Yellow Tang with eye problems

[izib]

I got a yellow tang a week ago (hes the only fish in the tank). He really likes to hide and will not eat anything I try feeding him. However I can see him grazing on hair algea all the time. I left for the holiday weekend and when I returned one of his eyes is swollen and has a little bubble on it. We are still trying to figure out if his eye is cloudy, I say no, the other half says yes. He still appears fine and is still grazing on algea.

What should I do? Should I let him be or should I treat him? Ive got other corals and inverts in the tank as well.

If I should treat, I have melafix, is that something good to use?

 

[judochop]

How's your water parameters? Maybe try garlic extract in the food. Sometimes they will eat if thats present. It helps their immune system to, so I have heard.

 

[izib]

As far as I know everything is good. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, less than 20 nitrates (I think its closer to 0 but the test kit is hard to read), temp is 78.6, salt 1.0124-5, alk is 4.57, calcium is 330 (alk and calcium are being raised, that reading was a week ago), ph 8.4.

Ive tried soaking the food is Garlic Extreme, I think the issue is that he is so scared when Im around when I put the food in he runs.

 

[maveri9720]

Sounds like Popeye to me. Here's a link with some good info on it:

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/compldiagnodisease/a/aa053001.htm">http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/compldiagnodisease/a/aa053001.htm</a>

Good Luck.

 

[izib]

Thanks for the link Maver, it really sounds like trama to the eye. Ill just leave him be and hope he improves, if his other eye becomes infected Ill reevaluate the situation.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get him to eat? Its been a week and hes yet to touch anything I put in the tank, even when I put a seaweed clip in the tank. I ocassionally see him eating on the live rock but thats all I ever see.

 

[gwen_o_lyn]

Did it eat at the fish store???

 

[judochop]

Any algea in the tank? He may be grazing when you aren't watching.

 

[izib]

I didnt ask the fish store to try feeding him since they had probably 20 tangs in one tank.

As for the algea, yes he is grazing on that, I wish he would eat my food though, so that I can medicate it.

 

[showtime305]

Can you get it out and into a QT? That may be the best way to induce feeding.

 

[izib]

I honestly dont think I can get him out alive, Ive got a lot of live rock in the tank and he is extremely skidish. Even when he does come out he never ventures far from his hidout.

As of last night his eye is still looking about the same (on a close inspection its swollen with a small bubble on the top corner, around the edges its discolored but the puple still looks normal), his other eye still looks normal and he still looks healthy. I still see him picking at algea on the LR. He is also starting to come out more so hopefully hes coming around.