Coral Beauty Angel problem...

[justonemoretank]

Hi all--
I'm seeing some strange symptoms on my Coral Beauty Angel. We've had her about 2 years. Recently, we moved our fish from a 75 to a 180 (within the last couple of months). I can say that she didn't have these symptoms prior to the move. There's a discolored patch near her head, and within the past week, something that looks like HITH (holes, some of which are still white). Here's the info:

180 w. Sump, Protein Skimmer

Tankmates: Clownfish, Blue Tang, 8 inch Snowflake Eel, 1 Blue Chromis (working on getting more of these). No new additions.

Corals: Only mushrooms, but quite a few

Parameters:

pH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
KH 6
Ca 360
Phosphate 0

There's about 120 lbs of live rock.

Supplements:
AquaVitro Fuel
Calcium (I don't remember what kind, we recently switched, and my husband has apparently stashed the bottle somewhere)

We make our own saltwater, and use tap water with dechlorinator.

Feeding: Hikari Spirulina Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp, Hikari Mega-Marine, Hikari Squid, Hikari Mega-Marine Algae. I feed a mixture of these daily, and she seems to eat it all, and isn't picky. Also, Hikari Marine -S-.

No other fish exhibit these symptoms. She is still acting quite normal.

Water changes are 50 gallons, about every 2 or 3 weeks.

Lastly, some photos. Sorry for quality -- I hope you can see enough of what I'm talking about.

Thanks for any help.

 

[speedo2wet]

did she maybe scratch herself? maybe like a fungus?? is there any cotton looking apearance to it?

My last Coral beauty was so spastic she ended up getting popeye from scratching her self on both eyes and passed away. so aweful.

You said she is behaving regularly wich is a plus and feeding is good?

I would try and pack a anti-fungal or antibiotic in her food or try and feed the gel antifungal/antibiotic, you parameters all look awesome.

if your looking for more information for the beauty you can try www.reefcentral.com also. I seem to find a whole bunch of good info from other people concerning diseases and parasites. SW has our battles. I'll keep a look out but let me know what you find and go with for treatment.

 

[justonemoretank]

Well, there is a little bit of whiteness around the area where the holes are, but it doesn't look like cotton or anything, because there's really so little of it. Yeah, she's eating fine. Do you have experience with the food additives? Honestly, we don't have a lot of sick fish (knock on wood) so my experience with medication is very, very limited. If you've used one and can recommend it, please let me know. That way, if the general consensus is that it's bacterial or fungal, I'll know just where to start! Thanks for your comments.

 

[speedo2wet]

Good to hear - glad she is eating. I have tried food additives prior to making my own food but gets difficult. Plus it looks as if she is in a reef - are you able to remove her? I usually never have the luck and end up treating the whole water column. I like to use http://www.marinedepot.com/medications_ruby_reef-ap.html The treatment time is a little long but works. I used it on my 250 gallon and groupers when they had an issue. Just be ready to do almost a 50% water change at the end of the treatment.

 

[nubz]

i know it would be a pain in the butt to remove her... but a good 5 minute freshwater dip would probably help alot. my cb got an infection and after a feshwater dip the cottony stuff had deteriorated alot and she got some color back. just make sure the ph is the same

 

[justonemoretank]

I'm not looking forward to removing her, that's for sure LOL but I will probably have to anyway.

Just as some additional info, in case it helps, the blue spot showed up before the more troubling symptom, the tiny hole-looking spots. The holes are fairly new.

 

[justonemoretank]

Bump... I'd really like to get a positive ID on what's going on here, if anyone has any idea. I'd like to begin treatment while she's still eating and acting normally so she can handle the stress better.

 

[mr.reef24]

look's like HLLE on her I would use selcon on her fish food to help reverse it and maybe QT her in the process to relieve her of whatever stress caused her to develop it.

mr.reef24

 

[justonemoretank]

Okay, thank you. I'd like to ask a couple of questions about the selcon:

I typically mix all of those frozen foods together and thaw them in a cup of the tank water, and then feed with a turkey baster. Since this is about 7 cubes of food, and we don't have that many fish, the cup lasts four or five days (refrigerated, of course). Can I add the selcon to the whole cup and have it sit in there during that time, or do I need to separate the food for the day into something else and then add selcon?

Also, the selcon will be good for everyone, right?

Edit: Would it be easier or more advised to add the selcon to the dry Hikari food instead of the thawed wet stuff?

I'd like to QT her, and we'll try and pull her out of the tank, but there are some complications, because the stand is really high and you have to stand on a ladder in order to actually reach the bottom of the tank, so I'm asking these questions just in case. It's a six-foot-long tank, and we only have one ladder, and it's probably going to take both my husband and I and maybe the neighbors to catch her!

Also, do you think the discoloration is also HLLE, or could it be something else?

 

[mr.reef24]

Okay, thank you. I'd like to ask a couple of questions about the selcon:

I typically mix all of those frozen foods together and thaw them in a cup of the tank water, and then feed with a turkey baster. Since this is about 7 cubes of food, and we don't have that many fish, the cup lasts four or five days (refrigerated, of course). Can I add the selcon to the whole cup and have it sit in there during that time, or do I need to separate the food for the day into something else and then add selcon? How come you make such a big amount in 1 day you could make 1 cube or cut in half use a drop of 2 of selcon use the turkey baster and keep the freshness of the food better you may be opening the food to getting bacteria from frozen then thawed then frozen then thawed over that 5 day period.

Also, the selcon will be good for everyone, right? Yes

Edit: Would it be easier or more advised to add the selcon to the dry Hikari food instead of the thawed wet stuff? you can add it to both I do and have for years and have had great results and no disease's in any tank since I started to use it.

I'd like to QT her, and we'll try and pull her out of the tank, but there are some complications, because the stand is really high and you have to stand on a ladder in order to actually reach the bottom of the tank, so I'm asking these questions just in case. It's a six-foot-long tank, and we only have one ladder, and it's probably going to take both my husband and I and maybe the neighbors to catch her! You could try to bait her to the top of the tank with food and have a net submerged and when she come's up for the food nab her that might help you better then chasing her around and stressing her more and potentially opening her up for ich on top of the HLLE.

Also, do you think the discoloration is also HLLE, or could it be something else? It is HLLE the discoloration is from the disease but it can and will be reversed just take your time and be patient and research the disease as much as you can while your treating her to keep it from happening again and Private message me anytime you need help at all for anything.

Mr.reef24