1 Diamond Goby
1 Green Chromi
1 Fridmani Pseudochromis
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
1 Flame Scallop
1 Sea Cucumber
1 Blue Tuxedo Urchin
1 Sand Sifting Star
Small handful of hermits/snails
LOTS of corals (both SPS & LPS)

[Newsmyrna80]

All-

I think my Blue Hippo Tang may have black ich, however I am not 100% sure - and why I am coming to you... Black ich is not actually cryptocaryon. It is Turbellarian worms that is treated with Prazi. Black ich will appear to be small black spots.

<a href="http://imgur.com/Z7iISGZ"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Z7iISGZ.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/QTSZT5f"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/QTSZT5f.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/ZxTJgxE"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ZxTJgxE.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

<a href="http://imgur.com/UqStHXS"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/UqStHXS.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

I have a 125g display tank with a 40g sump. It has been set up for around 10 months. Before I started anything in this hobby, I acquired a "mentor," who helped me understand reefing. He also inherited to me his sand, rock, and water - as he was upgrading/moving to a house.

My feeding occurs around every other day - every three days. I feed frozen/cubed spirulina brine shrimp and frozen mysis shrimp (all the fish prefer the brine - a lot of them spit out the mysis). I also feed "Seaweed Salad: Green Marine Algae" on a clip on my off feeding days. My Hippo Tang likes to eat the brine shrimp, and will readily graze on the algae clip. His eating seems to be okay (I fed tonight).Brine is the equivalent of eating potato chips for our nutrition. It is junk food and has no nutritional value. Get them eating mysis and/or something like Rods.

His behavior seems...okay? Maybe a little more hyper/jumpy/scared than before. He darts around the tank and rocks. When I fed tonight, he was a little more scared than normal. He hid in his sleeping cave for a while, but came out and ate like crazy in the end. I haven't noticed him scratching tonight. Lights are off at the moment - and fish are sleeping.

I noticed these darker spots on my tang earlier tonight. After a little freak-out to my husband, I texted my reefer "mentor" (the guy who helped me along when I first started. The guy who also inherited to me his sand, rock, sump, and water). What he told me was:

"It happens to every reefer. Every tank has ich. Do small 5 gallon water changes. There is nothing more you can really do, and it's not a big deal. Tangs get ich when stressed. You have and will always have ich in your tank. It's only when stressed that the parasite hatches. You're over worrying" :headwalls:Not true at all!! I don't have ich in my tanks. The only way to prevent disease from entering your tank is to quarantine. Read the stickies at the top of the forum on cryptocaryon. They are written by Snorvich are are very informative.

My gut is telling me this IS something I should worry about. I've read far too many horror stories on these forums re: ich.

Last thing I have added to my tank was my Diamond Goby from my LFS. I added him maybe 2-3 weeks ago? I have never QT'd any fish in the past. The Goby probably brought something in to the tank.

My Questions for You:
1) Does this look like ich?

2) Would you recommend setting up a QT? Treat with what? I have a 55g aquarium just sitting empty on top of my washer/dryer that I use for large water changes.I hope you are not planning on leaving the tank on top of the washer/dryer.

<a href="http://imgur.com/CQFdLXv"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/CQFdLXv.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

3) If you recommend a QT, would you recommend putting ALL my fish in there, and keeping them in there for several weeks to rid my display of any possible parasites? (This may be REALLY tricky, as I have 2 goby fish who have their tunnels...). I've read that as long as the parasite doesn't have a host to attached itself to, it will die - ultimately ridding your set-up of the parasite, and never having to worry in the future..Yes, you have to quarantine all fish.

4) I've read that once a fish gets ich - if it then recovers, it will be "immune." Any truth to this?

I have a million other questions, but for the moment...how about these above questions?

Thanks in advance,

jokywade
It's hard to tell from the photos what it is. I don't see black dots but I do see some large white ones which could be crypto but it could be the beginning of something like Brook. The stickies at the top of the forum have great info.

[klwade]

I see the few white spots you are referring to, however, what really sticks out to me is the blackish spots on the belly area-

Would better pictures help?

Also...would you recommend I get the fish out now? Or "wait and see" as there is no diagnosis at this point and stressing the fish out over "nothing" is never a good idea??

[klwade]

Anyone have ANY ideas or advice?

I took some more pictures tonight when I got off of work...

I also fed the fish - ONLY mysis shrimp, then I offered a piece of seaweed on the clip for them. The blue hippo swam frantically around during the mysis feeding time. He did spit out a lot, but this is normal behavior for ALL the fish. They much prefer brine shrimp over mysis. The blue hippo did eventually eat some mysis, and grazed on some algae on the clip.

Pictures from tonight...

<a href="http://imgur.com/ji5VHkF"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ji5VHkF.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

In this picture, you can really see the dark spots on the Tang's belly. Also, a "pustule" in the midsection.
<a href="http://imgur.com/TR3mAt1"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/TR3mAt1.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

White spots were noticed on the back end of the dorsal fin.
<a href="http://imgur.com/0AuTrBy"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/0AuTrBy.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

This picture, you can see how he looks kind of "lumpy on the under area of his belly" - thats the only way I can describe this - lumpy. Almost like you can see the outlines of his intestines? I don't know how else to describe that...Also, random white spots on body. I feel like the Blue Hippo is losing color on his underside/belly area - or I guess you could call it...his pooper area? It's a light blue/whitish tint...
<a href="http://imgur.com/ywKEVRY"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/ywKEVRY.jpg" title="Hosted by imgur.com"/></a>

[Newsmyrna80]

He looks like he either needs more fiber in his diet or he has intestinal parasites. How does his poop look? Is it long, white and stringy? Tangs need lots of algae. You can try to soak the Nori in vitamins to entice him to eat. Also you could try attaching the algae to a rock with a rubberband. Some fish just don't like the clips. As far as the dark spots that could be normal discoloration...like "liver spots" but I don't have a blue hippo tang so maybe someone that has experience with them will chime in.