Tang Trouble, Marine Stocking and Disease 11/6/07
Dear Crew, hope everyone is better than I. (had my wisdom teeth extracted)
<That does not sound like a good time.>
I had written a day or so ago about the Yellow Tang and Coral beauty my boyfriend brought home, that was not quarantined, shame on me, and I believe it was Mich that replied the 40 gal. tank and it's inhabitants were way too small for a Yellow Tang.
<Agreed, and probably too small for the Angel too in my opinion.>
Everyone was doing fine for a few days, but today the Tang has developed a cloudy eye, and keeps rubbing one side of his body on the rock as he swims by. We have been dosing daily with an antifungal, and antibacterial since we put them in the tank,
<Bad idea to treat the main tank, too much collateral damage.>
but I am wondering if this behavior is caused by stress from the new small environment, or does she have something?
<I would guess it has something.>
I should probably take her back to the LFS if they will take her. Or maybe the worker there who has a 150 gal. will take her. I don't want to be a killer!
<Then as you said, back to the LFS or the friend's tank.>
Please offer me your best advice O wise Crew!
<I would try to find this fish a new home. Unfortunately if it does have some sort of illness it has infected your tank. Watch your current livestock closely for signs of illness and be ready to remove them to a hospital tank for treatment.>
<Chris>

Nematode treatment, not Cu   11/4/07
Dear Crew,
<Mark>
My yellow tang appeared to have "small strings" coming from its vent. I merely observed for 3 weeks, but the fish started to hide excessively and become lethargic. Water tests showed good water quality:
pH=8.1 in a.m. - 8.4 in p.m.
Hardness=9dGH
Ammonia=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate<5ppm
Phosphate<.5ppm
So I captured the tang and put him in a quarantine tank and treated with .50ppm ionic copper.
<Mmmm, I would not have done this>
I know tangs don't always do well with copper, but I like using it because I can test how much is present vs. " the dumping and hoping you added enough/not too much" method associated with most other treatments.
<Good point>
I did not try a freshwater dip because I have had poor luck/skill with its use . Anyway, my yellow tang seems to be responding well to the treatment so far (2 days). So how long should the tang be treated? And how long should the display tank (90 gallon reef) remain fallow?
Thanks,
Mark
<If you had a microscope... I would cease the copper exposure and try an anthelminthic here instead... in both the treatment and main tank... Prazi-.... see WWM re. Bob Fenner>

QT tang with ich   8/26/07
Hello all: Need some words of wisdom from you guys at WWM. Have a yellow tang that I purchased from my local LFS 2 Saturdays ago, he was immediately placed in QT( SpGr 1.019 temp 80 degrees),
<... what spg was this fish in previously?>
and within 2 days began to show signs of ich which is not surprising since LFS is notorious for this problem since they tend to overstock.
<And don't employ prophylactic processes>
Began treating last Friday with Coppersafe and have been maintaining level between 1.5 and 2.0 ppm since then. He has been eating like a hog the whole time color is great no rapid respiration, flashing or rubbing and within the last 3 days the lesions have resolved completely and areas of irritation have also diminished. My question is I have read a lot of information regarding Tangs and copper therapy and it is my understanding that they should be treated no longer that two weeks due to damaging their intestinal flora.
<This is so>
This being the case how do I go about ensuring he is free of infection prior to introducing him to my display tank.
<Continue, finish the copper treatment... allow to rest up, observe... use a dip/bath in moving to the main display...>
If I reduce copper levels after 2 weeks of therapy and keep him in QT another two weeks more will I not be waiting for another exposure when the cysts begin to hatch in 28 days????
<Mmm, will 'hatch' out much sooner than this... Would likely show within another week if not gone...>
Marie Jones
<Bob Fenner>

Re: QT tang with ich – 08/26/07
Hello Mr. Fenner:
Could your please clear up the information you sent me and see if I am understanding you correctly.
I guess what you are saying is treat my tang for two weeks in copper, remover copper then observe for another two weeks, then methylene blue dip
<Mmm, pH adjusted FW... perhaps with formalin rather than Methylene Blue>
prior to introduction into main tank. If an outbreak reoccurs during 2 week resting period in quarantine begin cycle all over again.
<At that point I would use something other than Copper>
Have I got it?
Also the SpGr at LFS was 1.021, he was acclimated over a period of 45 min.
Thank you for your time.
<I see. Sorry for the lack of clarity, completeness. BobF>

Re: QT tang with ich – 08/26/07
Dear Mr Fenner:
I thank you and Big Bird tangs you. LOL
Your time and advice were very much appreciated.
Hopeful I was not too much of a pest.
<Not a worry>
Will let you know in a few weeks how things have progress.
Again, Thanks
<Thank you, BobF>

