The Reef Tank banner

Is this Ich?

3K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  OneHappyIsland 
#1 ·
Hi, Brand new to this site and to salt water (have had freshwater tanks for decades). I have a Biocube 14 with a small clown and a Jenifer fish (sorry don't know genus of "Jenifer" fish). I recently moved these fish and some live rock with soft corrals from a smaller, old biocube. The clown seems to have a little crusty bump near his (her?) dorsal fin. This doesn't look like freshwater ich, but I thought it might be a saltwater type. Clown is otherwise happy and very active. Tank is healthy, I reused a lot of filter rock, etc to speed tank cycling. Nitrite and Nitrate are unmeasurable. I like the clown is this something I can easily eradicate? I wanted to add a small puffer and possibly a fourth fish or shrimp, but I guess I need to figure this out first. Water anemone fish Vertebrate Natural environment clownfish
Water Vertebrate Fluid Organism anemone fish
 
See less See more
2
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Still Waiting...

OK...
I just went and looked at the box the Biocube 14 came in and it recommends four to six small fish in a size 14. You're right, puffers aren't on the recommended types list (which I hadn't noticed before). The recommended types are:
Small Gobies
Chromis
Cardinal Fish
Small Blennies
Captive Bred Pseudochrimis
Capive Bred Clownfish
Basslets

I guess I'll try a 3rd fish from this list after I solve this puzzle of the hump on my fish.

Haven't heard anything to address the main question: Anyone out there know enough to recognize what's growin' on my fish?
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Still Need Help I.D.-ing Problem is Getting Worse!

I haven't heard anything from the disease experts out there about what this "growth" on my Clown is. If it keeps going the fish is going to have another dorsal fin! I'm not really equipped to set up a quarantine tank, so if I can't figure out a way to treat this, I'll probably have to quarantine him to the porcelain tank! :arg: I hate to do that, this fish is super active and playful (even now with this plant growing on its back).

I did try about 30 seconds of fresh water dip: the Clown did not like that AT ALL, it was jumping as if I put it in a deep fryer (water temp did match tank). At the same time, I tried to "paint" this growth with a bit of "Kordon" Rid-Ich+ which is a formalin/salt of malachite green formula. I also dosed the tank weakly (aprox 60% recommended concentration). I didn't want to kill my hermit crab or do in my LR or soft corrals.

The growth darkened, but came back...bigger. See new pics. I can't imagine that this thing isn't harming the fish somehow, but it seems just fine and happy (except that is was majorly traumatized by me trying to net it to treat it). Luckily, it has a short memory and seems to like me again.
I won't net it anymore if I can help it, its a fast little booger and I have lots of hiding places in my LR-its hard not to harm it chasing it around.

Lighthouse Petal Art Tail Electric blue


anemone fish Water clownfish Vertebrate Organism


Vertebrate Natural environment Organism Underwater Coral


Sorry for pic quality, this fish never stops moving! Thanks for your help!!
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Thank You tdwyatt Pls See Response Below



Not Ich, at least not Cryptocarans irritans type of marine ich.

Is it a hard tumor? Not sure. Can't truly "feel" it. It appears to be soft.
Is it fuzzy and soft like cotton? Outer portion of "hump" appears to be 'like cotton'
How long has the fish displayed this growth? First noticed growth just before first post about a week ago. I transferred fish, LR, ect to new tank on Thanksgiving W.E., a few days before growth first appeared. The only new item added to new tank was some pre-cycled sand. I reused about 1/2 the orig. filter media to expedite cycling.
Was the fish injured prior to the appearance of the growth? No. I don't think so.
How has the growth changed since you've noticed it? Its gotten bigger. See pics from 1st post vs. my last post. You can see its development.
What do you feed the fish? Frozen Brine Shrimp.
Have any other fish in your experience displayed this before? Nope. Other fish in tank is a Jennifer fish and it is totally normal.
Describe the fishes behavior for a day, how it eats, how it sleeps, how it swims, any unusual behavior. This Clown has always been hyperactive and still is. Seems to swim actively all the time (even with lights out). Both of the tank's fishes behavior has not changed. Both act happy/healthy.
Have you spoken to the LFS you acquired the fish from about this in any of their fish, and if they say yes (doubtful), what did they say about the fish that had this condition before? I bought the orig tank (a 12g Bio Cube) w/fish, LR in it. The storekeeper misrepresented its value and I paid too much. I haven't had contact with him since, but fish were healthy for 7 weeks before I moved them to a new Bio Cube 14 (old tank had sump light only for lid).
Have you treated the fish at all, and if so, what did you do? Please see my last post; short FW dip and direct application of Rid-Ich+ to the lesion.
Has the tank been used for fish or reptiles, etc. before?
Nope. Brand new tank.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top