sick tang

[Franklin]

For a while my yellow tang has had two brown patches, one on either side of its head. Im not really sure how to describe it, but they look like spots where scales havent been growing or large greyish brown scabs or scars. The spots are slightly lower than the actual scales. They now seem to be getting worse, and the fish is coming out from hiding far less, and seems sluggish. Can somebody give me an idea of what this might be? Thanks alot.

[Franklin]

For a while my yellow tang has had two brown patches, one on either side of its head. Im not really sure how to describe it, but they look like spots where scales havent been growing or large greyish brown scabs or scars. The spots are slightly lower than the actual scales. They now seem to be getting worse, and the fish is coming out from hiding far less, and seems sluggish. Can somebody give me an idea of what this might be? Thanks alot.

Actually, looking at it more carefully, they look like sort of translucent spots where there are no yellow scales, and you can see alot of the veins in its head. Any ideas why this is? thanks

[szwedo]

I think it could be just damage or maybe latteral line. but most likely damage

[Franklin]

I think it could be just damage or maybe latteral line. but most likely damage

I checked out some pictures of fish with lateral line and it looks like that could very well be the case- my tang has the line along either side of its body, and similar disfiguration on the face. Is there anything I can do to get rid of it? Is it fatal? thanks alot.

[szwedo]

no its not fatal (I think) and no you cant get rid of it. its just something that makes the fish look really bad

[Samper]

szwedo is incorrect,
With proper feeding you can combat it and get rid of it.
HLLE isn't fatal in the short term but left unchecked could lead to secondary infections which could lead to the demise of your fish.

Proper diet aka more vegetable matter like Nori and soaking the food in a Vitamin supplement such as Selcon will help. I personally witnessed a tang get better at the shop I used to work at with proper feedings.

Research the boards and you will find more than a few accounts of people combatting it.

www.wetwebmedia.com is Robert Fenners website and is a good source of information on the subject.

[szwedo]

I stand corrected. Samper, my lfs told me it isn't curable but i guess they were wrong then.

[samsreef]

LFS will say anything because they dont have the time to think about what they say before they say it. One of my LFS tried to sell me a Purple tang with really bad lateral line disease and said it will be gone in a few days after it starts eating bits of the live rock. The fish weren't exactly cheap or even discounted, as far as I am aware they still are there and still have the same disease and he is now using copper to cure it, ouch.

If you feed you tang sea weed (you can buy it from LFS in packets), have LR & feed a variety of frozen/flake food (whichever you prefer to use) then it should be fine.

[Peterock]

I bought a tang also and mine seems to have that brown patch as well but it goes away and he looks solid yellow and then some times it comes back.