mandarin has chunk of white skin on side

MrGoodbar · 07/31/2011, 03:12 PM

i just noticed it last night. there is a huge white spot below its left gill. Today it looks like the skin is falling off and there is a chunk just hanging there. Is this normal. I just got the fish about 3 days ago. its been swimming all over the tank eating stuff all over my rocks so it seems happy. I havnt been able to get a pic of it yet since its always in the rocks but i will try to get one. If anyone has any advice or can help please do because i dont want to loose this beautiful fish.
this is as good of a pic as i can get right now its hard because he is always in the rocks and in the back of the tank. you can see the white spot on its side. ill try to get a better one later.

snorvich · 07/31/2011, 05:26 PM

The picture is indeterminant. If he or she is swimming around hunting, that is a good sign. The bad news is perhaps the emerald crab.

MrGoodbar · 07/31/2011, 07:59 PM

i thought the same thing. You think i should remove the emerald crab? do mandarin sleep at night?

b0bab0ey · 07/31/2011, 08:17 PM

It's def not normal but even if it is a disease, IME Mandarins don't handle being medicated well. I know they are intolerant of anything copper based. Not much you can do except wait and see. As snorvich pointed out, keep a close eye on that emerald crab or something else which might be attacking your Mandarin.

Sk8r · 07/31/2011, 08:35 PM

Let the fish alone. It's possible it was burned by a salt infall. OR the crab. DOn't attempt to medicate. One thing it isn't is ich or a parasite, and that's the only thing copper is good for---copper would kill the fish.

MrGoodbar · 07/31/2011, 08:48 PM

Ok thanks guys i got some good pics of it. I am currently trying to catch the crab not going to take any chances.
here are the pics it has some kind of a string slime hanging from it and the sand seems to be sticking to it. take a look and see what you think. Im not going to treat at all.

MrGoodbar · 08/01/2011, 08:34 AM

Update this morning. Seems to be better still swimming all over and looks like the white has gone down and it looks like the little lip of skin is growing back out.

snorvich · 08/01/2011, 02:08 PM

In my opinion, based on verbal description, it is an attack from the emerald crab or something equivalent. I personally NEVER trust crabs.

07/31/2011, 03:12 PM	#1
MrGoodbar Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 309	mandarin has chunk of white skin on side i just noticed it last night. there is a huge white spot below its left gill. Today it looks like the skin is falling off and there is a chunk just hanging there. Is this normal. I just got the fish about 3 days ago. its been swimming all over the tank eating stuff all over my rocks so it seems happy. I havnt been able to get a pic of it yet since its always in the rocks but i will try to get one. If anyone has any advice or can help please do because i dont want to loose this beautiful fish. this is as good of a pic as i can get right now its hard because he is always in the rocks and in the back of the tank. you can see the white spot on its side. ill try to get a better one later. __________________ MrGoodbar Current Tank Info: Red Sea Max NANO 20gal

07/31/2011, 05:26 PM	#2
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	The picture is indeterminant. If he or she is swimming around hunting, that is a good sign. The bad news is perhaps the emerald crab. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

07/31/2011, 07:59 PM	#3
MrGoodbar Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 309	i thought the same thing. You think i should remove the emerald crab? do mandarin sleep at night? __________________ MrGoodbar Current Tank Info: Red Sea Max NANO 20gal

07/31/2011, 08:35 PM	#5
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Let the fish alone. It's possible it was burned by a salt infall. OR the crab. DOn't attempt to medicate. One thing it isn't is ich or a parasite, and that's the only thing copper is good for---copper would kill the fish. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

07/31/2011, 08:48 PM	#6
MrGoodbar Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 309	Ok thanks guys i got some good pics of it. I am currently trying to catch the crab not going to take any chances. here are the pics it has some kind of a string slime hanging from it and the sand seems to be sticking to it. take a look and see what you think. Im not going to treat at all. __________________ MrGoodbar Current Tank Info: Red Sea Max NANO 20gal

07/31/2011, 08:17 PM	#4
b0bab0ey Moved On Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 2,564	It's def not normal but even if it is a disease, IME Mandarins don't handle being medicated well. I know they are intolerant of anything copper based. Not much you can do except wait and see. As snorvich pointed out, keep a close eye on that emerald crab or something else which might be attacking your Mandarin.

08/01/2011, 08:34 AM	#7
MrGoodbar Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 309	Update this morning. Seems to be better still swimming all over and looks like the white has gone down and it looks like the little lip of skin is growing back out. __________________ MrGoodbar Current Tank Info: Red Sea Max NANO 20gal

08/01/2011, 02:08 PM	#8
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Outlander Posts: 40,953 Blog Entries: 46	In my opinion, based on verbal description, it is an attack from the emerald crab or something equivalent. I personally NEVER trust crabs. __________________ Warmest regards, ~Steve~

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