HLLE Tangs - Worth Trying to Rescue?

[rrichardsmn]

I have an opportunity to buy a 6 inch blue and 4 inch yellow tang with HLLE + 2 clownfish for $200 total. It appears that it has progressed significantly. Is it worth trying to rescue at that price, or should I skip it? Also, if I do rescue them, will they have long-lasting scarring with the progression as it is already?

 

[Tamberav]

Some of it will heal but they will be scarred. $200 seems like a lot for what will be deformed fish.

 

[neonreef3d]

poor fishies,, I say rescue!! I rescued my 2 dogs, and they are the best...

 

[rrichardsmn]

Thanks for feedback. That was my gut. Yellow tangs are so expensive now, was weighing the pros and cons of trying.

 

[lagatbezan]

The price seems high but if you rescue them and give them a proper nutritional diet, adequate tank size and clean water quality, they will recover with some scaring and you will get a lifetime of satisfaction knowing how you saved them every time you look at them.

 

[Marco S]

I have an opportunity to buy a 6 inch blue and 4 inch yellow tang with HLLE + 2 clownfish for $200 total. It appears that it has progressed significantly. Is it worth trying to rescue at that price, or should I skip it? Also, if I do rescue them, will they have long-lasting scarring with the progression as it is already?

I've seen a lot worse make it, but there will be some scaring on that Yellow Tang. The Blue might completely heel though. Mine was pretty bad having Velvet and then a bacterial disease, but 2 years later and he is completely heeled.

On a side note: SHAME on whoever is selling them for $200! Unless the Clowns are designer clowns worth the $200 then it would be worth it, but no one should be selling fish in that condition. Double SHAME if it is an LFS!

 

[JumboShrimp]

Sadly, I would say ‘too far gone.’ If I’m wrong, I’d gladly love to see the updated photos a year from now. Best wishes!

 

[rrichardsmn]

I've seen a lot worse make it, but there will be some scaring on that Yellow Tang. The Blue might completely heel though. Mine was pretty bad having Velvet and then a bacterial disease, but 2 years later and he is completely heeled.

On a side note: SHAME on whoever is selling them for $200! Unless the Clowns are designer clowns worth the $200 then it would be worth it, but no one should be selling fish in that condition. Double SHAME if it is an LFS!

No, it's a person selling whole system and "willing" to part with fish for $200. I assume he knows the issue, but is hoping someone else doesn't. Possibly he is unaware, but wasn't willing to drop price when I pointed it out. Clownfish are paired, but not designer.

Since he is getting rid of tank, I'd almost think, he'd like the opportunity to have someone try to save his fish, which he supposedly has had for 4 years.

 

[BloopFish]

Have you tried negotiating it further down? Also, non-designer clowns would basically not change the price in my books. You can get regular clownfishes for less than $8 each from sustainable aquatics, in my opinion they are more like a liability since they are basically just damsels.

 

[rrichardsmn]

I haven't tried hard to push him on pricing as I was trying to gauge if it was worthwhile to try. What do you think they are worth in the state they are in? $75?

 

[BloopFish]

I personally think Hawaiian regulations will get stricter, so I think the yellow tangs may stay expensive (but drop in price once they can collect again) and considering how expensive they are nowadays... maybe I would strongly consider it around $80~$90. However, I think someone who knows less about HLLE may bite the bullet tbh.

 

[GoingBroke88]

I don't think that fish is "too far gone" if HLLE is it's issue. There are plenty of far worse looking tangs, disfigured from HLLE, that wind up making it. It will definitely be scarred/deformed for life, but that doesn't mean that it won't be hardy and long-lived. If there are other diseases, that's a different story. But it's unlikely the HLLE alone will be what does it in.

 

[miyags]

FWIW..This yellow tang looked just like that.his top fin grew back.It still has speckles on its face, you can see under the blue LEDS but you can't see them when I turn the whites on.I just kept it well fed, lots of NORI.This pic was taken about 10 years ago.And it's still doing great.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have an opportunity to buy a 6 inch blue and 4 inch yellow tang with HLLE + 2 clownfish for $200 total. It appears that it has progressed significantly. Is it worth trying to rescue at that price, or should I skip it? Also, if I do rescue them, will they have long-lasting scarring with the progression as it is already?

I've never been able to reverse HLLE in yellow tangs once severe fin erosion has set in. They will live a relatively normal life though, if given a good environment. The hepatus looks pretty good overall.

Jay

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks for feedback. That was my gut. Yellow tangs are so expensive now, was weighing the pros and cons of trying.

Are these fish in Southern Ca? I would love to “rescue” them if they are. I have always had a soft spot for fish with that dorsal mutation and wouldn’t care about the disfigurement from the disease. I think they have character and I’d be interested in giving them a better home.

 

[Tamberav]

I don’t think a person deserves to be paid 200 dollars for basically poor care of animals for 4 years. I would talk him down.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I may have been slightly misunderstood. When I said “too far gone,” I didn’t mean that that degree of HLLE was going to lead to death— just that the fish probably would not recover to it’s former state of beauty. As for the price... I just paid $150 for this ‘mint condition’ (lol) Yellow Tang this week (well post-ban).