Help! Spotting on my yellow tang-disease?!

[Melia]

I recently got a yellow tang from my local pet store, and it has been developing some dark splotching on its’ scales. Is it Black Ich? I don’t know exactly what it is and i have no idea how I could fix this. Anything helps you guys!

 

[Big G]

Looks like your tang is starting to develop HLLE. Sometimes this is a result of dosing with copper. Best action is to make sure it has plenty of nori to munch upon. The purple color has the most vitamins. And feed only fresh or frozen foods dosed with Selcon. Is there are other behaviors of notice? Rapid breathing, hiding, loss of appetite, nosing into a powerhead?

 

[Maritimer]

+1

Black ich (turbellarian worms) would look more like someone spilled pepper. This looks more like early-state HLLE (Head & Lateral Line Erosion). Very reversible with good diet and water conditions, minimize or eliminate carbon dust from the water column.

~Bruce

 

[Melia]

I have red Nori with is supposedly really good, but he doesn’t want to eat it. I always put it in the tank but none of the fish ever munch on it, should I only offer the red Nori as their food instead of also offering bribe shrimp for a while?

Looks like your tang is starting to develop HLLE. Sometimes this is a result of dosing with copper. Best action is to make sure it has plenty of nori to munch upon. The purple color has the most vitamins. And feed only fresh or frozen foods dosed with Selcon. Is there are other behaviors of notice? Rapid breathing, hiding, loss of appetite, nosing into a powerhead?

 

[Melia]

Update: I put my tang in a smaller, separate tank so he can be watched and fed regularly some red Nori. He doesn’t want to eat the Nori but when it’s the only good given to him, he’ll eat it. My other fish don’t like it either, is this common?

 

[Sabellafella]

I recently got a yellow tang from my local pet store, and it has been developing some dark splotching on its’ scales. Is it Black Ich? I don’t know exactly what it is and i have no idea how I could fix this. Anything helps you guys!

Agree, just give the little fella some healthy feeding. Nori if you could, this is start of something that can be takin care of right away if it infact is lateral line disease
And don't panic lolol, it's just a nutrition issue.

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree with HLLE but also may see some osmotic shock redness —something often seen in yellow tangs. You by chance do a water change recently or increase the salinity?

 

[Melia]

I agree with HLLE but also may see some osmotic shock redness —something often seen in yellow tangs. You by chance do a water change recently or increase the salinity?

Yes, I just did a water change and I try to keep the salinity constant.

 

[4FordFamily]

Yes, I just did a water change and I try to keep the salinity constant.

How soon prior to these photos did you do a water change? A small increase in salinity can leave yellow tangs with osmotic shock redness

 

[Melia]

How soon prior to these photos did you do a water change? A small increase in salinity can leave yellow tangs with osmotic shock redness

It was within the same day, but he still has these spots on him today.

 

[MSB123]

What size tank was he in/is in now? How much flow is there?

 

[4FordFamily]

It was within the same day, but he still has these spots on him today.

It can take a week or so to go away. The HLLE won’t go away overnight, you’ll need to provide highly nutritious foods and good water quality. Adding selcon or another vitamin supplement to various strained frozen foods is how I accomplish this. Flakes don’t cut it, most pellets don’t either.

 

[Melia]

Hey guys, small update on the tang, he’s been getting worse but now he has this eye thing, like a very blurry buildup over his eye similar to cataracts, should I be worried?

 

[Maritimer]

That's likely to be a bacterial infection, even though it's only on one eye.

You can try epsom salt (USP Grade, no additives) in the display, or move to QT for antibiotic treatment. Erythromycin seems to do well with eye injuries.

~Bruce

 

[Big G]

Other than the eye, are there any other symptoms or behaviors you have noticed?

 

[Melia]

Other than the eye, are there any other symptoms or behaviors you have noticed?

Not that I’ve noticed, no. I see his fins are kind of eroding or disappearing, particularly his pectoral fin (only 1)

 

[Big G]

Looking back at the very first post photo, the right eye looks a bit cloudy compared to the left which is absolutely clear.

 

[Big G]

Not that I’ve noticed, no. I see his fins are kind of eroding or disappearing, particularly his pectoral fin (only 1)

Who's in the tank with the tang?

 

[Big G]

Have you seen any aggression against the tang by the clown (they are part of the Damsel family)? Looks like someone's been taking some bites out of the tangs fins and who knows, may have bit it on the eye. Heck there was a member here on R2R that had a clown jump up out of the water and bite him on the eye while doing maintenance to the tank. Those guys can get rough with other fish.

 

[Tangs]

I've been fighting with HLLE too with my yellow tang.. her fins are growing back really well but unfortunately she have a wounds that looks like bacteria near her bottom fin and I'm treating her with kenaplex.. it's been really tough for her but she's my miracle fish..