Looking for guidance

[Tom Foolery]

So I have been having a problem with a blue tang for a little while and I am trying to get some advice on my next course of action.

I should mention that I had an alkalinity problem (as in 3-4dKH) and it ended up causing havoc on a few corals of mine, and I am thinking this poor water quality has, at least, exacerbated the problem with my poor tang. I have corrected this now, and everyone else is doing fine again except my tang. Here are my parameters as follows:

Calcium: 420ppm
Alkalinity: 9.5dKH
Magnesium: 1300ppm
pH: 8.0

My levels have been stable for a couple of weeks now and here is some other information worth noting:

• He is in a 72 gallon bowfront. I know that this is too small for him, and may be contributing to stress, but my plan is to find him a new home after I can resolve this if it is feasible. If not, then I will go from there.
• He is eating like a pig, and never stopped.
• His diet consists of nori supplemented with garlic and Selcon as well as PE mysis, Cyclop-eeze or any other foods my clowns get.
• This has been slow to manifest, over a few months, and only appeared after I added a mandarin into the tank (Who been doing swimmingly though).
• I had been running carbon for over a year and recently removed that for GFO to combat any excess phosphates I may have, also because I have heard of problems with carbon dust.

So now that we have all that jazz out of the way, here is a picture that may shed light on the little devil. Also, note, the "white spots" on him are actually coralline algae on the glass. Whoops!

Notice the areas around his gills and his gut. This is what I am most concerned about. There is also some fin erosion and general discoloration going on.

If anyone has any ideas on what it could be, please let me know. I have had my own ideas but nothing definitive enough that I would want to act on. Please help!

Thanks!

 

[RBU1]

Not sure what that could be.....Almost looks like he wedges himself in something and its marking him up....

I would keep an eye on the water quality and feed him well. if he continues to eat and not show signs of any parasites dont worry about it.

 

[Tom Foolery]

Not sure what that could be.....Almost looks like he wedges himself in something and its marking him up....

I would keep an eye on the water quality and feed him well. if he continues to eat and not show signs of any parasites dont worry about it.

It's weird, the marks around the gills look transparent almost, but it doesn't seem like there has been any tissue loss, like anything has eroded away or something.

I will be making sure the water is pristine though.

Anyone else have any other ideas?

 

[Chipie]

Excellent water parameters, lots of good food(varied diet) and maybe some garlic or Amonomega. It seems a lot of people are having the same issue with HLLE(That's what is causing the discoloration in the face by the way). I have a hippo with the same problem. He was given to me this way. He wasn't fed well and the water quality was poor.But it's healing very well now and the colors are coming back in it's face and gill plates. So there's hope for yours too