Yellow tang and copper   8/22/07
I have a tang in qt
<Not quarantine, but treatment>
for ick using CopperSafe, and now it has developed a dark spot on one side.
<... from copper exposure, stress, metabolite accumulation... >
I was reading on here about copper with tangs can you go into more detail about this since I am using it, and what can I do for the dark spot, when I first put the tang in qt I had a fake rock in there and it rubbed on it I thought that maybe it rubbed to hard and made the spot (but looks like it is getting bigger to me) would appreciate any info thanks
<Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Yellow Tang Growing Thin – 08/21/07
I currently have a 55-gallon saltwater aquarium... Inhabitants include 1 Yellow Tang
<<This fish really does need a bigger environment>>
2 cleaner shrimp, 1 Coral Banded Shrimp, 2 hermit crabs, 1 Coral Beauty Angel, 1 Maroon Clown, 1 Chocolate Chip Starfish, and a good amount of live rock. Protein Skimmer, EHEIM canister filter, salinity is good, taking water in to work to get it tested today. I just came home on my lunch break and looked at my tank and noticed that my Yellow Tang's body seems to be caving it just below his side fins. He is eating fine and acts completely normal... Any ideas on the cause of that and if so how do I go about fixing this problem?
-Crystal
<<Mmm, you say the fish is eating fine, but eating what? My guess at this point is the fish is not getting enough of the “right foods” to eat. I suggest feeding New Life Spectrum pellets and a macroalgae like Two Little Fishies Sea Veggies...soaking all in a supplement like Vita-Chem or Selcon before feeding. Another thought is that this fish has been exposed to an antibiotic or copper treatment that has damaged its gut-fauna making if difficult/impossible for the fish to properly digest food. If this is the case, exposure to other tangs “may” help it to re-establish these. Regards, EricR>>

Re: Yellow Tang Growing Thin – 08/21/07
Thank you for your prompt reply I really appreciate your help.
<<You’re quite welcome…is why I choose to be here>>
I am currently in the works of upgrading to a larger aquarium in the next few weeks.
<<Neat! How big...100? ...300? ...500? Sorry…getting carried away! [grin]>>
I am aware of his need for a bigger environment and am working on doing so.
<<So very good to know>>
I am currently doing a variety of different feeding forms. Switching it up between frozen/thawed Brine & Mysis shrimp (w/ Garlic Guard added in) and Omega One Marine Flakes with garlic...
<<The Mysis and Omega feeds are good, but I consider the Brine Shrimp comparable to pop-corn for humans…little to no nutritive value>>
I also add almost daily Ocean Nutrition Seaweed Select Green Marine Algae (Natural Dried Seaweed) dipped in Garlic Guard before adding it to the tank.
<<Hmm…this is very good…does the tang eat its share?>>
It eats at anything I feed it to the extent that I would not think that it is hungry in any way.
<<Mmm, curious…perhaps the “pinched” appearance is due to a parasitic affliction>>
As far as medication is concerned.... I haven't treated my tank with anything other than Stress Coat by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals which is supposed to help not harm.
<<Indeed… Perhaps the condition is a temporary one… Your feeding regimen seems fine, but I would still like to urge you to add the Spectrum pellets and enrichment products (Vita-Chem/Selcon) to your repertoire…these truly can/will do wonders for your fishes health/color/vitality>>
-Crystal
<<Be chatting. Eric Russell>>

R2: Yellow Tang Growing Thin – 08/22/07
Eric,
<<Crystal>>
I am hoping on upgrading to a 90-100 gallon tank.
<<Excellent…just don’t add any more tangs to go with the Yellow you already have>>
I was recently hired into a pet store in the fish dept.
<<Cool! An opportunity to learn…and pass on that knowledge too!>>
Am learning very quickly and with my discount I am hoping to upgrade in MANY areas. A lighting upgrade was just recently made... I am now interested in upgrading filtration & tank size.
<<Okay>>
Yes the tang is eating more than his share of the seaweed... and I fed him twice today...
<<Very good…but a vitamin soak will still help>>
since his last feeding he is definitely looking better though you can still definitely see where he is caved in...
<<Mmm…if this fish is a fairly recent acquisition…and was held at the store for a while…this may be no more than a sign of starvation and will likely be remedied under your good care>>
Yes it does give a pinched appearance... One point in the area he is caved in is much deeper than surrounding area. If you feel this is a parasitic affliction, what type of parasite could it be and how could I go about solving the problem?
<<Hmm, a couple possibilities for sure…cestodes (tapeworms)…roundworms…maybe others. These are most usually always present and don’t cause a problem unless the animal has been stressed/weakened. If the fish is looking better and feeding well you may not need to do anything re medication…though you might want to try some of the “treated” foods like the Spectrum Thera-A pellets>>
I will definitely look to see if we have the Spectrum pellets at work & adding those to his diet.
<<Will benefit most all your fishes…and worth turning to the NET if necessary>>
Thanks again Eric & I look forward to hearing back from you.
-Crystal
<<The pleasure is mine. Eric Russell>>

