Is this hlle?

[0826shockwave]

So I just got this hippo tank for 20 bucks from a guy who had it in a 20 gallon tank and was looking closer and spotted these freckles looking things on its face that I swear I can see bone from there since it's white I might be wrong but if posted it on Reddit on Facebook and I've got very mixed answers some people say it's normal but some people say it's the start of hlle can anyone confirm if this is normal or hlle

 

[Subsea]

I think not.
However, consider posting in disease diagnosis forum. @Jay Hemdal visits this forum as well.

 

[0826shockwave]

I think not.
However, consider posting in disease diagnosis forum. @Jay Hemdal visits this forum as well.

Yeah I honestly don't really know how to use this site forum thingy but I hope it's nothing on my tang

 

[Subsea]

Yeah I honestly don't really know how to use this site forum thingy but I hope it's nothing on my tang

Looks normal to me. Has anything changed to make you suspect head & lateral line erosion. It’s more of a symptom of bad water quality and/or poor nutrition. HLLE is non contagious and it is reversible with good husbandry.

Also, how long was it in a 20G tank prior to you getting it.

 

[Mark Goode]

Mine has them too. I figure they're freckles. I saw a hippo tang in a LFS with HLLE, and it didn't look like that.

Edit: I just zoomed in, and I see what you mean about the white. I've not noticed that on mine - but I haven't looked that closely. Lights are off now, so I can't check.

 

[W31Olds]

Might be a tiny bit right next to the lower potion on the eye but is of no concern. The little dots are normal. Mine has them. A word of caution, Hippos get big very fast. Mine went from 2" to 6" in the span of 18 months,

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So I just got this hippo tank for 20 bucks from a guy who had it in a 20 gallon tank and was looking closer and spotted these freckles looking things on its face that I swear I can see bone from there since it's white I might be wrong but if posted it on Reddit on Facebook and I've got very mixed answers some people say it's normal but some people say it's the start of hlle can anyone confirm if this is normal or hlle

Welcome to Reef2Reef

I would say those freckles are normal. There *might* be a very mild case of HLLE in front of the eye (the lighter area) but I wouldn't be too worried about that . In this species, HLLE is more seen as eroded spots in the skin, along with split and deformed fins.