Unicorn

[ncox38]

I bought this Unicorn a few weeks back and he has been in quarantine trying to beat ick. He is eating well and is acting healthy. He has started to develop these brown freckles. I talked to the people at the LFS today and they weren't sure what it could be. The ideas thrown about were: scars, normal color change, ??? We arent sure what species it is exactly, it came in just labeled Unicorn Tang. Anyone have any ideas what the spots are?

 

[JxMetal]

Did you take that picture after lights out?

 

[ncox38]

um.....no it was this morning before lights on. but he is like that all the time.

 

[JxMetal]

Even when the lights are on?

In that case it could be black ick.......? I really don't know much about fish disease ( i consider that a good thing)

If it's only like that when the lights are off then I would've said it's just color changing with the lights, like most fish.

 

[puddldude]

I had a yellow tang a few years back that got black ich

 

[ncox38]

Wow, he has white and black ich. Thanks.

 

[StupidsReef]

Dang Nick!! Whach ya doin' to dat poor fish dude!!

 

[spongebobby]

Are you QT with hyposalinity? Definitely look's like black ich. I had both types also and could never get rid of it till I took all fish out of display and ran hyposalinity for 5 weeks. It was a pain but have been disease free for over a year .

 

[ncox38]

He is in QT but at 1.025. I guess i will take out the cleaner shrimp and snails and drop it down. I read that black ich can live for 5 months in a tank without a host, at 1.025. I might just nuke the tank with medicine and start over.

 

[spongebobby]

Hypo will work. It is easy to do just time consuming and be prepared to make a ton of water. I had 10 fish so I did mine in a 55 gal. If I remember correctly I think your supposed to gradually bring down salinity to 1.009 over the course of 72 hrs. And let it remain there for 4 weeks than increase salinity back to display salinity for the last week. I also fed all fish with extreme garlic soaked food. I lost a Kole tang and that was it. I tried all the ich treatments prior to hypo and it always came back. After hypo it has not returned......knock on wood.

Good luck