Yellow Tang Looks Skeletal?

[petem]

Hey all, I've noticed my yellow tang appearing quite skeletal for 3 weeks now. He stopped eating at one point and couldnt get to feed him anything. Then after that time period he looked better. Started filling out more, the reddness was gone from his side. Now he's looking like that again.
I had placed my display tank (72gal, up since January 04) in low salinity due to an outbreak of Ich. Couldnt catch the tang to put him in the hospital tank. So I removed my LR, and Inverts and put them in the QT. All I had in the display was the tang, a damsel, and a snowflake eel. The damsel is the only original since day one, or rather, after the cycling was completed. The tang and eel came in around Feb.
Brought the salinity back up to 1.020 last week, (I did it slowly over a few days, 4-5, I think). Placed the LR, and Inverts back last saturday.
Took water readings tonight. Ammonia 0.0; NO2 less than .5. NO3, less than .5 also. Ph: 8.2 water temp, 82F.
I'm feeding him, Marine algae, with Zoe and garlic juice. He also eats flake food, and sometimes grabs pieces of scallop, squid, when I feed the eel.
I'm worried now, because he's hanging out towards the top of the tank. I know that's not good. As I said, you can see his ribs, and shadows inside his body (organs). His eyes appear to have "cataracts"
He gets along with the other two inhabitants. I just dont know what else to do. I'd feel bad if I lost him. He survived the Ich outbreak, when 3 or 4 of my other fish perished.
Dont know If i'm leaving any other info out. If I am, let me know. Thanks.

 

[beth]

How long were the fish in hyposalinity and what did you use to measure the salinity? Any nitrite is bad news. I would suggest increasing water circulation, particularly at the top of the tank. Do you have a skimmer?
The white eyes spells bacterial infection. Is your QT still up?

 

[petem]

My tank was in hyposalinity greater than 4 weeks. I only used an hydrometer to measure. I know it wasnt accurate, but I didnt have money at the time to get a refractometer.
Nitrite levels, didnt register, or they were the first bar, on the color chart. I'm assuming it was less than .5
I do have a skimmer, However, my powerhead shorted out on me. a while back. Come to think of it, the tang started showing those symptoms back then. Hmmm......
As for the bacterial infection on the eyes, what should I use.
Yes my QT is up.

 

[beth]

See if you can get Maracyn Two for salt water fish. Once you get it, move the tang over and begin treatment. Just prior to each re-dose, do a water change to clean up the medication residual a bit. Be sure that circualation in the QT is good, especially at water surface.

 

[petem]

Hey Beth, Thanks for the advice, but, My wife couldnt find him this morning. I came home and had to take the rocks apart, and there he was, buried under the lowest rock. It's funny how he got under there. I was going to necropsy him, to check out what the organs looked like. If they were swollen, or lacerated, but, my kids begged me not to.
Well, I guess I'll move on. Hopefully, I'll get another one down the road.

 

[beth]

Tangs are not the easiest fish to take care of. They are prone to parasites and bacterial infections, not to mention HLLE. They really should be left to at least knowledgable hobbyists who have big well established tanks with LR. That's my opinion, at least, and my exp with these fish as well.
Sorry for your loss.