Kole Tang with Clamped Fins

[Tripod1404]

Hi everyone, I realized my kole tang recently started to clamp its fins. It mostly does this while swimming. While standing or grazing it usually keeps fins partially or fully open. Aside from that it looks very healthy, eats great and grazes all the time. It occasional scratches itself on the sand after it poops or after stirs the sand in his sleeping cave. I assume some sand sticks on it after these activities and that irritates it (it eats a lot of sand during grazing and poops sand ). The only think that I recently changed that might have caused this is; I recently changed curtains of the aquarium room aquarium. Although aquarium does not get direct sunlight, the room is much brighter with the new curtains. It also seems to clamp its fins more during the day. Do do you think?

 

[snorvich]

Try this.

 

[Tripod1404]

Thanks snorvich. Royal gramma that is in the same tank with the tank started to show white spots most likely ich. Although the tang doesn't have any visible ich cysts, i think it is also infected and so the clamped fins. My firefish pair doesnt show spots or any symptoms of infection. All fish were previously quarantined and the tank didn't have any ich in the past. The only think I added recently is chaetomorpha (did not quarantined) and i think that seeded the tank with ich. The problem is I have no means of removing either fish. I glued all the rock together so they are all one big rock now. Possibly I can set a trap to catch the tang. But royal gramma and firefish would not enter the trap. Therefore I have two options; hope the fish can fight it of and develop immunity or use direct but less proven methods such as metroplex dosing in food. All fish are eating great and doesn't look sick except for the spots on gramma and clamped fins of the tang. Anyway, I will observe the fish for sometime and decide based on how they are doing. Unfortunately from this point forward my tank will always have ich

 

[Dmorty217]

There are ways to rid your tank of ich. It's NOT something you have to live with

 

[Tripod1404]

Dmorty217, getting rid of ich would be great. My tank was ich free for at least 2 years until I added the chaetomorpha algae last month. Knowing ich is not present in your system is a great feeling. Best way to clear ich is hypo and copper but I cannot use these in main tank. Due to the reasons I explained above I also cannot remove the fish from the tank. Even if I drained the water to catch them, firefish and royal gramma would remain in their caves and still be inaccessible Do you know any, at least partially reliable, invert safe methods of fighting ich?

 

[Dmorty217]

Dmorty217, getting rid of ich would be great. My tank was ich free for at least 2 years until I added the chaetomorpha algae last month. Knowing ich is not present in your system is a great feeling. Best way to clear ich is hypo and copper but I cannot use these in main tank. Due to the reasons I explained above I also cannot remove the fish from the tank. Even if I drained the water to catch them, firefish and royal gramma would remain in their caves and still be inaccessible Do you know any, at least partially reliable, invert safe methods of fighting ich?

There is no such thing. Reef safe treatments are worthless. Immunity is all you can hope for but even that is short lived. I would look into trying to get another tank or two setup and get the fish out whatever that takes to treat them and leave the tank fallow or hypo.... whatever it is your comfortable with. Everytime you add a fish you will have a outbreak of ich and the chances of a new comer surviving the collection and many shipments to make it to you with a immune system thats up for that task is unlikely. I personally know people that have had to buy 10 of the same fish to get 2 to live in a ich infested tank.

 

[Subsea]

There is no such thing. Reef safe treatments are worthless. Immunity is all you can hope for but even that is short lived. I would look into trying to get another tank or two setup and get the fish out whatever that takes to treat them and leave the tank fallow or hypo.... whatever it is your comfortable with. Everytime you add a fish you will have a outbreak of ich and the chances of a new comer surviving the collection and many shipments to make it to you with a immune system thats up for that task is unlikely. I personally know people that have had to buy 10 of the same fish to get 2 to live in a ich infested tank.

Fish immunity is exactly the issue. Live nutritious foods that provide necessary bacteria to develope immune systems. Specifically gut bacteria from live oysters, clams and mussels. Fish in nature live amongst the parasites. They develope immune responses to protect themselves. A healthy slime coat is the best defense from invasion by parasites. I have used garlic to enhance antibiotics activity. The garlic is said to enhance fish appetite. I know I like garlic in my pot roast.

The importance of gut bacteria is well understood in the human anatamy. With
80-90% of neurotransmitter being developed in the intestines. These same gut bacteria must surely assist our immune systems.