Blue hippo tang - blotches on side

[chewy1605]

Hello! My hippo tang has blotches on its side. Healthy behavior and other fish in tank are fine. Some scratching, but not much. The blotches start raised, but now are more like lesions. Has been 2 days since they appeared. Any ideas what it could be?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hello! My hippo tang has blotches on its side. Healthy behavior and other fish in tank are fine. Some scratching, but not much. The blotches start raised, but now are more like lesions. Has been 2 days since they appeared. Any ideas what it could be?

Bump.

@Big G @HotRocks

 

[Big G]

Have you noticed if it wedges itself into rocks at night to sleep. Marks like those are pretty common from that practice. If the fish is healthy and the water conditions are good, they usually heal by themselves. Nonetheless, white-ish areas should be watched as it could be developing into a bacterial infection. Do you have a QT and any antibiotics like Kanaplex, Furan2, Sulfaplex, NFG on hand if needed?

 

[4FordFamily]

Have you noticed if it wedges itself into rocks at night to sleep. Marks like those are pretty common from that practice. If the fish is healthy and the water conditions are good, they usually heal by themselves. Nonetheless, white-ish areas should be watched as it could be developing into a bacterial infection. Do you have a QT and any antibiotics like Kanaplex, Furan2, Sulfaplex, NFG on hand if needed?

This exactly.

 

[chewy1605]

Thank you. I've read about the abrasions from rocks due to wedging, which it does from time to time. A 4th one appeared tonight which is concerning, much smaller though. I also considered the possibility of anemone stings as I have a large bubble tip with a hosting clown, to which the hippo sticks close to the clown at times. Also a significant aiptasia issue, so plenty of stinging opportunities. Berghia Nudibranchs on the case of yesterday.

I don't have anti-biotics. I do have cupramine and prazipro if its parasitic and a QT at the ready. I will keep an eye on it like you said, tank is stable and has good parameters. I appreciate the help!

 

[Maritimer]

Additionally, the tang is pretty thin ... a good variety of meaty and vegetarian foods might just do her a world of good.

~Bruce

 

[chewy1605]

The heavily debated question then, how often should the fish be fed? I'm at a full cube of brine shrimp every other day and nori a couple times per week. There is plenty of algae to munch in the tank(unfortunately), and it has been grazing.

 

[Maritimer]

I sit on the other side of that fence, as I feed several times daily - but then, I have anthias. Chubby ones.

I would consider switching from brine (roughly the equivalent of a steady diet of popcorn, cotton candy and potato chips) to mysis, or probably even better, a blended food such as LRS or Rod's Food, and offering it on a daily basis.

Regal blue / hippo tangs are primarily plankton feeders by nature, rather than substrate grazers - you can kind of see that by the placement of their mouth which, unlike other tangs, isn't set on the end of a short tube, pointed at the algae-covered rocks below, but is rather straight ahead.

~Bruce

 

[4FordFamily]

As far as antibiotics no Prazi is not an antibiotic I’d source kanaplex, metroplex, and furan 2 and have enough on hand at all times for a 14 day treatment (based on your QT tank volume).