Purple Tang Sick

[roczero]

Can someone please tell me what they think my Purple Tang has? At first I thought is was Ich but now I am not sure. It doesnt really look like small white dots on the surface of the skin. It seems to be in a circular pattern mostly. The skin looks really dry and he is scratching a lot. He has gone down hill very fast in a matter of a day or two. I am sure that he is going to die very soon. But i am wonder how infected the rest of the tank is and what it could be. I am thinking its Brook. Heres a couple pics. Help.

 

[triggreef]

looks like velvet to me, and 2 days to die sounds about right. sorry. I've never seen in person but look at a lot of pics. Take it for what it is, some guy on the net.

velvet is like ich but much faster life cycle and can wipe your tank fast. My advice is read the stickies very fast and if you care to save your tank, act faster.

 

[triggreef]

I believe a fresh dip, ph and temp matched, relieves a lot of stress fast for velvet.

 

[HumbleFish]

I'm thinking Brook too, but Ich/Velvet might be in the mix as well. I would f/w dip him and give him a formalin bath. You don't have much to lose at this point. If you don't have formalin, go run out to Walmart (right now) and buy some Quick Cure. That has some formalin in it. Aerate the bucket heavily while performing the formalin bath.

Also, read this blog.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I believe a fresh dip, ph and temp matched, relieves a lot of stress fast for velvet.

A dip will provide some temporary relief from velvet. But it is only a band-aid. Only copper will cure velvet, formalin for brooklynella. . If this is velvet or brook; ALL fish in that tank need to be treated and the DT left fishless for at least 6 weeks. Your whole system is infected, not just this fish. Velvet & brook are extremely deadly contagious and a major reason to quarantine all new fish. Ich is tame compared to these other two parasites. FWIW: unless skin is peeling pr sloughing off, I think this fish ,and the tank its in, have velvet.

 

[reef80]

That picture really brings back bad bad bad memmories...wishing him the best of luck!!!

 

[roczero]

Thank you guys for the responses. Well the Tang died. Got up at 6 this morning and the crabs were all over him. Sucks because the Purple Tang is my favorite fish. Had him for 3 years. I am leaning now toward it being Velvet too. I guess I will pull all the fish out, treat them, and leave the reef fallow for 2 or 3 months. Is that enough for Velet or Brook?

 

[MrTuskfish]

2-3 months is plenty of time. Don't waste any time getting the fish into copper, you've seen how fast it works. Once the crabs start working, its hard to tell. But, did the fish have a lot of skin peeling or sloughing off? Its the key to brook and the pic just didn't seem like there was a skin issue. Velvet is hard to diagnose with pics. When you look at a fish head on (or tail-on) ; velvet will show up as a light sheen, even a velvety coating.

 

[roczero]

No the skin wasnt peeling off. The skin just looked dry. Like the slim coat was gone. I inspected him really close and it dis not look like parasites on the surface like Ich. The big white circular patches on both sides looked to be smooth on the surface of the skin not hanging there like a grain of salt, if that makes sense. His eyes were also cloudy. But no skin was sloughing off.

 

[roczero]

Is this pic any clearer of him in the same spot. Skin looks alright.

 

[ReeferGil]

I am curious. You have had the Purple Tang for three years, obviously he was healthy. Have you introduced any new fish to the tank? I am trying to understand how the Velvet or Brook got into your system in the first place. Sucks to see him die like this. How do you plan on treating the remaining fish? Are you going to treat for Velvet or Brook?