Reef Discussion

[Dr. Schell]

agreed, fishlouse.

 

[Agent M]

...but here is one with a similar shape

http://www.starfish.ch/Fotos/crustaceans-Gliederfuesser/isopods-Asseln/Nerocila-sp-8.jpg

Looks like you had it pegged from the start @Scottrotton - hopefully there is only one in the tank

 

[Damjan]

Looks like a sea lice. Look them up on google there are various sorts and colors so it may not look exactly like the images you find. if so get rid of it ASAP. I sometimes catch fish with them, they are fairly common on flathead and will eat the flesh down to the bone.

 

[Ian G]

Looks like a sea lice. Look them up on google there are various sorts and colors so it may not look exactly like the images you find. if so get rid of it ASAP. I sometimes catch fish with them, they are fairly common on flathead and will eat the flesh down to the bone.

I don't know about eating flesh (not doubting-I genuinely have no idea) but I too have caught lots of flathead with these both on the fish's body & also swarming through its gut. Can't be good for the fish.

I know nothing about them but if it was me, I would be putting all my fish into QT for 6 weeks. This is usually long enough to break many parasites life cycle and you have more chance of finding and removing them in QT. Meanwhile they are hopefully dying out in the DT through lack of a host. This is also one of the very rare cases where I think I would treat (in QT only) with TriSulphur, carefully following the dosing regime. Ether that or Melafix AND Pimafix treatment.

Again I specify that I'm not basing this on specific knowledge about the parasite, I would be doing it as a precautionary measure.

 

[Scottrotton]

Ok I think my dad's right... google 'parasitic isopod on tang' and have a look at the images that come up. Also found these cases on Wet Web Media under Isopod Control:

I have a powder brown tang which has picked up a quarter of an inch long light brown crustacean on its anal fin. The bug looks kind of like a terrestrial rolly poly or pill bug. Also this thing seems to be pinching the fin. I already have a cleaner wrasse and shrimp. Do you know what this thing is and if and how I should get rid of it? I bought your book this weekend and there the bug was right on page 148. Also I have a white faced tang and I now feel pretty bad about buying that cleaner wrasse. Anyway the copepod disappeared after about 8 hours so I assume the cleaners got it. I am glad I bought your book. It answered a lot of questions and gave me a lot of ideas. Thanks for your time and Ill investigate further before submitting a question. Everett West >> Yes, this is a parasitic isopod... an aquatic type of rolly poly... and it is best to remove it by catching the fish and prising it off with a stout tweezers... Get ready and at the same time, daub a little mercurochrome or Merthiolate on the remaining sore with a "q-tip"... Bob Fenner

Isolating Isopods Hi JasonC, Good job filling in for Bob. <<why thank you... >> Can you give me some advice. I have a Sailfin tang with a parasite hanging on to its bottom fin. I'm pretty sure the parasite came in on a piece of liverock, but regardless its there. The thing looks like a white worm. Maybe 1/16 of a inch long and 1/32 of an inch thick. Pretty small but large enough to see some features on the parasite. I first noticed it about 2 weeks ago, and since it has doubled in size. There is now a small hole developing in the fin where the things mouth is. The tang does not show any signs that he is distressed yet, but I am afraid of letting this thing get to big, or if it reproduces god help me. I have a cleaner shrimp that cleans the tang from time to time, but the shrimp never touches this fin. I waited these two weeks hoping the shrimp would get it, but to no avail. Do you suggest a neon goby or cleaner wrasse to be added to the tank? If I could catch the tang (yeah right), would a fresh water dip be a better option? Would scraping it off with my nail work again if I could catch the tang. Last night I did notice 2 tiny white dots on another fin. I'm afraid these are small versions of the same parasite. <<Two courses of action here that I can think of, and both will require you to catch the fish. You can either manually remove the isopod, either with your fingers or tweezers OR freshwater dip it off - either one will work - the manual method will probably be quickest with the lowest trauma to the fish. Doubt the small dots you are seeing are the same thing, but if you've got one, you could have two... keep your eye on it.>> Thanks Mike T <<Cheers, J -- >>


I haven't done heaps of research on this so by all means look for other options, but looks like you may have to wait till its on the fish again before you can remove it based on the advice I have found online...