Sick Yellow Tang, Treating Main Tank, Lack of QT 8/9/07
I bought a yellow tang about three weeks ago. It was from someone else's tank, relinquished to the local store, and bought by me (lots of moving.) Also, when store clerk was bagging it up, she practically wrestled with it to get it in the net and then in to the bag.
<Not good.>
Fish came home and ate a bit of algae the first couple of days, but I didn't know its preferred food, so I basically starved it for about a week.
<Algae is its preferred and natural food.>
Then it developed many symptoms - cotton mouth, white specs, cloudy eyes. THEN I found out what it likes to eat (brine shrimp) <worthless> but by then the eyes were so cloudy it had trouble eating. I have to spoon-feed it so that the shrimp touches fish's lips, and then he will suck it in. (Named the fish Nicole Ritchie.) Nicole has gotten some stomach mass back since the spoon-feeding began (was looking gaunt) and we treated the
whole tank with a round of erythromycin.
<Not good to treat the main tank, the antibiotic probably killed off your bio-filtration and your water quality could be in jeopardy here, making the whole situation worse. Check your water parameters here.>
The box says a second round may be necessary. Nicole's eyes are still cloudy, but less cloudy than before, and body looks better, but her ability to feed seems to be hindered by not being able to see. Her fins are relaxed, she moves freely about the tank, and what looks like bruising on a peach, discolored marks on her body, seems better in the past couple of days. She associates one particular corner with being fed, and she goes there regularly, but it's hard to get the tiny shrimps right up to her lips, but we try.
<Need to get better foods than brine into it, potato chips of the sea.>
I was told she likes seaweed sheets, but she hasn't eaten any of it since I bought it, after her eyes were cloudy, not even if I hold it up to her lips.
I know that everything Nicole went through to get here was bad, and I can understand that the stress whigged her out, but when do I administer the second round of antibiotics, or should I use something else? I left Nicole in the same tank since she's been here, as moving her to the smaller, empty tank I have seemed like more stress she didn't need, but I do have a 29 gal tank available, if you think moving is better.
<This fish needs to be in a QT tank where it has a chance to settle down, fatten up and recover.>
The tank she is in now is 55 gal, with live rock, some corals, a clown fish and a marine betta, who are all still in good health and eat good. There seem to be no aggression problems with any of them.
Please help me save Nicole Ritchie.
Missy Kisner
<You need to get your water parameters in check here, I'm guessing they are off. Also, all fish need to be QTed before adding to the main tank, since treating them in there is near impossible.>
<Chris>

Hey! Questions of Yellow Tang. Yellow Tang Not So Yellow 6/27/07
Hello Crew,
<Hi>
I had a question to ask, I had just seen it a couple seconds ago, and I recall I've used your site to look for questions/answers before. Okay, here's my problem. I have a Yellow Tang and he seems to have turned white. He's definitely not the vibrant yellow that he was before, but he has a white line in the middle of his body. <Stress lines maybe.> Both on the side, and you can see his organs. <Not good.> I was hoping if you could help me, I'm not sure if it's the food, I'm going to try and see if I can find some plant food. He's eaten all of my plant that I had in my tank! <Sounds like it could be from diet, stress, or poor water conditions. Check your water parameter and make sure they are in line, make sure it is not being picked on by tankmates and has plenty of swimming room, and make sure it gets plenty of vegetable matter in its diet.>
Hope you have a good day.
Kind regards,
Isabelle
<And good day to you.>
<Chris>

Yellow Tang Health 6/5/07
First off, what a beautiful and informative site you all have here, I have been reading for hours. <Thanks>
My tank is around two years old and I feel that I am still a hopeless novice. None-the-less there have been no sharp or major upsets in my 38 gallon tank for some time now.
My problem is my yellow tang. When we bought him around 9 months ago (maybe more) he was sunshine yellow, the pride of our tank. Around 5 months ago there has been an ongoing problem.
He has white marks that look like scratches I guess, that are systematically running around his gills, down his nervous receptors (a straight line down his sides) that end in a final diamond shaped dot at the base of his tail. This is an even pattern on either side. <Sounds like stress markings.> Other then the white marks he has no other discoloration, there is some fraying of the dorsal fin, but that has stopped and there is no sign of an on going problem in that area.
We have tried what feels like everything. He has purple and green Nori, Zoe vitamins, Marine diet, brine shrimp, zoo plankton etc. as well as a grounding rod to eliminate the chance of stress caused by small electrical charges in the tank.
He eats very well, is very active and dominates the tank. His tank mates are two small clowns, one damsel, a cleaner shrimp and a fire shrimp. Our water quality has a clean bill of health (most of the time.)
Thank you in advance for any insight you may be able to give me.
-Aisha
<I think you are seeing the signs of keeping the tang in what is quite frankly a way too small of a tank. The lines you are seeing are most likely stress markings, caused by not having enough room to move about. Realistically you need a tank at least double in size to get to the minimum needed to keep this fish healthy over its life.>
<Chris>

Yellow Tang, hlth. most folks would list as/in   5/23/07
Hi,
I have a 60 gal. fish only  aquarium with a wet/dry filter, Ocean Clear canister and in-sump skimmer. Among  my fish is a yellow tang that I've had for 8 years. Unfortunately, during the  early years of my hobby, I made many errors and had glitches which almost killed  the tang on quite a few occasions. She's now as healthy as a horse but has  sustained upper and lower fin loss which has not regenerated (about 2-3 years  since it happened). I was wondering if there are any antibiotics that might help  her regain some or all of this loss.  
Thanks,
Rich  Aylward
<Mmm, not if the damage is "too far gone"... too deep/close to the fin spine origins... Bob Fenner>

