Hippo Tang tail fin does not heal

[kevindo123]

I have a hippo tang since a juvenile (1.5") and now is about 3" in length. The tail fin seems to get worst over time like a saw teeth and I'm afraid it will be permanent this way, as I have seen with Larger Tang with HLLE damage. It eats like a pig and looks fat and healthy, but the tail fin doesn't look normal. There are no tank mates that bullies it or nip its tail.

I have recently started to soak all foods with vitamins and have started to train it to eat nori. Has anybody have this issue what the heck their blue hippo Tang? What could be causing it? How to heal it and prevent it from happening?

 

[Techie_]

My guess would be lack of nutrients, keep feeding how you are, I believe you should have had nori since the beginning though. Any anomalies on the fish?

 

[Humblefish]

Assuming it is HLLE damage, all you can do is address all of the following causes below:

Head & Lateral Line Erosion "HLLE":

Symptoms - HLLE literally looks as though the skin is rotting or peeling off the fish. Affected areas usually include the face and lateral line, and may be white in color.

Treatment options - This is more of a condition than an actual disease. Since no one can agree on the exact cause, all you can do is address all of the following theories regarding HLLE:

1) Stray voltage - Use a titanium ground probe & test your tank for stray voltage.
2) Running carbon - Don’t use it, or use only premium grade carbon.
3) Nutritional deficiency - Feed high quality nutritional foods. Some have had success reversing the effects of HLLE by soaking food in “fish vitamins” and also feeding nori.

 

[Techie_]

Assuming it is HLLE damage, all you can do is address all of the following causes below:

Head & Lateral Line Erosion "HLLE":

Symptoms - HLLE literally looks as though the skin is rotting or peeling off the fish. Affected areas usually include the face and lateral line, and may be white in color.

Treatment options - This is more of a condition than an actual disease. Since no one can agree on the exact cause, all you can do is address all of the following theories regarding HLLE:

1) Stray voltage - Use a titanium ground probe & test your tank for stray voltage.
2) Running carbon - Don’t use it, or use only premium grade carbon.
3) Nutritional deficiency - Feed high quality nutritional foods. Some have had success reversing the effects of HLLE by soaking food in “fish vitamins” and also feeding nori.

If a Blue Hippo Tang has a pale tail fin, will it ever regain its color? Just a quick question I had.

 

[kevindo123]

My bad for not getting it to eat enough veggies. I thought it gets some from LRS. It's eating nori now after introducing a yellow tang that eats nori like a champ. I soaked the nori with vitamins and aminos. How long does it take to see improvement?

 

[Humblefish]

If a Blue Hippo Tang has a pale tail fin, will it ever regain its color? Just a quick question I had.

How long does it take to see improvement?

If the cause is HLLE and you eliminate all contributing factors and begin soaking fish food in vitamin supplements ... you will typically starting seeing improvement within a month or two. To make a complete recovery can take several months or even years, depending upon the severity. Some fish that have it really bad don't ever see much improvement in their condition.