Scarring or ick??

[w_hartyjr]

What does scarring look like?
I recently purchased a complete system with fish.the tank was packed full of rock(this is why I purchased).well the 2tangs that were there,have what appears to be,small indentions or scars on there sides. Is this ick or could it be scarring from the rock work being so heavily stacked. The pics I've seen online of ick don't look like this does. Should I take any extra precautions?there already in my qt since I've had them. There was also a cardinal that the fins and tail look horrible as well. I wish I had a good camera,then I would post pictures(if I could out how).i could text them to somebody if you would pm your number. Thanks for the help!!!

 

[stacy22]

Google some pictures of HLLE (Head and Lateral Line Erosion) and see if that looks like what your tangs look like.

 

[w_hartyjr]

Hlle doesn't look like it

 

[jennm]

HLLE was the first thing that came to mind for me too. It can have several different presentations starting with pale colouring and head pitting to full-blown fin erosion, fully eroded Lateral Line Organ, and everything in between.

Post a picture if you can, that will tell for sure. HLLE does cause scarring.

Then again so do tangs impaling one another with their scalpels so that's a possibility too...

Jenn

 

[w_hartyjr]

Pics
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[jennm]

Too much blue in the pics.

Lemme guess - LEDs?

Getting harder to identify crud with all these blue LEDs

 

[w_hartyjr]

Try again
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[jennm]

Lighting is better, but picture is blurry - other than the hind ends of a Sailfin and a Regal I don't see much of anything.

Do they have spots on the skin like salt grains? Or pits/holes? The former could be ich, the latter could be HLLE or battle scars.

 

[w_hartyjr]

JennM;1001005 wrote: Lighting is better, but picture is blurry - other than the hind ends of a Sailfin and a Regal I don't see much of anything.

Do they have spots on the skin like salt grains? Or pits/holes? The former could be ich, the latter could be HLLE or battle scars.

more like pitts or holes.they look like scars to me,but i'm no expert.they like almost like they healed over but left the holes behind.ther are no open wounds on any of the fish.

 

[jennm]

If it's not like salt grains then it's not likely ich.

You could be right about scars - question being, is it from something like HLLE, or have they been stabbing each other?

 

[w_hartyjr]

jennm;1001019 wrote: if it's not like salt grains then it's not likely ich.

You could be right about scars - question being, is it from something like hlle, or have they been stabbing each other?

if it is from hlle,is there any danger to others.or it have been lack of care in previous tanks

 

[jennm]

HLLE isn't contageous. Its causes are somewhat argued, but the latest research indicates that fine particles of carbon in the water (ie cheap, poorly rinsed carbon) can be a cause. Most of the cases I've encountered came from seriously bad water too - high nitrate, and the fish were usually fed poor quality foods as well. There's no evidence that I know of that supports the theory about stray voltage being a cause, but I can say that I've seen that firsthand, albeit anecdotally - when the voltage was the only variable that changed, the symptoms went away. Not scientific proof but I can't dismiss that either.

Here's one I rehabbed: http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=78070&highlight=houston%2C+hlle">Houston.</a> When I closed up shop a little over a year ago, he was fat and sassy and went home with one of my clients, and last I heard he was still fat and sassy.

He had a few scars that just did not want to go away but given his appearance when he came to me, I'd say he made a pretty decent comeback.

Jenn

 

[w_hartyjr]

Thank you very much for your time and all of the advice. I really do appreciate it and all of your concerns.

 

[jennm]

My pleasure! Hope they get better. Do keep us posted.