Yellow Tang missing skin...

[roadglidefltr]

I got up this am and my yellow tang is missing skin on both sides in about the same place on both sides.... alot of skin.... I have had it for over 1 yr,and have not had any problems with it.. Nothing new has been placed in the tank for at least 6 mo..

[nonstopfishies]

I got up this am and my yellow tang is missing skin on both sides in about the same place on both sides.... alot of skin.... I have had it for over 1 yr,and have not had any problems with it.. Nothing new has been placed in the tank for at least 6 mo..

Pics?

It is hard to say based on that info. Could be water quality, tankmates, diet, accident, etc.

[ScottB]

High on the shoulder along a little below the dorsal? Probably head and lateral line disease (HLLE). Tangs are predisposed to this it seems. Often caused by poor diet or poor water quality, but that is not an absolute.

[JSeymour]

Likely HLLE. Carbon has recently been shown to be a leading cause of HLLE, although other things can potentially cause it like diet, water quality, etc.

Activated Carbon: HLLE Smoking Gun Found (http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/content/activated-carbon-hlle-smoking-gun-found)

Effects of Full-Stream Carbon Filtration on the Development of Head and Lateral Line Erosion Syndrome (HLLES) in Ocean Surgeon - Abstract (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08997659.2011.608608)

Check your water quality, make sure your feeding plenty of seaweed(Seaweed Selects, Nori, and live Gracilaria sp.) and rinse your carbon very, very well. If it's recent enough, it has a chance of healing.