Blue Hippo Tang white spot

[timbodmb]

Hey everyone...
I've had a blue hippo tang for almost 9 months now... My tank is just about a year old. 55 gal-
I had a 1.5" yellow tang die recently in the tank (from the special on SWF.com), and I think it had a bacterial infection.
My blue hippo tang has a white spot oh her that almost looks like when you get crazy glue stuck on your finger.... it's white, a little smaller than a dime. This is the second time she has had this spot appear, last time it was under one of her dorsal fins, on the other side... literally, it looks as if she might have run into some frag cement/glue in the tank (she didn't, i don't use any) Behavior is fine, she is out and about swimming around... I'm wondering if she might have run into the anemone and just has a bit of a rash?
Tank Params:
Nitrate - 10
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
SG - 1.026 (refractometer)
Phosphate - 0
PH- 8.3
Cal - 420
Alk - 10
I've attached 2 pictures, it's very hard to get a good shot of her because she is crazy... and want's nothing to do with a camera.
Tank mates-
Corals... assorted
Pink tip Haitian Anemone (3 months)
2 false percs (10 months)
royal gramma (6 months)
flame angel (5 months)
6 line wrasse (2 months)
It doesn't look to me like ich... because it is a fairly large white patch...
Any suggestions?

 

[eric b 125]

i'm probably not the best person to be answering your question, but i'll share a bit of my experience with you and hopefully it can help. i've never had a fish with a disease (knock on wood) but i do have a hippo tang that has has some coloration imperfections. it has been my experience that hippo's are very sensitive fish and it shows in their colors. in the morning, when the lights are first turned on, my hippo is pale and almost blotchy looking. i've heard that this is normal from other reefers and books. every now and then she'll brush up against a rock and it will leave a mark for a short period and goes away. unless it is a raised white bump that looks like a piece of sand stuck to your fish, i'd give it a few days of monitoring and see if anything changes. i'm thinking it's just an irritation from contact.

 

[timbodmb]

I too think it is some sort of irritation... She has had it before, and it disappeared on it's own after a few days... My concern is that the yellow tang died, and two months earlier, I had a blond naso tang (which looked in perfect condition) up and died for no reason exhibiting the same behavior as the yellow tang (suddenly sluggish, and died in about 4 hours)
Thoughts? Thanks for your input-

 

[timbodmb]

as a matter of fact, I have been noticing her "stretch" her gills and fins a lot... could that be an indication of something?

 

[beth]

No, these fish do this normally. Is that erode flesh, faded color, or something actually attached to the fish (bumpy). The pictures are not clear enough to tell much. Can you describe it in detail?

 

[timbodmb]

bump... any more feedback? .... Beuhler?

 

[timbodmb]

Sorry beth! I didn't see your response!
It's a round patch- almost looks like something on her skin... it's not her color fading...maybe like a dried milk dot? I think that's the best way to describe it. maybe a blotch of powder? I'm trying my hardest to give you a description... maybe I'll try and get some more pictures today- it's just so dang hard!