HLLE on yellow tangs

[bigreefer]

I would like some help. I have 3 yellow tangs and this is my story. The fish came down with head and lateral line errosion. On a scale of 1-10, one being almost no hlle and 10 being the worst, one fish was a 1, one fish was a 5, and one was a 10. Both the 1 and the 5 are almost totally healed. The fish that was a 10 is acting normal again and is eating find and is even being the boss again. I treated with kent marine C. This seamed to have almost no effect. Then I started feeding them brocolli. WOW. Brocolli had and immediate and drastic effect. They all became well very fast and there color is intense, exept for the last fish. This is my problem. While he seems ok and is feeding and acting normal, his color is very slow to return and his face and lateral line still have some paleness to them. Does anyone have an explanation or even a better solution.

 

[bigreefer]

This is a very blury pic of the fish but you can sort of get the idea if you look around his face. As I am sure you know it is very hard to get a good pic of a fast fish with a crappy camera!!

 

[petjunkie]

Hard to tell from the picture but I know severe HLLE can leave permanent scarring, he may never regain full color but if the erosion is fully healed and all the skin is back I would just keep up with lots of seaweed, maybe soaked in some selcon. You could also try some color enhancing foods I guess. Have you been feeding different kinds of seaweed and nori constantly? Also check water quality, some fish will turn pale with bad water parameters.

 

[sepulatian]

What are you feeding them besides broccoli? What sized tank is this? What are your water readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, SG, and temp? Hlle scars can heal completely. We have to figure out why this fish is not healing as quickly as the others.

 

[beth]

Big, there is info on HLLE in the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum. Take a look at that info to get you started on finding the solution.

 

[bigreefer]

food list:
Brine shrimp frozen, red and green seaweed, nutrafin max slow sinking morsels, brocolli, frozen plankton. Not all for the tangs but they seem to eat anything I feed the other animals.
water parameters:
ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5ppm, sg 1.024, ph 8.2, temp 75-78, tank size is 75 with 10 gal fuge and 10 gal sump. Mangroves and macro in fuge. the readings have been close to these for a while so I dont think bad water is the cause. Water changes done every 2 weeks about 25%.
The more I look and read I am thinking maybe the hlle is gone and he just has no color. It is slowly coming back but the others got back to normal so fast.
Also there is a grounding probe in the main tank.

 

[pontius]

is this in an 80 gallon tank? if so, that would be one cause for concern.
put in a grounding probe to knockout errant electrical shocks from the elec equipment and soak food in Zoecon. that is what I did when I first got my yellow tang 3 years ago and the HLLE went away immediately and never returned. but stress and malnourishment are the 2 big things. so IF you've got 3 yellow tangs in an 80 gallon, I think that's probably way too stressful on them.

 

[bigreefer]

Stress could be the case. I have had all three for a while, I think about a year, but as you know fish are funny and unpredictable. He may just be unhappy now. If things dont improve soon, after all the treatment, I may have to do what I was going to do someday anyway..... buy a second tank! Maybe putting him in a different tank without any other tangs may be the cure. Or I could just buy a huge tank, like the 600 gal that Goodwin has, then it wouldnt be a problem.

 

[sepulatian]

This fish has had HLLE that badly for a year? Do you have access to a 29 gallon tank that you could borrow for a month or two? The diet is not that great. Blood worms are not for SW fish, morsels and plankton are not such a good choice either. Buy some frozen formula one, formula two (more for herbivores), Marine supreme, Jullian Sprugs sea veggies, or some of the many other formula foods. Pick 3. Frozen formula foods have a variety of natural ocean ingredients. Soak the food in vitachem, selcon, zoecon, or reef plus. Your tank is beautiful BTW

 

[bigreefer]

Thanks Sep. No he didnt have HLLE for a year. Just a couple of months in all. I am still new to the reef life. I love it but I am still learning. I have had the tank just over a year and learn new stuff everyday. I feel maybe that i was just a little ignorant when I ordered them (tangs) because it said one or three or more so I ordered 3 when I should have only ordered one. I am most likely going to find new homes for one or two of the tangs. I have been watching the fish and I think that maybe they are a little stressed which is probably the reason the one has not been so quick to recover.

 

[sepulatian]

Hey Bigreef. I don't want to point out what you said, but you said that all three came in with it and that you have had them all for a year. Did you just get these guys a few months ago? It is probably best to find two of them a new home. I just noticed that you have a 75. To be honest it is going to be tough to keep one happy in there for long term. Keep the water very clean and suppliment his food with vitamines.

 

[bigreefer]

No I have had all three for a year. They all came in healthy and looking great. Problem only occured a couple of months ago.