Re: Spots on Yellow Tang   5/2/07
My water quality is actually very good. My calcium is low so I'm using C-Balance & Liquid Calcium.
<Could be the trouble here... depending on how administered, such mixes can be irritating>
I'm fairly new at this ( 7 months) and every day is a learning experience.
<Mmm, am fairly old at this... and every day is a learning experience!>
I have a 10 gal. sump and there is some red slime in it. I keep cleaning it out -it seems manageable.  I guess this hobby is fairly new and everyone has their own way of doing things but I understand that you guys are the gurus. I do have Xenias, polyps , pipe organ and an anemone.
<This last is problematical...>
All are wide open and doing ok. I understand they can be an indication of water quality, is this correct?
<Yes>
My skimmer is working well, I have about 1/2 in. in cup everyday. So as a newcomer my question is--What is damage from biota?
<Likely a chemical or mechanical injury twixt the Tang and the Cnidarians... such garden mixes are trouble... see WWM re Anemone compatibility with these other Cnidarians>
Is there a book I can get that will help me with these things as well as understanding how the refugium works. Thanks again
Dot
<Most all is covered at least cursorily on WWM... for free. Anthony C and I's work on Reef Invertebrates has the most extensive coverage on refugiums of any work in print. Bob Fenner>

Question about Marine Fish Disease... Zebrasoma flavescens, constant Cu exp.  4/18/07
Bob,
I have a yellow tang that wants to hide out when food is put in the  tank.  I haven't seen him eating, but it doesn't look like he is losing  much weight.  
He also has pale patches above his eyes.  There are no visible white dots on him.
His breathing is slightly rapid and when I changed the charcoal filter I  put in the Chemipure Elite he started scratching.  I took out the charcoal  after around 30 minutes, since I read that it removes copper, which I keep in my tank all the time.
<A mistake>
  He quit scratching when I removed the  charcoal.
Also I added an Imperator Angel to the tank and the angel has taken on the task of cleaning the tang.  The angel must see something that I  don't.
<Could be... this Pomacanthus is a facultative cleaner in the wild when small>
Is there anything more that I should do, other than the copper?
Thanks,
Sherri
<Mmm, all sorts... improve the environment... more/better filtration, skimming... Definitely cease the copper exposure... Bob Fenner>

Yellow Tang “Disease”  4/11/07
I've had a yellow tang for a few months now and although its behavior seems normal, I am growing more and more concerned over some color changes I've noticed over the last few weeks.  The changes started out as some reddish streaks on its body near on its body near its dorsal, caudal and anal fins.
<That’s not good.>
Those streaks have since faded and disappeared.
<Well that is good.>
Then I noticed that the yellow color was fading to a much lighter whitish yellow.
<Hmmm.>
In addition, a horizontal white bar appeared on both sides of its body, that started behind the gills and runs about half of the way towards the caudal fin.
<This is his stress coloration.  They do this while they are sleeping and when they are very unhappy.>
Any input as to the cause or solution to this would be greatly appreciated.
<Well, without any information about his environment or diet, it is hard to say.  Except that this is clearly a stress reaction.  Something is wrong in his environment: water quality, malnutrition, tankmates, tank size perhaps.  These symptoms and possible causes are described here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangdisfaqs.htm
Read this page and associated links for more info.  I would start with focusing on water quality and diet.>
Thanks, Jeff
<You are welcome. Alex>

Yellow Tang Lost Balance   4/3/07
Hi Crew,
<Gideon>
I've written to you before, long ago, and got prompt and accurate response. Thanks! I'm hoping you can help me again. I've searched your site (especially the Yellow Tang Disease section), but can't find an answer. My Yellow Tang seems to have lost her (let's say it's a she) balance. It seems to me that her tail fin isn't co-operating / moving.
She does all her swimming with the other fins.
<Mmm, Zebrasomas, other tang genera do "hop/skip" on their pectoral fins mostly... only really use their caudals for "jetting" about in need...>
When coming to a standstill, she either hangs head up or head down (she favours a particular spot), and she also swims "on her side" often.
<Yikes... bad behavior>
She is eating whenever I feed, and takes frozen food, flakes and Nori. I first noticed this about 5 days ago (had her for about 8 months, I think). She doesn't look at all thin and her eyes are alert. No recent changes to the tank (2 months ago some rock and 2 fire gobies). It's a low-stocked 180g tank with about 40kg of live rock and lots of sandstone. Tunze 9010 skimmer, T5 lights, Tunze 6000 Turbelle Stream for circulation (another one would help, but low on $).
Thanks in advance ...
Gideon
<Mmm, a few possibilities come to mind... Would you list the other tankmate species (fishes and invertebrates)... Do you offer live macroalgae... like Ogo/Gracilaria...? I would... Have you tried screening (attaching paper to) the outside of the area where this flavescens "hangs out"... a reflection of its image may be "bumming it out"... Bob Fenner>

