Yellow Tang with Black Spot disease

TANGOMAN · #1 12-03-2002, 02:08 AM

I purchased a Yellow Tang 4 days ago and noticed today a "mild peppering" of black spots.

The fish began occasionally scratching two days ago so I've been expecting some parasite to come a knockin'...
I've never seen this before and reading "Natural Reef Aquariums", Tullock refers to this as an "external worm parasite". "easily treatable..." (easy for him to say

). The fish is, and has been in quarantine so capture/treatment won't be difficult. It's the form of treatment and success that concerns me.
Tullock recomends "a dip in a bucket of seawater containing a solution of PICRIC ACID..."
Sounds too good to be true...any experience with this is urgently/gratefuly appreciated ! What's the availability of this product in Calgary?

EmilyB · #2 12-03-2002, 02:29 AM

I wouldn't treat it,personally. Black ick apparently usually clears up quickly once the fish is in good water quality with a good diet. Make sure you feed him lots of OSI spirulina flake.

Oh, and of course, keeping cleaner shrimp is mandatory with tangs, IMO

saltcreep · #3 12-03-2002, 02:46 AM

"Black Ich" is very common for all yellow tangs, as most are hosts to the parasite in the wild. Generally if it show up in the retail trade, it is a sign that the supplier in Hawaii has been lazy and has not bathed the fish in freshwater. This will normally eradicate the disease quite readily. If it is in your tank, it will have to be torn down and one option is to scrub it with bleach (just don't forget to neutralize the bleach afterwards).

TANGOMAN · #4 12-03-2002, 03:28 AM

Emily, I like/agree with your idea. I hate dumpin' in medications when it's unnecessary. The water in my quarantine is from the 60g (fishless) "beginner reef". Stable/aged... After further reading tonite, Im learning the life cycle is similar to that of Cryptocaryon and Amyloodinium. A few days on the fish, fall to the bottom, and WHAMMO !
back with a lethal vengence.
Feeding and activity right now is awesome. Fish acclimated and began feeding very quickly. Setting up the UV might be beneficial ? The bulb is old though and I'm not real keen on droppin' that kind of cash right now...
A freshwater bath sounds like another viable option. Breakdown/sterilize the "Q" tank and refill...damn, no more filter sponge inserts in my sump...
I've also read by Moe, formalin treatments ???

EmilyB · #5 12-03-2002, 03:58 AM

I've done FW baths with clownfish - but I think way too stressful for a tang. I'd never recommend it. Reduce stress and maybe add some garlic.

I still remember the last YT adoption from LSOH.....single bag...man..even most Pisces employees know you double/triple bag a tang.

I failed to call him on it...and had the water and a waterless tang arrive home.

I don't know why I remembered that now....just did... :?

naesco · #6 12-03-2002, 04:06 AM

Although it is stressful for a tang, provided you have chosen a healthy one, do a freshwater dip until the black dots fall off and return the fish to the tank . Observe her very carefully during this process.
Good luck

smokinreefer · #7 12-03-2002, 04:55 AM

FWIW i have had experience with black spot on my yellow tang.

he was the first tang in my tank. i noticed the black dots appear on my tang, because he had started the occassional scratching. i introduced a pair of cleaners. if i remember correctly, it was probably gone in a week. and has never come back.

now i cant say it was strictly due to the shrimp, but i notice the shrimps usually are aggressive, active cleaners of newly introduced (fair sized) fish. but my fish arent actively cleaned by the shrimps anymore...but then again my fish are not sick now either.

i believe, and in my experience, if you have a healthy environment, good water quality, a good diet of foods, lots of greens...and cleaners of some sort,...i am sure your tang can overcome this (and ick).

tear down the tank and sterilize???...that sounds pretty drastic to me.

Delphinus · #8 12-03-2002, 05:42 AM

My first yellow tang suffered from black spots when I first got him. I did the freshwater bath for about 4 minutes and that was enough. This is easy enough if you can catch the fish .... but catching the fish is pretty stressful in and of itself so you definitely don't want to do it more than once. Actually usually the tang won't let it happen more than once, they're not all that dumb..

Anyways the black peppering does fall off after a freshwater dip. But like EmilyB says it's a bit of a crapshoot.

If it were me I'd be thinking about the freshwater dip ... once should be enough.

(It's too bad the freshwater dip doesn't work on ich..... that would be too easy.)

TANGOMAN · #9 12-03-2002, 03:50 PM

I'm going to run my UV on this tank. As mentioned, the fish is and has been in a quarantine tank since acquired. A "sterile" enviroment...hang on filter, pieces of PVC for hiding, thats about it. Tearing down and sterilizing is not a problem.
Yes, capture is very stressful. The net used to catch the fish at the store was the last net to ever touch any of my fish. I "corral" them slowly into a clear glass container and often they don't even realize they're captured...
Help me out with some "terminology"?
What's FWIW, LSOH, BTW...?
Cleaner Shrimp are in my future plans with the Calgary group ordering this week...keeping one in the quarantine tank while I re-stock might be a good idea ? I hate making these decissions. We've all read that with this hobby/pastime you can ask one question and get a hundred different answers. As many of you I'm sure, I take great pride and responsibility in providing the best possible enviroment, diet, etc...for my fish...
I think I'll go with the dip...I always worry those that advise against a method will fail to offer guidance in the future. Unless something was tried with devastating results, ya' gotta' go with the majority ??? No offence to advice not followed,(Emily)

Advice on this theory ? Simple capture, 4-5 min. dip, return to quarantine tank.(return fish only of course) Leave quarantine tank as is with partial/substantial water change and run UV. Maintain/improve diet and then hope for the best...?
Thanks sooo much for all the help !!!!
Ironically, I had to request that this fish be double-bagged for transport. From a store mentioned earlier...

PFisher · #10 12-03-2002, 04:13 PM

Have you concidered Hyposalinity? Much less stressful for the fish and from what I have heard and read is one of the most effective meathods of erradicating ick (have not had to deal with ick myself). If you FW dip, the ick on the tang will die, but what about the stuff still in the tank when you put him back in? Just my two cents.