can ich be localized in one area?

[SWANN]

Hey guys,

I just got a Atlantic Blue tang. Inspecting him.. he looks great, except on one of his fins, where it meets his body, their is a clump of white spots (not speckled around dif. parts of his body). They look as if they are growing ontop of each other, makeing the spots look like they are clumped together.This is ich right?

Im setting up my qt tank right now. planing on doing the hyposalinity method. Although I scared that the cycling of the qt will do the fish in. Do you think its to dangerous to use it as far a cycling goes, I was gonna use my display tank water, maybe even through some rock in to help cycling. I got a aquaclear filter with an amonia pack and everything else that goes in it.

Should I put the tang in my DT, risking introducing it to the fish that as have not show signs of ich? ... until my qt is cycled?

My display tank is a 180.. with some small clearner inverts and 3 other small fish...( in the process of stocking)

suggestions.

 

[Jerry W]

What you're decribing may not be ich, but rather a viral condition known as lymphocystis. It usually presents as a white clumpy growth on the fins or body. Ich will resemble salt sprinkles. Lymph is common in tangs, butterflies and angels, and you most often see it in newly imported fish. It will usually go away on it's own with good water/diet and low stress. Can you post a picture of what you're seeing? It would help to make a positive ID.

 

[c0mp|ex]

if it is ich, i would not take the chances of putting the fish in your dt and risk infecting all your fish with it. that would mean tearing down your tank to catch every fish that has been exposed to it..
plus.. its just good practice to qt all new fish any way to observe them and see how they react to certain foods and train them to eat certain foods. so qt it no question.

for the setup, run down to your lfs and get a used sponge that they have in their sumps with the bacteria already on it. they should give you one for free and just throw that into your hob filter. for the initial setup of the qt, use whatever water is closest to what the tang is already used to to reduce stress. i would suggest water from the dt then acclimate the tang in the qt to that water. if your worried about cycling the qt, pick up one of those ammonia alerts. that should get you started on setting up your qt. all you need now is a heater and thermometer.

 

[SWANN]

Thanks for the replys

Thanks for the replys

Thanks for the replies,

I dont have the means right now to take a picture, but looking up pictures of ich and Lymphocystis, I'd have to say it is Lymphocystis.

What my tang has looks exactly like the growth on this copperband that has Lymphocystis, but not as much.
http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online-guide.com/image-files/cauliflower.jpg

none of the ich photos had ich pictured as clumpy or "fungusy". They were all salt specs, sprinkled on the fish. like this
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/cryptocaryon.jpg
this is spread of salt like sprinkles is not on my tang.


I borrowed a sponge out of a friends tank, and got the qt running. Im not gonna lower the salinity for a bit so he's not overstressed... in hopes that if it is lymphoystis... it'll run it's coarse and go away, in a better suited environment, good water quality, food ect, lower stress.

If i can get a pic tomorrow or the next day, ill post it for a final verification.