Powder blue with ich... re-sent, same bat channel..    11/14/06
I have a 155 reef with 13 fish, and assorted corals and inverts, all levels great, but while out of town for 3 days (fish watched by LFS owner) my powder blue has a light (for the time being) case of ich.
<A common occurrence>
I have not added anything for over a year, so my QT is gone.  My other fish seem unaffected,  the tang has had it for 4 days, I have been adding garlic to the food, but he  isn't getting better or worse. Will kick ich help the tang,
<Not in the least. This product is an outright scam>
or will it prevent  only further spread.
<Neither, none of the above, nunc...>
  And do I do freshwater dips, or would it be useless  without a QT.  He is still acting normal and eating great, but I want to do  whatever I can.
Thanks,
Denise
<Mmm... a bunch to state, speculate... on the one proverbial hand, you could do the least/nothing... watch the Acanthurus for signs of further increasing infestation... to the other end of the scale... removing, treating all fishes... hoping that by allowing the main/display system to go fallow (sans fish hosts), the protozoan will die off or become so subsequently weakened as "not likely" to re-infest your fish livestock... All these and intermediate possibilities are posted, gone over on WWM BTW. Bob Fenner>
 

Wound or disease or both?  9-19-06 This Powder blue I have had for about 4 months.  It was at the LFS for about 3 months before I purchased it.  It has never had any health problems to my knowledge.  Can you determine from these pictures the ailment, if any? <Mmm, nope> I noticed this dark spot on its side 2 days ago. It seems to have occurred overnight.  Did it have a run in with some rock? Or the anemone?   <Maybe> Or is this some sort of disease? <If so... likely environmental... not nutritional, infectious, parasitic/pathogenic...> The last "change" I made was a 5 gallon water change last week. 90 gal reef tank <Too small> 1.021 <Too low> temp: 80-82 deg Nitrate/phosphate/nitrite/ammonia all equal zero. Lighting: MH and Actinic and moonlights 1 royal Gramma 1 black clown 1 blue damsel 1 sebae anemone (6 inches in diameter when fully expanded) 2 pieces of frogspawn 1 small blue mushroom colony 1 green star polyp 1 leather coral 70-80 lbs live rock Thanks so much for your help, Blake <Could be some sort of allelopathogenic effect... result of negative interaction twixt your H. crispa and the other cnidarians... my best guess... Cures? Improve water quality... use of chemical filtrants, add a refugium... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/powdbluetg.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Microsporidean Infection - Will it go away?   3/21/06
Hi Bob,
<Steve>
You have been such a great help! I recently got a small Powder blue tang that has been showing pimple-like bumps on its body - not salt grains (ich) and not dust-like (velvet). After researching your site, I'm pretty sure it's a microsporidean infection. My question is, while it is said that there is no cure for this, will it just go away or is the fish just doomed?
<Mmm, have seen such infestations live "with their host" for many years>
In your responses to the other related posts, you only mentioned that it's not infectious to other species nor is contagious.
Secondly, how long does it usually take for these bumps to develop?
<...?>
I'd like to figure out if it picked it up in my tank or already had it when I bought it from the store.
<This latter, assuredly>
I bought the PBT with a yellow tang at the same time so that they won't get too territorial. For the first few days they
were buddies, then the PBT would get annoyed and they'd flash their tails
now and then. Could these bumps be coming from stress maybe?
<To some extent>
Also, from your experience, how long does it take to go away?
<Sometimes months, other times, never.>
thanks again for your help. You've truly impacted the aquarist community for the better.
Steve
<There are some groups of fishes, my favorite example the serrasalmine fishes called Silver Dollars, that very often have these... and they often prove persistent. I would enjoy this fish, ignore the bumps. Bob Fenner>

Re: Microsporidean Infection - Will it go away? PBT dis.  - 03/22/06
Update on my PBT - Last night the white bumps turned into more or less white specks and white specks started showing up on its pectoral fins.
<Is likely the protozoan Cryptocaryon...>
Then this morning they looked black on the body but still white on the fins. As this is my first time dealing with this, I find myself second
guessing my initial diagnosis. Could it be ich,
<Most likely>
or black ich that I'm seeing instead of a microinfection or is this just part of the lifecycle for the microsporidean? The fish is less active today and swimming a little more wobbly but still eating Nori and picking at algae on the LR. His original darker full blue has faded into a much lighter powder blue and he's not picking on the other fish anymore, sometimes just hiding in the corner away from the other fish.
