Large Spot on Purple Firefish - Please Help

[snowflake_clown]

A large white spot appeared on my purple firefish today. I did not notice it this morning when feeding them, but just walked by the tank this evening and saw it. He's by far my favorite fish in the tank, and I'm obviously praying it's not ich. In my opinion, the spot looks too big to big ich, but I wanted to post a photo and a video and see if anyone on here can help me identify this spot.

I've read of firefish molting (more specifically...their slime coat coming off). Did a full parameter check with Red Sea Marine Care test kit and here are my parameters:

Salinity - 35%
PH - 8
KH - 8
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0.05ppm (these are usually 0)
Nitrate - 8ppm

Stock includes:
(2) ORA Snowflake Clowns
(1) Purple Firefish
(1) Yellow Tang (recently added 2 days ago)
(1) Cleaner Shrimp

I've attached the highest quality pic I can manage to get that shows the spot, and here is a link to a video that you can watch in 1080p as well. Manual focus during video on the 5Dmkiii isn't super easy for me still.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-TYvJLcfeQ

 

[avandss]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457885

 

[snowflake_clown]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2457885

Yeah, I saw that thread as well after I posted this one. Looks exactly like what my firefish has...still hoping for a more definitive answer. Glad it's not likely ich so that it doesn't spread to my other fish, but still wish there was something I could do for the little guy. Was hoping a positive ID could help me treat it, if possible. He really does have such a cool personality.

 

[avandss]

i do not think this is ich at all

im sorry i can not help more!

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Definitely not ich. How is his breathing, eating, etc? Did you quarantine the tang before introducing to the main?

 

[snowflake_clown]

Unfortunately, I did not quarantine the tang, and unfortunately I have even more bad news. I hadn't seen the tang for much of today, finally found him hiding in the back of the tank. Got him to come out and he's in very, very bad shape. Color is way muted, white looking horizontal stripe on his body, and you can see brown (internal organs) very clearly.

He's swimming erratically, slowly, and honestly doesn't look like he will make it through the night. I soaked some mysis shrimp in garlic gaurd and dropped a block in the tank (clowns and firefish were ecstatic about that) but tang didn't eat a bite. I've got some seaweed (macro algae stuff) tied to a rock I dropped in to try and give the tang something to graze on since my rock has no algae at all right now.

This is just heart breaking for me. I've put so much time and research into this tank. Making sure I had a good understanding of water parameters and what it took to maintain a healthy system. I don't have a QT setup, and I take full blame for that. Definitely something I should have done.

Purple firefish is eating fine, swimming great, and appears to be fairly happy. He does show that the spot is irritating him, as he occasionally scrapes it down in the sand.

I just hate this. I hate to see them suffer. The clowns appear healthy, for now.

Tang is coming out in the morning, things were stable before he was added on Saturday.

 

[snowflake_clown]

I managed to isolate the tang back into the plastic sack. I know it's not a QT, but at least he's now out of my DT water. I dropped in a piece of live rock with seaweed on it, so hopefully he manages to eat some tonight. Hoping he's still alive in the morning. I'll attach a photo I took from my iphone so you guys can see him.

Any thoughts or input? Should I just leave him in the plastic sack floating in the tank for the night?

 

[avandss]

I managed to isolate the tang back into the plastic sack. I know it's not a QT, but at least he's now out of my DT water. I dropped in a piece of live rock with seaweed on it, so hopefully he manages to eat some tonight. Hoping he's still alive in the morning. I'll attach a photo I took from my iphone so you guys can see him.

Any thoughts or input? Should I just leave him in the plastic sack floating in the tank for the night?

i would not do that, he will run out of oxygen, unless you can put an airstone in there with him? and maybe do a water change every 6h or so?

 

[avandss]

based on the rockwork in the background of the tang i would say your tank is 2-3 weeks old?

 

[snowflake_clown]

I don't have an airstone, but I can do a water change in 6 hours. With all the overnight shipping on fish/inverts/corals I figured 10 hours or so would be ok?

Tank is just over a month old (31 days today). It cycled on the 7th of this month.

