Hippo Tang HLLE Recovery progress from January 22 2022 - March 5 2022

[Projects with Sam]

I got this guy from the lfs basically for free in the hopes I could help him out.


Here are two videos taken ~5weeks apart. I fed him appropriately and added vitamins (VitaChem - didn't know about SELCON at the time.)
I am encouraged by his progress.

January:

March:

 

[vetteguy53081]

That’s what the hobby is about
Diet helps tremendously for recovery
LRS herbivore diet
Hikari veggie diet
Hikari marine cuisine
Spirulina brine shrimp
Mysis shrimp
Formula 2 flake and frozen
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

add garlic also to the foods occasionally for immunity health

 

[Projects with Sam]

He would hang out on the tank cleaner at night when he first came into the tank. I put a personal seaweed clip there for him and he would tuck behind it and sleep/snack throughout the night. Now he has a place in the rockwork.

That larger hippo tang came with the smaller guy. His recovery has been more dramatic but I think it was also more topical.
Its funny; whenever I catch the big one, the small one will swim into the net / into my hand to stick together. They were in the LFS together from when I first noticed them.

 

[Paul B]

You wont cure HLLE with vitamins. It isn't a disease but a condition of captivity and stress has a lot to do with it. It doesn't happen in the sea or very rarely if ever.

If your tank is not set up correctly, like a newish tank, a too small tank, a tank without the proper hiding places or incorrect food, your tangs will get it. It can sometimes be reversed if it is not to advanced. Once it gets to that point, nothing will grow back the lost tissue.

 

[Projects with Sam]

You wont cure HLLE with vitamins. It isn't a disease but a condition of captivity and stress has a lot to do with it. It doesn't happen in the sea or very rarely if ever.

If your tank is not set up correctly, like a newish tank, a too small tank, a tank without the proper hiding places or incorrect food, your tangs will get it. It can sometimes be reversed if it is not to advanced. Once it gets to that point, nothing will grow back the lost tissue.

Agreed, The big one looks fine; he wasn't too far gone. The little one has grown to the same size as the other and a lot of his flesh has grown back but he is still going to be maimed for life with the missing gill flap and dorsal and ventral fins.