Sorry for bombarding you guys with these trivial questions - I feel like a nervous parent who's never seen their kid have a cold before. So a little reassurance or at least understanding of what's going on would be most helpful.
Just in case, since I only have a 10 gallon QT, I decided to move all my corals (I don't have that many, just some zoos, xenia, anemone, and candy cane) to the QT and leave the fish in the main tank with a some live rock in case I need to medicate. Did I misdiagnose or is this just part of the microsporidean lifecycle and I just have to wait it out?
Steve
<... is not likely a Microsporidean. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/powdbluetg.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> 

Tang With Ich or Velvet or other?  12/15/05
Hello my wonderful WWM Team, you all are a true blessing!
I pour over your information like a wolverine ALL THE TIME to research new
tank inhabitants, care, disease, reef care, etc... I true database of information!  
Here we go.
Tank:
29 gallon
Bio & Carbon filters, Eclipse hood w/upgraded lighting and add-on
circulation unit.
About 20 lbs of Live Rock & additional live sand.
Tank Inhabitants (currently alive and well):
2 percula clown fish
1 firefish goby
1 clown goby
1 juvenile Powder Blue Tang
<... in a too small world... Really needs hundreds of gallons.>
1 Rose BTA
<If something goes wrong in such small confines...>
1 SPS Hammer
1 Blood Red Cleaner Shrimp
7 Hermit Crabs
8 Astrea Snails
5 Sand-Sifting Snails (Nass's)
I had recently purchased two juvenile clown gobies and a neon goby from my
LFS.
<Not to go in this same system I hope/trust>
This was exactly 18 days ago.  Sad to say I have not gathered enough
SW care equipment to have a quarantine tank (I know, I know!) - so I
acclimated my new tank inhabitants in the only tank I currently own.   
<You're learning... by fire>
The clown gobies fought with each other the first couple days, one becoming
very shy and elusive.  She used to hide a lot while the other fed (and/or he
chased her and they locked jaws a lot, I figured they were sorting things
out) but I did in fact observed her eating - have not seen her at all for
about 7 days now, was hoping she was still hiding in the LR eating the live
food that naturally resided there, but I fear she's gone (crab meal).  
<Only one should be kept here... remove the other if it's still about.>
The neon was very active and aggressively wanted to clean my powder blue
tang.  (The tang rarely sat still enough for the shrimp to clean him unless
he was with it in the rockwork).  So he was a great eater, very active, did
very "goby things" as I would call it.  Then one day (about three days ago)
I did not see him during feeding time front and center eating like a maniac.
I looked around, he was tucked in the LR and eating here and there, but not
like his true self.  I did not see him the next day.  Today during feeding
he must have just died because the crabs were cleaning the fresh carcass (I
could see the blue stripes still on him very vividly).  I am not sure what
he died of at all.  He acclimated and got along with everything so very well.
Well upon my daughter looking at the remains of the goby. She said, "What's
wrong with the tang?"  My heart sank - I ran over to the tank.  He has what
looks like and I can only describe as "chicken pox" - it does not look like
ich or marine velvet (to me) but can be either or.  How did he get it?
<Environmental to a large degree... perhaps a parasite, pathogenic input from the non-acclimated/new livestock...>
Could it have come over on the gobies?
<Yes>
The tang was "flashing" - rubbing up against the rockwork two days ago quite a bit (looking silly I thought - he
is quite the character, but I did not notice any spots on him then as I know
this can be a sign of a problem).  He didn't really have any "white dots" so
I looked up black spot - nope not that either.  And I am not sure if it is
even velvet.  They are grayish bumps all over his body.  On the dark areas
of his face, the spots look like white faded scars, on the light areas they
look like a soft gray spot.  His white fin on the bottom has what looks like
gray spots on it.  He is acting very normally, eating, swimming patterns,
etc. not getting aggressive towards anyone.  I checked my water params and
everything seemed normal on my end - but I am taking a sample to the LFS in
case I had some sort of error (double checking myself) and salinity is
perfect, temp is between 79-81 degrees (usual for my tank).
He is not presenting himself that I can see to the blood red shrimp - and
did not allow the neon goby to clean more than a few seconds (as he is so
active).  I heard both of these animals help with ich - is it just my tang is
too active to allow for a good cleaning?
