just got a yellow eye kole tang

[aquazen]

Lighting at the LFS isn't too great, and the only thing I noticed was what looked like some trauma to the sides of the fish. It looked like maybe his scales got banged up a bit. When I got him home under my halides, I started noticing more of these "injuries" throughout his entire body in small patches. I also noticed parts of his tail, mainly at the site where the tail fins meet the body, had what looked like "skin" sloughing off.

I don't know much about tangs, and really, this is the first tang I've ever bought. I read that they are more prone to velvet and ich, but this does not look like the classic presentation for either one. Any ideas? Maybe it really did get beat up. The guy at the LFS said that the tang had been in the store for a couple of weeks already.

Wish I had a camera to take a pic. I'm just a bit concerned. Either way, I have no intention of taking it back to the LFS. I feel bad for the little guy.

 

[melosu58]

Kole tangs are not as suseptible to ich as other tangs. They are pretty hardy fish. The marks are probaly marks from another tang while he was at the LFS. He will need optimum water parameters if he is going to make it. Frequent smaller PWC`s. Try to make sure he eats good. These will help.

 

[aquazen]

Thanks. I think you are right about the injuries. It just doesn't look like any infection I have seen, and there is nothing growing along the gills. The "sloughing" skin is gone this morning, and it looks like he had chunks bitten out of him. My clowns aren't helping. Everytime he get's near THEIR colt coral, they try and nip at him. Overall though, I think he'll be happier in my tank than back in the mix at the LFS. I do hope he starts healing up well.

 

[melosu58]

I hope so also. They are a great addition to the SW tank. You can see the battle marks on mine from when I first got him.