Tomini Tang in QT Advice..

[Tetra84]

So, I've got a Tomini tang, and currently have it with a black axil chromis together in QT. Being precautions, I stated out with hypo to see if they (especially the tang) developed any signs of ich or anything. I started to drop the salinity slowly as not to shock their systems. Now i'ts stable at 1.009. It has been this way since 11/16. A few days ago I started noticing a small white spot developing on the side of the tang, and another smaller spot on the same side's pectoral fin. Up until this time they were both swimming actively and eating, but now the tang is hiding more, and becoming listless when standing still, it is also stopped eating and pecking on stuff. The chromis is still fine.

My parameters:
1.009
PH - 8
Ammonia - .25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0

Anyone have any advice as to what I should do from here?

 

[caribfan]

Personally, I don't like Hypo unless the species being treated absolutely requires it. I don't have much experience with hypo, but it seems the low specific gravity may be taking its toll on the fish. I would get back into the target range for specific gravity over a day or two and see what happens.

Also, a picture might be helpful as well as it could be something outside of crypto. If it is C. Irritans, then treat with Cupramine. I have never lost a fish to cupramine and I've treated some sensitive ones, moorish idol, PBT, CBB, Queen Angel, Semilarvatus Butterfly.

That stuff works and it's easy, just follow the directions on the bottle. And if you have any questions, call the folks at Seachem, their tech service has been perfect in the past. Just my two cents.

 

[caribfan]

Oh, I just looked at your water parameters, I would be marginally concerned about the ammonia. Is the tank cycled, is he in a QT? As part of raising the specific gravity, I would do a series of water changes to get rid of the ammonia, unless your test is extremely sensitive, that should always be 0 in my opinion.

 

[Tetra84]

Yeah I had the sponge filter in my main tank's sump for like 3 weeks.. I was hopeful it would have developed a good bio load by then. I've been doing frequent water changes and spiking the aquarium with prime every morning though.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Yeah I had the sponge filter in my main tank's sump for like 3 weeks.. I was hopeful it would have developed a good bio load by then. I've been doing frequent water changes and spiking the aquarium with prime every morning though.

How are you testing for ammonia? Once you use prime (or any dechlorinator), most ammonia test kits will give you a false positive. Only thing that works is a Seachem ammonia alert badge.

 

[Tetra84]

I've been using an API test kit, i'll go out and get that seachem alert badge today. You think it's the ammonia that is causing that? I did a 2.5 gal water change just yesterday.

 

[Mrscribbled]

Your bacteria on the sponge filter most likely died off. Or got stunned. Get the salinity back up and put in a bottle of bio spira. Observe fish for three weeks unless disease does show up then copper treat otherwise add to your display tank.

 

[Tetra84]

ok.. canceling hypo.

 

[Tetra84]

Here is a picture of the Tang.. I made red arrows pointing to the spots in question. The one on the Pectoral Fin is a little harder to make out in this photo, its much smaller. This is the reason I put it in hypo to begin with, to see if it was a host to ich so I wouldn't have to treat the whole tank later. I was also under the impression that hypo would be less stressful than copper.

 

[b0bab0ey]

I've never done hypo myself, but I did read this article (see link below) from the U of FL which stated:

"More recently, studies have demonstrated different salinity tolerances among strains of Cryptocaryon. Yambot (2003) described one Taiwanese outbreak occurring in sea bream Sparus sarba at a salinity of 5 g/L, and another outbreak in sea perch Lates calcarifer occurring at a salinity of 10 g/L. These two strains were successfully propagated in the laboratory at 7 and 10 g/L, respectively, and are well below previously documented preferred salinities."

And then you read about needing to have a perfectly calibrated refractometer and if the SG inches up to 1.010 having to start all over again..... I mean, JHC..... I'd rather just test my copper level every night before going to bed before I do all that.

As for those spots on your tang, I don't think that's Ich. Looks like Lympho or something bacterial to me. Not to say your tang doesn't have Ich (best to prophylactically treat IMO) but those spots aren't it.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

 

[Mrscribbled]

I've never done hypo myself, but I did read this article (see link below) from the U of FL which stated:

"More recently, studies have demonstrated different salinity tolerances among strains of Cryptocaryon. Yambot (2003) described one Taiwanese outbreak occurring in sea bream Sparus sarba at a salinity of 5 g/L, and another outbreak in sea perch Lates calcarifer occurring at a salinity of 10 g/L. These two strains were successfully propagated in the laboratory at 7 and 10 g/L, respectively, and are well below previously documented preferred salinities."

And then you read about needing to have a perfectly calibrated refractometer and if the SG inches up to 1.010 having to start all over again..... I mean, JHC..... I'd rather just test my copper level every night before going to bed before I do all that.

As for those spots on your tang, I don't think that's Ich. Looks like Lympho or something bacterial to me. Not to say your tang doesn't have Ich (best to prophylactically treat IMO) but those spots aren't it.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

+1 ageed

 

[caribfan]

+ 1 again. I always treat tangs for ich and I do agree, I'm not sure it's ich either.