Tang death :( RIP Fran

GGkubs · May 16, 2023

Today, one of my favorite fish died suddenly. This purple tan (Fran Tarkingtang) developed a large white spot on his side. I first noticed it while treating my tank with Aptasia X. The spot was irregular and appeared to have some dimension to it. A day later, there were more white areas on his body (both sides). (See pictures) He remained active, swam normally and ate well. Tonight, we found him dead in the tank. All of the other fish in the tank look well. Any ideas? Could his rubbing against Aptaisia-X cause “skin” burns and kill him?
Thanks

vetteguy53081 · May 16, 2023

GGkubs said:
Today, one of my favorite fish died suddenly. This purple tan (Fran Tarkingtang) developed a large white spot on his side. I first noticed it while treating my tank with Aptasia X. The spot was irregular and appeared to have some dimension to it. A day later, there were more white areas on his body (both sides). (See pictures) He remained active, swam normally and ate well. Tonight, we found him dead in the tank. All of the other fish in the tank look well. Any ideas? Could his rubbing against Aptaisia-X cause “skin” burns and kill him?
Thanks

This purple tang was both thin and heavily covered with bacterial infection. Its possible Aptasia X was a cause as it contains both Calcium chloride and Sodium hydroxide which is a skin irritant and may have caused severe irritation.
What foods were you feeding the tang?

Debramb · May 17, 2023

GGkubs said:
Today, one of my favorite fish died suddenly. This purple tan (Fran Tarkingtang) developed a large white spot on his side. I first noticed it while treating my tank with Aptasia X. The spot was irregular and appeared to have some dimension to it. A day later, there were more white areas on his body (both sides). (See pictures) He remained active, swam normally and ate well. Tonight, we found him dead in the tank. All of the other fish in the tank look well. Any ideas? Could his rubbing against Aptaisia-X cause “skin” burns and kill him?
Thanks

Debramb · May 17, 2023

I am truly sorry for your loss.

Jay Hemdal · May 17, 2023

GGkubs said:
Today, one of my favorite fish died suddenly. This purple tan (Fran Tarkingtang) developed a large white spot on his side. I first noticed it while treating my tank with Aptasia X. The spot was irregular and appeared to have some dimension to it. A day later, there were more white areas on his body (both sides). (See pictures) He remained active, swam normally and ate well. Tonight, we found him dead in the tank. All of the other fish in the tank look well. Any ideas? Could his rubbing against Aptaisia-X cause “skin” burns and kill him?
Thanks

Sorry to hear!

Unlikely to be a chemical reaction to the Aiptasia-X, the lesions are on both sides of the fish and pretty much all over.
The spreading of the lesions that you noticed implies growth, so I would say this is a virulent bacterial infection. However, those are VERY rare in fish that don't have some predisposing issue (injury, etc.). So *maybe* some Aiptasia-X got on the fish, caused a burn, opened the skin and allowed a bacterial infection to begin. Once started, the bacterial itself becomes the "injury" and it spreads.
Since antibiotics take 3+ days to work, there wouldn't have been any treatment you could have tried here.....the disease just moved too fast.

Jay