My Purple Tang...

ReefObsessor805

ReefObsessor805

New member
This is Hurley. He has been in my 36 gallon bowfront for about a month now. And I must say he is doing quite well!!! In this picture he is just loving this seaweed clip...

128653mini-Picture_024.jpg
 
He has a pretty bad case of HLLE. Did the fish always look like this or did the condition develop after you purchased it? What all are you feeding? Using any supplements/vitamins? He looks to be a small specimen, which is good given your tank size, but he'll need much larger quarters in the near future.
Good luck with him.
 
:eek: uhhh, yeah......he doesn't look so great to me. Get that fish some Vita-chem , feed him a variety of GOOD FOODS, keep that water pristine and PLEASE find him a bigger tank to reside in!! [6' or more in length]
 
He is looking pretty rough, sometimes it is tough to get them on the better diet if there are non-algae eaters in there because the tang is such a pig. I have a coral beauty who would rather steal meaty treats from the Anthias. As others mentioned it appears he needs a diet change. 36g is a bit on the small side for him, but that is a different topic - good luck.
 
Definently feed him a better diet. 36 gallon is way too small for him. I would do something before you get the tang ploice on your tail.
 
This tang was like this when I purchased him. He was at a LFS in a 1' by 1' box for about a month and a half, no joke, it was sad. Everytime I went in this LFS to get some hermits, food, etc., I saw him sitting there. This Purple Tang had this look to him the whole time he was there. I saw that his fins were a bit "weathered", but I imagined this was from being in a really SMALL living quarter.
So what I did was purchased the poor guy. I do not know what HLLE is and if it is contagious or some kind of skin pigmentation virus. Im sorry you guys will have to explain that to me. I understand that my tank is small for this guy but I just thought I could do the little tang a favor and put him in a suitable envrionment so he wouldn't have to suffer and maybe pass away in a "shoebox filled with water".

My water parameters are:
Sal. 1.022
Ph ~8.1
Phosphate - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Ammonia - 0ppm

I have been feeding him Ocean Nutrition Veggie Clips (green marine algae), Hikari Ocean Plankton, Hikari freeze dried brine shrimp, and some Formula Two Herbivore flakes.

As for vitamin supplements will you please refer me as to what to do for him.
Is this curable? Because I would love to help him.
Thanks everyone.
 
Hmm..head and lateral line erosion..well I will give him as much Vitamin C as possible and I have been given this fish a variety of foods.
I dont think the LFS who had him before me feed him well enough. I am just more thankful he is in my hands instead of theirs.

I will keep you guys updated. Thanks for the help. I will take good care of him.
 
dont blame it on the fish store its not the fish stores fault that he is like this, some wholesalers sell purple tangs with lateral desease at a cheaper price. some of these fish are brought in from the wild already with the desease.
 
I would feed him 100% green stuff. They are eating all the time, so a quality food is essential. I personally love the Hikari frozen line of foods or the frozen Ocean Nutrition foods. A good supplement, like Selcon or some Vit. C would be a good idea.

Your water conditions are good. Watch the temperature swings, if that's a problem in sunny Cailfornia!

I have known people to bring their tangs back to health.

Best of luck!
 
Hey thank you very much for your support everyone!

How many times a day should I give him veggie clips? He is the only one in the tank that actually goes up to the clip..

I am also actually going down to the LFS today and getting some Red Nori and some Ocean Nutrition Frozen Formula Two and American Marine Selcon Additive.

Thanks a lot. Ill keep you guys updated with progress!

Here is another image that will give you a little more detail on his lateral line...is it bad? Hope not!

128653mini-Picture_025.jpg
 
I believe I can. If it remains at this level, if it doesn't get any worse but doesn't get any better, will he suffer or could it be fatal.

Natural sunlight helps?
 
I wouldn't worry too much about getting a larger tank right away. I saw a purple tang that has been in captivity for a decade yesterday and has been in a 300 gallon+ system for the longest and it is still very small. These fish don't grow as quickly as everyone boasts. Either that or this one is some midget fish. No offense to any little folk.

The guy who owns this fish has seen it with others fish as well. He has a vlamingi tang that is 8" and has been in a 450 gallon tank and in captivity for 6 or more years. Everyone around here will hop in and tell you that you had better get an ocean quick as this fish will be 24" before you wake up tomorrow.

good luck getting your tang back into shape.
 
I am now soaking the Ocean Nutrition green Nori seaweed clips in VitaChem and feeding him Red Gracilaria Macro Algae which he is picking at a lot.
Just went down to the LFS and got this macro algae. How long should I be soaking the food in the VitaChem.

Any other suggestions for a healthy diet?
Thanks a lot.
 
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