Purple Tang Need Help!

theflyingduck · Nov 5, 2019

Hi! I have just rescued this purple tang and he is in very bad condition. He‘s most likely losing all his fins. Any suggestion on how to help him get back to his shape? Please help! Thank you!

Ruben's Reef · Nov 5, 2019

!!! Welcome to R2R !!! Wow, poor guy. Let see the #reefsquad suggestion.

Billldg · Nov 5, 2019

@HotRocks , @4FordFamily , @Humblefish , @Big G , what can be done to help this poor fish get better.

dwest · Nov 5, 2019

I would make sure he is getting lots of high quality food. Frozen, nori, etc. I would also do a FW dip on him within the next week or so to check for flukes.

Juan Andrés Botero R · Nov 5, 2019

Lanthanum Chloride may kill ick , velvet and lymphocystis!!!

May be, but not sure?? Need help to confirm it! An observation on my aquarium , I had a yellow tang with lymphocystis, and I notice the some white spots like ick on my blue tang, they were visiting the lysmata shrimps for a clean up very frequently. After dealing with an ick, velvet or what...

www.reef2reef.com

vetteguy53081 · Nov 5, 2019

Oh man. Has velvet, HLLE, hole in the head and fin and tail rot.
Velvet will be a freshwater bath followed by copper based meds, Hole in head and HLLE will require high protein foods with vitamins (such as Selcon) and garlic extract, fin and tail rot will require Myacin based med or even melafix should help. Mainly, antibiotics can help to treat secondary infections which are present.
Optimum water quality will be important during the treatment process

Big G · Nov 5, 2019

Poor fish.
A bath or two in Ruby Reef Rally should help a bit with stabilizing the fish.
Feeding high quality and a large variety of foods + Zoecon (it is formulated to help relieve HLLE) should help.
Treating the bacterial infection requires a broad spectrum antibiotic. NFG powder can work wonders. But its a bit hard to source. Triple Sulfa, Furan2, etc. can help as well.

LAReefer4Life · Nov 5, 2019

This fish has a few things going on here. First off is he eating? If so start feeding the trifecta of meds mixed in food consisting of furan2 + metro + Kanaplex + focus mixed with garlic gaurd. @Big G mentioned a round or two of ruby rally bath which would is great idea to stabilize. I think flukes is an issue here and if he eating and does well through the bath then he is okay to sit through a FWD. the FWD will confirm if he has flukes or not which can help you identify what’s really going on here. I am not convinced this is velvet based on the photos but more photos would be appreciated.

4FordFamily · Nov 5, 2019

I agree with the previous comments in that you have a perfect storm of bad on that poor fish. This is common in long-term bad husbandry in zebrasoma tangs. Malnutrition and infection lead to HLLE and the fin rot, and velvet is unfortunately common.

I agree with antibiotics and copper treatment, and soaking foods in selcon, zoe, and/or vita chem. Soak strained/drained frozen foods and/or pellets, lots of nori, and unfortunately the fish will probably never be "normal" but you can do a good thing for the fish as you are. Thank you for that!

The trifecta as described is Metroplex, Kanaplex, and Furan 2 for 14 days in QT. Copper can be used in conjunction I recommend Copper Power at 2.0 PPM. You can do 14 days copper if and only if you transfer to a completely sterile QT after 14 days. If not, treat with copper for a full 30 days.

HotRocks · Nov 5, 2019

theflyingduck said:
Hi! I have just rescued this purple tang and he is in very bad condition. He‘s most likely losing all his fins. Any suggestion on how to help him get back to his shape? Please help! Thank you!

Do you have a QT?

The fish certainly needs some serious nutrition to start. High quality foods with vitamin supplements. It also may have some sort of bacterial infection, parasite affliction, lympho, HLLE that needs addressed as well.

LAReefer4Life · Nov 6, 2019

Hi there. Just checking in on you and the tang, any updates?

theflyingduck · Nov 6, 2019

Thank you everyone for the rescue suggestions! I have been separated him to QT tank. He’s eating just fine, I fed him with frozen food and dori for the last 2 days. I plan to help him with FW dip & medication tomorrow. I’ll update and try to get some pictures after.

vetteguy53081 · Nov 6, 2019

theflyingduck said:
Thank you everyone for the rescue suggestions! I have been separated him to QT tank. He’s eating just fine, I fed him with frozen food and dori for the last 2 days. I plan to help him with FW dip & medication tomorrow. I’ll update and try to get some pictures after.

You fed him Dory ?????????

. I know you meant Nori. Glad he is eating. Will assure recovery.

LAReefer4Life · Nov 6, 2019

theflyingduck said:
Thank you everyone for the rescue suggestions! I have been separated him to QT tank. He’s eating just fine, I fed him with frozen food and dori for the last 2 days. I plan to help him with FW dip & medication tomorrow. I’ll update and try to get some pictures after.

Good Luck! Keep us posted please

fyler83 · Nov 24, 2019

Let me know who you make out with this guy. I am about to start trying to save a gen tang myself

vetteguy53081 · Nov 24, 2019

Ouch on the Gems tang. I hope gem is like $150

Eve · Nov 24, 2019

theflyingduck said:
Hi! I have just rescued this purple tang and he is in very bad condition. He‘s most likely losing all his fins. Any suggestion on how to help him get back to his shape? Please help! Thank you!

Updates?? How is it doing? Please tell me still alive

Aussiemarine · Nov 25, 2019

vetteguy53081 said:
Ouch on the Gems tang. I hope gem is like $150

$150 for a gem tang??? In Aus these guys are $2500 each...

MERKEY · Nov 25, 2019

Like the one in the pic?...That's not a $2500 in that condition lol I mean maybe at one time and maybe again if better....

I hope all the tangs get better. I have a yellow in QT right now for ICH and velvet.