I have a flame angel I got about 3 weeks ago. In the last week, I noticed a single white spot on his front fin (pelvic fin?). It is just one spot - no others have developed. I have been feeding with garlic. I haven't noticed any change in the spot since I first saw it 5 days ago. None of the other fish have any white spots and all are healthy and happy. I certainly don't want to come down with ich. Does this sound like ich?
flame angel
- Thread starter Ikan60
- Start date
I am a newb, so take this with a grain of salt, but when we had tropical tanks many years ago, ich would show spread within 5 days - it sounds like something else, and I will keep my fingers crossed [more benign]. People with more experience will be on here in a hollow heartbeat to give you their thoughts.
Have a flame that had the same issue, ended up getting a ton of them on his body. Fed him a bunch and kept him happy (no stress) and they eventually went away. Cleaner shrimp will also help, fish will swim right up to it. tried the quarantine with other fish and the stress of that did them in, I've had better luck leaving them be/feeding well and letting their immune system take care of it.
if it appears to look like a small cotton ball my guess would Brooklynella (sp?) maybe? Or some other type of fungal infection?
I can tell you this, I never saw this on my angels, but my trigger use to get a random whitespot here and there on her fins, I was finally able to figure out is her and her wild swimming through the tank scraping her fins. It always went away and never amounted to anything more than a white spot.
I can tell you this, I never saw this on my angels, but my trigger use to get a random whitespot here and there on her fins, I was finally able to figure out is her and her wild swimming through the tank scraping her fins. It always went away and never amounted to anything more than a white spot.
Sadly garlic won't cure ich. There are plenty of scientific studies out there that prove that it just doesn't.
The good news is, if it's a single white spot that looks like cotton and the fish isn't flashing on rocks it's likely lymphocytis, which is a virus. Luckily this virus is something that will go away with reduction in stress and a good diet. This virus is quite common among butterfly and angel fish, here is some info on it:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/69537-lymphocystis-info-cure.html
The good news is, if it's a single white spot that looks like cotton and the fish isn't flashing on rocks it's likely lymphocytis, which is a virus. Luckily this virus is something that will go away with reduction in stress and a good diet. This virus is quite common among butterfly and angel fish, here is some info on it:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/69537-lymphocystis-info-cure.html
Garlic doesn't cure ich, that's true, but it does stimulate appetite, which helps sick fish keep up strength so their immune system can battle the parasite. My kleini butterfly was battling ich for a long time, and I was sure I was going to lose him, but I stayed the course and just kept him fat and now there's not an ich spot to be seen. I would just keep feeding with garlic and try to minimize stress for your angel.
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OK, hoping for updated input.I ripped apart my display tank and finally caught that super fast, amazingly evasive little flame angel (Wow, can that guy move!). I was pretty sure that the most likely problem was ich so I put him into a hospital tank with Cupramine. Within about 3 days his single little white spot on his pectoral fin disappeared . . . and a single white spot appeared above his eye. Approximately 3 days latter the spot above his eye was gone and a single white spot appeared on his side about a quarter inch back from the base of the pectoral fin. It is tiny and impossible to get a picture of (believe me I've tried)! At this point, it is only visible from certain angles and you would never see it if you were buying the fish. The spot sticks out from his body but is a very distinct round spot. It does not appear cottony or irregular. It is a tiny, perfectly round, white dot that protrudes from his body. He eats 4 times a day garlic and vitamin soaked mysis, brine, sponge, nori, etc... nothing wrong with his appetite. He is not acting sick in any way. To clarify, I did not get this fish from any club sponsors. All the fish in the main display are super health and there are no white spots on any of them. If I were not looking so carefully at the flame, I would say he was completely healthy. What the heck is on my fish and how do I cure it?
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I'd keep him/her in QT for another 6 weeks. The great news is your flame is fighting as evident from the spots coming and going. I have a powder blue tang, and from time to time, he's get a spot here and there and it goes away. I mention this as in a normal established reef, it can still happen, and I guess is a part of having a reef in a box. I think the important thing is keep the stress as low as possible, as the flame should be able to naturally fight off infections.
As far as catching, I remember tearing apart my whole reef trying to get a black domino damsel out. Getting a fish out of an established reef is no small task. Traps don't seem easier, but at least you can leave the rock work where it is.
Good luck!
As far as catching, I remember tearing apart my whole reef trying to get a black domino damsel out. Getting a fish out of an established reef is no small task. Traps don't seem easier, but at least you can leave the rock work where it is.
Good luck!