Yellow Tang help

[JackiG]

I noticed last week that my yellow tang had a slight discoloration on the top fin. I thought it was a bruise from the coral in the aquarium since there was no other marks on it. Now the mark turned into a hole and I’m not sure what to do. My tang is healthy, eats like normal and is acting the same. So I don’t think it has a disease, any advice?

 

[JoshH]

@melypr1985 @Tahoe61 @Humblefish let's bring the specialists in

 

[KMench]

Do you have any antibiotics on hand?

 

[Zack K]

First two things that pop into my head are, Agression, and fin rot. More towards Agression because if Roy typically appears on the outter edges first. What other tank mates are with him?

 

[KMench]

I was thinking fin rot. But that’s probably a better thought... meaning the aggression

 

[JackiG]

First two things that pop into my head are, Agression, and fin rot. More towards Agression because if Roy typically appears on the outter edges first. What other tank mates are with him?

2 clown fish, 1 cardinal, and 2 damsels are the others in the tank. If it’s fin rot, how do you treat it, and will it fix/repair the fin?

 

[KMench]

Fin rot would get treated with antibiotics. How big is the yellow tang? Do you ever notice the tang getting picked on by the damsels?

 

[JackiG]

Fin rot would get treated with antibiotics. How big is the yellow tang? Do you ever notice the tang getting picked on by the damsels?

I’ve never noticed it get picked on by the damsels. The tang likes to swim around with the other big damsel, they are the biggest fish in the tank.

 

[KMench]

I would see what the experts say. I’m not one of them @4FordFamily

 

[drawman]

Yeah I tend to agree with others either aggression or bacterial. I would watch this closely and if you see it continue to progress I would move him to a hospital tank. Stock up on antibiotics in the meantime.

That's a big damsel so I could see it easily doing that to the yellow tang.

Also the tang appears to have some HLLE starting so I would feed nori and add selcon to your food

 

[4FordFamily]

While a damsel could cause severe injury, the discoloration at the base of the fin and progression of the rot suggets an infection. I’d remove the fish and treat with kanaplex, metroplex, and furan 2 for 10-14 days.

An acriflavin bath would be helpful in the short term before meds and qt

 

[JoshH]

I would see what the experts say. I’m not one of them @4FordFamily

Can't believe I forgot @4FordFamily

 

[Tahoe61]

Have you tested nitrates lately?

 

[Zack K]

Have you tested nitrates lately?

Just out of curiosity, why do you ask?

 

[ngoodermuth]

I agree with @4FordFamily, and would second the acriflavine as a means for a "heads-up" in giving the antibiotics time to get to work. They are notoriously slow-acting in fish.

It may have been an injury initially, that let in a secondary infection.