Unidentified spots - please help

[Dbullis]

Hey everyone, I am new to the hobby and have been loving it this far. Here's my issue:
I purchased a single spot foxface and had him shipped to my town by the time he got here he was damn near dead from getting cold. We didn't think he would make it. Surprisingly lucky survived and has been thriving. Recently (2-3 weeks) he has been developing spots on him, I cannot identify them and have researched all over. These spots as seen in image have a white center and, they don't seem to affect his mood, appetite or behavior. These spots come and go and at one point were completely gone then came back. Not sure the issue. I ahve recently noticed some bristle worms in the tank. I have managed to grab 1 out so far. And sure there is at least 2 more I have seen.

100 gal

Temp- 25.8
Salinity- 1.025
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Phosphate 0
Amonia 0

Livestock:
2 clown fish
1 Blue Damsel
1 single spot foxface
1 peppermint shrimp
1 emerald crab
1 turbo snail
2 assorted snails
1 purple long tentacle anemone
Kenya tree
Green Star Polyp
Gorgonian Fan
Blue mushrooms
Elegance coral

 

[gone fishin]

I have not seen spots like that before. I do know foxface's can change their coloration when stressed. Mine will go into camouflage mode but nothing like that.

 

[jason2459]

That looks interesting. Could be bacterial or fungal

 

[Dbullis]

I have not seen spots like that before. I do know foxface's can change their coloration when stressed. Mine will go into camouflage mode but nothing like that.

Yes when he is sleeping at night he will change to a grey almost molted looking color, his color is vibrant and bright suring the day, in my picture he looks a little plae becuase of the camera and because the tank lights has just come on and he was still changing color. He seems happy and all. I am wondering do bristleworms go after live fish and if so is this what it would look like. We had done a water change and a freshwater dip the first time these spots appeared. no change.

hmmmmmmmm stumpped

 

[Dbullis]

That looks interesting. Could be bacterial or fungal

how would i be able to identify/treat? none of the other fish seem affected and it comes and goes.

 

[ericarenee]

They look like sores where parasites are burrowing under the fish skin.With you saying they seem to come and go kinda Confirms this...

I Would def get the fish in a QT tank

I did a search and found similar images but no true confirmation on what parasite it is..

Treating in qt like you would a new fish with a unknown issue seems to have helped others.

one of the links i found
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rbtfshdisfaqs.htm

searching google images for

sores on foxface fish

 

[gone fishin]

Yes when he is sleeping at night he will change to a grey almost molted looking color, his color is vibrant and bright suring the day, in my picture he looks a little plae becuase of the camera and because the tank lights has just come on and he was still changing color. He seems happy and all. I am wondering do bristleworms go after live fish and if so is this what it would look like. We had done a water change and a freshwater dip the first time these spots appeared. no change.

hmmmmmmmm stumpped

If a fish gets into a spot where a bristle worm is then they could get some bristles. I personally have not noticed any bristle worm marks on any of my fish. can you see any bristles sticking out of the fish?

 

[jpcemc]

My One Spot has done that before right after a water change when he was in the QT. I dosed him with MetroPlex while he was in the QT and I haven't seen it again.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

If it were me, I would pull that fish and treat it with prazipro then do a round of CP (or if you have no inverts/corals and can do water changes on a larger tank leave it in tank and do it). I might even do antibiotic at the same time if I could be assured that it would not conflict with the CP. You definitely have something nasty going on there. I would not wait long. You'll also need to let your tank sit fallow for some time just to make sure whatever it is is out of the water column if possible.

 

[jpcemc]

My One Spot has done that before right after a water change when he was in the QT. I dosed him with MetroPlex while he was in the QT and I haven't seen it again.

To add to my post, this was about two weeks after I got mine. He was in his "PJ's" as I call it. I am newer to the hobby as well.

 

[Dbullis]

If a fish gets into a spot where a bristle worm is then they could get some bristles. I personally have not noticed any bristle worm marks on any of my fish. can you see any bristles sticking out of the fish?

The white center of the dots appear to be raised but if it were to be a bristle its only one. and they are all like that so im thinking if it was bristleworms they would be clusted as they dont just sting with 1 bristle at a time.

