Very deformed yellow tang

[e048]

Hey yall if you have seen my other thread about me getting a 120g reef tank for free on the condition that I haul it myself I had a quick question.

The tank came with a yellow tang that is very deformed is there any hope of restoring it back to the way it's supposed to look like? It looks like someone has taken scissors to it. And it has some lateral line showing. It's really active aside from looking deformed.

It looks nothing like the yellow tang I've had in my other reef tank (I had that guy from when he was no bigger than ping pong ball)

Any advise would help

 

[karimwassef]

a picture would help to satisfy curiosity? But I don't think anyone is able to perform tang plastic surgery just yet?

 

[theMatrix]

If the damage went to the meat then no...if it's just fins and recent with no stress and kept safe from if another tank mate caused the damage.

Can be fixed. But if it was awhile back. ..no. reading back
That's too much damage. Id keep it and give it a better life than its had. Gives it character as a survivor.

 

[e048]

Here some pics

 

[e048]

Picture two

It was one of the residents to the free tank I got

 

[theMatrix]

Picture two

It was one of the residents to the free tank I got

His fins were torn...hes a survivor.
Keep him as is.

 

[Grandlotus]

Do the fins ever grow back?

 

[Sk8r]

They may. I had a freshwater fish live after losing absolutely all his fins except one side fin...they all regrew. And a gramma that lost his entire tail down to the peduncle. Healed fine.

 

[e048]

Same question... He is a survivor He ate a small nori sheet in less than 5mins ripped the clip off the glass

I give my other tank the same size piece and often it'll sit there until the lights dim then it's snail chow

 

[e048]

It's hard to see in the pic but I can see all the little holes on his face and his "beak" looks worm and discolored on one side I've been feeding reef plankton and algae pellets along with nori

 

[karimwassef]

Supplement with vitamins lipids and amino acids. It'll make him healthier and happier regardless of outward appearance. I soak my nori in diluted selcon

 

[e048]

I have vita chem marine is that good?

 

[PfenWendt]

Looks very similar to a rescue yellow tang i got aswell, Fins nipped a tonnnnn, the only way you could tell it was a yellow tang was from the shape, hardly a spot of yellow on him. He is now getting his color back and fins are slowly growing, by far one of the most satisfying feelings seeing a fish that bad bounce back like that.

 

[CStrickland]

It sounds like possible hlle. This article might be helpful http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/sp/

 

[karimwassef]

Great article. I always feed with selcon and garlic.

 

[CStrickland]

Hmm, I thought I heard garlic was just to stimulate the appetite if they were fussy, cause they will go for the smell, but that it can cause liver damage so not to feed all the time?
I'm really just learning about diseases, there's so much to know!

 

[e048]

I don't think its a disease because he's acting fine he's just really ugly at the moment doesn't mean I love him any less

 

[karimwassef]

You're seeing the scars of old diseases.

 

[e048]

He did have a neon dotty back tank mate do yall think it was to blame?

 

[ca1ore]

I would think it has suffered in the past from fin rot and HLLE. I have rescued more than a few YT like this and most recovered from the HLLE but did not grow the fins back.



This is one I rescued and then kept for almost a decade. No fin growth in all that time, though he/she seemed to have no trouble swimming (and beating on my Kole) and always stayed bit thin. I was told once that if the rays are damaged the fins will not grow back.