Blue Tang with HLLE

[DopeCantWin]

My Blue Tang appears to have signs of HLLE. Mostly in the form of discoloration on his head. His diet has been Formula Two Flakes 3-4 times daily, with Nori every few days. Since noticing this, my method of attack has been daily Nori(switching between soaking in garlic and Vitamin C). His tank is a little crowded. He is currently 2-3 inches, got him at best .5 inches long. Lots of swimming room but too many other fish. Biggest of which is a 4-5 inch Foxface, who I'm looking to give a better home. The tank is a standard 90. Am I doing anything ridiculously wrong?

 

[The Codfather]

Are you running any type of carbon?
Just a thought.
http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

 

[DopeCantWin]

Are you running any type of carbon?
Just a thought.
http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found

Not for a long time.

 

[BBraker]

Any chance of a picture? There is an issue related to HLLE, where the epithelial tissue just thins - as opposed to forming distinct pits.

Bill

 

[DopeCantWin]

Any chance of a picture? There is an issue related to HLLE, where the epithelial tissue just thins - as opposed to forming distinct pits.

Bill

I'll try, but my camera is pretty bad.

 

[DopeCantWin]

He doesn't like the camera much, but I think he's doing a lot better thanks to the diet change. I've changed the flakes to only happen once and added a random frozen food/spectrum pellets. He's now past 3 inches and will hopefully be at 4 soon. He went from just capturing a little Nori to mowing it down like the Foxface(which is now possibly 6 inches long).

 

[Saltwaternooby]

I had the same problem with mine. Turned one of my pumps was either leaking current or too noisy. Either way when the pump was off line the HLLE got a bunch better in a few days. The pump was the eBay knock off koralia.

 

[DopeCantWin]

I had the same problem with mine. Turned one of my pumps was either leaking current or too noisy. Either way when the pump was off line the HLLE got a bunch better in a few days. The pump was the eBay knock off koralia.

I didn't know noisy pumps could be a problem. I have 2 problems like that. My MP60 isn't the quitest and my Skimmer pump is hitting the glass in the sump. Is this something that needs to be fixed?

 

[Chris27]

Noisy pumps won't cause HLLE.....nor will carbon....electricity may.

A bad diet is an almost surefire way for a tang to develop it. A diet heavy in dry flake or pellet food is no way to maintain fish. When it comes to tangs, even blue's, daily sheet algae offerings coupled with a good varied mix of vitamin enriched frozen preparations will ensure the fish is healthy, fat and full.

 

[Akrite]

Noisy pumps won't cause HLLE.....nor will carbon....electricity may.

A bad diet is an almost surefire way for a tang to develop it. A diet heavy in dry flake or pellet food is no way to maintain fish. When it comes to tangs, even blue's, daily sheet algae offerings coupled with a good varied mix of vitamin enriched frozen preparations will ensure the fish is healthy, fat and full.

I gotta agree with Chris27. Except I have heard of carbon dosing causing HLLE but I can't speak from experience. All tangs need lots a algae, green, brown, red purple, and spirulina with very little meat if none at all. Adding vitamins like selcon, zoe and garlic will also strengthen the immune system and add body fat.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Noisy pumps won't cause HLLE.....nor will carbon....electricity may.

A bad diet is an almost surefire way for a tang to develop it. A diet heavy in dry flake or pellet food is no way to maintain fish. When it comes to tangs, even blue's, daily sheet algae offerings coupled with a good varied mix of vitamin enriched frozen preparations will ensure the fish is healthy, fat and full.

Yeah, the list of stuff that is suspected of causing HLLE would be shorter than a list of stuff that doesn't.
I agree, this fish did not have an adequate diet. although most tangs are considered herbivores, I think most are really omnivores. they eat a lot of small crustaceans, etc., while grazing. A variety of foods (mostly frozen or home made) including mysis and other meaty stuff, nori, spirulina, etc. really help all tangs. BTW, I've kept a lot of Tangs and they all were started on meaty foods in QT. Don't feed less veggies, just vary the diet and add some vitamins (like Selcon). having plenty of mature LR for grazing goes a long way with tangs too.

 

[The Codfather]

Any update??

 

[DopeCantWin]

I hate it when threads like this end without an update too. I ended up switching up the diet for a while, but now back to flakes roughly 2 times a day. Sometimes I'll do garlic soaked Nori. He gets most of his real nourishment from algae he eats off the rocks. His health seems to be fine, I can take a picture and post it later. He's approaching 4", does anyone know if that's about right for a 1.5 year old Blue Tang?