Blue Tang issues with skin

[DustinDec]

I’m in the process of moving everything over to a much larger Red Sea s 500 tank. I left the old sand, handful of rocks, heater, one Nero 3, return pump, and light. But I just checked up, and my Blue Tang has white marks all over her head. I’m thinking she scratched herself while trying to hide out of stress. I did a quick handful of tests, any ideas?

Ph: 8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Solidity: 35

I did a larger water change yesterday, about 30% so I could pull that water into the new tank.

The new tank is still heating and I bought another heater, but I’m uncertain when it’ll be here, maybe a few days. I could put her in a fresh mix of saltwater within a 5g bucket, but I think that won’t accomplish much. She has been in this tank for 2 - 3 months. If I stay away from the tank, she seems to be okay and stress free. Thoughts on what I should do here?

 

[DustinDec]

I posted this in another thread before realizing there was a formal forum. I apologize for the duplicate.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I posted this in another thread before realizing there was a formal forum. I apologize for the duplicate.

Again, it looks like HLLE. You need either vetteguy or Jay Hemdal.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I posted this in another thread before realizing there was a formal forum. I apologize for the duplicate.

This is indeed HLLE AND often caused by poor water quality and/or diet
What foods are you feeding?
What filters are you using?

 

[DustinDec]

This is indeed HLLE AND often caused by poor water quality and/or diet
What foods are you feeding?
What filters are you using?

I've been feeding a mix of Ocean Nutrition Formula One flakes, and Saltwater Multi-pack four varieties of food. Although I've not given them any frozen food in the past few days (I'm out of my routine) wondering if that would be enough to cause this.

In the other thread, someone recommend formula two, so I ordered some of that along with veg-green seaweed with a clip to hang within the tank.

The existing tank is a fluval flex 32.5, it has two InTank media holders that at the top have spots for floss to filter. Those were replace late last week, and typically I change them once a week. They are small though and usually brown when I change them. Could I not be changing them enough (note I'm moving to a reef mat, but I will use this for a QT, so it's good to know if this could be a serious concern).

Yesterday, I took out around 30%, 10G worth of water to put into the new tank and replaced with freshly mixed saltwater that had been mixed same day for 3 - 4 hours with two pumps and I tested the salinity twice to ensure it was 35ppm.

I just checked for voltage, wasn't getting anything.

 

[DustinDec]

This is indeed HLLE AND often caused by poor water quality and/or diet
What foods are you feeding?
What filters are you using?

Actually I just realized, an older post from you is why I ordered the formula 2 in fact. If you have anything else I should immediately change, I'm absolutely open to feedback/criticism!

 

[DustinDec]

Should I also pick up https://a.co/d/9G8HZPZ Selcon 60 mL to soak their food in?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Should I also pick up https://a.co/d/9G8HZPZ Selcon 60 mL to soak their food in?

Yes- good additive.
For food, good ones are:
LRS herbivore diet
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been feeding a mix of Ocean Nutrition Formula One flakes, and Saltwater Multi-pack four varieties of food. Although I've not given them any frozen food in the past few days (I'm out of my routine) wondering if that would be enough to cause this.

In the other thread, someone recommend formula two, so I ordered some of that along with veg-green seaweed with a clip to hang within the tank.

The existing tank is a fluval flex 32.5, it has two InTank media holders that at the top have spots for floss to filter. Those were replace late last week, and typically I change them once a week. They are small though and usually brown when I change them. Could I not be changing them enough (note I'm moving to a reef mat, but I will use this for a QT, so it's good to know if this could be a serious concern).

Yesterday, I took out around 30%, 10G worth of water to put into the new tank and replaced with freshly mixed saltwater that had been mixed same day for 3 - 4 hours with two pumps and I tested the salinity twice to ensure it was 35ppm.

I just checked for voltage, wasn't getting anything.

With flex tank, assure filters stay clean, if not yet added , a protein skimmer such as IceCap K1-50 will help a lot. (coralvue.com)

 

[DustinDec]

Yes- good additive.
For food, good ones are:
LRS herbivore diet
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

With flex tank, assure filters stay clean, if not yet added , a protein skimmer such as IceCap K1-50 will help a lot. (coralvue.com)

Thanks for the advice, I've ordered formula two, the Marine selcon, and two little fishies seaweed. I'll see about grabbing a couple of the frozen food you've suggested from a LFS and hopefully I'm able to turn things around.

I actually have a skimmer, but it's not installed on the fluval. I've had mixed feedback on it, and went back/forth.

I'm still planning to move the fish to the new tank once the parameters are all set, so likely this weekend. Should I hold off on moving the Blue Tang?

Again, thank you for your advice and time!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Should I also pick up https://a.co/d/9G8HZPZ Selcon 60 mL to soak their food in?

