brown spots on yellow tang......

[mrarturocampos]

Hey guys, I recently added a small raccoon butterfly to my tank and everybody seemed fine, then two days later my yellow tang woke up with some brown spots on its face and did not eat, the yellow tang is the biggest fish in the tank. I did some research and I think it may be "black rich" and I'm thinking about doing a freshwater dip.... please help, I don't want to lose the fish

[footballdude2k3]

I am not sure what black rich is, but it sounds like it could be HLLE.


Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)The condition referred to as head and lateral line erosion (HLLE) is different from the above ailments as it is a non-pathogenic ailment. A tang afflicted with HLLE will present with pitting and scarring along its lateral line and on the head. Fading color is also quite common. Like hole-in-the-head disease, HLLE is not very well understood, but it is our experience that it is often related to malnutrition or prolonged exposure to hyposaline conditions. Stray electric current (e.g., from faulty powerheads) is also sometimes believed to be the culprit.There are many other suspected causes of HLLE, and because the causes are not well understood, effective treatment can be difficult to nail down. Here is what we suggest:· Insure water quality is high and stable· Use a supplement for synthetic saltwater such as Kent Marine’s Essential Elements· Insure a varied and nutritious diet (using a vitamin supplement like Selcon) is being offered· Reduce the amount of chemical filtration (if any) on the system, especially activated carbon· Remove any potentially faulty powerheads, heaters or other equipment that could be releasing stray voltage into the aquariumFrequently HLLE will not lead to death, but rather it will result in disfiguration and, ultimately, discomfort to the animal necessitating euthanasia. If you observe the signs and symptoms, act quickly.

[mrarturocampos]

OK thanks for the info, I do have a couple of older power heads and I can replace them...do you recommend still doing the freshwater dip? The spots are usually gone by the afternoon but reappear in the morning

[mrarturocampos]

OK thanks for the info, I do have a couple of older power heads and I can replace them...do you recommend still doing the freshwater dip? The spots are usually gone by the afternoon but reappear in the morning

[footballdude2k3]

With tangs, I usually suggest waiting if possible, but you have to use your best judgement, remember, in this hobby with a lot of things, quick is bad. They get stressed easily, but if you see something that warrants trying to get this fixed, try to fix it.

[KING]

I agree with leaving the tang if you can a lot of things happen to the fish because of stress like new environment or a tank bully that usually works itself out if you just feed good but unless the tang is constantly getting bullied or you can tell that it might for sure just die I wouldn't take it out

[mrarturocampos]

Oh OK, well like I said it may just be stressed due to the new fish, but its not getting bullied at all, if anything the raccoon was getting bullied by the angel, but that got settled quick.... well hopefully everything will settle soon