Wow thanks for all your effort and yes I have also come to the same conclusion, the smaller grey lumps on the tangs fins forced me to commence copper treatment to be sure no more parasites live on it, they havent fallen off yet but today is the first day my copper is at a high enough level to be effective from what ive read, 0.5PPM

I will keep you posted but thanks again for all your efforts :)

 

[Scottrotton]

A louse was my thinking as well - I assume it would have been on the fish when purchased??

No couldnt of been i would of spoted it so easily, unless somehow it was inside its mouth or something but I can see how I would of missed that.

 

[MagicJ]

Wow thanks for all your effort and yes I have also come to the same conclusion, the smaller grey lumps on the tangs fins forced me to commence copper treatment to be sure no more parasites live on it, they havent fallen off yet but today is the first day my copper is at a high enough level to be effective from what ive read, 0.5PPM

I will keep you posted but thanks again for all your efforts :)

Just be aware that copper will have minimal effect on parasites that are under the skin of the fish.

 

[Ian G]

You aren't dosing copper in your display tank are you?:eek

 

[Scottrotton]

You aren't dosing copper in your display tank are you?:eek

No not dosing in the DT, i have a hospital tank but because of the tempreatures currently I cant use my QT or Hospital tank for very long, I think I may have to put the fish back in my DT in a few days and just hope for the best!

Cant justify buying a chiller for the QT tank when my DT chiller is on its last legs, that has to come first

 

[Scottrotton]

Just be aware that copper will have minimal effect on parasites that are under the skin of the fish.

So how to we combat these?

 

[MagicJ]

Have a quarantine period longer than the cyst stage of the parasite - once the juvenile parasites leave the cyst and go looking for a host they will be knocked by the copper. But, you need to be very careful with copper treatments - too little and the parasite may not be killed; too much and you can kill the fish.

Ideally, you would have access to a good copper test kit although I realise that this is not always possible.

 

[Scottrotton]

Have a quarantine period longer than the cyst stage of the parasite - once the juvenile parasites leave the cyst and go looking for a host they will be knocked by the copper. But, you need to be very careful with copper treatments - too little and the parasite may not be killed; too much and you can kill the fish.

Ideally, you would have access to a good copper test kit although I realise that this is not always possible.

Im using the API test kit but im not a fan of API would of prefered Salifert or Red Sea brand but LFS didn't have them

 

[Scottrotton]

I actually called up the Store I bought the fish from and they said there happy to take it back if it has parasites on the fins which is great news for me.

I named the bad shops so I think its only fair I also name the good ones too, this was Aquaristic in Sydney. I must same im pleasantly surprised after my nightmare with fish rock aquarium i didn't even think to contact them and let them know :)

 

[MagicJ]

There were a few issues a while ago with Yellow Tangs being imported with "Black Spot", including mine. Obviously, quarantine procedures don't prevent everything.

 

[Dr. Schell]

there are some species of fishlouce (isopod) that reside in the mouth of fish (often called 'doctors'). These parasites eat away the fish tongue and then fulfil the role of the tongue. Apparently the fish does not seem to be too adversly impacted by its presence. See link below:

http://membercentral.aaas.org/blogs/qualia/tongue-eating-parasites-inspire-new-horror-movie

 

[Agent M]

wow I would have thought that would kill them, thanks for the link Dr Schell

 

[Scottrotton]

Well more bad news foir me, I got home today to find my clownfish was pretty much dead in my tank it gill was swollen extremely large, I managed to catch him and as I was putting him into the hospital tank, this fell from its gill.

Needless to say Ive killed it, tried my best to take some pictures so someone has a reference if the come across this. From my research i beleive it is coralanid isopod.

My clown is bearly alive, if it makes it through the night will be a very tough little fishy!!!


I think this is the one i spoted on my YT as it had simlar markings and although its not the same colour part of it is transparent meaning it probably would of had a yellow brown tinge to it when on the YT, it is also exactly the same size. hopefully thats ithe only one but I will be keeping an extremely close eye on things

 

[Dr. Schell]

these animals often come in on live rock. This is a parasitic isopod (related to the common garden slater). Have you added new live rock to your tank reciently?

 

[chimaera]

Man that blows. Hope your other fish aren't infected too.

 

[Scottrotton]

Been racking my brains. No new live rock but I've added a couple of corals. Maybe it came from them.