Is this HLLE or something different?

littlebeard · Jan 25, 2023

I've had this tang for about 2 years, and today I noticed some small pin like holes near its head/eye area.

Tank is 125 gallon mixed reef.
Following fish are in it: two-spot bristletooth tang, fox face, 2 x square anthias, 2 clowns, leopard wrasse, midas blenny, algae blenny.

Params are:
NO3: ~25
Phosphates: ~1.25
CA: ~410
ALK: ~8.2
Mg: ~1400

Recent changes:
I recently redid part of my aquascaping. Probably about 20%.
Last fish added was about 6 months ago.
Had cyno and kicked it away at the start of november. The nitrates/phosphates have been elevated higher than I would like since then.

nuxx · Jan 25, 2023

Doesn't look too serious to me.

Just keep good water parameters and feed well.

Maybe soak their food in Selcon.

vetteguy53081 · Jan 25, 2023

littlebeard said:
I've had this tang for about 2 years, and today I noticed some small pin like holes near its head/eye area.

Tank is 125 gallon mixed reef.
Following fish are in it: two-spot bristletooth tang, fox face, 2 x square anthias, 2 clowns, leopard wrasse, midas blenny, algae blenny.

Params are:
NO3: ~25
Phosphates: ~1.25
CA: ~410
ALK: ~8.2
Mg: ~1400

Recent changes:
I recently redid part of my aquascaping. Probably about 20%.
Last fish added was about 6 months ago.
Had cyno and kicked it away at the start of november. The nitrates/phosphates have been elevated higher than I would like since then.

If you are talking about near the eye, its the start of erosion. Often it is associated with poor water quality and or diet. Poor water quality can be as simple as elevated ammonia-nitrate-salinity. These fish as im sure you know are herbivores and assumed pure veggie eaters, and in essence require foods with fats and aminos.
SELCON is not a cure and simply add vitamins to assist with immunity health.
This is Not a flake and pellet eater and some foods to offer but not limited to are :
LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Soren · Jan 25, 2023

@littlebeard
I'm assuming you are referring to something other than the fish's nostrils? Tangs have noticeable nostrils, especially noticeable on tangs such as purple tangs that have orange nostrils on a dark blue/purple background.
They would be right in front of the eyes between the forehead and mouth.

Jay Hemdal · Jan 26, 2023

littlebeard said:
I've had this tang for about 2 years, and today I noticed some small pin like holes near its head/eye area.

Tank is 125 gallon mixed reef.
Following fish are in it: two-spot bristletooth tang, fox face, 2 x square anthias, 2 clowns, leopard wrasse, midas blenny, algae blenny.

Params are:
NO3: ~25
Phosphates: ~1.25
CA: ~410
ALK: ~8.2
Mg: ~1400

Recent changes:
I recently redid part of my aquascaping. Probably about 20%.
Last fish added was about 6 months ago.
Had cyno and kicked it away at the start of november. The nitrates/phosphates have been elevated higher than I would like since then.

The spot right in front of its eye looks like the start of HLLE. The other areas are its nostrils (which often widen into HLLE lesions). Here is an article I posted about this issue:

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)

This article discusses studies performed regarding head and lateral line erosion in captive fishes. Specifically, carbon use and nutrition as they relate to this syndrome.

www.reef2reef.com