Purple Tang Advice needed

[Tracey2]

I have a purple tang in hypo doing great, eating lots but when I look at him closely I see white along his gills and face. Its hard to describe but I know its not ich and I think if it were velvet he would be dead by now, any ideas?

[christyf5]

Is it a "mucous" like covering or fluffy? Lines, spots or patchy? Can you be a bit more descriptive? Perhaps a photo if you can get one?

[Tracey2]

I'm sorry my photo isn't much better than my discription

http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv305/Missy4now/Fish/IMG_1660.jpg

sometimes I think its colour loss, maybe the beginning of HLLE but I'm not sure because he also has something white on his side, looks like some type of parasite. The white is in a line along his gills and on patchy on his face. He has been treated with paraguard and is now in hypo because he did have ich.

[christyf5]

What are you feeding him? Is he getting a variety of foods? It does sort of look like color loss but its in an odd spot and I would suspect parasites. Is he breathing heavily or is it business as usual?

He was treated previously with paraguard and now in hypo or both treatments concurrently?

How much longer is the hyposalinity treatment supposed to go for?

[Tracey2]

He eats everything, nori and other seaweed, mysis, brine, flakes, pellets. He has another 3 weeks of hypo and the paraguard was before the hypo. I have vitamin c on order, should be in tomorrow but I do soak his food in selcon and zoe. Could I give him some sort of bath before the move?

I am setting up a new tank and my sump is 150g which has been cycled for awhile now and is at the samy hypo salinity, I was going to put him there with a few others I have that are at the same stage in the hypo treatment, he would then have a bigger tank but would have to meet new tank mates, not sure if this will be less stressful or more stressful.

[christyf5]

yeah that might help, it sounds like he's got a pretty good diet and is well looked after. I don't know what to say about the discolorations. It could very well just be stress of being in a QT tank.

Good luck and keep us posted :biggrin:

[Tracey2]

Thanks for your help. I do think he has some parasite on his side, can anyone suggest a bath, freshwater or prazi??

[christyf5]

I would try prazi or possibly formalin but I don't think you can concurrently treat with hypo.

[Tracey2]

Ok, I think I will try prazi as thats what I am most farmiliar with, thanks again.

[vaporize]

Prazi is mainly useful in terms of internal parasite.

Formalin bath (not in QT) is good for external parasite, it basically serve as burning the parasite off, so it's a bit harsh but effective for external parasite.

Good thing - it is not velvet. If it's velvet, it should be gone by the time you notice it and post about it.

You ever think that it might be malnutrition? What are you feeding it

[Tracey2]

thanks Vaporize, I listed above what I am feeding it, he get lots of everything.

I have a product called Formalin 3 in my med cabinet, is this what I should use, it says its for anchorworms, lice and flukes. Also, can I use this product with hyposalinity?

[Ryanst]

I made a huge long post but my internet died when i tried to send it so here is the short version. My purple tang had iche but not the spots like you described. I put him in quarantine for 3 weeks with copper and prazi after quarantine he had those spots so i dont think it is a parasite. I think it is either from stess or maybe not enough algea the spots are going away on mine now after putting it back in my tank. This is just my observation so it might be right or it could be wrong.

[Tracey2]

Thanks Ryanst, I found a picture online of exactly what he looks like and it was a picture of a purple tang with the beginning stages of HITH. So I think you are right it is stress related due to treatment. I have bumped up the vitamins, water quality and feedings and I actually think he already looks better. I wish my new tank would hurry up and finish its cyle, I'm at .25 nitrite so shouldn't be much longer and he can go to him home.

Thanks for your help everyone.