Yellow Tang discoloration

[wellcraft]

Hi Guys and Gals, not sure if I'm in the correct area of the forum, but if I need to move it please let me know.

I have a yellow tang and is about 5 years old, and today we noticed a discoloration, is around the gills, snout and the eyes. Water parameters aren't great because my protein skimmer is gone and FYI we've been using IO salt instead of a reef/coral salt. I haven't run a skimmer for the past 5 to 6 month. This is a reef tank with a bunch of corals. Fish is eating a lot and his behaving as usual, he seems to be doing great.

This is a 120 gal tank with 1 flame Angel, 2 Clowns, 1 Chromis, 2 Cardinals plus the "sick" Tang, I think I'm missing something else. Anyway they get along and there is no aggression among them at all.

We are feeding him with pellets and some flakes and once in a while with green weed.

What could be the problem with him?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Best regards.

JR.

Edit:

Edit:

Edit: Can't delete the previous attachment so here are some pics.

Edit:
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>

>

class="gc-images" title="20130207_191809.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a>

>

class="gc-images" title="20130207_191816.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a>

 

[KrisDeitz]

Looks like the start of HHLE

Are you sure your feeding enough Greens to him?

 

[the-bubonic-one]

looks like HLLE to me. Caused by poor water conditions.

 

[wellcraft]

Not really, just the regular small pellets and dry flakes and maybe once a month with the dark green weed, it's been the same feeding pattern for a long time.
One of my led lights stop working about a week ago, Need to contact the manufacturer for a replacement power supply.

 

[nassar0505]

PFCDeitz;836611 wrote: Looks like the start of HHLE

Are you sure your feeding enough Greens to him?

I hate to agree,but i think your right.

Jenn what do you think. (expert on this stuff) ?

 

[wellcraft]

What's HHLE

Edit:

 

[ff337]

Head lateral line erosion.

Start feeding seaweed sheets very often. And start doing water changes.

 

[wellcraft]

FF337;836618 wrote: Head lateral line erosion.

Start feeding seaweed sheets very often. And start doing water changes.

Will be getting the proper salt (reef/coral) tomorrow and will be ordering a new Reef octopus NWB-200 8", hope they can overnight it for Saturday.
I've been doing water changes every 2 weeks, about 35 gal, 70gals per month to help maintain the levels low.

Thanks a bunch for the help guys.

 

[KrisDeitz]

Salt wont affect it. Its most likely due to the fact its not getting enough Green Veggie food. Feed it a sheet every day or half one. But EVERYDAY!

 

[the-bubonic-one]

Also if doing some ordering add a bottle of selcon and soak greens like nori in it for a bit before feeding.

 

[wellcraft]

will do, will this be until he gets better or all the time from now on?

PFCDeitz;836621 wrote: Salt wont affect it. Its most likely due to the fact its not getting enough Green Veggie food. Feed it a sheet every day or half one. But EVERYDAY!

 

[KrisDeitz]

Some scaring may stay but he should heal up fine

 

[wellcraft]

Cool, thanks guys.

BTW, what salt do you guys recommend for a reef/coral tank?

 

[KrisDeitz]

Ive used IO in my reef for years. Works fine. But IO RC is good too.

I recently swapped to Red sea Coral pro and reallllly like it

 

[wellcraft]

I'm going to check what's available at my LFP.

Thanks a bunch.

 

[ruadh]

You can get RS coral pro at Bobs, it's probably a little more pricey than sponsor stores, but we don't have many options in Augusta. Really good salt though.

 

[kilralpine]

+1, now past year one on RSCP and I love the growth I am seeing. Get what you pay for.

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

Follow the aforementioned advice, and get that protein skimmer up and going soon. They do wonders for the water quality. It's good that you are keeping up with water changes, but, there can ge allot of stuff in the water column within the two weeks between your water changes. Just look at what is in your skimmer bucket after two weeks of skimming. This may be a result of months and months of somewhat faulty water quality. My tank has been without a skimmer for the past two days as I plumb for my sump, and I'm paranoid about two days. LOL...

Also: It is of the utmost importance to ensure it is getting enough seaweed in it's diet. +1 on the Selcon too.

Best of luck!!!

 

[jennm]

Yep I concur - HLLE. Head and Lateral Line Erosion. Looks like it's been happening for a while too - even if you're just noticing it now.

Test your water and post your parameters.

Do you run carbon (some types of carbon are suspects in the cause of this also). If so, what kind?

Diet is lacking too.

It's not your salt mix.

The condition can be halted, and reversed to some extent but it may remain scarred. (See my recent thread - search for my user name and the word Houston)

The suspected/believed causes include fine lignite carbon particles, poor water quality, poor diet and/or stray voltage in the water.

For what it's worth I've seen some tangs develop it even in spite of good diet, water quality etc., they are just really prone to it... but making sure diet and water quality are good helps them recover from it.

The discoloration is from pitting. Its fins are already eroded so that tells me this is not 'new'.

Jenn

 

[bcrueter]

Jenn, is it contagious? I have someone offering me a hippo with hlle.I know my tank would be much better for it and I feed heavy greens and vitamins.but should I worry about it giving it to my other fish?