I put a few drops of that Selcon in with all food, also like Vetteguy said garlic extract on the seaweed. A good one to use is Brightwell Aquatics garlic power

 

[DustinDec]

I put a few drops of that Selcon in with all food, also like Vetteguy said garlic extract on the seaweed. A good one to use is Brightwell Aquatics garlic power

Just ordered! Thank you!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Just ordered! Thank you!

You are certainly welcome! Anytime, once you have things squared away the HLLE will go away . How often and how much water change do you do?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Just ordered! Thank you!

Also, I don’t know how often you feed your fish, but variaty is important as well. I feed mine the ocean nutrition formula 2 in the morning along with some seaweed, and a little frozen in the evening.

 

[DustinDec]

Also, I don’t know how often you feed your fish, but variaty is important as well. I feed mine the ocean nutrition formula 2 in the morning along with some seaweed, and a little frozen in the evening.

I'm moving to a much larger tank, 147g total volume sump/tank, this weekend if all goes well. That said, I was doing weekly 5-6g water changes for my 32.5g fluval flex.

As for nutrition, I typically feed Formula 1 in the morning, and the mixed saltwater frozen food 1/4 of a cube, in the evening. But as I mentioned, I got out of my routine this week and had primarily done the formula 1. I've fed extra food today, and will be doing frozen food tonight. Once I get all the new food I've ordered, I'll be adding those to the rotation. I may just go to the LFS and pick up some additional frozen food as well, like the prime reef.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Just seeing this now. While it does look like HLLE, the rapid onset doesn’t match up. HLLE develops slowly, over weeks to months. Could you just have missed the more subtle early signs?

I’ve researched HLLE quite a bit. Some things are NOT causes: stray voltage, lack of vitamin C, and lack of HUFAs (selcon). General poor environment may play a role, but the only peer reviewed studies show that dusty carbon as the cause.

Could your tank have had carbon fines under the rocks and those got lifted up into the water column when you worked on the tank? The only case of acute onset HLLE I have on record was a public aquarium that put carbon into their sand filters. That ground up the carbon and the fish got HLLE in days.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I'm moving to a much larger tank, 147g total volume sump/tank, this weekend if all goes well. That said, I was doing weekly 5-6g water changes for my 32.5g fluval flex.

As for nutrition, I typically feed Formula 1 in the morning, and the mixed saltwater frozen food 1/4 of a cube, in the evening. But as I mentioned, I got out of my routine this week and had primarily done the formula 1. I've fed extra food today, and will be doing frozen food tonight. Once I get all the new food I've ordered, I'll be adding those to the rotation. I may just go to the LFS and pick up some additional frozen food as well, like the prime reef.

Ahh, well cool on the bigger tank, can’t wait to see pics

 

[DustinDec]

Just seeing this now. While it does look like HLLE, the rapid onset doesn’t match up. HLLE develops slowly, over weeks to months. Could you just have missed the more subtle early signs?

I’ve researched HLLE quite a bit. Some things are NOT causes: stray voltage, lack of vitamin C, and lack of HUFAs (selcon). General poor environment may play a role, but the only peer reviewed studies show that dusty carbon as the cause.

Could your tank have had carbon fines under the rocks and those got lifted up into the water column when you worked on the tank? The only case of acute onset HLLE I have on record was a public aquarium that put carbon into their sand filters. That ground up the carbon and the fish got HLLE in days.

I have chemo blue carbon that is due to be rotated. But it’s in bags. The rocks definitely threw up a lot of sand and debris when I took them out.

I just spoke with my wife, and she says she too had noticed anything on the Blue Tang before today. I admit, this week I’ve not paid as much attention to them, but I did spend time looking at them yesterday before removing the rocks. It’s possible it was occurring subtly, can’t say for certain.

I’m still planning on moving the fish as soon as the new tank hits 78f, currently 76. Should I hold off?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have chemo blue carbon that is due to be rotated. But it’s in bags. The rocks definitely threw up a lot of sand and debris when I took them out.

I just spoke with my wife, and she says she too had noticed anything on the Blue Tang before today. I admit, this week I’ve not paid as much attention to them, but I did spend time looking at them yesterday before removing the rocks. It’s possible it was occurring subtly, can’t say for certain.

I’m still planning on moving the fish as soon as the new tank hits 78f, currently 76. Should I hold off?

I think you meant ChemiPure blue? If so, likely not as I have used it well over 3 decades without issues

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have chemo blue carbon that is due to be rotated. But it’s in bags. The rocks definitely threw up a lot of sand and debris when I took them out.

I just spoke with my wife, and she says she too had noticed anything on the Blue Tang before today. I admit, this week I’ve not paid as much attention to them, but I did spend time looking at them yesterday before removing the rocks. It’s possible it was occurring subtly, can’t say for certain.

I’m still planning on moving the fish as soon as the new tank hits 78f, currently 76. Should I hold off?

I don’t think this fish has a contagious condition so it would be safe to move.

While carbon dust has been shown to cause HLLE, Chemipure is rinsed pretty well and doesn’t seem to be an issue.