My Dori Looks Sick....

Hi Guys,

Dori, my hippo tang, seems to be battling a case of crypt but also looks as if she has something else. I have had her for a little over 3 weeks and she has settled in nicely. She is still very active, eats like a horse, and isn't breathing rapidly. I only noticed this new symptom today. It looks like black spots on her face. I also noticed that her black stripe isn't shiny black but seems to have a film on it. Can you guys possibly tell me what she has? I am leaving town on Wednesday and won't be back until Sunday. What would you recommend? Right now I am feeding the tank a half cube of frozen food with spirulina flakes added, all soaked in garlic. I also place a sheet of nori in the tank, also soaked in garlic, about 3-4 times a week. I have been adding Marine C to the tank for about 2 weeks now. I also just got a bottle of selcon in as well. My levels are as follows:

SG: 1.025
Ph: 8.3-8.4
Temp: 79.5
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Phosphate: 0 ppm
Calcium: 420 ppm
Alkalinity: 11 DKH
Magnesium: 1275 ppm

While I am at it, can you guys answer a question about crypt? If my tank is fallow for 8 weeks and is completely free of crypt, and I treat all new specimens before I put them in the tank, does that mean that none of my fish will get it? I know that tangs are prone to get crypt but it has to come from somewhere.

Thanks for the help. I truly appreciate it.

Regards,
Ivy

 

find someone to feed the fish while you are gone. If you put this fish in qt it probably won't survive. I'll bet 50 percent of blue tangs get this when they get transfered.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Daniel. I have someone that is going to come over and feed them while I am gone. I have the food prepared and soaking in the freezer. All they have to do is add water to thaw and feed. I plan on doing a water change Wednesday before I leave and another on Sunday when I get back. I am hoping the levels won't get too out of whack. Thanks!!!

 

i battled crypt a few months ago...i ended up setting up a qt tank treating with coppersafe and letting my display tank set empty (except for inverts, rock, and sand) for 2 months and i also treated it with the reef safe ich killer (figured i might as well help kill the little buggers too)..no ANY fish that i get goes to QT for at least 3 weeks before they even see my display tank...lol I have been crypt free ever since...Good luck with your battle..i just bought a hippo tang last week that i am anxious to get to the display...but for now its in QT!

 

Thanks again for all of the replies. Please pardon my ignorance, but are the black spots a part of the crypt disease? I have really only read about the white spots. Thanks again!!!

 

Mine has tiny black dots on it's face and is perfectly healthy. I googled some photos and noticed that some of them have the spots and some do not. I think it is normal.

 

if your fish has never had the black spots before it could be black ich aka tang disease...so it may be a problem...i would qt the tang and my other fish in the tank just to be on the safe side, otherwise it can spread rapidly and kill everything

 

No, Crypto does not result in black spots – however, they are normal and harmless. As Tangs stress they can bleach and be more difficult to see.

As for Crypto – My old eye’s have a hard time with your photo’s, however it does not appear to be Crypto. Seem’s more like some sort of a fungus infection – I say this because to me it appears the white spots are more splotchy and fuzzed out. Crypto is a parasite that appears as white spots that you could almost reach in and flick off the fish.

I would recommend that you pick up a broad spectrum antibiotic and treat your fish asap.

Also, I am not a fan of QT’s – I personally feel they add more stress than good.

 

Thanks for the replies. Mine also has black spots on her face, but these were not there before. Thanks!!

 

In which case I would like to see a better picture, or to get a younger set of eye’s on your previous pics (thus the additional reply and associated +bump)

Regardless, I would recommend the same treatment of a broad spectrum antibiotic.

Things to watch for, clouded eyes, labored breather, not eating and scratching. Please keep us posted.