My tangs have head & lateral line erosion disease

[Drullexx]

Hi

I've had my salt water tank since April 1rst 2007. I added the blue tang April 23rd 2007. (it cycled for 4-6 weeks before this)

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/341/tangylj1.jpg

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/5209/salty001wy6.jpg

Added the yellow tang, April 27th 2007 (no pic from then).

Here's what they look like today;

http://i26.*******.com/4utanb.jpg

http://i28.*******.com/nzf7gz.jpg

http://i28.*******.com/xauckw.jpg

(the flash on my camera pretty much washes out all the color of the yellow tang)

So, I'm pretty sure they've got HLLE. I went to the local salt water aquarium store in town and he said from what I told him, it's a nutrition problem (as well as a friend of mine online, whom I consider an expert, said the same thing; hence my going to the store).

Up until then, I'd been feeding them flakes/pellets and the occasional blood worms (for the other fish, a puffer, whom has since mysteriously died). I purchased a bunch of green algae sheets, and a bottle of this stuff

ECO Fish Solution
http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/products/fish_solutions.cfm

I've been using it almost daily, and feeding them more often. Also purchased some of this today.

http://www.aquatichouse.com/Fish%20Food_files/omegaflake_garlic.jpg

They've also been eating Ocean Nutrition Foruma Two Marine Pellet's since I first got them.

http://www.aquatichouse.com/Fish%20Food_files/formula2.jpg

Also, some other pellets for marine fish, which contain krill (sparsely).

My question is, what else can I do to help them?

I keep the salinity at around 1.022 - 1.025. I checked my levels tonight, and it's at:

pH: 8.0 - 8.4
Ammonia: very low, almost non-existant (I didn't save the exact number :<)
Nitrites: 0.3 - 0.8
Nitrates: 10 - 15

I've only got a testing kit for fresh water ponds, so it's not that exact. Also, is it safe to assume that the kit, even designed for fresh water ponds, will still be fine for salt water? I don't know if the salt would affect the results enough to make it useless.

Anywho, any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Txcowboy22]

what size tank do you have? Also this may be an electrical problem. Stray voltage can cause this too.

[petsarenice]

This is notorious in tangs. It is usually a sign of malnutrition. I typically get a hold of 6 different types of frozen food and make sure they have a varied diet. Also make sure they always have something to graze on. The best I have found for that is making sure the tangs always have sushinori (roasted seaweed). If you soak the seaweed in selcon, I've seen tangs come back from some pretty bad deterioration. Good luck!

[ginger7286]

Get some saltwater test kits. The colors from fresh to salt are different and the readings could inaccurate. If your nitrates are 10-15 I would perform a water change. Try feeding the Broccolli on a clip. You can soak that in Selcon too. I use frozen brocc. and hang it by the clip. My tang and blennies love it, they tear it up. It is just another thought to provide them a variety. Good Luck

[cpage3]

I second the brocolli, I took in two tangs with severe hlle and the hippos blue is already starting to come back after about a week of a constant supply of brocolli. Also, peeled up carrots Ive heard work too

Chris

[Steven Pro]

See here http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/sp/index.php

[isakshu]

I'm dealing with some HLLE with a couple tangs I just "inherited" and want to try to get them better ASAP. How exactly does one go about serving brocoli? Are people just putting raw stems in the water and attaching to a clip? Or does it have to be steamed? Maybe cooked with a white wine sauce ?

Any additional info would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance -

[Percula9]

I would try Nori seaweed. You can get it at any Japanese market.