<Mmm, no>
The tang has been in my tank for about 8 months without ever showing signs of sickness except for when I did
a large water change once (breathing very quickly - I literally held him in
front of the minimal eclipse hood flow I had so he didn't have to work so
hard to get flow over his gills.
<Good observation>
I held him for a few moments in the flow (he actually allowed me to), he was calm and seemed to catch his breath so
to speak and I released him from my one-handed cupping and he was fine after
that with no draw backs - don't know what that was about but he never
exhibited any spotting/discoloration that might have gone along with a
disease or infection.  Other than that, he has been a happy, healthy and
extremely friendly fish to all of his tank mates.
<Eight months is a good long time for this species in captivity in general... remarkable in this small setting>
He is very bumpy - almost pimply looking.  Like I said, appears to be a lot
like chicken pox all over his body.  They are dull-colored splotches, like I
said they discolor whatever color it was on.  It made the dark areas appear
to be light (like an old scar would be on a person), and light areas have a
gray tint.  It did not "coat the fish" as the velvet pics show - but had
defined spots/bumps.  I read and read and read through the tang disease and
other diseases and have not found something that fits this description (I
did try to do my research!).  I thought perhaps with the history of my
introduced inhabitants and their behavior/deaths might help you to help me.
<... you need a much larger system...>
I love my tang (aka: "Fat Head") and would do what's necessary to help him.
I have pre-mixed salt at home already with pH buffer missed as well that is
about 4 days old.  Any suggestions on what I can do now (yes, I am buying a
quarantine tank TODAY!)  I read you all don't favor copper treatments.  Any
other suggestions on how to treat the reef tank - and should I remove all
the other fish even tho they are showing no signs of the ich/velvet?
<Not a treatment per se... but barring moving this fish to a large, stable system with a good deal of cured live rock, possibly "mud filtration", there is not much that can/will "cure" it>
I am so afraid I don't know what I am diagnosing and I don't want to treat them, stress them,
<You are wise here>
then realize I have to treat them all over again for using the
wrong medications.  HELP!  Damage control!  (PS: I tried to take some
pictures of him, but he is never still and ends up being blurred and you
can't see anything. sorry I could not send them along with this request.)
Thanks in advance for any help in figuring out what this is and helping me
and my fishies - you all are THE BEST and I really appreciate all of the
hard work put into having WWM and your selfless contributions to fish-keeping society.  
Warm Regards and many hugs - Christine
<Thank you... am sure you've read my piece on Acanthurus leucosternon posted on WWM, and the accompanying FAQs files... I would review these again. Copper, formalin, other treatment are not efficacious here... this fish needs to be moved to better quarters... soon, to survive. Bob Fenner>

Mystery Malady? Hey Crew!  Need your help again!  Thanks for your advice! <Glad to be here for you! Scott F. with you today!> I have had this beautiful Powder Blue for 2 weeks now, he has been eating like a monster, and doing well with the other roommates. Parameters: Temp 82    75 gal. w/20 gal. sump/fuge growing Caulerpa; EV-240 skimmer; 140# LR, 4-5" fine substrate pH 8.2    Yellow tang, Picasso Trigger, Volitans Lion, Powder Blue tang NH3 0 NO2 0 NO3 20 <Water conditions sound good...At some point, a larger tank is in order for this crowd!> The last two days the Powder Blue has exhibited the discoloration shown in the photo, he has lost the black to his face.  These look like abrasions with some inflammation, but are difficult to visualize due to his speed. <I see...> They are on both sides, and various body parts including his face, which makes me think more along the lines of a fungal infection or such. I'm setting up a Hospital tank now and will QT him until further ID of problem.  Thanks again for your help! Ed Carter, RN, BSN, CCRN <Unfortunately, I didn't get the pic, so I'm compelled to take a guess here. Discolorations like you describe could be anything from a non-lethal malady like Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE), which generally is diet or environmentally-induced, to a more serious fungal infection, as you theorize. Usually, HLLE has a gradual onset of symptoms, so you may indeed be looking at some sort of fungal disorder. Are there any other symptoms? Lack of appetite? Heavy breathing? Obvious distress or discomfort shown by the fish? If you could try again with the picture, we might be better able to diagnose this malady. Until then, your quarantine procedure is correct. Keep the water quality high, feed carefully, and take note of further symptoms. I'd avoid any medications until you get a handle on just what this affliction may be. In some cases, these types of non-lethal disorders clear themselves up with the passage of time and a good clean environment. Hang in there! Regards, Scott F.>