Yellow tang bleeding

[doubletap4311]

I have a yellow tang about three inches long. He was swimming around the live rock and ran into my sea urchin. He has blood spots on both side of his back towards his tail. I guess the only thing to do is wait and see what happens, right???

 

[Sk8r]

Probably will get over it---may fester. Just keep water params good. If you see spreading redness pull him to quarantine and use antibiotic meds there, never medicate main tank---

 

[ahullsb]

yes just keep an eye on it. I lost a velvet wrasse a few months ago. It happened to be within a day or two of adding a long spined urchin. I never new for sure what it was, but suspect it shot through it's usual cave and may have gone straight into the urchin...but who knows.

 

[tmz]

What would be a good antibiotic to have on hand for treatment ,in qt of course?

 

[Sk8r]

I used maracyn.
The spines are composed of calcium carbonate like everything else stony in the ocean and any bits in the wound consequently may be absorbed naturally. This is a news article on the curious property of urchin spines: they evidently are each one single crystal of calcium carbonate.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041119014820.htm

 

[doubletap4311]

Thanks for the help. My tang did not make it through the night. I found him this morning. This is the first fish the long black urchin claimed.

 

[Sk8r]

So sorry to hear that. Must have gotten a deep puncture---their bodies are so thin. Tangs are prone to slap things with their tails: he could have gotten jabbed and reflex compounded the problem.
Suggest a tuxedo urchin: the longspines are dramatic, but a real problem to deal with.