White Powder on Fish

[GeorgiaMan]

Hi All,
Well I made the mistake I always feared. I had a very stable salt tank and got tempted to buy a clown trigger. I went for it because the price was right! well two days later i saw what I thought was small white patches on his fins. Well it has been about 2 weeks and now my brown scopas tang has a white powder looking substance all over him. I dont see it on any other fish yet. does anyone have any ideas on what this is and what I need to do to fix it.

any ideas would be appreciated.

Jeff

 

[Grins]

A parasite most likely. Look at photos of marine ich, oodinium, even brooklunella and see if one of them matches. You can also share a photo so we can help ID. Treatment will depend on the parasite or disease but with some of them you must act fast so don't delay investigating. The fact that the trigger has had it for 2 weeks is kind of a good sign on that front.

 

[djmajor]

LPS told me in the past that the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse would provide aid with parasites? ?

 

[Grins]

Please do not get a cleaner wrasse. They have dismal survival rates in capitivity and the ocean needs these creatures.

Instead, consider cleaner gobies and shrimp. Keep in mind that none of these will help with some parasites.

 

[Max]

agree most of the cleaner wrass just don't live for very long in a home tank. They also have a pretty low recruitment rate on the reefs so they are far better off being left their and so are the other reef fish. As grins stated you'll have better luck with cleaner shrimp or gobies ,"not with ich."
hth
Max

 

[Charlesr1958]

Agree, the "cleaners" are your least effective method as well as they themselves (specialy the wrasse) are susceptable to the same problems. In the hopes that this is of use to you, please see my Fish Disease Pictorial Guide
Chuck

 

[mrtuskfish]

LPS told me in the past that the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse would provide aid with parasites? ?

They and cleaner shrimp might help a little in the future, but in no way can help with an already infested tank. I agree with the previous posts, cleaner wrasse do very poorly long term; and you need to HURRY. In the confines of a tank; parasites can go from a few to total disaster very quickly.