Re: Yellow Tang Lost Balance   4/4/07
Hi Bob (I own a copy of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist btw),
<Me too>
It's worse, I'm afraid. I noticed I reddish blotch on her body yesterday, and some of the fins seem to have a bit of "rot" to them.
<Bad signs... of further health loss>
If I remember correctly that's a sign of vitamin deficiency?
<Can be>
Her "scalpels" also stand out from her body - it looks like it's attached only on one side, breaking away at the other.
<Does this... not necessarily indicative of anything>
She's still eating (herbivore pellets and Nori yesterday), so I really do hope she'll beat this.
<Do look into (quickly), Spectrum foods... amazingly useful, palatable...>
No I don't have macro algae (had a few pieces before, but they flourished for a few weeks then suddenly died off in one day),
<... this may be telling... useful info... Why did this algae "just die"? Most Yellow Tangs are lost due to inadequate environment... secondly from nutritional disorders...>
only a large amount of hair algae.
<This may be poisoning your Tang... directly and/or not...>
I do feed the tank "home-grown" green water and rotifers now and then. I'm looking for some Selcon or similar to add to the frozen mix I make, but it's been hard to find in South Africa. I don't think her reflection is the problem - she hangs out around a "cave" surrounded by rocks on three side, and an open expanse of water on the other.
Other inhabitants are:
A few Snails and Hermits
"True" crab which came with live rock, which I'll catch one of these days.
Cleaner Shrimp x2
Tomato Clown breeding pair
Coral Beauty
Regal Tang
Six-line Wrasse
Mandarin
<And these are all doing fine? Just the Yellow Tang is "off"?>
Added 2 firefish to inhabitants list ...
<And these are even more sensitive to many chemical/social complaints... BobF>
Will it help if I put her in the sump (don't know if I'll be able to catch her) or will that just stress her out even more?
<If you had another system, I'd move this fish there... If all you have is the sump... maybe... Perhaps the difficulty here has a large social component this move would address>
I have never seen any other inhabitant bother her (or each other). She and the Regal fought a bit for a day when I introduced the Regal (which didn't get ich, btw), but they were very friendly towards each other since then, eating together of the Nori side by side.
<Mmm... got me. Bob Fenner>

Re: Yellow Tang Lost Balance   4/19/07
Bob
My yellow tang died in the end, yesterday ... Still don't know what it was, though ...
<Me neither... Perhaps "something" internal off with this one specimen...>
Thanks, anyway ...
Gideon
<Sorry for the loss. BobF>

Tang with Paravortex, Overstocking and lack of QT - 3/23/07
I was reading an article on your web site about this but it didn't answer my questions.
<Ok, I'll see if I can't help>
  I have a 55 gal with ys maroon clown, coral beauty, 3 damsels, long nose hawk, and yellow tang, along with several soft corals, LR, and Live sand.
<Quite a crowd for a 55 gallon -- and an inappropriate one at that. Tangs will not live out a comfortable life in a 55 gallon tank, there will be psychological and physiological problems down the road here. This doesn't even take into consideration the pesty nature of the damsels, who will likely become an eventual handful, as well as the overt aggression of the maroon clownfish.>
  I had my tang for 3 weeks before I put my maroon and long nose in and he was doing great. About a week later he got black spots. Only a couple. I didn't medicate and in a couple of days they went away
<No quarantine regimen? This is a craps shoot from the start without such, especially involving a tang.. Tangs are some of the leading causes of parasitic invasions in salt water aquaria.>
  Now they are back and there is more of them (I figured this). So I took action. I am medicating with Ick attack and took carbon out.
<Useless, toxic, shouldn't be treating the whole tank, and further, this is not an ich issue. More likely an issue with Paravortex.>
  Its been 3 days of medicating the whole 55 gal tank. Spots are still there.
<Yes, this medication is useless here. You are not trying to rid yourself of ich. Further, by treating your entire display, you are putting your live rock and corals at risk, as there are no 'reef safe' solutions for ich. That said, there are chemicals that can be added, that are marketed for ich, that will not cause problems, but it is my opinion that a 'reef safe' ich solution would be a placebo and not really doing anything anyhow.>
   What do I do? Should I just keep medicating and wait to see. The bottle says do it for a week?
<Stop medicating with the ich attack, and find yourself a way to setup a quarantine tank, quickly. You will not be able to treat for this disease in your aquarium without detrimental effects to your other inhabitants.>
   He hasn't lost any color, still has a great appetite, but does scratch occasionally. Anything I can do or should do.
<Have an in-depth read through here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/paravortexfaqs.htm and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm . There is a ton of information preexisting on solutions for this problem.>
  Should I buy a cleaner shrimp, will that help?
<Not going to eliminate the problem on its own, but assuming you stop treating for parasites in your display tank, I see no problem here.>
  Any other medications? (that are reef safe)
<None, as in they don't exist. There is no easy solution here, just the longer winded ones that you were trying to side-step.>
  Fresh water dip? ( and if so is temp and PH of freshwater a big deal?)
<Can help, if the dip is en route to a proper quarantine facility. Yes, pH and temperature are crucial. If you are not able to accurately match these, do not attempt a freshwater dip.>
  Did this come from clown and hawk, or did my tang always have it and its just coming out now?
<Likely from the tang, but the overall situation was avoidable, with a proper quarantine regimen and a little foresight.>
  Please respond. Thanks
<We respond to all, my friend. Hope this helps you! -JustinN>   

Yellow Tang/Health 3/7/07
I have had this tang for about a month, and it was eating and doing fine.
Lately though I have noticed on both sides of his body next to his fins and about a quarter length or small white markings. I never notice this before.
It's doesn't look like Ich as I am well familiar with ich.
<Usually indicates stress.  Not enough information provided, such as tank size, water parameters, tank mates, etc.>
Also, it seems to dart around a lot and swim backwards and fan the sand bottom with its tail.
It eats fine and get feed three times a day with shrimp, and dried seaweed.
<Need a more varied diet than this, especially if the shrimp you are referring to is brine shrimp.>
Any ideas what this is about? Also, can fish see their reflections in the aquarium and think it's another fish?
<Yes on the reflection.  Do read here and linked files above for more information.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm>
Thanks, Leonard Paragon
<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>

