Help my salfin fish

[HarlemsYandel]

Can someone please tell me what's happening to him my blue hippo tang looks like she's getting ick as well

 

[4FordFamily]

We need a little background. I'm no ID expert but that looks bad. When did you add the last fish? How long have you had these tangs? How long has the tank been set up? Tank size?

@Humblefish can better help.

 

[HarlemsYandel]

75G bout 1 year

 

[HarlemsYandel]

Haven't bought any new fish in a while

 

[NYAquatic]

Doesn't look like ich.
Have you tested your water recently?
Almost looks like ammonia burn.

 

[saltysilverado]

You have any fish acting territorial?

 

[4FordFamily]

Doesn't look like ich.
Have you tested your water recently?
Almost looks like ammonia burn.

True. I would hope after one year there wouldn't be enough ammonia to do that kind of damage. I've seen velvet and horrible fluke outbreaks look like this but it could also just be getting beat up and have horrible HLLE. Hard to tell

 

[melypr1985]

I'm wanting to know if he is displaying any behavioral symptoms. Those can be a great indicator to what this is. Any flashing against rocks or sand? swimming into the flow of powerheads or the return? Hiding alot in the shaddows? Shaking his head? Breathing heavy?

He certainly looks bad, but my initial thoughts dont go to ammonia burn. I would expect to see redness around the gills and I dont see that.

 

[4FordFamily]

I've seen ammonia burn that didn't have redness in the gills that was obvious from the outside unless you looked really close. But who knows!

 

[Mike in CT]

We need test results to at least see if it's a water quality problem.

 

[melypr1985]

I've seen ammonia burn that didn't have redness in the gills that was obvious from the outside unless you looked really close. But who knows!

True. More pictures!!

 

[Humblefish]

Looks like something is literally eating away at his skin. Are none of your other fish affected by this? Could be a gram negative bacterial infection.

 

[Naiad]

Need lots more info. Has he been rubbing the rocks. If he is scratching really bad due to ick a secondary infection will likely follow. Pic of the other tang may give clues

 

[Breakthecycle2]

That looks like a very bad fluke infestation to me

 

[HarlemsYandel]

 

[HarlemsYandel]

Everything is Low but my Nitrate is high smh

 

[Mike in CT]

Bump
This fish needs some help, hoping others will chime in.

 

[HarlemsYandel]

Thanks

 

[melypr1985]

This is what i want you to do. Give him a fresh water dip. We will either confirm or rule out the flukes mentioned above.
Here's how:

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.


I also want to know if there are any behavioral symptoms to go along with this. Shaking head, breathing heavy, flashing against rocks or sand, swimming into the flow of a powerhead, is he eating still? ect ect. We need more info to be able to help this poor fish.

 

[Humblefish]

I agree with @melypr1985 above. If nothing falls off during the FW dip, I would treat for a bacterial infection. Look under "When to medicate" for treatment options: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bacterial-infections.191511/