Blue Hippo Tang flesh eating away

christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Tang is about 2 years old, no history of health issues. Fed flake food daily, myssis shrimp about 2x week, 90 gallon established tank.
This started with a large white spot on her side, pitting developed and now her flesh is clearly visible. Breathing and swimming is eratic, she also has difficulty stay erect. She flounders on her side while on the bottom. She is eating, but not much.

What is this? Can we save her without a quarantine tank? (we do not have one)
Thank you for your help!
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
That's a really bad bacterial infection. Start adding vitamins to food and look into Melafix. Hopefully Beth will chime in and be able to offer more help.
What else is in the tank?
Parameters?
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Thanks!
In the tank:
LR (no corals)
Hermit crabs, Chocolate Chip Starfish, Snowball Urchin, Conch.
female Blue Jaw Trigger
Blue Ring Angel
Lemon Peel Angel
Blue Damsel
Yellow Tang
Royal Gramma
Blue Hippo Tang
2 Clown Fish
Lunar Wrasse (last added, about 3 months ago)
Tank is established, no big health issues. Water quality was checked, everything seems in order. Only other health issue was the Blue Ring battled and won against Popeye several months ago.
A couple of weeks ago, the Blue Hippo had what appeared to be scratches on his sides, as if he had rubbed against the rocks. They were gone in a day or two and never saw any issues with it. We left town Thursday morning through lunch Saturday and came back to the quarter size white spots on his side. The fish were fed while we were away.
We have treated with Stresscoat, put it in some Nori Seaweed (which she didn't eat) and mixed meds (Focus and Metronidazole) in food (frozen myssis shrimp.) She is eating a little, eating more of the flake food than the shrimp.
I know QT tank is best, but I don't think my husband will go for it. Being a (unintentional) one income family now... you understand. We are hoping to save the Tang on a budget.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
That is actually aggression. It may well turn in to a bacterial infection, but it is aggression. He will need to be removed or will be beaten up to death.
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Hi Beth,
That's a shock to hear! I am suspicious of the Lunar Wrasse, he bullies the starfish and conch, and he is not my favorite. I have seen him and the Blue Tang follow one another but never any touching nor injuries. I want the Wrasse to be traded in, I don't like his agression towards the starfish. My husband has had difficulty catching him. The Blue Ring Angel can be a bully at times, I have no idea which one would be picking on the Blue Tang. I would rather get rid of the bully and keep the Blue Tang. In the last two days, the Wrasse will come and check out the Tang, but hasn't picked on her.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
You can count on fish aggression exactly when you are not looking. I have sat and stared at a tank (from a distance) for as much as 2 hours to find out which fish was being the bully. Fish do not act the same when they see us as when they are on their own.
This hippo will be bait shortly if something is not done.
You have a lot of fish in your tank. What is the size of your tank?
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
90 gallons.
I talked with my husband and we agree, the Wrasse is the likely culprit. We are going to remove him, give him back to the store, and not add anymore fish.
Thank you for your help! I'll keep you posted.
I did add Melafix today. His wound has "whited" over today but he stays hidden behind the rocks except to eat.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
If you are certain it is the wrasse, I would remove him today. You hippo will not last much longer without immediate intervention.
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Beth, you were 100% CORRECT! I "hid" behind a wall close to bedtime to observe the behaviors in the tank. After I "left", the Blue Tang came out flashing her colors (which I understand is a sign of distress) and went back behind her rock. Moments later, the Lunar Wrasse attacked. He was focused and she would have been a goner. He took a lot of chunks out of her! It took him all of a minute to attack after I left the room. We separated him immediately from the other fish and he was returned to the store last night. We opted for a few conchs instead - no more new fish! Her wounds are quite bad and we are hoping she will heal. She seems okay. We are giving her the medicine in her food, hoping to prevent infection setting up. She has been swimming around the tank since the Wrasse was removed and peace has been restored!
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What medicine are you giving?
Do 2 gal water change daily for about a week or 2. No major changes, cleaning in the tank right now. Just the daily water change. Feed this fish algae sheets, meaty foods, high quality food at least 3 times a day. Hopefully, she will eat. Use zoecon or selcon vit. on 1 meal a day.
The flashing was aggression/ or defense posturing, but the wrasse won out. The wound is down to the flesh so I'm not going to say that she will make it, but hopefully, it will work out.
Yes, keep us posted.
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Freezing Focus and Metronidazole in the mysis shrimp and feeding once a day. I have some Nori Seaweed sheets, but she hasn't eaten them.
The tropical fish store owner suggested the medicine in the food. We'll do some small water changes as you advise. Tough lesson to learn, hope she makes it.
Thank you again. We'll let you know how she does.
 
coralman05

coralman05

Member
Take a little piece of the Seaweed and rub your fingers together by your power head.. it should send chucks of it flying.. It worked with my Kole tang
 
christyandjay

christyandjay

New Member
Hi Beth,
Our Blue Hippo Tang was doing fantastic after removing the aggressive Lunar Wrasse. She was calm, eating, healing and it seemed peace had been restored. I was amazed at how well her wound was healing and how brilliant her color was. My husband had done some minimal water changes and worked on restoring water quality and tank environment. A few days ago he did another water change and turned off a pump, which made some tiny air bubbles blow into the tank. For some reason, this freaked her out and she has been a wreck ever since. Now when the lights come one, she starts breathing hard, swimming erraticly, diving into the substrate and scratching against the rocks for hours. She eventually calms down but does it again the next day. Today is the 3rd day she has done this. What in the world has happened? Is she just traumatized and this triggered it somehow? It's so sad and frustrating to see this happening, she was doing so well. Any suggestions?
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I wish I could psychoanalyze fish.

Under what conditions do the tank lights come on? I would suggest using room lights first, then about 30 mins later, switch on the tank lights.
Because of the tremendous loss of tissue, the fish is scratchy, itchy. Just as anyone with skin/flesh wounds would be who is healing.
I would suggest doing light maintenance on the tank at a time, even if this means doing the maintenance more frequently.
Keep in mind this fish was terrorized nearly to death so calm is key right now.
 
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