Blotchiness?

[llebcire]

Hello, all!

I need a little advice with some blothcy areas on one of my fish, a bluefin damsel. I've had this tank up for a month now, and all seems well. Fish seem healthy, eat well, etc., and while this concerns me, I don't know if it's anything that I need to worry about. It doesn't look like the "standard" freshwater ich that I know of, i.e. small salt-like granuals, and the fish doesn't appear to be flashing.

It's a little hard to tell from the pic, had to take several as he is active, but there are some white areas on the anal fin.

Thanks!

[OrionGirl]

Marine ich looks similar to FW ich, and the fish react in much the same way. I would remove the fish and quarantine the fish now (not easy with a damsel, I realize), and examine other fish for any markings. The damsel may have ich, or another parasite. Either should be treated, if identified. Without a clear picture, I'm hesitant to say either way--sorry!

[llebcire]

Thanks for the quick response!

I'll watch it for a few days and see what happens, but as this is a newly established tank, and not yet a reef, I would ASSume that I should treat the entire population...3 small damsels...

Thanks again!

[g. mcclean]

You might want to also evaluate the food you are using. Sometimes color fading, blotching etc can be a nutrition problem.

[llebcire]

Interestingly enough, the blotches are almost completely gone? Guess it could have been stress, or that **** yellow-tail damsel that seems to harass the tankmates!

For food, Tetra Marine as well as frozen.