Sick hippo tang HELP!!

[Ibrahim]

I have a hippo tang with perfect parameters and a UV skimmer but he has a patch of skin on his lower body that looks like an infection or eaten flesh even though I dont have any aggressive fish. Do you know what it may be.

 

[Greenmaster]

Have you been feeding "Green" food?

 

[Ibrahim]

No, I've been feeding flakes and pellets and sometimes brine shrimp

 

[Greenmaster]

I would start feeding some nori sheets or some other "veggie" as tangs are omnivores and need their greens I would probably get a cleaner shrimp as well because they can help with most skin conditions. (not cure all but help with most)

 

[Ibrahim]

I feed seaweed once a week and the flakes have have some in it too. I doubt that is it because my 2 triggers had the same thing but they both died since I didnt know how to care for it.

 

[Greenmaster]

Do you have cleaner shrimp?

 

[Ibrahim]

No not yet.

 

[Flake]

What size is the tank?

 

[Ziggy953]

Veggie sheets are very important and I would also put some frozen mysis on the menu as well. Vitamin enriched foods will help fend off disease.

Perfect water params? What are you water params? How often are you doing PWCs and what size tank is this?

 

[Ibrahim]

It's a 55 gallon Aquarium. The tang is my neighbors as he gave it to me until his tank is repaired or until he finds another tank to put it in because his tank busted. He has a 150. I have 0 Ammonia 0Nitrites and undetectable nitrates. I do a 5 gallon water change every week. The tang didn't have the mark in the morning but when I checked at night it looks as if some thing bit a chunk of his body. I'm confused because I have no aggressive fish or at least any fish capable of doing that.

 

[Ibrahim]

Here is a great picture. Also his black marking on his lower body has become bright yellow. What can I do to prevent death.

 

[Ibrahim]

Wow I found out they were two 0.5 inch damsels who did this. This morning they were picking at his infection until he died.

 

[Ibrahim]

And it was a 6 inch Tang!!

 

[Mineman]

I have one who seemed totally fine until one evening I found my coral banded all over him. Now he's hiding, right next to the same shrimp, and won't come out. The shrimp is leaving him alone now, but he's not eating just hiding. Any ideas?

 

[Greenmaster]

I have one who seemed totally fine until one evening I found my coral banded all over him. Now he's hiding, right next to the same shrimp, and won't come out. The shrimp is leaving him alone now, but he's not eating just hiding. Any ideas?

He's probably sick and my guess is that your coral banded was cleaning him (some will do that but a cleaner shrimp is better) He is probably just hanging out wanting to be cleaned some more.

 

[Mineman]

That's really interesting! I thought it was bad news for sure! I can't see my hippo anymore, he must be hiding well. I have faith that he is still alive and kicking because the CUC isn't going crazy. I hope he makes it, I really want to move him to the big tank when I get it all set up!

 

[Greenmaster]

Well if he is sick it is bad news... I would say you are far from out of the woods.

 

[Mineman]

I know. It was just crazy, he was fine one day, then BAM, this happens! I know the tank is doing well otherwise as all my corals are doing fantastic!

 

[Greenmaster]

If you can't tell by my posts I'm a huge fan of the cleaner shrimp... I don't know how they would do for you now that you have a sick tang because I have not ever owned a tang without a cleaner shrimp.
One thing I can say is I believe that one of my Anthias was saved by a cleaner.
I bought 10 Anthias and after a couple weeks I ended up with two males and 8 females. One male kicked the snot out if the other. I only had one cleaner shrimp who was on high demand, and the injured one couldn't get to him because he was either busy or on a brake. After a few days the poor guy just kept getting worse, So I went out a bought a couple more cleaners. That day he saw a shrimp and it picked all of the rotting and infected flesh off, just in appearance the fish looked way better. Over a week with constant visits to the "spa" the fish recovered. It's still not the dominant fish and is having a hard time getting any girls, but he lives and fights and helps to keep the other females from morphing.

 

[Mineman]

I like that! I do have one cleaner but he rarely comes out. I was warned by my lfs not to have any more than two shrimp coral banded and cleaner).