Help - Disease with Achilles tang

[adeebm]

Hey guys. I have a 3-3/4" achilles tang in QT right now. he was ordered from DD a week ago. he is eating pe mysis well, but has not touched nori yet. Today, I noticed that his coloration has turned grey instead of black. I can barely make out spots on his skin, it doesn't look like ich usually does, but rather like he's covered in dust. The spots are smaller than salt grain size. I would assume the grey coloration is mucus production, but I could be mistaken. I can't get a good pic of his condition.

What disease does my achilles have? I'd like to treat it ASAP before it gets worse. The QT is a 40 breeder, with an MP10 for flow, and an HOB filter with established media.

Please help, I'd be crushed if I lost this guy

--Adeeb

EDIT: Forgot this

1. How old is this aquarium?
QT set up as needed

2. If less than six months old, what is ammonia level?
0ppm - Established media and water changes every 2-3 days

3. What is SG of this aquarium? How measured?
1.026, refractometer

4. When was the last fish added to this aquarium?
N/A

5. Was it quarantined? If so, how? And how long? Was it prophylactically treated? How?
First week in QT, no treatments yet.

6. If you are using a copper based medication, which one? How often do you measure level? When?
N/A

7. If you are using hyposalinity, how did you calibrate your refractometer?
N/A

8. Please describe in detail, the appearance of the fish? If there is one or more pimples, are they lumpy? What color?
Described above

9. Please describe the behavior of the fish as best you can. Is it acting reclusive? Is it always up towards the top of the aquarium? Is it avoiding light? How active is the fish?
Getting more active by the day(overcoming shipping stress). Swims all around, but tends to stay at the bottom half. Doesn't mind light.

10. Is the fish eating? What?
Only PE mysis with kent garlic so far. Has ignored red gracilaria and green/red nori.

 

[ironwill723]

Sounds like velvet. Get in Chloroquine phosphate or cupramine (copper) asap. Chloroquine phosphate is better choice if available. Easier on tangs then copper.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Sounds like velvet. Get in Chloroquine phosphate or cupramine (copper) asap. Chloroquine phosphate is better choice if available. Easier on tangs then copper.

Good advice. "Dust" is a common word to describe velvet (Oodinium). Also, let DD know what's going on. .

 

[adeebm]

I will try to find some Chloroquine phosphate. I'm assuming I have to get it prescribed, or is there a better way? I have cupramine on hand. If I can't get some chloroquine by the end of the day, I'll start copper.

--Adeeb

 

[HumbleFish]

I will try to find some Chloroquine phosphate. I'm assuming I have to get it prescribed, or is there a better way? I have cupramine on hand. If I can't get some chloroquine by the end of the day, I'll start copper.

--Adeeb

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2152307&highlight=chloroquine

 

[adeebm]

Got some chloroquine! Will dose tomorrow after a WC. 40mg/gal right? So with 35 gallons, I need to dose 1400mg?

--Adeeb

 

[Mrscribbled]

Not saying its not a disease but Achilles do often turn grey in color and will resemble a dusting. I find it hard to believe an Achilles from divers den would come down with velvet. On a side note Achilles do handle c opper very well. Keep us posted.

 

[dnsfpl]

at times, my AT turn silvery/greyish

but for less than 10 secs only

 

[adeebm]

I know they turn grey, I thought the same at first. But he's looking worse today, and he definitely seems to have very light spots/specks. He was more today than the day before, and looks paler, almost a light brownish color(he was grey yesterday, and normal black the day before).

I just finished a WC and put the meds in.

--Adeeb

 

[HumbleFish]

I know they turn grey, I thought the same at first. But he's looking worse today, and he definitely seems to have very light spots/specks. He was more today than the day before, and looks paler, almost a light brownish color(he was grey yesterday, and normal black the day before).

I just finished a WC and put the meds in.

--Adeeb

Post some pics if you can. Some before & after pics would go a long way to prove CP's usefulness. Also, if you haven't seen it already, here is RC's de facto CP thread.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Not saying its not a disease but Achilles do often turn grey in color and will resemble a dusting. I find it hard to believe an Achilles from divers den would come down with velvet. On a side note Achilles do handle c opper very well. Keep us posted.

Yeah, I missed the DD origin. I've become a skimmer, rather than a reader. I can't imagine an Achilles with velvet escaping DD either. Ich, maybe. If this fish does have velvet, you'd notice it in his behavior and feeding. A fish with velvet is obviously very sick; not always the case with ich.

My Achilles and his long-lived predecessor, also flashed the gray phase at times; but I never noticed anything that looked looked like dusting. I learn something everyday around here and am getting too old to absorb any more.

 

[ironwill723]

If the achilles does indeed have velvet and not crypt you may need to dose a higher mg/gallon initially as velvet is a quick killer. My suggestions from experience are dose only one time (once you get to the correct level of CP) and keep the lights off/low if not the CP won't be effective.
See under lined below...


"Chloroquine Phosphate is a replacement for both copper sulfate and quinine and it is superior to copper sulfate and all quinine salts. Chloroquine is used as a bacteriacide, an alagecide and as an antimalarial. It is superior in the fight against ICH, slimness of the skin and flukes and can be used as both a treatment and a preventative.

Typical dosage for quarantine is 40mg/Gallon (app. 1/8th tsp./10gallon) for ten days. This is a one dose treatment.

If water changes need to be performed to reduce ammonia, then chloroquine phosphate needs to be redosed for amount of water changed.

10g treats 250 gallons...25g treats 625 gallons...50g treats 1250 gallons....100g treats 2500 gallons.

For treatment of existing Cryptocaryon irritans(ich), Amyloodinium ocellatum (marine velvet) and brooklynella (brook) up to 80mg/gallon (app.1/4th tsp./10gal) can be used.


Please note that this medication is Not reef safe. Chloroquine Phosphate is toxic to all algae, corals, worms and most inverts. It is recommended that fish be treated in a separate hospital tank.
If used in a fish only system, the biological filter will continue to function but ammonia levels must be monitored as dead/dying worms/inverts and algae in the tank can easily overwhelm the biological filter.."

 

[adeebm]

Well, I'm not really sure if/what he has. If he's not sick, at least CP is a good preventative. I tried taking some pics, but you can't really see anything in them. I only see the spots when he's angled towards the light. He is looking better today, and still eating well. I usually treat my QT fish with copper anyway, but CP is probably better for him.




Also, he's eating mysis really well, but only mysis. I can't get him to eat nori. Any ideas on getting him started?

--Adeeb

 

[ironwill723]

That is good news if he is looking better today. Keep monitoring him. Rubberband some nori to a small piece of rubble rock or pvc and put it on the bottom. Just make sure to siphon out any extra that breaks away or starts to deteriorate in the QT. Keep an eye on the ammonia obviously as well. I have an Achilles myself and they like to chase food in the flow. Maybe try breaking up some nori into small flakes and putting it in the powerhead to see if he will chase after it. You can try mixing a little in with the mysis and see if he will start eating the nori as well. They usually take a few days/weeks to start eating off a clip in my experience.