Ick in a blue hippo after a year in my tank?

[bpcardona]

Story
I woke up this morning to find raised bumps on my blue hippo. Some appear to be white in color. His behavior has not change and no other fish show any signs. The only change in parameters have been alk. A week ago I found my alk to be 5.88 and I raised in over a cross of a week to 10.4. Is this Ich and what should my plan be?

Background:

All fish received QT for 6-8 weeks
I have had this hippo for close to a year
There have been no new additions to the tank
Other fish are: blonde naso, two clowns, diamond goby, Molly miller.

Current plan.
This is a 210 mixed reef tank with the above mentioned co-inhabitants. I plan on using Seachems products Metronidazole, Focus, and garlic guard as a in tank solution. Any other suggestion would be welcome.

 

[bpcardona]

Some photos:

The tiny black dots on the body are raised and appear slightly more white in real life.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12137858213/" title="IMG_5365 by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5530/12137858213_a888d51229_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_5365"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12137993504/" title="IMG_5368 by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7457/12137993504_d885a6eb3e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="IMG_5368"></a>

 

[HumbleFish]

I'm thinking the very early onset of HLLE might be a possibility. But could this also just be battle damage?

 

[fishroomlady]

I agree, it doesn't look like ich to me......

 

[ryguy886]

also search for lymphocystis, it is pretty common in tangs and it usually shows up after some kind of water chemistry change. It is a viral disease and there is no known cure but it will clear up and the fish usually do fine with it. It just tends to show up after water related stress on the tangs. Give your fish some garlic additive in their next feeding and it should clear up in a few days

Just saw your treatment plan, if it is lymphocystis that will clear it up in a few days to a week. Just try to get your water quality back to what it has been and the fish seem to do fine.

 

[lhm nole]

Possibly stung by a coral

 

[snorvich]

Possibly stung by a coral

My guess as well.

 

[bpcardona]

HLLE: I will watch for any progression of this, but I don't think this is it. Despite the fact I have no clue, :hmm5:. I read that the overuse of carbon could lead to HLLE, and I do intact use carbon. However these seem to be random raised bumps forming from under the skin.

Battle damage/coral sting: This could be a possible answer. My clown fish have been continuously laying eggs for the past few months, and the tang like to "check them out". Of course the eggs are under a RBT, so maybe a sting.

Lymphocystis: This one make the most sense because I did just have a ALK change in a perfectly stable tank. However my research on this say it occur in a localized manner. These bumps seem to be random. One on his dorsal fin, a patch on his side flake, and a patch near the head. I am glad to hear that if this is the case it normally resloves itself.

My follow up question, does any one see a problem proactively treating for Ich? Seachems products Metronidazole, Focus, and garlic guard seem to be a low risk med, and would be "safe" for the corals. I just want to get a jump on this if Ich is to blame.

 

[MrTuskfish]

There is absolutely nothing (including garlic) that will eliminate ich and is safe for corals. I agree with all of the above; the description & pics don't look like ich.

 

[HumbleFish]

There is absolutely nothing (including garlic) that will eliminate ich and is safe for corals.

+1 Effective prophylactic treatments for Ich include copper, tank transfer, chloroquine phosphate and hyposalinity (if you're feeling lucky). All have to be done in QT and to each & every fish.

 

[ca1ore]

Hippos are a pain in the u know what. I've avoided them for most of my reef keeping career because they are twitchy and disease prone. Acquired one in a Craig's list special last March, and have had it be pretty clear. Now, three months into my 265, it appears to now have a case of ich. All fish are quarantined, so not sure how this has happened. I guess ich must have been dormant in my system all along. No other fish are showing signs, but will be just a matter of time. Traveling for business for most of the next few weeks, so things will just have to run their course. Fortunately I kept the prior 90, though treating almost 30 fish in a tank that size seems problematic.

Anyone try Dr. G parasitic caviar as a way to at least control ich on a reef tank? LFS I know and trust has actually had some sucess with this stuff.

 

[Deinonych]

Dr. G's seems worth a try. You would have to feed for a significant length of time to rid the tank of crypto, though. This assumes the fish eat it, of course.

 

[bpcardona]

So this is what he looks like today. Let here the opinions now....

Thanks

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12212068205/" title="Wedding-3.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/12212068205_fcbd741b7a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-3.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12212462224/" title="Wedding-4.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/12212462224_862e3ab7a1_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-4.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12212463854/" title="Wedding-5.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/12212463854_e37368e878_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-5.jpg"></a>​

 

[snorvich]

Looks like ich at this point. Flashing? Heavy breathing?

 

[bpcardona]

I am treating it as such, and did so when I first noticed it. I am using the sachem products Metronidazole, Focus, and garlic guard. I guess at this point I hope for the best.

I can't believe this, I feel like I did everything right, but now this. I hope I don't lose my entire tank!!!!

So far no other fish are showing signs, yet!:sad1:

 

[worm5406]

OK I see the difference in why you thought this was ick.

Nothing else added at all? Corals anything? Anything that you could have dipped and then put in tank?

I agree with the treatment of the fish. If it is now showing, then it is most likely already dropped off and into the tank, too. Tangs are one of the first fish to show ill effects. While this Blue Hippo is showing signs the raised bumps are strange. Can you look around where it sleeps and see if anything has changed there? I have not seen bumps appear before ick, but I have seen, first hand, the same from a random sting, including the color change.

I was really worried then I looked closer and it was playing with the clowns too much and got stung and had a mark from it, since it rubs on going into it's bed, it rubbed it raw. Some garlic and TLC helped it out.

Do you have any cleaner shrimp? If so how do they react to it?

 

[bpcardona]

OK I see the difference in why you thought this was ick.

Nothing else added at all? Corals anything? Anything that you could have dipped and then put in tank?

I agree with the treatment of the fish. If it is now showing, then it is most likely already dropped off and into the tank, too. Tangs are one of the first fish to show ill effects. While this Blue Hippo is showing signs the raised bumps are strange. Can you look around where it sleeps and see if anything has changed there? I have not seen bumps appear before ick, but I have seen, first hand, the same from a random sting, including the color change.

I was really worried then I looked closer and it was playing with the clowns too much and got stung and had a mark from it, since it rubs on going into it's bed, it rubbed it raw. Some garlic and TLC helped it out.

Do you have any cleaner shrimp? If so how do they react to it?

I added a couple corals to a frag tank, but these were dipped. His sleep hole has changed. He is getting to big for his previous hole, so he has been scouting out new ones. I down have a cleaner shrimp, but I will pick one up this weekend.

 

[bpcardona]

So here is tonights update:

A lot of the raised white "pimples" have decrease. However there is a new one one his eye. Also his body seems "lumpy".

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12228661666/" title="Wedding-3.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3747/12228661666_5f853dcae6_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-3.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12228079175/" title="Wedding-4.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3730/12228079175_3defb0d159_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-4.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12228264813/" title="Wedding-5.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7445/12228264813_9d9077853b_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-5.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/90102096@N03/12228081945/" title="Wedding-6.jpg by elitecoral, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/12228081945_05b099bdc7_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="Wedding-6.jpg"></a>​

 

[degibson84]

is he still eating?

 

[bpcardona]

is he still eating?

Like a champ! He hasn't slowed down at all. Have even seen him scratch.