Tang Dorsal Fin Repair

[Reefer1525]

Hello everyone,
I have this purple tang who got picked on and lost a bit of his dorsal fin. All aggression calmed down in a few days and he recovered right away. This was all a few months back, but I noticed that his top fin didn't grow back to its original form. Has anyone been able to solve this issue? The most I found was someone saying people will cut the top of the fin so that it regrows, but I don't want to stress my fish or introduce possible infection. The white dots are just things floating in the tank, no ick.

Here's a photo of how it looks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone,
I have this purple tang who got picked on and lost a bit of his dorsal fin. All aggression calmed down in a few days and he recovered right away. This was all a few months back, but I noticed that his top fin didn't grow back to its original form. Has anyone been able to solve this issue? The most I found was someone saying people will cut the top of the fin so that it regrows, but I don't want to stress my fish or introduce possible infection. The white dots are just things floating in the tank, no ick.

Here's a photo of how it looks

It likely wont. While it may gain a little yet, it will not be restored. I never let it get this far if I have aggression which is rare. Fish will function normally and swim normally otherwise.

Im seeing dots- are they on the fish or glass?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello everyone,
I have this purple tang who got picked on and lost a bit of his dorsal fin. All aggression calmed down in a few days and he recovered right away. This was all a few months back, but I noticed that his top fin didn't grow back to its original form. Has anyone been able to solve this issue? The most I found was someone saying people will cut the top of the fin so that it regrows, but I don't want to stress my fish or introduce possible infection. The white dots are just things floating in the tank, no ick.

Here's a photo of how it looks

You may actually have two issues going on here- head and lateral line erosion often shows as eroded fins in zebrasoma tangs.
Jay

 

[exnisstech]

There is a yellow at my lfs whose dorsal is similar tho a bit worse. It has been there close to a year with no improvement.

 

[Weeb]

Healing of damaged fins can take months. Some won't come back to the fish's original appearance. The best that can be done is to provide top water quality, remove stressors, and feed the proper foods with supplements. Check out the Fish Nutrition post.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Healing of damaged fins can take months. Some won't come back to the fish's original appearance. The best that can be done is to provide top water quality, remove stressors, and feed the proper foods with supplements. Check out the Fish Nutrition post.

If the damage is from HLLE as I suspect, diet changes will not resolve the problem.
Jay

 

[Reefer1525]

You may actually have two issues going on here- head and lateral line erosion often shows as eroded fins in zebrasoma tangs.
Ja

Do you know how this could have happened? and if there's anybody whos had luck treating it?

 

[Reefer1525]

If the damage is from HLLE as I suspect, diet changes will not resolve the problem.
Jay

Most likely its been like this for about 7 months, and he's completely unaffected, just has a bad haircut.

 

[Weeb]

If the damage is from HLLE as I suspect, diet changes will not resolve the problem.
Jay

Agreed. OP indicated aggression. If you believe it is HLLE, then diet alone won't make it right, although there has been some Reports of HLLE healing including diet improvement along with supplements. The Internet includes other sources and sites dealing with HLLE, all including an improved diet to be helpful. Others here on R2R believe diet and supplements play a role in HLLE healing. Humblefish has posted Information on treating HLLE which includes good nutrition.

So I'd say an improvement of diet to be a part of the HLLE recovery.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you know how this could have happened? and if there's anybody whos had luck treating it?

Generally aggression or deformity which happens with many tangs. Diet will not repair this or return it to its normal state. Over the last three decades, ive seen may tangs with this issue and while it does not affect their health, it does not fully grow back fully

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Do you know how this could have happened? and if there's anybody whos had luck treating it?

Carbon use in the fish’s past or current history is the only proven cause. Treatment once the fins have developed this chronic scalloped look doesn’t seem to work. Now, one thing that has been shown to work is moving the fish to a tank known not to cause HLLE in fish.
Looking at the picture again, I do think this is HLLE - notice how the damage is confined to the leading portion of the dorsal fin and the pelvic fins are just nubs? Those fins are not prime sites for tankmate aggression - you see that more on the caudal fin, anal fin and second dorsal fin.
Jay