Please help id this skin problem

[mmeiring]

I just noticed this today. I have not seen anything like this before. I have had this tang for about 3 years and it has been very healthy. Other than the ick problem I had to fight when I first brought her home.

90 gal + 30gal sump

water conditions

ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - 0
ph - 8.1

just tested today.

I feed them ( 1 - Sailfin Tang, 1 green chromis) flakes soaked in tank water with 3 drops of garlic, and a frozen marine variety pack soaked in Zoe.

I used to run a uv sterilizer but I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t any longer, and haven't for the last year or so. I have had a hair algae problem that I've been dealing with. I just recently have been doing 30 gal water changes weekly and scrubbing the rocks with a toothbrush to remove the hair algae right before the water change.

I'm worried about this little gal. I hope someone can help id the problem so I can find out how to get it resolved.

Thanks....

Mark

 

[Rondelet]

Looks like a skin lesion/damage that has become infected - basically a bacterial infection. Does the Regal Tang ever get into fights with the sailfin? This may have caused the initial lesion. Best treatment option would be a course of antibiotics. Move the fish into a treatment tank and treat it there. Or, see if you can pick up a medicated feed preparation. Any of the Seachem (Focus + any of Sulfathiazole/Kanaplex/Neoplex) or Aquarium Products (Gel-Tek Ulta Cure BX) would be a good place to start.

Hope this helps.

 

[leebca]

The foods you are feeding are not good enough for a tang in the long run. They will live on it until their immune system is failing.

As Rondelet suggests, treat with an antibiotic in a quarantine tank. This condition looks bad and the antibiotic will prevent a secondary infection from getting worse, but you MUST improve the fish's diet. With the proper water quality and nutrition, your fish can heal on its own, but improving these things is not to be put off. All diet details can be found in this post:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=785228

 

[TerryB]

I agree with the others.

Terry B

 

[mmeiring]

Thank you all for the help.

I will get her on antibiotics right away.

I have tried broccoli before and they don't touch it. The link that was posted said to buy and prepair broccoli. Is there some additive that will make it more appealing. I remember, when I tried it before, several people said that it should be frozen to help break it down as apposed to cooking it.

Could someone recommend what vegi their tags like and what macro algae they feeding.

I have a large sump that I could grow some macro in.

 

[leebca]

My preps of broccoli (after thorough cleaning):
1) Blanch just the tops, put 'tree' on algae clip or sink w/rock.
2) Blender - liquify & create a paste with gelatin.

It takes time for fish to get used to new foods. Don't give up. Keep presenting it and you might be surprised when they 'come around.'

Tang algae:
Varieties of Caulerpa sp. Not all tangs like all species AND not all tangs within the tang species will like the same. They will eat prolifera once they get used to it. Fish wholesalers grow large quantities of the red Gracilaria sp. to tempt newly acquired tangs to eat.

Halimedia opuntia is often nice to have around. It is a calcareous algae, but some tangs nibble on it. It helps keep tangs 'regular' and digesting properly.

Then, there's the sea lettuce! Ulva sp. Many fish like that. It grows slowly (compared to most the Caulerpa sp.) and takes weeks (at least for me!) to settle in and 'get a grip' on rocks/substrate.

I advocate the use of these in your refugium for occasional feedings, but not routine feedings. Ultimately the purpose of putting macro algae in your refugium is for nutrient export and creating oxygen. Putting the macro algae into the display to feed tangs returns those removed nutrients to the tank. Not bad, necessarily, but something of which you should be aware.

Hope this helps.

:rollface:

 

[plaz]

As a cheaper alternative to the cubes, you can get a few raw seafoods like octopus at the local Walmart cheap (just make sure not to get the mixes with additives/preservatives... and if in doubt soak them and rinse well). Add some sea veggies and alot of vitamins (Vita-chem and Secon are both good) and mix it up in the blender. You can spread it out in between plastic wrap or put it in little ice cube trays to freeze for later (I do the first and break off a piece each day to feed). There are recipes on-line if you'd rather follow one.

You should also give him all the sea veggies he wants (Petsmart sells the dried green that mine loves). You can soak it in vitamins too. Gracilaria is also great and can be kept in the sump - but you usually have to order it.

Hippos need both meat and veggies - and this one could definately use some vitamins!

Good luck!