Blue tang starting to loose colour

[Zonair]

Hey guys so 2 days ago I bought a blue tang and recently I've realised that its starting to loose its colour and is starting to turn white, the only other tank mates ive got are two clown fish and a few crabs and snails. Could it just be because of stress as it's fairly new in the tank or is it something serious? Photos are below

 

[Retro Reefer]

for people to help we need complete parameters and more detailed information on your tank... from the picture it appears tank is brand new and I’m also guessing it’s not big enough for the tang.

 

[Cment]

Yes please provide parameters, how long has the tank been running along with size of tank, did you quarantine your clowns and this tang?

 

[Jon Fishman]

I can see enough of the tank to know it’s too small. stress is probably an issue. Are the Clowns showing any territorial aggression towards it?

 

[Zonair]

Sorry I forgot to give all the info, it's just a 55l tank and the tang is only going to be in there for just a few months before I either buy a much bigger tank for it or find a new home, this was literally the smallest tang at my LFS and i bought it because I hardly see them this small. The tank has been setup for almost two months now. In terms of parameters I've been monitoring them for the last two days and my ammonia and nitrite are undetectable and salinity I've been trying to keep at 1.023. I don't have a nitrate kit as of yet but I have been doing a 25% water change every week or sometimes even a 10% every 3 days. I have never seen the clowns show any sort of aggression towards it infact the tang always seems to stick around with them, but when I first put the tang in I had a neon damselfish that started being aggressive towards it so I took it out the same day and gave it back to my LFS. I haven't quarantined any of them because I don't have another tank setup as of yet but my LFS quarantines every fish they get before selling it (rare LFS that does that around my area). The Tang is eating well and swims around all day and doesn't really show any other signs of stress.

 

[Travis Alderman]

Looks like HLLE under its eye. It can be reversed.

Could be due to diet. Try feeding food soaked in selcon or vitamin by brightwell along with more seaweed based foods like Hikari seaweed extreme.

Check if there is any stray voltage as well. The final thing they think causes HLLE is activated carbon fines getting into the tank. So if you're running carbon put the exit/effluent through a filter sock.

 

[Zonair]

I've been feeding it ocean nutrition green seaweed with garlic and also Vitalis platinum marine pellets. I do have carbon in the sump so I'll definitely go buy a filter sock and selcon tomorrow and give that a go. And how should I check for stray voltage?

 

[Travis Alderman]

You can buy a meter at lowes or home depot.

 

[Zonair]

Alright just checked, I'm getting 0.5 volts

 

[Travis Alderman]

Alright just checked, I'm getting 0.5 volts

I'm not sure what is acceptable. Do some research and see if that's an acceptable range.

 

[DEWreefing]

With your carbon in the sump you will want to make sure it is not in an area where water is beating it up. The dust that comes off the carbon can really effect the hippo tang. My friend had the same issue where he placed a bag of carbon in the filter sock and it broke it all up. His hippo tang did the same thing got pale and started getting HLLE. he removed the carbon then fed the fish with a high vitamin food and the tang cleared up in a month.

 

[DEWreefing]

Another reefer with this issue.
Watch "Reef update,Carbon & HLLE effects on Hippo Tang" on YouTube

 

[DSC reef]

55 litres is like 14 gallons. IMO rehome the tang now then buy one when you actually have the tank upgrade you've planned. That is the reason your tang is doing poorly.

 

[Zonair]

Thanks for the help guys, I'll start looking for a new home for him and in the mean time I'll remove the carbon all together.

 

[vetteguy53081]

VITAMIN DEFICIENCY. Feed it nori coated with garlic. Besides nori, add selcon vitamins to the following foods:
LRS herbivore diet
Spirulina brine shrimp
Formula 2 frozen and flakes
Mysis shrimp
Plankton
Rods foods

you quickly notice a difference

 

[Euphyllia97]

I agree with all of the above.However I have noticed that my blue tang sometimes changes color aswell for a few days if it has been in a stressful situation. (Tank upgrade)

He also has the ability to change his color whenever he is getting fed, although this only last for a minute or 2.

“Losing color” could be due to the stress put on this fish by changing him to another tank, and doesn’t have to be a big concern in short-term.

Besides this, your tank definitely is too small to house any sort of tang. Even if it’s only for a few months... When you are keeping a well-fed and healthy blue tang it will outgrow a 55 liters in a month.

Good luck!

 

[NShirke]

I had same issue with my blue tang. I’m adding selcon vitamin to his diet. I see some recovery from HLLE.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Does the tang appear to have a dusty, goldish appearance in the surface? Marine velvet can also cause a fish to begin to lose its color.

 

[ScottB]

Alright just checked, I'm getting 0.5 volts

That is fine. That meter is a good thing to have over time,as submerged equipment eventually goes bad.

 

[Zonair]

Does the tang appear to have a dusty, goldish appearance in the surface? Marine velvet can also cause a fish to begin to lose its color.

No I don't see any sort of dusty appearance