HELP WITH SICK TANG

[ECKIM250]

Hello! I received a Dejardini Tang the other day from someone who could no longer take care of it. However when I received it, it was in terrible shape. It looks like it has HLLE and I’m not sure if it has tail rot as it was previously housed with a porcupine puffer. I also can’t tell if there is skin hanging off if it’s gills. I bought a bottle of Melafix and am trying to feed it ogo to get rid of the HLLE. Not sure if that is enough, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know ASAP!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Id like to be optimistic here for you, but you won’t be able to reverse HLLE that severe. That won’t be itself kill the fish though. What you do need to do is determine that there isn’t some other issue underlying with this fish.
Melafix is a tonic so isn’t very helpful in this situation.

Can you post a short video of the fish?
Is the fish still eating well?
Is it breathing fast?

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

39 years and this may be the worse HLLE which head and lateral line disease often due to poor water quality and diet.
Jay is very true in saying you cant heal it but you can help it not deteriorate further but it will never heal back to normal pigments in which desjardini sailfin is ne of the prettiest.
Water quality management will be essential and some foods assuming its' eating to feed but not limited to are :
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

 

[ECKIM250]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Id like to be optimistic here for you, but you won’t be able to reverse HLLE that severe. That won’t be itself kill the fish though. What you do need to do is determine that there isn’t some other issue underlying with this fish.
Melafix is a tonic so isn’t very helpful in this situation.

Can you post a short video of the fish?
Is the fish still eating well?
Is it breathing fast?

Jay

Thanks for your input! I woke up this morning and saw that it developed skin hanging off its tail that wasn’t there the night before. I’m assuming it’s tail rot. Other than that he just kinda if swims in the same place and doesn’t move. Here’s a video for you. Thanks again for your help!

39 years and this may be the worse HLLE which head and lateral line disease often due to poor water quality and diet.
Jay is very true in saying you cant heal it but you can help it not deteriorate further but it will never heal back to normal pigments in which desjardini sailfin is ne of the prettiest.
Water quality management will be essential and some foods assuming its' eating to feed but not limited to are :
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

I just tested the water he came from and the ammonia levels were high. I’ll make sure I get some Nori as well as garlic extract. I’m currently using Melafix for its tail rot. Thank you for your help.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for your input! I woke up this morning and saw that it developed skin hanging off its tail that wasn’t there the night before. I’m assuming it’s tail rot. Other than that he just kinda if swims in the same place and doesn’t move. Here’s a video for you. Thanks again for your help!

I just tested the water he came from and the ammonia levels were high. I’ll make sure I get some Nori as well as garlic extract. I’m currently using Melafix for its tail rot. Thank you for your help.

Hate to sat but Melafix wont do a thing for the tail as it is effective SOMEWHAT in freshwater but is nothing more than a tonic with main ingredient- Teak Tree oil
Best would be Seachem Neoplex or maracyn 2

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks for your input! I woke up this morning and saw that it developed skin hanging off its tail that wasn’t there the night before. I’m assuming it’s tail rot. Other than that he just kinda if swims in the same place and doesn’t move. Here’s a video for you. Thanks again for your help!

I just tested the water he came from and the ammonia levels were high. I’ll make sure I get some Nori as well as garlic extract. I’m currently using Melafix for its tail rot. Thank you for your help.

How high was the ammonia?
The fish is breathing really deep and fast, that is a really bad sign and not related to the HLLE.

Jay

 

[ECKIM250]

Hate to sat but Melafix wont do a thing for the tail as it is effective SOMEWHAT in freshwater but is nothing more than a tonic with main ingredient- Teak Tree oil
Best would be Seachem Neoplex or maracyn 2

I work at a fish store and work tomorrow. I’ll make sure to pick some up as well as Nori. However, I already added the Melafix so would that mean I would have to wait or can I add it with the Melafix?

 

[ECKIM250]

How high was the ammonia?
The fish is breathing really deep and fast, that is a really bad sign and not related to the HLLE.

Jay

I believe it was around 3-4 PPM. The tank he was housed it had a foot long porcupine puffer as well as a 2 foot long Orbic Batfish in a 100 gallon tank. I took him out immediately and placed him in a quarantine tank where he is right now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I work at a fish store and work tomorrow. I’ll make sure to pick some up as well as Nori. However, I already added the Melafix so would that mean I would have to wait or can I add it with the Melafix?

You can add it or do a water change to reduce the amount of melafix present