Urgent help needed Brown Spots on Atlantic Tang

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contrid

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Hi guys,

I hope it's okay for posting here in the urgent forum but my atlantic blue tang just showed these brown marks today all of a sudden and is hovering in the corner of the tank which seems unusual.

I'm worried about losing the fish and I'm not sure what it is. Should I be worried? To be honest, it looks almost like algae but it doesn't seem right.

Please help me. Thank you very much!

Here is the tang a few days ago:

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And here is the tang today. Notice the brown marks/spots:

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IMG_1773 (1).jpg


IMG_2082 (3).jpg
 
are all your water parameters in check?

how long do you have this tang?
 
RiaanP said:
are all your water parameters in check?

how long do you have this tang?
Click to expand...

I've had the tang for a few months.
Bought him from someone who had had him for 2 years I believe.

Yes, all water parameters are good.

Salinity = 1.021
Nitrates = 30 roughly (a bit high)
Temp = 26.5

Any other details I can give?
 
I took my uv filter out two days ago while rearranging some things in the tank.
Could a spike in bacteria or parasites be the cause?

I'm going to put it right back in right now.

The tang doesn't look very good. I hope she makes it. The other fish look fine though.
 
Salinity in general is a bit on the low side of things, however I doubt that's the reason for the spots. Also doubt that turning the UV light off would have caused that. Maybe what you moved around has stirred up something and that has resulted in it..
 
Hingis said:
Salinity in general is a bit on the low side of things, however I doubt that's the reason for the spots. Also doubt that turning the UV light off would have caused that. Maybe what you moved around has stirred up something and that has resulted in it..
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, the salinity is low, probably due to a top off that I did earlier on from evaporation. I just added a bit more to get the salinity closer to 1.025. Will check it shortly.

Is the temperature okay? It tends to go up a bit during the day since I live in the North-West and as you know it is summer now so it gets warm.

I added the UV filter back in. Just in case there is some sort of parasite in the water causing this.

I moved around some live rock to make a better spot for my anemone but mostly just above, not on the bottom.

The tang isn't looking good, she's hovering in the corner of the tang as if she's grasping for air. By the looks of it, I honestly don't think she's going to make it and now I feel depressed.
 
Ok, I think I found the reason/cause/problem here :(

I see a small cut on the left-hand side of the atlantic blue tang.
The cut could've been a scratch against a rock or something I assume.
She is quite a wild one and loves swimming laps around the tank so anything is possible.

See the cut here:

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I suspect that the cut got infected and that the tang is now sick.
There aren't any crabs or aggressive fish in the tank that would've caused this.
All equipment is enclosed as well so no way she could've ended up in a power head.

So that explains it. It's the only thing I can think of.

I still don't think she'll make it... her body is full of brown spots.

I'll post back here in a few days and let you know what happened. Please wish me luck.

2015-09-30_00-57-23.jpg
 
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the cut can also be from the yellow tang.
Any aggression issues between them?
 
459b said:
If nitrates are at 30, what are nitrites and ammonia?
Click to expand...

I don't have a Nitrite (NO2) test at the moment.
I'll have to buy one but the Nitrate (NO3) being about 30 indicates that Ammonia is converted and probably the Nitrite too.

The Ammonia is low, almost zero (0). So that's a good sign I guess.

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IMG_2087.jpg
 
RiaanP said:
the cut can also be from the yellow tang.
Any aggression issues between them?
Click to expand...

Nah, the Yellow tang is very peaceful.
I have a Bristletooth tang which could've caused it though, he's a bit dominant.

I call him "Tank" for a reason :)

The Atlantic tang was dead int he tank this morning so I removed her.

I'm very depressed today... :( :m23:
 
Hingis said:
Sorry for your loss man. I had the same, just got back home and my kole tang is lights out.. Very bleak!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I appreciate it and sorry for your loss as well.
I feel quite depressed today, just reminds me how much I care for my fish.

Thank you everyone for helping here and for your advice.
 
I lost a sohal tang after a while with this same sickness. It is apparently a common disease/parasite in tangs. My tang cleared up after a while but I then lost him to whitespot. Anyway, sorry for ur loss buddy
 
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