What's Happening to my Yellow Tang

[Shazreef]

Hey Guys,

I've noticed that something is wrong with my yellow tang's Dorsal fin. I've used Kanamycin for 1 week but no improvement. What is it and what can I do to help it?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#fishmedic

 

[AlyciaMarie]

Looks like you may have a bully in the tank...

 

[Tamberav]

How long have you had this fish? What is it eating?

It looks like head and lateral line erosion

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Looks like a couple issues to me. Looks like HLLE for one, and someone bullying him chewing at his fins. Maybe either @vetteguy53081 or @Jay Hemdal will come in on this.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey Guys,

I've noticed that something is wrong with my yellow tang's Dorsal fin. I've used Kanamycin for 1 week but no improvement. What is it and what can I do to help it?

There are many of these tangs out there and often are either a victim of aggression or genetics. While they can live a normal life, this gross deformity rarely if ever restores to original shape. HLLE seems to be in place and often caused by poor water quality (often elevated ammonia or nitrate) and for diet, assure its getting foods with fats and aminos such as LRS herbivore diet, plankton, chopped krill, Formula 2 flake and frozen, mysis shrimp , spirulina brine shrimp and hikari algae cubes

 

[Shazreef]

How long have you had this fish? What is it eating?

It looks like head and lateral line erosion

I've owned it for about a month now but I bought it looking just like this hoping to fix the problem. It's eating New Life Spectrum as well as Hikari Frozen Mysis shrimp.

 

[Shazreef]

There are many of these tangs out there and often are either a victim of aggression or genetics. While they can live a normal life, this gross deformity rarely if ever restores to original shape. HLLE seems to be in place and often caused by poor water quality (often elevated ammonia or nitrate) and for diet, assure its getting foods with fats and aminos such as LRS herbivore diet, plankton, chopped krill, Formula 2 flake and frozen, mysis shrimp , spirulina brine shrimp and hikari algae cubes

It's been in my tank for about 2 months now and I've been keeping up with my water changes while feed it New Life Spectrum and Hikari frozen mysis shrimp but i haven't seen any improvement even after treating with Seachem Kanaplex. Is there anything else I can do to help him?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's been in my tank for about 2 months now and I've been keeping up with my water changes while feed it New Life Spectrum and Hikari frozen mysis shrimp but i haven't seen any improvement even after treating with Seachem Kanaplex. Is there anything else I can do to help him?

Kanaplex will do nothing for this as I dont see a bacterial issue. You can try Neoplex which bacterial/fungal but with skin, kanaplex beig easily absorbed is the better med

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hey Guys,

I've noticed that something is wrong with my yellow tang's Dorsal fin. I've used Kanamycin for 1 week but no improvement. What is it and what can I do to help it?

That’s how yellow tangs show head and lateral line erosion (HLLE). This fish has it pretty severely. Although they can live for years like this, I’ve never had one this bad heal up. Here is an article I wrote about HLLE:

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)

This article discusses studies performed regarding head and lateral line erosion in captive fishes. Specifically, carbon use and nutrition as they relate to this syndrome.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Tamberav]

I've owned it for about a month now but I bought it looking just like this hoping to fix the problem. It's eating New Life Spectrum as well as Hikari Frozen Mysis shrimp.

It may not improve much since you bought it like this, no way of telling how long it has been there and it may be permanent scaring. Please add veggies to its diet, spiralina mysis, nori, lrs herbavior, etc.

Could have been water quality, diet, aggressive carbon use, etc in previous tank or a mix of the above.

 

[Debramb]

I’m sorry for your fish! Just a heads up, as stated, LRF frozen is what Hawaiian breeders feed to finally get them to start breeding. It’s the mix of veggies and protein maybe(?) that could help him.
Best of Luck, please give updates to us YT lovers
Debra

 

[Reefering1]

That fin is one of the defects people reference that is not uncommon in the captive bred yellows. Mis-using activated carbon is a known to cause the hlle.