Glad to hear he looks better already! I have a purple tang and she is an awesome fish, my favorite, with great personality. They are very funny fish and good eaters. with good water quality and good food yours should recover fully. Maybe even add a touch of freshly crushed garlic every once in awhile. It seems to keep bad things at bay. Does smell for a day or so though. FYI, Fresh garlic is the only way to get the medicinal benefit.
Rescued a purple tang need advice
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Paul B
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Those pictures look like the pictures an old girlfriend of mine used to take of herself because she was ugly and didn't want anyone to see her. OK, ugly is a harsh word...........I tried to think of a better word, but she really resembled a flounder. 
That fish looks to have classic HLLE but like I said, lousy picture so he could have acne or tonsillitis for all I know. Tangs are Very susceptible to HLLE. There is no known cause or cure for HLLE but it does sometimes get a lot better. It never disappears if the fish has it long enough because it is a destruction of the fishes epidermis. I have almost completely cured it by feeding food soaked in fish oil for a few months. Of course we still can't really see the fish so don't know.
That fish looks to have classic HLLE but like I said, lousy picture so he could have acne or tonsillitis for all I know. Tangs are Very susceptible to HLLE. There is no known cause or cure for HLLE but it does sometimes get a lot better. It never disappears if the fish has it long enough because it is a destruction of the fishes epidermis. I have almost completely cured it by feeding food soaked in fish oil for a few months. Of course we still can't really see the fish so don't know.
melypr1985
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I agree. With both of pauls statements. Fish oil is a good route to go. The best way to help him is the best nutrition and water quality.
Paul B
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HLLE won't kill your tang, just make him look like he was run over by a school bus, twice.
They sometimes get a lot better but not usually a complete cure. But don't worry. I think it comes from confinement and is not a disease, just a condition because the fish gets information from it's lateral line and in a tank it gets over stimulated by the glass because the fish can't see the glass. He can only feel it. Just my theory of course so ignore it.
They sometimes get a lot better but not usually a complete cure. But don't worry. I think it comes from confinement and is not a disease, just a condition because the fish gets information from it's lateral line and in a tank it gets over stimulated by the glass because the fish can't see the glass. He can only feel it. Just my theory of course so ignore it.
If you need some encouragement, check out this thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1786961
Make sure to also look at the "original posting" thread.
Make sure to also look at the "original posting" thread.
4FordFamily
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Hlle. The good news is they can come back from it. Soak his food in selcon, feed lots of nori, feed high quality foods - live blackworms, ca and pemysis
omykiss001
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+1 my yellow tang bounced back pretty quick with lots of good nori, frozen (selcon soaked) and Paul B's favorite live blackworms. do expect some residual scaring, but the white should go away and be replaced by the natural color, there just may be some residual pitting leftover.
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Kershaw
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Today when I got home he swam right up to front of tank with the rest for food. Shyness is almost complety gone. And so far him and my yellow eye kole tang seem to be friends. No flashing at each other or anything.
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Kershaw
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So I have been feeding live black worms for the last two days. How many do you feed at one time. Also only the purple tang my malinarus wrasse and like tang will eat them. My leapored wrasse or my clown fish won't touch them.
Ive gotten a few tangs with hlle. One yellow tang from a tank that the guy literally just stopped doing anything to. The tank was nasty and the rocks literally looked like they had cobwebs on them.
He stopped feeding them so it was extremely skinny.
Got him home and got him eating. Eats lots of pellets, nori and frozen once in a while. Hes nice and fat now.
His scares healed but he no longer has the long flowing top and bottom fins, he has a few "horns" at the front that are healed up and some of his back fins left. His face is scared white.
But he eats like a pig and isnt shy at all!
Other one was a blue hippo and purple tang. Immaculate tank, fed daily, but had carbon in a reactor in the sump-which is what i think caused it
Hippo i gave away as i already had one. Purple tang got healed up, most its fins recovered but still has white scares around the eyes that will never heal.
Feed well and dont run any carbon is my opinion. Some people say its if the carbon tumbles, it gets in the tank and causes it. I just stay away from it
He stopped feeding them so it was extremely skinny.
Got him home and got him eating. Eats lots of pellets, nori and frozen once in a while. Hes nice and fat now.
His scares healed but he no longer has the long flowing top and bottom fins, he has a few "horns" at the front that are healed up and some of his back fins left. His face is scared white.
But he eats like a pig and isnt shy at all!
Other one was a blue hippo and purple tang. Immaculate tank, fed daily, but had carbon in a reactor in the sump-which is what i think caused it
Hippo i gave away as i already had one. Purple tang got healed up, most its fins recovered but still has white scares around the eyes that will never heal.
Feed well and dont run any carbon is my opinion. Some people say its if the carbon tumbles, it gets in the tank and causes it. I just stay away from it
Carbon is fine to use so long as it is high quality, like the Rox 0.8 stuff. Low carbon quality can leach dust into the water column and effectively "cut up" your fish.
