HELP - Fish Illness

[TheReefGeek]

Does anyone know what this might be on my foxface? Some sort of parasite? This is not my area of expertise, I have been fortunate not to have any disease outbreaks, maybe until now!

He is a new addition to my tank about 2 weeks ago, I think he had some blemishes when I got him, but they are way worse all of a sudden.

The foxface is swimming, breathing, and eating normally. The pictured side is the worst, the other side has 1 spot.

http://www.thereefgeek.com/images/foxface.jpg

[mr_alberta]

Can you post a better picture and/or a description of what the symptoms are? I can't see anything in the picture...

[TheReefGeek]

No symptoms other than the grey spots all along his side, Does this help?

http://www.thereefgeek.com/images/foxface2.JPG
http://www.thereefgeek.com/images/foxface2.jpg

[i have crabs]

foxfaces lose thier colour and go blochy when scared,stressed or sleeping makes them look real bad untill you get used to it but by the picture its hard to say if its more than that or not,took mine quite a while to relax and hes still a stress case.

[TheReefGeek]

He goes almost completely brown/grey when scared, but he has been a nice yellow for about 1 week now, but these spots seem different, he is yellow, but the grey spots remain. I will try to see if any of them fade in or out.

[i have crabs]

could be some kind fungus infection or mabey a bacteria issue

[TheReefGeek]

Here is another, larger picture if it helps any

http://www.thereefgeek.com/images/foxface3.jpg

[KingTitan]

Looks like it could be black spot. it is not as deadly as the white spot "ich". best treatment would be a hospital tank with copper (cupramine). or you could try a 5 minute fresh water dip ( always is risky)

[Reefhawk1]

What are you feeding the foxface? And also the usual question what are your tank parmeters. Are there any other fish infected?

[TheReefGeek]

Tank parameters are perfect, im not going to list them all though. The foxface is eating a wide variety of foods, different types of macro algae, regular and veggy flake food, and my variety of frozen foods (marine diet, mysis, brine, etc, etc all blended together and frozen in 1 big block)

I am confident this is not from my tank, none of my other fish show any signs (YET, keep my fingers crossed) and this is a recent addition, so im pretty sure the foxface brought whatever this is, in with him.

I will do some research on black spot and maybe that is it.

Catching him will be a bugger.

Can I get more details on a fresh water dip? What is involved? Heat the water then bring the PH up? Anything else? Just leave him in there for 5 minutes? I have not had to do this before, thanks for the help.

[neptune9824]

My foxface got the exact same thing.

All i have to say is you better find out what it is fast because mine died within two weeks. Eventually his whole body turned black and he died. I never found out what it was though. I was told to medicate him with Metrodiazenol (i dont know how to spell it) however that did not work.

None of my other fish caught it though. That was a good thing. All of my levels were good. I questioned AI and Big Als no one could tell me what it was.

Good Luck

[i have crabs]

a freshwater dip probably wont do much if it is blackspot since the fish has been in thier more than a couple days it will be in the tank reproducing and will come back even if the dip got all of it on the foxface wich is doubtfull
here a link on blackspot if it will help
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/compldiagnodisease/a/aa041701.htm

[TheReefGeek]

Hopefully it is not Black Spot. He is not rubbing against rocks or any of the other symptoms.

I will try to catch him and give him a freshwater dip tonight.

[bulletsworld]

It wouldn't be black spot at all. Black spot looks like salt speckles (tiny), the appearance displays like ich but its black in color speckles. It does not form clumps of spots like that.

Although its very hard to determine from your picture or get a real clear view but it almost looks like deterioration of some sort in spots. Describe the spots in detail? Is it sores? Fuzzy? Does it just look like dark coloration? Does the spots grow from days on?

Are you sure its not the Foxfish being stressed? Do you see these spots at night? How many days since you noticed these spots? Also do you notice any of the same coloration to the fins?

[TheReefGeek]

The discoloration is grey, not bumpy, not fuzzy, not sunken in, just discoloration. It has been a few days now since I notices the spots. Looks to be stable now, as in not expanding. Yes there are some on the fins, harder to see though.

The spots are constant, they are not coming and going like the normal color changing the foxface does.

[naesco]

I can't tell from the pictures but if it is a bacterial or fungal infection, garlic will help.
What you need to do is buy some Kayolic garlic extract. (not juice as juice is diluted with water or oil as it is messy. You find it at a health food stores but you have to look around.
Put some flake in a jar lid and soak the flake with garlic extract and swish it in the tank. Feed as much as you can and as often as you can as the idea is to get as much garlic in the fish as possilble. Frozen food does not absorb the garlic well.
Good luck

[TheReefGeek]

He is eating flake, so I will look for some garlic extract, thanks.

[Reefhawk1]

Just wondering where you purchased the fish. due to it being a recent purchase, could it be possible the fish was caught with cyanide?

[bulletsworld]

Just wondering where you purchased the fish. due to it being a recent purchase, could it be possible the fish was caught with cyanide?

Good thinking. Where did you purchase? Has the spots spread anymore? Have you done a water change since? It wouldn't hurt.


Hey neptune9824, since your foxface had the same thing....where did you purchase your foxfish? We can see if there is a connection.

[neptune9824]

My fish was from AI, however I had the fish for approx two years before he got sick. Mine started the same. It almost looked like his scales were falling off when it got wrose. Where the skin fell off it was black underneth. When he died his whole body was black.