Re: was UV/skimmer, now Tang parasite...  3/6/07
Bob et al.,
Well, some small progress on the BGA situation.  It seems to be slowing down.  Friday it was going through one of it's let-go-and-float-to-the-surface phases, so I picked as much out as I could.  It seemed to be more cohesive and pick able than usual.  It has been regrowing slower than usual since.  So the UV and/or the water changes with homemade RO/DI water may be helping slowly.
<Yes, likely>
  Another siphon
attack and water change tonight and see what happens.
The new problem of the day is that I am concerned about my yellow tang.
I added a yellow tang and a baby purple tang about 6 weeks ago.  
<Mmmmm>
They had been in quarantine after purchase, and did develop ich.  I treated with hyposalinity (1.009) first,
<For how long? Tangs don't like reduced salinity...>
that didn't work and the next wave of the parasites was pretty bad. I ended up treating with copper
<Nor much copper exposure>
and the ich resolved and they both were symptom free for 4 weeks before going in the display tank.  The yellow tang had gotten pretty thin, as he did not eat well in QT, the little purple was a pig and seemed to always beat him to the food, and I tried to be conservative about the feeding, as the tank was small and so quickly polluted.
<Good>
I assumed he was thin because he was too stressed to eat much.  
<Yes, likely so>
He was not thin when I purchased him, but lost weight during the quarantine.  
So right after adding him to the main tank, I noticed an apparent cyst in his muscle just below his dorsal fin, on the left side.  It was not visible in QT with normal lighting, but only under the reef lights.  You can only really see it as a shadow when the light comes through him. You can't see it from the right side.  It is about halfway between the skin and the bones on the left side about 1/4" below dorsal fin.  There is no visible skin lesion, but if the light hits it just right, an opaqueness in that spot, about the size of a sesame seed. I did not worry too much about this, as he seemed fine, and it could have been some scar tissue or something.  He began eating well right away, and his behaviour has been very normal.  He has the typical night-time color change with a dark spot and a white stripe when the lights go out.  He is not quite as aggressive as the others at feeding time, but seems to be eating well.  He does not show any interest in the Nori, so he only eats when I feed flakes or frozen, but I worry he is not grazing enough.
Their new favorite food is Formula 2 with garlic.  They all seem to love it.
He is still thin, and I am worried that this cyst is a tapeworm or nematode.  His guts do have a lumpy kind of appearance, and he could have worms of some sort.  But this could just be the normal intestinal appearance that is visible because he is so thin. I have not seen any abnormal protrusions or worm-like excrement.  I have tried to get a picture, but he is not cooperating with that of course.  If I don't have a camera he poses very nicely right in front of me.  All the other fish are fat, and he is not gaining weight.  He is not losing more weight, he is just not improving.  
In reading all I could find here on cysts and intestinal parasites, it seems there are not a lot of answers without a positive ID on a parasite.
<Not possible w/o necropsy... microscopic examination>
I found a few with identical descriptions but no one knows what to do because of unclear identification.  I can't find any similar pictures or descriptions on the external links.  And I have not seen this particular intra-muscular cyst described in any of my books.  It seems it would be impossible to ID without a biopsy anyway.
<Yes>
The purple tang who was quarantined with him is doing great.  He is fat and growing.  I will need a bigger tank soon if he keeps it up.  He had some stress lines on his face after QT, but he is beautiful now.
<Good>
Should I try to get the yellow tang out and put him back in quarantine?
<I would not. I'd leave in the main display... and hope for the best>
I don't want to infect the whole tank if it is something that doesn't need an exotic intermediate host.
<Not likely to spread>
  I don't want to overreact since he doesn't seem ill.  I am just getting more concerned because he is still so thin, and the other references to this mysterious cyst involve fish who expired suddenly.  The only choices I see are to quarantine and treat as worms and try to get his intestines cleared out and feed him without competition for a while -or- leave it alone and watch to make sure he does not go down hill.  He is so thin I just worry that he doesn't have much reserve for additional stress.  He seems fine otherwise.  Fins are good, behavior seems very normal.  Even in quarantine, I wouldn't know what to do about the cyst.  It is deep in the muscle, so would be unaffected by fresh water dip.  Without an ID it seems futile to throw medications at it.
<There are purposeful anthelminthics... covered on WWM... that one could try...>
Some of your writings suggest that these parasites may not be a problem if the other stresses are low, so may not be a plague if the other fish are healthy?
<Yes>
Very much enjoying reading "Reef Invertebrates"!
Thanks so much!
Your website is so addictive.  
<Methinks you may be coming up to being a responder...>
I am wondering how I survived 12 years of fish-keeping without it! (or how my fish survived anyway! :-))
Seriously, it is great to have somewhere to go for current and trustworthy answers.
Alex Miller
75 gal, Instant Ocean, Aqua-C Remora, Emporer 400 filter, 9 W UV sterilizer, too-small refugium/sump, 2 powerheads, CoraLife Deluxe PC 4x96W.  
Aragonite substrate, plenum, live rock.
Fish: Sailfin Tang, Purple Tang, Yellow Tang (LFS convinced me 3 different tangs would work, but am expecting to have to get a bigger tank soon -
<Good... Zebrasomas can become real tusslers at times... stress levels escalating respectively>
I really wanted the purple tang, already had the sailfin, the yellow was to make it an odd number), maroon clownfish, watchman goby, yellow-tail damsel, flame angel.  
Inverts: emerald crab, Lysmata cleaner shrimp, pistol shrimp, a few hermits, a few snails.
Corals: Xenia (going crazy), Euphyllia, mushroom polyps, Zoanthids.
pH 8.2, NH3 = 0, NO2 = 0, NO3 = 0, P = 0, Ca = 360, kH = 8, temp = 75 F,
SG = 1.025
<If it were me, mine, I would not medicate here... Bob Fenner>