 

[Dbullis]

It appears that a QT and treatment is in order, does anybody have a solid QT process they follow, as i am new to the hobby i havent really had a proper QT setup, last month i got a 20 gal BB and placed a filter in it and started cycling it, I will gladly QT him and help in anyway I can. this little guy has been through so much and i want him to have a long happy life.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

There are many ways to do things so you're going to get a lot of opinions on QT methods. Personally I prefer a 40 gallon breeder (easy to dose) a hob filter (no carbon). I dose prazi-pro and do chloroquine phosphate. If the fish had visible spots I lower the salinity to hypo. Fish remains in treatment for a minimum of 30 days. After 30 days treatment I will then observe the fish for an addition 7(if no hypo)-14 (if hypo) days to see if anything comes up. I raise the salinity back during that time and begin carbon to remove the meds from the tank.
It has been my experience that fish will often develop mild bacterial infections at the site of the parasite rupture (often in the fins as well. They will look cloudy, have frayed edges, or look like they have filaments hanging off the edge). If this happens I usually keep the fish for another 2 weeks in antibiotic.
I treat all fish with medication regardless of appearance. Otherwise if they are carrying something like marine velvet they will transfer it to the DT. Most parasites can remain dormant in a fish for months. Most fish never show physical signs of any type of parasitic disease.

 

[Dbullis]

There are many ways to do things so you're going to get a lot of opinions on QT methods. Personally I prefer a 40 gallon breeder (easy to dose) a hob filter (no carbon). I dose prazi-pro and do chloroquine phosphate. If the fish had visible spots I lower the salinity to hypo. Fish remains in treatment for a minimum of 30 days. After 30 days treatment I will then observe the fish for an addition 7(if no hypo)-14 (if hypo) days to see if anything comes up. I raise the salinity back during that time and begin carbon to remove the meds from the tank.
It has been my experience that fish will often develop mild bacterial infections at the site of the parasite rupture (often in the fins as well. They will look cloudy, have frayed edges, or look like they have filaments hanging off the edge). If this happens I usually keep the fish for another 2 weeks in antibiotic.
I treat all fish with medication regardless of appearance. Otherwise if they are carrying something like marine velvet they will transfer it to the DT. Most parasites can remain dormant in a fish for months. Most fish never show physical signs of any type of parasitic disease.

I will try and get this setup and get the medication ASAP, any ideas on controlling bristle worms?

 

[elFloyd]

Don't worry about bristle worms... they are harmless to your fish.

 

[scybulski]

do you have anything in the tank that could sting him?

 

[Tripod1404]

That is ich, foxface develop black spot around ich parasites (google foxface has ich and look at the images, you will see parasites are always surrounded by a black dot). Happened to me before. It might be a defensive mechanisms to deprive parasite of nutrition.

Is he shedding his cuticle? You would see white transparent mucus floating around the tank. When they have skin parasites they shed daily (mostly before they go to sleep.) Foxface are generally pretty resistant against ich due to that cuticle shedding mechanism, but cold probably stressed him and that is why he is covered.

 

[worldbook]

That is ich, foxface develop black spot around ich parasites (google foxface has ich and look at the images, you will see parasites are always surrounded by a black dot). Happened to me before. It might be a defensive mechanisms to deprive parasite of nutrition.

Is he shedding his cuticle? You would see white transparent mucus floating around the tank. When they have skin parasites they shed daily (mostly before they go to sleep.) Foxface are generally pretty resistant against ich due to that cuticle shedding mechanism, but cold probably stressed him and that is why he is covered.

+1 to Tripod1404
--My Foxface had a lessor form of this and I actually witnessed him shedding his cuticle and the parasites just came off with the cuticle. It was quite amazing to watch. None of my other fish were ever infected (that I could tell) and they are all living still. He was just always getting stressed and I eventually found him a better home. He also never exhibited any behavior that he was sick. Kept eating well and swimming about. I think the parasite actually affects the ability of the cells around it from changing colors as the Foxface naturally does. That's just my guess.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

I will try and get this setup and get the medication ASAP, any ideas on controlling bristle worms?

As others have said. I would not worry about the bristle worms. I do not think they are your problem here at all. But if you feel you need to control them, a coral banded shrimp will eat them as will some wrasse, but it may not be compatible with your tank.

 

[Ou8me2]

It sure looks like ICK to me and I found some photos and they are very similar and Ick was the culprit.