Possible Ich

[jharler]

I recently purchased a coral beauty angelfish from my LFS. I know for a fact that this LFS quarantines their fish for at least a month prior to placing them in their display tanks, so I took the risk of not using a QT.

About 24 hours after I added the fish to the tank, it developed white spots all over it nearly instantly. I mean one minute it was clear and the next it was covered with spots. Here's a picture of the fish spotless:

And here is a picture about two hours later:

Though the picture was taken two hours later, the spots actually appeared less than a half hour after the first picture was taken. Would ich manifest itself that quickly?

I should also mention that the fish is not acting sick at all. It's swimming around picking at the sand and rock and other than the spots looks completely heathy. I've also closely inspected the two clown fish I have in the tank and they are both spot-free.

The number of spots on the fish today is significantly lower than it was last night. Is it possible that the coral beauty simply stirred up some detrius or something and that's what's stuck on him?

Sorry if this is a silly question, but I'm a relative newbie and I don't want my fish to die.

 

[White Tiger]

Take the angelfish out of the tank and rub the white-spots. If the white-spots come off, it is not a disease. If the white-spots stay, please reply.

 

[jharler]

So I'm assuming if the spots rub off, then it's not ich? He's extremely shy, it's not going to be easy to get him out.

 

[White Tiger]

Yes, if the white-spots come off, it is not ick. However, you fish seems as if it does have ick. Did the LFS owner use copper or any other ick medication while quarintining the angelfish?

 

[jharler]

I'm not sure if they use any medication or not. I will call them and ask.

So ich can appear this quickly? I would've thought that the spots would've slowly accumulated rather than sppearing all at once.

 

[White Tiger]

Sometimes ick can be present on a fish without any symptoms for a certain amount of time and then show its symptoms. So your fish could have been accumilating ick for months without symptoms. Then, for some reason, ick showed itself.

 

[jharler]

I just got off the phone with the LFS where I bought the fish. They do dose all their new fish in quarantine with copper. He mentioned another treatment, but I forget exactly what it was... hypo something or other maybe?

I also mentioned to the guy that the fish went from nothing to covered in spots in less than 30 minutes and he thinks it's unlikely that it's ich.

Does it seem possible that the fish could have ich after being treated with copper? I've only purchased fish from this LFS so the other two fish I have in the tank would've been dosed with copper too.

Oh, and I really appreciate your speedy replies.

 

[White Tiger]

I am no sure whether or not your fish has ick or not. For example, the LFS used either copper or hyposalinity. These two methods are extremely effective in fighting ick. However, you fish does show ick-like symptoms. Does your LFS do skin scrapings? If so, you can take your fish back to the store to get a test done on the fish to determine if he or she has ick. Otherwise, you should catch your fish and try the rubbing method. If the white spots turn out to be ick, use copper-based medication or hyposalinity to treat him or her.

 

[jharler]

What I think I'll do is keep a close eye on him and the other fish. If they start acting sick, or if the clowns develop spots, I will set up a QT tank and treat them for ich. I'd rather not try to catch him right now as that will really stress him out. The LFS employee I spoke with on the phone said that coral beauties will sometimes dig in the substrate, so that might be what it is.

 

[White Tiger]

"...coral beauties will sometimes dig in the substrate, so that might be what it is." (jharler, 2006)
Very true. However, you need to have a sandbed for this effect to happen. Do you have crushed coral or sand for your sea bed?

 

[jharler]

It's mostly crushed coral, but whenever it's disturbed, a lot of fine dust-like particles rise in the water.

 

[Reef4Fun]

my purple tang was purchased 3 days ago, was perfectly fine the day after I got it, we left that morning and went out of town, came home the next day and it was completely full of the white spots. Looks like salt all over it, much like your fish. I know it is ich and since I know it was brought on from the stress of being put in a new tank and all, I decided to not take it out, rahter I am lowering the salt, raising the temp, and soaking all food in garlic and feeding often because he is not acting sick and is eating like a pig. Please keep us posted and I will as well. Good Luck!

 

[Reef4Fun]

My tang is improving, how is your fish?

 

[jharler]

He's hiding behind my rocks right now (he does that when I enter the room, which is my office), but I got a few glimpses of him and I didn't notice any spots. I have my camera ready for when he comes out so I can snap a closeup to make sure.

I did a water change yesterday and he hasn't been out much since. I think it stressed him out a bit. He's still active, but he's swimming back and forth behind all my rock, where I can only see him from looking down from the surface. The clowns are still looking as healthy as ever.

 

[White Tiger]

Monitor all fish for any outbreaks of white spots and/or rapid breathing. Keep us updated.

 

[Reef4Fun]

Sounds like it is going to be okay. My tang is swimming around and eating wonderfully, fat as ever, she still has all the ich on her, but it is clearing a bit. She was so covered and looked so bad, I feel if she wasn't as fat as she was with such a good appetite that she would not have made it. The only difference she has shown besides all the white spots would be at night when the lights go out she rests in front of the powerjet (which is common for fish with ich because it helps them breath)

 

[Reef4Fun]

Tang is improving every day. Most of the spots are clearing, and she never once acted ill.

 

[jharler]

I don't see any spots on my coral beauty, though it's difficult to see him. Ever since I did the water change on Sunday, he's been staying behind the rocks. He swims back and forth across the tank, but it's always behind the rocks. When I go to the side of the tank, he'll turn around and wave his rear at me, but he doesn't swim to the other side.

I'm not sure if this is just the acclimation process or if he's acting this way because he's sick.

 

[White Tiger]

"I'm not sure if this is just the acclimation process or if he's acting this way because he's sick." (jharler, 2006)

It is an acclimation process. Some fish introduced into a new environment have actually stayed shy for 2 weeks!

 

[jharler]

That's good to know. I figured as much because it doesn't look like he's having difficulty breathing or just sitting on the bottom of the tank. It's just odd that he was out and about during the first 24 hours.