Powder Blue Tang????

[demotaz7]

Has a weird mark going down the side...looks like a swollen vein...any ideas?

 

[Hondatek]

That is its lateral line. Probably showing because it is very skinny . Get that guy fattened up and just make sure it doesnt get worse.

 

[demotaz7]

We feed marine cuizine twice a day plus nori

 

[TheTodd]

Is it eating a lot? Maybe some kind of internal parasite if so. Healthy Tangs tend to be "stocky". Almost hate to ask, but what size tank and what tank mates?

 

[demotaz7]

[ ] Powder Blue Tang
[ ] Cleaner shrimp
[ ] Clown fish
[ ] Mandarin goby
[ ] Fire fish
[ ] Chromis
[ ] Orange spotted sand sifter
[ ] Anthiest
[ ] Emerald crab
[ ] Hermit crabs
zoas

90 gallon

 

[TheTodd]

Is it eating the nori?

 

[demotaz7]

Eats close to a sheet of it a day

 

[demotaz7]

And its actually reducing in size today

 

[TheTodd]

The fish is???

If its eating a lot and staying really thin, my guess would be an internal parasite. I'm honestly not sure what the best treatment out there is for that. It's been several years since I dealt with that. Are you adding any garlic supplement to the nori? I've heard that helps with strength and immunity, but its not a cure .

Keep in mind that you have a Tang that gets pretty big and very aggressive as it matures in a smaller than recommended tank. That will likely cause problems in the future.

 

[demotaz7]

I meant the size of the spots....but ive added garlic to the nori n the spots just come and go....but now my firefish have em...we'll b getting rid of this tang on tues for sure...and other ideas on clearing a tank with ick after we get rid of the tang....i heard it will eventually die out if theres no food source..

 

[ccCapt]

Just remember that fish is the food source. As long as there are fish in the tank there is a food source.

 

[melosu58]

I personally dont think that it is that bad. All tangs have them. If you start to see some deteriorating of it and some flaking of the face area then I would be concerned and then you`ll need to read this link. You might want to read it anyway as it is good reading.

Marine Head & Lateral Line Erosion: A Description of the Syndrome and a Review of its Speculated Causes by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com