Re: was UV/skimmer, now Tang parasite... and new WWM Crew member! - 03/06/07
Thanks Bob!
<Welcome Alex>
I agree, the yellow tang is probably better off in the main tank. Watching him more closely last night and this morning, I think the appearance of his abdomen is only due to his thinness and it even seemed slightly better.  I tried again to get pictures, but cannot get any of it to show up in a photo.  I will keep trying to get him to eat more.
He is just not as good at grabbing the food as the others, so I will try to sneak him extra while the others are distracted.  Hopefully this cyst will not develop into something more sinister.
<Mmm, not likely>
  I will keep an eye on it.  Stressing him further right now does not seem indicated.
<Agreed... that this may be embedded Metacercariae for instance... would it help the host to have them die, dissolve? How might this organisms complex life cycle be completed w/o a requisite predator consuming it? Perhaps this is simply a "twisted muscle" sort of injury/growth...>
I will work on convincing my husband that we need a bigger tank!
<Ahh!>
Wow, your comment "<Methinks you may be coming up to being a responder...>" is very nice!  Weird, actually, as I was thinking the same thing last night. You read my mind.
<!>
  I begin to wonder if I might have some value to add here at some point.  My background is somewhat eclectic.  I am certainly not an expert, but I have learned from mistakes and struggled with and overcome a lot of the standard problems over the years. I understand the basic mechanical, chemical, and biological processes.  My weakness is probably in pathology and taxonomy.  I am a mechanical engineer, so could address pumps/head/flows/siphons/gravity, etc.
<We have plenty of these... all are encouraged not to answer anything they're not comfortable with>
I have done my fair share of DIY projects, and am pretty handy with plumbing in general.  I have not had a full-blown reef yet, but grew up with freshwater fish, and have had a FOWLR for a decade, moving toward a reef in the last couple of years.
So I have seen the evolution in the best-practices and have tried to keep up.  I had a short stint cleaning tanks as a part-time helper at an LFS, and have seen local businesses come and go.  I appreciate their challenges, and the challenges of hobbyists who get varying advice from their LFS.  I like to keep it simple, and do appreciate your emphasis on natural sustainable approaches.  I also am picky about spelling and proper English,
<Heeee! Yay!>
and appreciate your efforts on this front. I would be glad to proofread anytime.  I am also a diver (I am the one floating upside down looking under things to see the details that everyone else swims right by), although haven't been able to go in a couple of years.
I am a life-long aquarist, captured by the challenge, the beauty, and the serenity (in-between crises) offered by our own little piece of the reef.  
<All good traits, experiences... It is obvious you have good command of the written word, a positive approach, are desirous of aiding others...>
So, I will keep reading for now, and maybe I can help out one day.  
Thanks!!
Alex
<Mmm, please do make it known when you have the sensation that you have suitable/sufficient "free time" for joining us. BobF>

Re: was UV/skimmer, now Tang parasite... and new WWM Crew member! - 03/06/07
Hi Bob,
<Alex>
Yes, on further reading I see that you have a wide range of experience levels and backgrounds making up the crew.  I would indeed like to help if you are in need of more responders!  I do enjoy sharing/communicating and can continue to learn on the job.  It would be an honor to be part of your team.
<Ahh!>
It sounds like the responding is done through your webmail system,
<Yes>
but I should probably set up another personal email for contact,
<Please do send this along>
since this is my work email (although it is certainly the quickest way to reach me for now - we have no access to webmail at work due to virus threats & productivity issues). Actually, my blackberry email may be the best backup for contacting me directly (copied above).
<But hard to respond on... is this an address/system you would like to use just the same?>
But if most of the communication is handled through logging into your site, then that may not be necessary.  I will be available in the evenings and weekends, as I do work days.  Let me know what I do next.
<Respond to the last question, or make it known how we can reach you... You are welcome to have an address... Alex@WetWebMedia.com if you'd like. But the mail does come/go through a webmail svc.>
Oh, and I am 99% sure that the cyst on the Z. flavescens is a Metacercariae.  I may have lost my appetite for sushi for a few days after reading up on that.  Yikes!
<Mmm, yes... Anisakine ("Green" "Herring") worms are not my faves... I do like the sushi bar experience, but find myself "candling" fish flesh more and more as the years go by>
He seems even better tonight, and I think he will be fine.  He is just still recovering from the QT stress and is not as piggy as the others and needs more food and time.
Thanks!
Alex
<BobF>

