Sick Yellow tang need ID

[ILoveReefer]

Just like title says. I would also like recommendations on a coarse of treatment.

Sorry it isn't the greatest pic but my camera stinks.

Anyway last week I lost 2 firefish, 3 chromis, and a watanabi angelfish all within a three day time period. None shown any signs of disease before they died. Currently I'm down to 1 watanabi and 1 clownfish which both seem healthy and of coarse the yellow tang shown above. The yellow tang is eating well and seems healthy except for the spots on his sides and a little on his top fin. He didn't have any signs of disease until today. I haven't added anyfish in probably 2 years or so. All coral and inverts fine. Please help.

Nick

 

[ILoveReefer]

I'll try to get a better pic.

 

[ILoveReefer]

New picture taken a few minutes ago. Alot worse than yesterday.

 

[Crown Tank]

Looks like ulcers of some sort --maybe flukes or bacterial? Did you try Metro+ in a QT? I also heard that a quick freshwater batch may work to take off flukes. Our yellow tang isn't doing so hot either and has red streaks underneath the skin. He hasn't been eating in a few days; so we consulted with our LFS and they recommended Metro+ and QT. We started it today and hopefully it works. You should ask your LFS about this. Is your tang scratching?

 

[ILoveReefer]

He actually, just died in the hospital tank. Treated with Maracyn plus, but it was to late. Yesterday he was eating fine and seemed fine other than the ulcers or lesions. Today he wouldn't eat and was very lethargic. I knew I was going to loose him when I caught him with a small bucket. It's never that easy to catch a fish. I'm still trying to find an accurate ID on what disease, parasite, or whatever else it was that killed him. I had him for about 4 years and I haven't added any fish in about 2 years. In the last two weeks I lost 7 fish. Now only 2 remain. All other fish seemed healthy before there death, param's where good when this all started, now phos and ammonia are elevated. I just did another water change and added fresh carbon and GFO. Tomorrow I'll remove the last 2 fish and place them in QT. Maybe treat them with Maracyn. I'll leave the reef void of fish for 10 weeks or so. Hopefully that will rid the tank of this problem.

 

[ILoveReefer]

Here's a picture taken at 5pm.

Tommorow I'll post a pic taken at 1:45 today.

 

[Crown Tank]

Sorry to hear about your tang Ours is actually better now; thank Goodness! Anyway, our LFS also said that the nitrites could have been an issue that caused our tang to get sick. Was your nitrite reading within normal limits? Also, what type(s) of illness did your other fish have before they died, if known?

 

[Malum Argenteum]

That last pic (post #6) looks like Uronema marinum, at least to my untutored eyes. Usually a butterfly and angel disease, and typically on freshly imported fish. Maybe research this and see if it matches the symptoms and losses you are seeing.

Crown Tank, it is my understanding that nitrites do not affect marine fish negatively until they are at extremely high levels. Check out this article:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php

 

[ILoveReefer]

My nitrites where never extremely high. A little higher than I liked but still OK. No fish added to the reef tank in around 2 years. The remaining 2 fish are now in QT and being treated with a small dose of formalin and a small dose of malachite green as recommend on another forum. They haven't showed any symptoms of disease/parasite but I've already had heavy losses this month and don't plan on losing any more fish. The other fish that perished didn't have any external signs of illness like the tang had but they did become lethargic about a day before they died.

I'm still not sure what they had but it is probably a parasite of some kind. I do add coral to the tank monthly. I'm thinking something came in with the coral or more likely the water in the bag containing the coral. Thats my guess anyways.

Thanks for help john zillmer & crown tank