Purple Tang- need help identifying diseases

[RB_PWR]

White spots just showed up. He has been in a 10 gallon quarantine tank for about 3 weeks because the display tank was moved.

 

[smtank]

Looks like the beginning of Lateral Line Disease.

 

[RB_PWR]

Treatable?

 

[Mrscribbled]

This fish looks extremely nutrient deprived. Whats its current diet?

 

[RB_PWR]

This fish looks extremely nutrient deprived. Whats its current diet?

Right now its on flake, Spirulina 20. Tomorrow switching him to brine and starting more frequent water changes. I've offered him green seaweed as well but he was uninterested in it.

 

[Mrscribbled]

A diet of pe mysis, nls pellets and possibly try brown, purple, red seaweed, will be a good route to take. A supplement of vita chem to the food will help also. I've had mixes results using miracle mud.

 

[RB_PWR]

So better diet and water changes if from what I read plus what was suggested here will be the trick. Going out first thing to get above mentioned items. Did the white spots appear to be ich?

 

[roenicknewf]

A diet of pe mysis, nls pellets and possibly try brown, purple, red seaweed, will be a good route to take. A supplement of vita chem to the food will help also. I've had mixes results using miracle mud.

+1,,don't even bother with brine either..also look at the hikari pellets and soak them in vita chem,,they absorb a lot better than NLS ones..No ich seems visible from the pics,but that doesn't mean much

 

[RB_PWR]

I definitely see visible white spots on him now. What is a good ich treatment?

Are these items generally readily available at petsmart/petco or online?

 

[roenicknewf]

Should be able to get all the items at either pet store chain or an LFS ..You'll want the Marine A pellets
I personally treat every single new fish with hypo and prazi ,but many others use copper ...

 

[RB_PWR]

I've never had an issue with a diseased fish. I've had a successful tank running for the last year + without issue. To celebrate my new setup I picked up this bad boy to. Just as my DT is back within parameters and I was almost ready to add the tang, I noticed out of no where (seemingly within a 24hr window) this all popped up.

 

[RB_PWR]

So I just got home from work and came to check on the tang. I noticed around the mouth area there is a bit of white almost velvet like substance you can visibly see hanging onto him mainly around the mouth area and one eye.

 

[rog2961]

Its HLLE, you can see it on the line itself

 

[MrTuskfish]

The fish does appear to have HLLE; but is just the obvious and not the most important thing with this fish. (IMO & IME). You said the tang went from "normal" to looking like this in 24 hrs? I think this has been subject to long time neglect, I don't know where you got him. PTs are very tough fish and most fish would never survive the lack of proper nutrition, and who knows what else, that the fish went through previously. The tang looks like its been deprived of a good environment and proper feeding for a long time. If it has ich, I can't tell from the pic, that needs to be be addressed first. Then, a tank with enough room, proper feeding, and hiding spots may save this fish.

 

[RB_PWR]

I figured putting him in the DT would help alot. I didn't however want to put him in if he was going to contaminate the tank with something else. Is the white fuzzy appearing stuff around his face attributed to the head and lateral line disease?

I know from what I was told that this was the only fish to survive a guy who crashed his reef tank approx. 3 times before he gave up.

 

[Mrscribbled]

I would NOT move this fish to the display. Do daily wayer changes using water from the display. This fish should rest for a bit and put some weight on. It might need some antibiotic treatment soon also, from what you describe about the mouth. I can't make out the fuzzy photos.

 

[RB_PWR]

I'll try to get more photos but he's shy and difficult to photograph. I attempted t feed him a little bit before I left for work and he seemed to want to eat, however it seemed like he was having difficulty from whatever is on his mouth area. I did a 50% water change today and I'll continue with water changes from the display tank. The issue now is ill be leaving for a week-2 week long deployment and my pregnant girlfriend will have to take the responsibility for caring for him while I'm away. Really hope this fish pulls through..i know he's had a rough life and despite his current condition I know if he can pull through he will be a beautiful fish.

 

[Mrscribbled]

The issue with his mouth could very well be nutritional as well. Try finding a nutririous food that's not difficult to eat for him, wouldn't hurt to add a couple drops of vita chem directly to the water every couple days. This fishes rough life really shows... hope he turns around.

Do you have suspition of ich? Specks on fins, eyes and such?

 

[RB_PWR]

Two more pics i was able to get.

He finally ate some Mysis, then he went about just taking it in his mouth...spitting it out and doing that over again repeatedly. At least he ate some.

 

[Charlene]

Selcon vitamins are important in my opinion. I soak my food in it. Good luck. He looks like he might pull through with a bit of TLC. Don't put him in display until he's clean.