Does my yellow tang have velvet?

[Kieko250]

My yellow tang fins looks all cut up and getting worse for over a week ago. I found it stuck on a power head last week and kept it isolated for about 4 days now. It seems to be getting worse very lethargic and yesterday it looks like it’s starting to breath heavy. I’ve been doing some research and thinking it’s velvet. But it’s been sick for over 10 days. From reading, velvet seems to be very quick. Yesterday it’s edges started to turn brownish but I’ve havent seen any white ich like dots that people describe. I have 2 clowns cleaner shrimp and a regal tang. Both seem to be doing fine. Not sure what to do.

 

[Beau_B]

It appears to be starving to death. Why is it starving? Is it eating? Nori? My first guess is the Regal tang has been harassing it.

The pictures aren’t clear enough to see any external parasites.

Others will want to know the full parameters of the tank and the history of the fish, age of tank, qt process, how long have you had it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Give us Params, fish history, symptoms.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics very fuzzy and at an angle but almost appears as such
Additionally, fish very thin.
-Is it eating?
-How is the breathing- fast/moderate?
- swimming in front of power heads?

 

[SlugSnorter]

is there any oxygenation? the surface looks completely still

 

[vetteguy53081]

is there any oxygenation? the surface looks completely still

Fish seems to be in an acclimation box. Not a whole lot of current expected

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My yellow tang fins looks all cut up and getting worse for over a week ago. I found it stuck on a power head last week and kept it isolated for about 4 days now. It seems to be getting worse very lethargic and yesterday it looks like it’s starting to breath heavy. I’ve been doing some research and thinking it’s velvet. But it’s been sick for over 10 days. From reading, velvet seems to be very quick. Yesterday it’s edges started to turn brownish but I’ve havent seen any white ich like dots that people describe. I have 2 clowns cleaner shrimp and a regal tang. Both seem to be doing fine. Not sure what to do.

Velvet won’t cause tattered fins like that. As mentioned, it appears this fish is thin/weak and is getting picked on (probably the regal tang). There may now be secondary bacterial infection involved.
If it isn’t breathing fast, you can 100% rule out velvet.
Do you have a treatment tank available?
Jay

 

[Kieko250]

Red Sea reefer 250 for almost 3 years. Yellow tang over Two years and blue tang almost 2. my phosphate was high last week and been trying to lower it. Everything else seems normal
Phos is about .7
Salinity is 126
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium about 320
Alk is 9.1
The past 2 days it’s gotten worse not eating.last week it was eating normal. very lethargic. Breathing is about moderate since yesterday seems to be getting worse.
I found it stuck to my pump last week so I isolated it.
water might look still because of the box. All my pumps have not much since I started.

 

[Kieko250]

Been battling HLLE for a long time. I don’t have a treatment tank.
YT didn’t have any of the physical symptoms of velvet other then the brown fins and moderate breathing. No white ich dots. No scratching or erratic swimming. Just found it one day stuck to the power head.

 

[Kieko250]

And recently had an outbreak of vermetid and I think colonid snails. I’ve been reading online. People say to leave it and it will self regulate.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Red Sea reefer 250 for almost 3 years. Yellow tang over Two years and blue tang almost 2. my phosphate was high last week and been trying to lower it. Everything else seems normal
Phos is about .7
Salinity is 126
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium about 320
Alk is 9.1
The past 2 days it’s gotten worse not eating.last week it was eating normal. very lethargic. Breathing is about moderate since yesterday seems to be getting worse.
I found it stuck to my pump last week so I isolated it.
water might look still because of the box. All my pumps have not much since I started.

flukes maybe, or infection from something. If its just lying there it will not survive. A healthy tang will not get stuck to the powerhead.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Red Sea reefer 250 for almost 3 years. Yellow tang over Two years and blue tang almost 2. my phosphate was high last week and been trying to lower it. Everything else seems normal
Phos is about .7
Salinity is 126
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Calcium about 320
Alk is 9.1
The past 2 days it’s gotten worse not eating.last week it was eating normal. very lethargic. Breathing is about moderate since yesterday seems to be getting worse.
I found it stuck to my pump last week so I isolated it.
water might look still because of the box. All my pumps have not much since I started.

That's weird that a 2 year old yellow tang would be that thin. I wonder if it has some odd food malabsorption problem, and it finally is just getting too thin and weak?

The blue tang is fine (other than the HLLE you mentioned)?

Jay

 

[Kieko250]

flukes maybe, or infection from something. If its just lying there it will not survive. A healthy tang will not get stuck to the powerhead.I agree. It’s looking worse. Since I got back.

flukes maybe, or infection from something. If its just lying there it will not survive. A healthy tang will not get stuck to the powerhead

Very sad. Your right. It’s getting worse since getting home.

 

[Kieko250]

That's weird that a 2 year old yellow tang would be that thin. I wonder if it has some odd food malabsorption problem, and it finally is just getting too thin and weak?

The blue tang is fine (other than the HLLE you mentioned)?

Jay

Blue tang and other 2 clowns seem to be doing fine. Yellow was eating normal until about 3 days ago. It’s away looked kinda thin in a way. It was one of those biota tangs that was aqua cultured.

 

[Kieko250]

Should I be concerned about the other fish?

 

[SlugSnorter]

Should I be concerned about the other fish?

keep a close eye. Get a 10 gallon box and an air powered sponge filter along with basic meds like copper, prazi and an antibacterial as well as prime to clean ammonia if it builds during an emergency in the QT. you may have to treat other fish in QT if they start to show similar symptoms.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Should I be concerned about the other fish?

I can't be 100% certain, but in this case, I think there is a specific issue with the YT, and it isn't likely to be infectious.

Jay