 

[avandss]

I don't have an airstone, but I can do a water change in 6 hours. With all the overnight shipping on fish/inverts/corals I figured 10 hours or so would be ok?

Tank is just over a month old (31 days today). It cycled on the 7th of this month.

i would put the fish back in the tank, personally i think you are just stressing him more and it will worsen the situation

if he is barely making it in your cycled tank, he will definitely not to better in this plastic bag

i say take him out now, however you can wait for more feedback from more experienced users.

i would not wait too long...

 

[avandss]

i also think the tank is a little young for that bioload, how big is your tank?

 

[snowflake_clown]

i also think the tank is a little young for that bioload, how big is your tank?

40 gallons. It's the Innovative Marine Fusion 40. I've got their ghost skimmer going that's already been broken in, and I've got 1L of Seachem's Matrix, along with the usual mechanical filtration sponges, matrix carbox, and purigen.

 

[avandss]

Did you take him out of the bag?

I would not wait

 

[Newsmyrna80]

40 gallons is way too small for a tang. Avandss is right the tank is extremely immature to house the bioload, let alone, a tang. Also putting the tang in a bag is not a good idea. There is no oxygen, he can't move and he has no where to hide all of which will stress him out even more. The tang's lack of color is stress related (whether from disease and/or environment). You would be better off putting him in a Rubbermaid container. Online livestock suppliers pump oxygen into the bag prior to shipping.
Have you tested the ammonia since the fish were added and symptoms began appearing?
Back to your original question it would appear that the tang has brought something in like flukes or brook. Have you read the stickies on these diseases at the top of the forum?

 

[snowflake_clown]

Well, surprising updates all around this morning. I kept the tang in the plastic sack over night and set my alarm for every 2 hours and did a half or so water change in his sack each time.

He appears calm this morning but still does not appear to be eating anything. I'll attach a pic of him to this post. Please reply with anything you guys notice, or suggestions you might have for me. I'm very nervous about how to proceed next with this guy. I want to do what is absolutely best for him.

The parasite on the purple firefish has either moved to a spot where I can't see him, or has detached from the fish altogether. I uploaded a video to youtube, to show how he is looking/swimming this morning. Appears healthy to me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-9LV5pTYbU

I also found this video where a guy removes a parasite from a purple firefish that looks a lot like what was on mine last night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v96GfRBnis

I'll start googling how to remove a firefish from a tank so that I can quarantine him and try to see if the parasite is really gone. Any one ever had to remove a purple firefish from a tank?

Or any other thoughts/input?

 

[snowflake_clown]

Have you tested the ammonia since the fish were added and symptoms began appearing?
Back to your original question it would appear that the tang has brought something in like flukes or brook. Have you read the stickies on these diseases at the top of the forum?

Yes, I tested ammonia yesterday with Red Sea's Marine care test kit and ammonia is at 0ppm, and has been. I've dosed with stability (following their directions) during the cycling of the tank and when doing water changes. I've only added fish on Saturday's so far, and have done a 25% water change each time before adding the fish and then dosed with stability again after the water change.

I will go read those threads now. Thank you for your input, it's much appreciated.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

All I can tell you is good luck catching a firefish They are not called dart fish for nothing But there is a stickie on how to catch fish.

 

[snowflake_clown]

Tang is back safely at the LFS.

I picked up some medicated food for the clowns and the firefish, in hopes of ridding them of any left over parasites that may have been introduced. I've attached a photo of the food to this post. The LFS didn't have New Life Spectrum Thera+A Fish Anti-Parasitic Formula, so I've placed an order for that from BRS and I'll feed them this frozen food and supplement with the NLS stuff as well.

Still no sign of that parasite that was on the firefish, and I have not seen him scratch in the sand at all today. I don't think I'm out of the woods yet, but at least I've corrected one situation, and have a plan of attack (medicated anti-parasitic food) for the other.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I applaude you for taking the tang back As far as the food you may have to "season" it in order to get them to eat it. You could add a little garlic to it.
Do you have any Prazi on hand?