I tried garlic however it was the liquid. My fox face ate everything but he would not get better.

I did however move my tank about a month before he got sick. My tank is 175gal and I had to fix some of the plumbing. So it took quite a while. I believe it stressed him out pretty good.

I really wish I could be more help. But like I said none of my other fish got it or died after he did. I have never had a problem with my tank since.

GOOD LUCK

[TheReefGeek]

I got him from AI, I did a water change 10% last night.

[Ruth]

There is no proof of any kind that garlic will help a sick fish. IMO it may help entice them to eat but will not "cure" any disease. It is not a natural part of a marine fish diet however it seems to get thrown out there to cure everything from coughs, colds, sore aholes and pimples. If your fish is eating it probably isn't necessary. I do use garlic extract in my fish food but only because they seem to like it and it keeps everyone eating vigorously. From you description I am not sure what is the matter with your fish and I hope it pulls through for you. If it is eating I would suggest just keeping your water quality high and providing a stress free environment. If someone can identify the disease there may me a specific treatment that may help.

[naesco]

A fellow reefer is looking for help in saving a fish in his tank

Ruth there was a study done some time ago and posted. (I can't find it, maybe someone can).
It was done on marine fish. I believe it said that garlic had anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-ich properties. It did not mention colds, pimples etc.

Are you aware of that study? If so, are you aware of any study that refuted that study?

You post that you feed your fish garlic soaked flakes. How healthy are your fish?

Thank you

[bulletsworld]

They have found no scientific evidence to support that garlic is a cure, since the fish does have the ability to gain resistance (immunity) with repeated attacks from a parasite. I doubt we are dealing with a parasite here.

Ruth is very right. Garlic is not a cure but can help. It's good to note as well that not even the manufacture of "Garlic Extreme" and other Garlic drops recommend to try it for treatment against any parasite. It's made to entice picky eaters. Its also not recommended long term as they are studies the effects it causes to fish organs as its Not a natural diet for fish.

Naesco, there are many post you can look back on about the argument if garlic worked or did not work for them. There are also many on the web & research that argues this as well. I would suggest you google. You should have no problems finding it.

As this is about someone else's fish that’s ill, I would urge you not to hi-jack the post on your quest to find out about garlic for your own finding and let's get back to trying to help a fellow reefer here.

thank you.

[bulletsworld]

From you description I am not sure what is the matter with your fish and I hope it pulls through for you. If it is eating I would suggest just keeping your water quality high and providing a stress free environment.

I agree with Ruth here, if the fish is eating, keep water quality high and provide the fish with a stress free environment. I don’t think pulling out of the tank into a QT tank is worth stressing the fish out any more, as it is still a new addition to your tank.

TheReefGeek, I have never come across your problem before with blacken of a Fox face, other then them showing stress & darkening. Another option would be to post your picture on www.reefcentral.com in the disease forum. There are some great biologists over there; perhaps they have come across or seen this before.

Keep us posted. Best of Luck!

[Montana]

Just to let you know i have a yellow tang with black ich and it doesn't look any thing like that the spots on your fish are to tight together it looks more like a bacterial or fungal infection, i agree to post the pic on reef central. after seeing the stress my tang went through after i gave it a fw dip i wouldnt recomend it unless you are sure will help.

[Ruth]

Thanks Lee just about what I would have said. And I also suggest that you post on the disease forum at RC to see if you can get some help in getting the fish to pull through - and keep us posted as it is something that I would like to know if I ever run into it in the future.

[TheReefGeek]

Thanks for all the help and concern everyone. I did post at reef central right after I posted here, no help there though, but posts get lost pretty quick there.

No change in the fish, the grey patches have not grown or expanded, so hopefully they will start to receed soon.

[Myanth]

I have had dark spots on a few of my fish in the last couple of weeks. They seem to be there in the morning and are gone by night time. This morning they are really bad. My powder brown is completely covered and his left eye is clouded. My coral beauty looks to have them too as the purple is blotchy, My three percs have them as well as the dragon Goby. I was having ick issues about two weeks ago as well and have not seen any this week. I started seeing these spots just after I got that macro algea from you Rory. Could be the same stuff. I am trying to get my camera working so I don't have a picture.

I'm worried.
Mike

[TheReefGeek]

Doubt it is the same thing if yours is going away at night, my is constant.
Hopefully you can post some pics and we can compare.

Mine does seem to be fading now though, seems about 1/2 as intense as before, hopefully whatever it is is clearing up.

So far so good with all my other fish too, none of them show any signs of it.

[Myanth]

First thing in the morning it is really pronounced and it fades all day, usually by night time it is mostly gone. Today it is really bad. Has been getting worse almost every day. Was thinking it was some sort of predator or maybe a bacterial infection. Infection would get worse daily but why would it fade away at night? My powder brown is hanging out right in the path of one outlet like he's trying to wash something off.

[TheReefGeek]

Try to get some pics and post them in this thread to compare.

Very strange that it would vary during the day/night, not sure what that might be, anyone heard of this? Mine has been constant, no change but seems to be fading in general now.

Myanth, I have a large dragon goby, he does not show any signs of these grey patches or any other spots.

[TheReefGeek]

Good news update:

The foxface has recovered as of last week there was no more grey patches. There is some discoloration almost like a scar where the grey patches used to be, but that seems to be clearing up now too.

I suspect it was a fungus or bacterial infection of some sort that the fish was able to fight off on its own.

Thanks for you help everyone.

Myanth how are your fish doing.