Advanced HLLE on rescued hippo tang

Beefyreefy · Mar 8, 2022

I just recently “rescued” a hippo tang from a local reefer that’s giving up on the hobby. The fish has advanced HLLE consisting of extensive tissue damage around the head, face, lateral line and dorsal fin. He told me that it’s actually getting better than it was, which is kind of scary. Generally speaking my current resident tang population is very healthy so at minimum I don’t think the hippos condition will worsen in my display tank, but I’m curious if anyone has any tips for reversing HLLE? Currently I rarely run carbon and I have no issues with forgoing it all together while the fish is healing. Food wise, I’m feeding the hippo tang a mixture of selcon soaked pellets, flake, frozen mysis, nori everyday, and live blackworms when I can get them. Despite being a little shy, he’s a great eater and is taking everything I’ve given him. I’ve only had it for a week or so, and I am currently housing it alone in a frag tank (50 gallons ish) but I want to add him to my display as it’s much larger. Do you think I should wait for healing before I put him in the display? I usually feel like a large healthy reef tank with lots of hiding spots is a much better environment for a fish to heal and recover, but in this instance I’m cautious because of the fishes condition. Any thoughts or input? Pics attached but I couldn’t find my orange filter, sorry for the blue. You can still see how apparent the hlle is.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 8, 2022

Very common to overtake hippo tsngs
S high vitamin deficiency is a likely cause
Assure you have good water quality and provide these foods:
Spirulina brine shrimp
LRS herbivore diet
Hikari veggie diet
Hikari marine cuisine
Mysis shrimp
Small plankton
Formula 2 flake and frozen

JumboShrimp · Mar 8, 2022

“IF” that fish makes a full recovery, you will be duty-bound to publish the ‘after’ photos here in this thread— because I personally don’t see it coming. (Very noble of you to have rescued him, though.) Best wishes!

Jay Hemdal · Mar 9, 2022

Beefyreefy said:
I just recently “rescued” a hippo tang from a local reefer that’s giving up on the hobby. The fish has advanced HLLE consisting of extensive tissue damage around the head, face, lateral line and dorsal fin. He told me that it’s actually getting better than it was, which is kind of scary. Generally speaking my current resident tang population is very healthy so at minimum I don’t think the hippos condition will worsen in my display tank, but I’m curious if anyone has any tips for reversing HLLE? Currently I rarely run carbon and I have no issues with forgoing it all together while the fish is healing. Food wise, I’m feeding the hippo tang a mixture of selcon soaked pellets, flake, frozen mysis, nori everyday, and live blackworms when I can get them. Despite being a little shy, he’s a great eater and is taking everything I’ve given him. I’ve only had it for a week or so, and I am currently housing it alone in a frag tank (50 gallons ish) but I want to add him to my display as it’s much larger. Do you think I should wait for healing before I put him in the display? I usually feel like a large healthy reef tank with lots of hiding spots is a much better environment for a fish to heal and recover, but in this instance I’m cautious because of the fishes condition. Any thoughts or input? Pics attached but I couldn’t find my orange filter, sorry for the blue. You can still see how apparent the hlle is.

Nice of you to have rescued this fish, but I've never been able to reverse it once it reaches this level of deterioration. In a survey I had undertaken of public aquarists some years ago, in almost every case of reversal, the fish involved were moved to a new tank. So - the fact that your tank has unaffected tangs in it is good, that means that the environmental cause is not a factor. The dietary link has never been proven, but of course, if a fish is being fed a deficient diet, feeding it a good diet can only help. However, many fish with HLLE are being fed an appropriate diet. In those cases, feeding a better diet isn't like medicine, it won't help. Just like multivitamins in people: they help if yo are vitamin deficient, but if you are not, they don't do anything.....

Jay

Koh23 · Mar 9, 2022

Previously had blue tang, from 3cm size to cca 15cm, constantly run carbon, feed with mostly meat diy food.... Newer had any issue, back then didnt even know about this dissease....

Now i have again small 5 cm hypo, currently not running carbon, tried to feed various food, ill even try nori sheets....

Hope your fish will get better....

Question is, is there any conclusive answer to what causes this condition....

Sean_B · Mar 9, 2022

Red Graciliara and Broccoli?

can't hurt..............., even LRS Herbivore Frenzy has Broccoli and comes highly recommended in a number of "feeding" threads.

1 & a 1/2 cents

Beefyreefy · Mar 9, 2022

JumboShrimp said:
“IF” that fish makes a full recovery, you will be duty-bound to publish the ‘after’ photos here in this thread— because I personally don’t see it coming. (Very noble of you to have rescued him, though.) Best wishes!

I’m confident I can at minimum make the fish healthier, and I will accept “healed” as a win. I realize it may be permanently disfigured but I’m hoping for the best. Will keep this thread updated.

Beefyreefy · Mar 9, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
Nice of you to have rescued this fish, but I've never been able to reverse it once it reaches this level of deterioration. In a survey I had undertaken of public aquarists some years ago, in almost every case of reversal, the fish involved were moved to a new tank. So - the fact that your tank has unaffected tangs in it is good, that means that the environmental cause is not a factor. The dietary link has never been proven, but of course, if a fish is being fed a deficient diet, feeding it a good diet can only help. However, many fish with HLLE are being fed an appropriate diet. In those cases, feeding a better diet isn't like medicine, it won't help. Just like multivitamins in people: they help if yo are vitamin deficient, but if you are not, they don't do anything.....

Jay

Thanks for your insight! I actually just re-read your article on the subject before posting this! My current plan was formulated based off the info in your article. I’m actually ok with just stopping the progression and “healing” so basically at this point I’ll optimize nutrition and water quality, discontinue carbon completely and hope for the best.

miyags · Mar 9, 2022

I feed this, 100 Sheets (6.7 Oz) Dried Kelp Seaweed Nori Raw Unseasoned..Its only $15 shipped

Beefyreefy · Mar 9, 2022

Koh23 said:
Previously had blue tang, from 3cm size to cca 15cm, constantly run carbon, feed with mostly meat diy food.... Newer had any issue, back then didnt even know about this dissease....

Now i have again small 5 cm hypo, currently not running carbon, tried to feed various food, ill even try nori sheets....

Hope your fish will get better....

Question is, is there any conclusive answer to what causes this condition....

I don’t think there is conclusive evidence, but there is a correlation with running carbon, deficiencies in diet as well as simple captivity. I’m almost certain the reason for this particular fish is neglect. The tank I got him from had all the coral and fish die and was wall to wall hair algae, plus he was the only fish to survive. I tested the water salinity and it was 1.031, was afraid to test for anything else. If anything this fish is a trooper.

Koh23 · Mar 9, 2022

This kinda remind me of famous discus fish diseases, caused mainly with poor water quality.....

Back to topic, i used active carbon 24/7, and not even some premium stuff, cheapest "aquaristic" carbon that i could find, and didnt have this problem.

Is there some time frame, if using carbon, after what time this can happen, or is it totaly random?

Beefyreefy · Mar 22, 2022

Update: the hippo tang in question is in my display now and despite the significant erosions on it face, it seems happy as a clam and is a voracious eater and very active. Believe it or not, it looks a little better than when I got him. I’m hopeful for at least some degree of healing. At minimum, the fish has to be 100x happier now… it was previously spending 24hrs a day hiding behind a rock in the worst tank I’ve ever seen. I will continue to update the from time to time to show any healing that occurs.