Tang sick again, please ID
- Thread starter TARHEEL78
- Start date
- Tagged users None
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
It would be easier to diagnose in the water with a few clear photos and a video. Which region are you speaking of?
Crabs McJones
I'm so shi-nay
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Moderator Emeritus
Hospitality Award
Reef Tank 365 Boss
Wisco Reefers
My Tank Thread
Looks like it could be hlle
Big G
captain dunsel
Looks like a nasty bacterial infection has set in. Most are secondary to some other parasites attack. There is a species of fluke that target the head/face of fish. Has the Tang been given a freshwater dip to confirm or eliminate flukes as the source of the problem?
TARHEEL78
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
- Messages
- 1,485
- Reaction score
- 1,519
That's pretty much impossible. The tang is fast and doesn't like cameras. I've pulled him from the tank and he's in a bucket for now but it's tough to get pics of video in there. The only issue I see is right by his eye and mouth.
Did the fish get sick in the DT? The title say
Sincerely Lasse
My bold - have the fish been treated before this event? If so - with what?
Sincerely Lasse
TARHEEL78
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
- Messages
- 1,485
- Reaction score
- 1,519
I think the first issue was just stress related. The tang had some white spots on him and he was given a fw dip that didn't show anything. He ended up going back in the tank after that and has been fine since.
Thank´s
What I am going to say now probably will surprise some people, but this fish will probably die if you do not do anything. Have a fish stop eating - that´s the most critical indication on a disease of some sort IMO. I would recommend you to treat with a Metronidazole bath outlined here. See even the pictures below the text and here
There are some evidences that Hole in head in Discus and at least some forms of HILE is associated with diplomonad infection. It is a flagellate – probably from the Spironucleus genera – normally existing in our water and in the guts of our fish. In some circumstances – like stress or supressed immune responses of the fish – it could be a pathogen and invade the fish. One of its indication is the famous white stringy poops. I do not know if you have seen any poops like that (the stringy poops are mucus lining leaving the fish because of irritation of the gut and can´t alone seen as an indication – but together with not eating and the wounds it can be a rather good indication of diplomonad infection)
IMO – a 3 days bath and if needed a new 3-day bath after a week is much better than a prolonged bath for several weeks. See the note in the reference. You would – if it works see a better fish after 4 – 5 days. Feed very sparse in the beginning and I would only feed algae in the start.
Note this is only a suggestion – I have no experiences with HILE in the head in tangs and its treatment – however I have a huge experiences in treating Tropheus cichlids with diplomonad infections. For sure - you will have other suggestions - read and decide by yourself how to handle.
Sincerely Lasse
What I am going to say now probably will surprise some people, but this fish will probably die if you do not do anything. Have a fish stop eating - that´s the most critical indication on a disease of some sort IMO. I would recommend you to treat with a Metronidazole bath outlined here. See even the pictures below the text and here
There are some evidences that Hole in head in Discus and at least some forms of HILE is associated with diplomonad infection. It is a flagellate – probably from the Spironucleus genera – normally existing in our water and in the guts of our fish. In some circumstances – like stress or supressed immune responses of the fish – it could be a pathogen and invade the fish. One of its indication is the famous white stringy poops. I do not know if you have seen any poops like that (the stringy poops are mucus lining leaving the fish because of irritation of the gut and can´t alone seen as an indication – but together with not eating and the wounds it can be a rather good indication of diplomonad infection)
IMO – a 3 days bath and if needed a new 3-day bath after a week is much better than a prolonged bath for several weeks. See the note in the reference. You would – if it works see a better fish after 4 – 5 days. Feed very sparse in the beginning and I would only feed algae in the start.
Note this is only a suggestion – I have no experiences with HILE in the head in tangs and its treatment – however I have a huge experiences in treating Tropheus cichlids with diplomonad infections. For sure - you will have other suggestions - read and decide by yourself how to handle.
Sincerely Lasse
No - I do not think that metro is safe for corals at all. In freshwater and cichlids we used to treat in the DT if you had got it in one fish. But that was before we know of the backsides of metro. Today - I probably should not do it that way - even in freshwater - but on the other hand - metro does not harme stones and sand 
. If he/she not is eating and you not get any other ideas - I would test a metro bath in a well aerated and/or circulated 10 - 20 litres bucket. Have it dark, have the bucket in room temperature and not feed for the treatment period for 3 days. But I´m out on thin ice now - this is what I would test by my self in your situation - but the about the result - not even a slight idea.
Sincerely Lasse
. If he/she not is eating and you not get any other ideas - I would test a metro bath in a well aerated and/or circulated 10 - 20 litres bucket. Have it dark, have the bucket in room temperature and not feed for the treatment period for 3 days. But I´m out on thin ice now - this is what I would test by my self in your situation - but the about the result - not even a slight idea.Sincerely Lasse
