Yellow tang turning red

[johnnytmc]

Awhile back my yellow tang developed what appeared to be some kind of red algae growing on its skin. I had similar looking algae on the rocks in low flow area of the tank. I figured it was flow issue in my tank, and after increasing the flow the problem went away. I thought it's not possible for algae to be growing on the fish. Is this something else? internal bleeding maybe? The tang was eating and swimming normally. Has anyone seen this before?

[DLANDINO]

Strange. A quick search of exactly this "yellow tang turning red" in Google seems to be something that others have experienced. The thought is that this is a bacterial infection needing treatment. I personally have no experience with Tangs or fish infections/diseases. Good luck.

[Sk8r]

x2. I think that would be accurate. Cyano isn't an algae, it's a bacterial sheet, and it doesn't grow on things except rock and the like. But that wouldn't be infecting your fish. Go to the fish disease forum, and get an isolation tank for this fish: the only way to treat a bacterial infection is with a broad spectrum (because you don't know whether this bacillus is gram positive or gram negative) antibiotic like Maracyn or the like. Do not run carbon in this tank; do not try to cycle it. The antibiotic will kill off bacteria in the tank as well as the fish, and only add to the bioload. Read instructions in Fish Disease. This poor fellow is not happy.

[johnnytmc]

The problem actually went away after I increased the flow in the tank. The tang is healthy looking now, but I just want to see if I can find an explanation for this to make sure what I did actually helped it to get rid of the problem.

[maymania6]

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/disease.html

Saw the same red markings on another yellow tang at almost half page. Seems it is an internal bacterial infection that needs medical treatment...

[Lynnmw1208]

I just looked at that link and it states it was acclimation stress. how did you acclimate this fish? I always try to recommend getting salinity to match up to .001 away from your desired point. that you said it is going away leads me to believe the redness was from acclimation. keep feeding well and he should recover.

[johnnytmc]

I just looked at that link and it states it was acclimation stress. how did you acclimate this fish? I always try to recommend getting salinity to match up to .001 away from your desired point. that you said it is going away leads me to believe the redness was from acclimation. keep feeding well and he should recover.

I don't think it's acclimation stress. The tang has been in the tank for over a year. It was eating well, and when the symptom was there he was eating well and showed no sign of stress; it appeared the redness didn't bother it at all.

[johnnytmc]

The problem actually went away after I increased the flow in the tank. The tang is healthy looking now, but I just want to see if I can find an explanation for this to make sure what I did actually helped it to get rid of the problem.

Here is a picture of similar red algae growing on the rock at the time when I had the problem. I figured I had a flow problem in my tank, and coincidentally after I replaced with a bigger powerhead, both the algae on the rock and redness on the tang both went away.

[johnnytmc]

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/disease.html

Saw the same red markings on another yellow tang at almost half page. Seems it is an internal bacterial infection that needs medical treatment...

Interesting. Maybe my bad circulation before was causing poor water quality or bacterial boom?

[elegance coral]

I think it was low O2 that caused the problem. It's common for fish to turn red when exposed to low O2 conditions. It usually effects the fins first though????? Increasing the flow, probably increased O2 levels, and the fish recovered.

[Alex14]

I dosed Coral shop liquid phosphate remover into my tank, could this be the reason that my yellowtang are turning red-ish?
He eats the algae that has absorbed the phosphate remover?

[Squidmotron]

Did you do anything to embarrass him?