Small Blue Tang With Raised Bumps??

[td3025]

Brought my very first tang home 4 days ago and he/she has spent the majority of the time hiding out under live rock in exception for when they pop out to grab some food. Today though, was it's first day finally freely roaming the tank without appearing startled. I was told the timid behavior was natural of the tang so I'm not worried about this, but what I am worried about is that when they finally did come out of hiding I noticed a weird array of small, raised up bumps across it's underbelly. In some pictures, they appear dark colored, while in other pictures they appear to be white, somewhat resembling ich but too raised up and pimple-like for that to be the case in my opinion.

I have three other fish in my tank, 2 chromis' and a clownfish. They all are healthy and have no abnormal bumps like the tang does.

I'm attaching some pictures. See how in one picture it looks like black bumps and in the next they appear white? I cannot figure out what this is. The tang is otherwise healthy. Very active, has a natural timid response when i get too close to the tank and shy's away behind some rock. Eats both brine shrimp and seaweed just fine. Really seems to enjoy chasing it's own reflection.

Last note, it was wild caught, not captive bred. Is only 2 inches as of now, and is in my 70 gallon tank.

I do know he will need a much larger tank going forward!! I am going to be purchasing at least a 150 gallon tank if not bigger when I move within this year.

But to stick to the topic.... what are these bumps??!?:eek1:


they appear black in this pic



but white in these?




note that they DO look white in person, but I don't know if that's due to the lighting or not

 

[kelp47]

I can't answer your question with any certainty, but these look exactly like the bumps my clownfish get on occasion. The clownfish had ich in QT, but fully recovered. And this, like you said, doesn't look like ich. The closest thing I can find is Lymphocyctis, which usually clears on its own with good water quality.

These bumps started showing up on my fish after moving them to the display. Since I decided it was not ich, I didn't remove them. This has been months ago. The bumps now show up less frequently and in smaller quantities, but do occasionally appear. They don't seem to bother the clownfish at all, and their behavior and eating habits are very normal. No other fish have shown any of the same signs. I have decided that whatever it is, whether Lympho or something else, is apparently neither harmful nor contagious.

I can't guarantee this is what's going on with your fish--just sharing my experience.

 

[jbvdhp]

^probably not lymph if it's showing up repeatedly, although with less each time. Sounds like ich

 

[Unanonymous]

It sounds like Ich. All my blue tangs get it when they are stressed, and they get stressed very easily

 

[kelp47]

Hi td, just wondering how your fish is doing.

 

[Boggs]

I would try rally and kick ICK,

 

[Deinonych]

I would try rally and kick ICK,

I wouldn't. Does nothing to eliminate the parasite.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I will say ich also.I got a small 2'' blue tang about 2 months ago and it had ich,the black spots is were the ich released from the fish.I did ttm(tank transfer method)and the tang is doing great.

 

[snorvich]

I would try rally and kick ICK,

Both products are useless in treating ich.