Red, swollen,damaged tail on blue tang!?

zheka757 · Sep 16, 2023

Any idea what this is? Aggression from other tangs or bacteria infected? Dosent act differently. I had this fish forever. One of my first fish

Reef By Steele · Sep 16, 2023

It definitely looks injured. Don’t know if infected yet. Any way to capture and isolate so you can treat with antibiotics to avoid infection if it isn’t. Also would allow the tang to recuperate without further aggression if it was a competitor

zheka757 · Sep 16, 2023

I think it's damage as well, just hope if healable

Reef By Steele · Sep 16, 2023

Yeah, I find them to be tougher than we think, but again if someone else is picking on him and doesn’t stop it can be a problem. I didn’t pay attention to where you posted. Should probably post in the fish disease forum. But maybe we can get @Jay Hemdal or one of the other experts to chime in.

Jay Hemdal · Sep 17, 2023

It does look like damage, but I can’t as to how/why. It does not look infected. Watch for other symptoms like it growing in size, not eating, change in swimming behavior, rapid breathing. If you don’t see any of that, just try to wait it out.

Jay

Reef By Steele · Sep 17, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
It does look like damage, but I can’t as to how/why. It does not look infected. Watch for other symptoms like it growing in size, not eating, change in swimming behavior, rapid breathing. If you don’t see any of that, just try to wait it out.

Jay

Thanks for coming over. I new you would have better insight for the OP.

zheka757 · Sep 17, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
It does look like damage, but I can’t as to how/why. It does not look infected. Watch for other symptoms like it growing in size, not eating, change in swimming behavior, rapid breathing. If you don’t see any of that, just try to wait it out.

Jay

redness went away, but it still looks swollen. the part where the spikes are, it is way to swollen. a year ago she had one of those spikes broken off, it grew back later. Now I see this, still nothing new behavior/eating wise I have never witness any aggression from her or other fish towards her.