hlle in blue hippo tang

[browning_boy20]

My blue hippo tang has started showing signs of hope around her eyes. What do I need to doto help her? Water params ammonia 0, ppH 8.0, nitrite 0 and, nitrate 5. I feed ocean nutrition pellets, my sis and nori. Thanks for the help.

 

[Rea17]

Tank size? How often do you feed? Are you running activated carbon?

 

[browning_boy20]

350 g with 100g sump and I did for a while but not any more. Been out for two weeks but its gotten worse since removing it undoubtly because I just noticed it. She won't let me get a pic either. I feed nori once a day and pellets or mysis every other day. I bought a auto feeder so I'm starting feeding numerous times throughout the day. Ocean nutrition formula one and seaweed extreme pellets.

 

[browning_boy20]

Anyone?

 

[Rea17]

Well it sounds like you are already addressing possible causes. Has it gotten significantly worse since removing the carbon?

I'd soak her food in selcon and zoe to help boost the nutritional value. Speculating causes for HLLE, especially when the fish seems to be in a suitable environment, can be difficult. I've read theories about stray voltage causing it, maybe look into that?

What kind of tankmates does she have?

 

[roenicknewf]

The bottom line is HLLE is caused by placing fish in tanks ..
Could be stray voltage ,could be carbon,could be water quality ,could be nutrition ,could be ect.ect....No cut and dry answers
I have had success in reversing it on a purple tang by simply adding vita chem to the food

 

[browning_boy20]

Ok hopefully she will get better since I am adding the vitamins to their diet.
Her tank mates is a small vlamingi, small blonde naso, two o clowns and a hoevens wrasse.

 

[Dmorty217]

Adding vitamins and feeding a variety of food everyday would be the first thing to try. I have never dealt with HLLE myself but carbon dust and stray voltage are 2 of the 3 biggest causes of HLLE IMO. Lack of nutritional needs being the 3rd

 

[browning_boy20]

How can I check for stray voltage?

 

[Dmorty217]

How can I check for stray voltage?

Well you could get a conductivity probe and check that way or use a multimeter, but if you use a multimeter the tips will be ruined. Dr Fosters and Smith sells a titanium probe that will then hook into your grounded outlet to take any stray voltage out of the water

 

[browning_boy20]

Why would the tips of my multimeter be ruined? Can't I just wash them off after testing?

 

[BBraker]

Simply removing the carbon doesn't resolve that issue. Water changes are also required *and* in some cases, if carbon fines have gotten into the tank, substrate needs to be changed.

BBraker

 

[browning_boy20]

No substrate here as I'm bare bottom and I figured the skimmer would get the particulates for the water column. Is that not the case?

 

[BBraker]

No - that definitely will help. Make sure you siphon clean under the rocks and in the sump to get any detritus piles. A good series of water changes is still warranted because the jury is still out if the carbon fines cause the issue, or if the carbon removes organics that would otherwise bind metals, and in turn, the free metals cause the HLLE.

Beware though, we just tracked down a case of HLLE in a tank that NEVER had carbon on it - only to discover that the freshwater source had been accidently run through a whole-house carbon filter one time, and upon stopping that practice, the fish didn't get any worse, but never got better either (ugh).

BBraker

 

[krzyphsygy]

How's the fish doing

 

[MBC2012]

soak your food in selcon.

 

[Allmost]

GAC does not cause HLLE. proof is 99.9 % of tanks out there with GAC and no HLLE.

make sure to RINSE GAC.

as mentioned, make sure no stray voltage. then concentrate on water and feeding. water changes + daily feeding of nori AND mysis. PE mysis is great.

soak Nori in selcon

 

[_ToXIc_]

is the tang being harassed by a tank make?

 

[browning_boy20]

Tang is doing ok. She hasn't gotten worse so that good but at the same time hast gotten better. Looks like she is wearing a mask. No stray voltage either when I checked a while back. All the fish get along great so no harassment.

 

[krzyphsygy]

How do you check for stray voltage? What do you use and where do you get it?