Please help identify infection on my tang.

Drew D. · Jul 4, 2024

It's been in my tank for about a month. Started showing up after a couple of weeks of being in my tank once I took removed my UV from my setup.

It scratches against the sand ever once in awhile. It appears to be spreading over it's body.

I don't have QT and I'm wondering is there something I can dose that's reef and invert safe? Can it pass on it's own?

I'm going out of town for a week in 3 days. The tank will pretty much be taking care of itself, so I want to fix this problem before I leave so that I don't have any surprises when I get back. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

fishguy242 · Jul 4, 2024

#fishmedic

Sophie"s mom · Jul 4, 2024

Pictures aren’t great but it could be HLLE. You need either @vetteguy53081 or @JayHemdal

Sharkbait19 · Jul 4, 2024

The slow spread does make it sound like hlle. Usually it’s brought on due to some stressor like poor diet or water quality. It also has been linked to carbon filtration.

Drew D. · Jul 4, 2024

After further research, I'm thoroughly convinced it's HLLE considering the symptoms and it looks identical to some of the pics. Water quality is good and no other fish are having symptoms at all.

Any idea on how to reverse HLLE if at all possible?

MnFish1 · Jul 4, 2024

It looks like HLLE - Can you think of anything you did differently lately that may have caused it? I don't think removing the UV should have made a difference. Do any other fish have anything? If it's HLLE (or anything else for that matter - for example sometimes flukes can cause lightening of color, etc - but not this pattern) I do not think you can settle it in 3 days. How are you feeding your fish when you're gone - and what are you feeding them? What are your parameters? Are you using carbon (activated) - if so, which brand? HLLE can probably progress this fast - but I've never seen it go from normal to looking like this in a couple weeks.

Drew D. · Jul 4, 2024

MnFish1 said:
It looks like HLLE - Can you think of anything you did differently lately that may have caused it? I don't think removing the UV should have made a difference. Do any other fish have anything? If it's HLLE (or anything else for that matter - for example sometimes flukes can cause lightening of color, etc - but not this pattern) I do not think you can settle it in 3 days. How are you feeding your fish when you're gone - and what are you feeding them? What are your parameters? Are you using carbon (activated) - if so, which brand? HLLE can probably progress this fast - but I've never seen it go from normal to looking like this in a couple weeks.

Nitrates - 3.1
ALK - 8.2
Cal - 450
Phos - .19
Mag. - 1260-1290

I really haven't done anything differently lately. I will say that I was only feeding it mysis shrimp until last week when I starting adding seaweed extreme to its diet.
All other fish appear to be doing fine. I've normally only fed my fish mysis shrimp and they will continue to be fed mysis while I'm gone on vacation and I plan to add seaweed extreme pellets to my auto feeder as well.
I know I won't be able to correct this in 3 day, but I was just wanting to make sure I know what I was up against and a plan to alleviate the symptoms while I'm gone.

I also starting dosing full triton method but I had already noticed the fish not doing well be then.

vetteguy53081 · Jul 4, 2024

Drew D. said:
It's been in my tank for about a month. Started showing up after a couple of weeks of being in my tank once I took removed my UV from my setup.

It scratches against the sand ever once in awhile. It appears to be spreading over it's body.

I don't have QT and I'm wondering is there something I can dose that's reef and invert safe? Can it pass on it's own?

I'm going out of town for a week in 3 days. The tank will pretty much be taking care of itself, so I want to fix this problem before I leave so that I don't have any surprises when I get back. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!

Not convinced on HLLE but rather bacterial which May have started with injury but as you can guess require immediate treatment using seachem Kanaplex in a separate treatment tank. Add aeration during treatment and provide adequate diet such as KRS fish frenzy, plankton, mysis shrimp and TDO pellets.

nereefpat · Jul 4, 2024

There might be some hlle, but I agree with vette that there is probably some bacterial infection too.

That won't be fixed in 3 days, unfortunately.

MnFish1 · Jul 4, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
Not convinced on HLLE but rather bacterial which May have started with injury but as you can guess require immediate treatment using seachem Kanaplex in a separate treatment tank. Add aeration during treatment and provide adequate diet such as KRS fish frenzy, plankton, mysis shrimp and TDO pellets.

You make a good point, In thinking about it - no matter what it is - it seems too fast to be 'only' HLLE - the antibiotic makes sense since even if it is HLLE - there may very well be 2 things going on. I am curious @Jay Hemdal - can HLLE develop this way - so quickly - and also - can it get secondarily infected?

Jay Hemdal · Jul 4, 2024

HLLE doesn’t really cause any other symptoms. The pictures aren’t super clear, but the area looks pretty large and diffuse to me to be HLLE.

The scratching can be a symptom of flukes. You can treat for those in place with prazipro, dosed twice, 8 days apart with good aeration and remove carbon from your filter and run any skimmer, but don’t collect the skimmate during the treatment. Most people do a 25% water change before the second treatment.