Help! Scopas tang fins eroding and scales falling off

[insanelogic]

Adding vitamins ?
With good water quality and diet, fish should not be looking like this?.
What test kits are you using ?
Are you using Rodi water or Tap water from the faucet ?

Yup I add selcon to most of it, that’s the part that I don’t understand is he should be alright, I use api, I know it’s not the best but I’m hopefully getting a hanna test kit soon. I use tap water but it’s well water run through a softening system and I put prime in it to make sure there’s nothing bad in it. There’s also other fish in the tank so if it were something in the water I’d expect to see it in them too

 

[insanelogic]

This was my old tank than ran a carbon reactor, and my Yellow Eyed Kole Tang. Currently I have had a similar sized Blue Eyed Kole Tang in another tank that has never run carbon. I have had him a year— he’s in perfect condition (no HLLE). My tank husbandry has not changed, other than avoiding carbon like the plague. The tank also has a Purple Tang that I raised from the size of a half-dollar... no carbon, no HLLE. Take my experience for what they are worth.

Alright thanks, definitely noted also I loveee purple tangs, I think they’re the coolest but I have no carbon in there, I’ll have to remember to always stay far far away from it lol

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yup I add selcon to most of it, that’s the part that I don’t understand is he should be alright, I use api, I know it’s not the best but I’m hopefully getting a hanna test kit soon. I use tap water but it’s well water run through a softening system and I put prime in it to make sure there’s nothing bad in it. There’s also other fish in the tank so if it were something in the water I’d expect to see it in them too

Softener and prime will not be enough to make water pure and safe for marine life as prime is merely a liquid to detoxify chlorine which is not present in well system and it binds ammonia and nitrate but temporarily and is an alternative and not a solution. I asked about test kits as I suspect issue with both water and type of water. API as you may know is notorious for false readings and has disappointed many reefers, hence the low price for a master test kit.
I would suggest until you can acquire more reliable kits to take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does Not use API kits and have them test ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity and see what numbers they come up with.

 

[insanelogic]

Softener and prime will not be enough to make water pure and safe for marine life as prime is merely a liquid to detoxify chlorine which is not present in well system and it binds ammonia and nitrate but temporarily and is an alternative and not a solution. I asked about test kits as I suspect issue with both water and type of water. API as you may know is notorious for false readings and has disappointed many reefers, hence the low price for a master test kit.
I would suggest until you can acquire more reliable kits to take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does Not use API kits and have them test ammonia-ph-nitrate-salinity and see what numbers they come up with.

Alright good to know, I’m getting a hanna kit soon. I don’t use api for the salinity so that’s good but I’ve brought the water to a fish place and they said it’s all good, I don’t remember exactly what they used but it wasn’t api, also if there were something in the water what would make it effect the tang and not the others? I’m just curious. I have more sensitive fish than the tang and they’re all fine

 

[vetteguy53081]

Alright good to know, I’m getting a hanna kit soon. I don’t use api for the salinity so that’s good but I’ve brought the water to a fish place and they said it’s all good, I don’t remember exactly what they used but it wasn’t api, also if there were something in the water what would make it effect the tang and not the others? I’m just curious. I have more sensitive fish than the tang and they’re all fine

Each fish reacts differently.
What are measuring salinity with and what is your salinity?

 

[Sean Clark]

Possibly long term copper exposure? From the treated tap water?

 

[insanelogic]

Each fish reacts differently.
What are measuring salinity with and what is your salinity?

Just a regular hydrometer float and it’s 1.024, I also know it’s not the most accurate and I’m going to get a hanna one but the place also said that was good too

 

[insanelogic]

Possibly long term copper exposure? From the treated tap water?

I thought it could be that but they tested for copper and there’s nothing there, the softened water was also tested, not for fish just tested normally and there was no copper in it

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just a regular hydrometer float and it’s 1.024, I also know it’s not the most accurate and I’m going to get a hanna one but the place also said that was good too

The glass float can be accurate but has also failed many comparison tests against refractometers
Water sagas to be still and non tap in which yours is well water.
Have that checked too
This is likely a total water quality problem and explains what may be going on .

 

[insanelogic]

The glass float can be accurate but has also failed many comparison tests against refractometers
Water sagas to be still and non tap in which yours is well water.
Have that checked too
This is likely a total water quality problem and explains what may be going on .

Alright good to know. Thanks. I’ll get those good test kits and make sure everything is good

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I thought it could be that but they tested for copper and there’s nothing there, the softened water was also tested, not for fish just tested normally and there was no copper in it

Copper doesn't cause HLLE either. One thing, I noticed you said the "stray voltage" went away when you turned your heater off? That may be something different. Stray voltage is also called induced voltage comes from the windings of electric motors. The heater could have a partial short. I've heard a couple of cases of short circuits causing health problems in fish - not HLLE per se, but maybe? At the very least, be careful with that device from a human safety standpoint. Is the tank equipment all GFI protected?

Jay

 

[insanelogic]

Is your Aquarium Water Grounded? If it is, could you move your ground to an independent grounding rod or have an electrician check your grounds and neutral, at the breaker panel?

Hey just a quick update, I put a grounding probe in the tank and it’s working! Two years of different medications and a slowly dying tang and the grounding probe is working, his fins are actually growing back! Thank you so much for mentioning that! You’re actually a life saver

 

[Tamberav]

I think you should also buy a new heater. It seems yours is faulty. Not safe!

 

[insanelogic]

I think you should also buy a new heater. It seems yours is faulty. Not safe!

Yup, I’m looking into getting one now, I’ve got a smaller one keeping it up to temp at the minute but I need to get a bigger one