Hippo tang injury

[dnledman]

My big and generally healthy hippo tang scared himself into a spot of my tank today that he couldn’t get out from. I found him and unwedged him but he looks like he cut himself pretty good, and the hermits may have been eating him even?

These look really bad and I can’t decide if I should pull him and put him out of his misery or do you think he may recover?

I have NO “aggressive” fish in my tank 2 baby regal angels, joculator angel, blonde naso tang, yellow tang, 3 anthias.

He is now swimming, picked at some nori.

What do we think? Anything I can do this guy?

I do have a QT tank, but it has an Achilles @2.5ppm copper atm. I could also dose antibiotics in the QT and remove the copper.

 

[dnledman]

Update, crushed spirulina brine #reefsquad

 

[Fish Fan]

Let's tag in the R2R Fish Medic team for this one

#fishmedic

 

[W31Olds]

The fact that he is eating is good. Hard to tell from your pics, but are these superficial white discolored areas or are there missing areas of deep tissue loss.

 

[dnledman]

The fact that he is eating is good. Hard to tell from your pics, but are these superficial white discolored areas or are there missing areas of deep tissue loss.

Deep tissue loss, he has also lost some of his pectoral fin that was pinned

 

[W31Olds]

Since your QT Tank is occupied, I think your best bet is probably leave him and see if he recovers. It may be more stressful to try and catch him. Your other option would be an isolation box but he looks pretty large. I have a WT Bristletooth that was beat up pretty bad and he recovered. Biggest concern would be infection.
@Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My big and generally healthy hippo tang scared himself into a spot of my tank today that he couldn’t get out from. I found him and unwedged him but he looks like he cut himself pretty good, and the hermits may have been eating him even?

These look really bad and I can’t decide if I should pull him and put him out of his misery or do you think he may recover?

I have NO “aggressive” fish in my tank 2 baby regal angels, joculator angel, blonde naso tang, yellow tang, 3 anthias.

He is now swimming, picked at some nori.

What do we think? Anything I can do this guy?

I do have a QT tank, but it has an Achilles @2.5ppm copper atm. I could also dose antibiotics in the QT and remove the copper.

I agree that with the fish still eating, and if the lesions seem stable (not spreading or getting deeper) I would leave it in the DT to see if it heals itself. Moving and treating with an antibiotic is a last resort, due to the stress of the catching/moving to a small tank.

One thing - hepatus tangs are well adapted for hiding in coral crevices, do you have any idea as to how this one got wedged? If you’re just assuming it got stuck, this could be some other issue, like a primary infection.

 

[dnledman]

I agree that with the fish still eating, and if the lesions seem stable (not spreading or getting deeper) I would leave it in the DT to see if it heals itself. Moving and treating with an antibiotic is a last resort, due to the stress of the catching/moving to a small tank.

One thing - hepatus tangs are well adapted for hiding in coral crevices, do you have any idea as to how this one got wedged? If you’re just assuming it got stuck, this could be some other issue, like a primary infection.

In the morning he was swimming, then I was doing my bi-weekly water change and got done, added nori as an peace offering and my naso and yellow came out to eat but the hippo didn’t. I figured give it a while he may just be spooked.

We come to dinner time and he still isn’t swimming, now I know this is odd so I start looking for him. I find him in the far back corner between the glass and under an old coral skeleton and some rocks. Tried to tap the glass to get him scared out and he doesn’t move, now I know there is a problem.

Started pulling off rocks and when I got the rocks off he was still there, picked up the coral skeleton and he swam off looking like this. Oh and the glass side of the hippo tang is undamaged basically. It’s all on the coral side.

Let me know what ya think! Thanks as always.

 

[W31Olds]

Hard to believe anything disease related could do that much damage in the span of morning to dinner time and it wouldn't be on primarily just on one side. My Hippo is about the same size, and they love to wedge themselves in between rocks and will shake violently in the process.

 

[dnledman]

Hard to believe anything disease related could do that much damage in the span of morning to dinner time and it wouldn't be on primarily just on one side. My Hippo is about the same size, and they love to wedge themselves in between rocks and will shake violently in the process.

Agreed

 

[dnledman]

Hard to believe anything disease related could do that much damage in the span of morning to dinner time and it wouldn't be on primarily just on one side. My Hippo is about the same size, and they love to wedge themselves in between rocks and will shake violently in the process.

Agreed

 

[dnledman]

Still swimming!!!

And even better news, his wounds are starting to heal it would seem

 

[W31Olds]

looks improved to me.