Sailfin tang not eating

[slitherbomb]

Got a Sailfin tang from a crappy lfs(never again!) and it is not eating and just going with the current, hitting itself on rocks and the walls. It's only about an inch and a half right now. It's stomach doesn't look pinch, but the width looks thin. I have it in a small 5.5 gallon qt right now and it's staying near the bottom, not doing anything. I found it in my dt laying on the sand thinking it was dead but it moved when I touched it.

I've tried feeding it NLS Thera +a and dried seaweed. temp is at 82* and nitrates are at 5ppm.

Anything I can do? I don't want to lose this guy. All the tangs at the store were thin but they were also all really small so I thought it was normal....

 

[slitherbomb]

If it helps at all, I can see a thin line run from his head to the tail. It might be his spine. Please help. Someone!

 

[FTMMWS]

Is it possible to get a pic?

That line you see sounds like a sure sign of HLLE...
I have had great success feeding my tangs and angel spinach and peas(fresh not frozen)

 

[slitherbomb]

These are pics from my iPad. They aren't the greatest....

 

[FTMMWS]

Sorry ,can't tell anything from the pictures,,but does it look at all like this one..This one is an advanced state,but not terrible ,but if the line on yours is in the same place and pattern ,then more than likely its developing it..

 

[slitherbomb]

Yes that is exactly it. Right now, it's only a line with no color loss. I have a feeling it's going to die before I even have a chance of helping it. The water quality it's in right now is excellent as it's being used to hatch a shark egg. The fish has absolutely no chance of surviving if it doesn't eat though :////

 

[Unicorn]

It's HLLE
tangs prefer seaweed ad I recommend feeding it daily!!! Soak the seaweed in multivitamin and amino acid for 5 min before you hang it in the tank. All he needs is DAILY seaweed with the vitamins
HLLE is mainly a malnurishment issue with were the fish is lacking vitamin A and C. Kent has a line of products, one with amino acid and one with multivitamin. If u follow the regime it should disappear in 1-2 weeks. But don't stop after that!

 

[slitherbomb]

I've put in seaweed but it's not eating :/ there's even seaweed attached to the LR right now and it's not eating. It looks very weak, just swaying with the current

 

[Unicorn]

I've put in seaweed but it's not eating :/ there's even seaweed attached to the LR right now and it's not eating. It looks very weak, just swaying with the current

Awe, poor thing
How did u acclimate him? Maybe with being week already it's just made him more weak. Do you have garlic? Sometimes soakin food in garlic helps makig them eat. How much current is in there? How long have u had him? Maybe he just needs to "chill" for 1-2 days ?!

 

[slitherbomb]

Awe, poor thing
How did u acclimate him? Maybe with being week already it's just made him more weak. Do you have garlic? Sometimes soakin food in garlic helps makig them eat. How much current is in there? How long have u had him? Maybe he just needs to "chill" for 1-2 days ?!

I did the drip acclimation for 1 hour. The NLS pellets have garlic in them and is still not eating. Its been almost a week since I got it and I have not seen him eat yet...

 

[Unicorn]

I did the drip acclimation for 1 hour. The NLS pellets have garlic in them and is still not eating. Its been almost a week since I got it and I have not seen him eat yet...

Oh my... Try soaking the seaweed in garlic. Sadly that's my best advice.
My kole tang does NOT eat anything else but seaweed.

 

[slitherbomb]

I think I will have to try that.

And it's funny; my yellow and kole tang have literally never eaten from the seaweed strips... I do give them spirulina flakes though so they get their algae.