Yellow tang with red scratches around face  3/6/07
I know you hear it all the time, but you guys and gals rock.  The information you provide is extremely helpful.  Thanks so much!!
<Welcome>
I have a yellow tang that has been in the quarantine tank for 6 weeks this coming Wednesday.  The main tank had a case of ich and I removed the fish and treated the quarantine tank with copper for two weeks.  The quarantine tank is 25 gallons and water parameters are all good except nitrates which are about 20ppm.
<Borderline... and indicative of other circumstances here>
Last week the tang got  red tinged scratches around his eyes.
<Is the quarantine stress and copper exposure>
  I read your site and soaked his Nori and Mysis shrimp in Vita Chem, no Selcon available.  He eats well but sometimes swims a little excitedly, shaking his tail and moving rather quickly.  The scratches do not seem to be any better or any worse.  I was going to move him to the main display tank in hopes that he is stressed due to the lack of room in the quarantine, only other fish in the quarantine tank is a yellow tail damsel which is fine.
<I would do this. Now>
I would like your advice as to whether I should move him or leave him in the quarantine tank and provide medication of some kind, keep with the food soaking longer in the quarantine or go ahead and move him into the display.  Any advice you have to offer would be most appreciated.
Thank you
Karen
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Poor Tang Health....diet is to blame
I have a yellow tang that I see eating but is extremely skinny. His skin is tight around his bones with no fat what so ever. I feed him frozen brine shrimp and he eats
<Ahh...here we are, brine shrimp is virtually devoid of any nutrition....no protein...basically just water, like your or me eating popcorn or crackerjacks or whatever it is the devil kids eat these days (I'm only 20 but that's not a kid ok?).  For protein try something of a marine origin, mysids.....krill, etc. . Furthermore surgeons rely on vegetable matter to make up most of their diet, try some sushi Nori.  We need more variety my friend.>
No other signs of disease. Tank set up for over 1 year. I have a snowflake eel, striped damsel, yellow tale damsel and misc. cleaning crew. Haven't witnessed it getting attacked or chased by anything else in tank. Worried it might starve to death. What would cause an eating fish to be so skinny (looks like Nicole Ritchie!).
<Ooh....that's a good one....>
thanks
<Anytime, Adam_J.>

Tang Wrangling Anemone - 01/28/2007
Hi, have looked all through information on anemone stings and I found found nothing about stings on other fish.  
<I know we have such queries....  somewhere....  a google search of WWM on "anemone sting" might provide some useful information.>
I have a yellow tang that was being terrorized by another fish in the tank.  
<How big is the tank?  What fish was responsible for terrorizing the tang?  Sounds like some potentially dangerous incompatibilities....>
As he dashed about I saw him dash thru the anemone.  
<Oh dear....  And what sort of anemone?>
I didn't  think much about it and I put a divider in the tank so  that I could let him recover from, the nipping fish and hope to identify the fish nipper.  
<Ah, I see.  Culprit not yet identified, gotcha.  I'm glad you're trying to get to the root of it!>
I have a tomato clown, strawberry basslet
<Either of these can be aggressive....  In a large enough system, though, neither should be of much threat to the tang.  I am curious how large this tank is, and if it perhaps is not providing them enough territory.>
4 green chromis
<Not the problem, I'm sure.  Placid little guys.>
and yellow tang, and the anemone.  
<I would like to urge you to look through our anemone FAQs; I would rarely if ever recommend an anemone in any fish tank, aside from captive-propagated bubble-tip anemones, and even then, best to keep them in systems where they will not be harmed, and they will not harm fish.  Anemones just don't make great additions in fish tanks.  A reef tank might elicit a different opinion from me, but on that hand, anemones often don't mix well with corals, so....  Basically, were it *me*, and I intended to have an anemone, I'd go with a bubble-tip and I would base my aquarium and stocking plan around the anemone's needs and potential threats.>
The next day I was looking at his fins as I had put some vita chem in the tank to stimulate fin growth ad I noticed bubbled areas in the lower sides.  I's sure it must be the anemone stings.  
<Oh yes, quite likely.>
A few day have past  and one side is much better, while the other is still a red sore.  Will  this heal OK
<Only time can tell.>
or do I need to help with something?  
<Removing him to a quarantine tank where you can observe him well and provide him with pristine water conditions would be ideal.  At this point, I might consider treating with a good antibiotic (Kanamycin sulfate, Nitrofurazone....) to prevent secondary infection in these wounds - but DO NOT do this in the main tank, lest you risk destroying your anemone and in turn the rest of your livestock when the anemone keels over.  Furthermore, once the tang is healed, don't return it to this system.  Either the tang or the terrorizer needs to go, or you'll be in the same situation again soon, more than likely.>
I have been using VitaChem.  Thanks for your time.  -Debbie
<All the best to you and your wounded tang,  -Sabrina>

Yellow Tang/Health 1/22/07
Hey!  Thanks for the great site!
<You're welcome.>
I cant find answer
to a question about my yellow tang, he has white all around his mouth as if it is rotting.  He also has red veins coming from his mouth, his poop looks like it has the same white rot around it.  He wont eat.
About my tank:  120 gallon, lots of corals, live rock, two damsels, one chromis, a mandarin goby, a lawnmower blenny, crabs, shrimp, star fish, cucumber?? (it was a hitchhiker) Water is fine.  Feeding the fish frozen brine, brine in a can, and some pellet food, and seaweed for tang, but lately my chocolate chip starfish has been stealing it.  The tank has its own shrimp growing in it, so we only feed once a week.
Please help I don't want to lose my fish.
<Your tang is suffering from a diet deficiency.  Pellet foods and brine shrimp should not be the major portion of the fishes diet.
I suggest adding Selcon or a similar vitamin supplement to the food.
Water quality is very important also.  Do read here and linked files above for more information, especially the FAQ's on Tang Feeding and Tang Systems.  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm
James (Salty Dog)>
Robin Standard

Re:  Please Help ASAP With Sick Yellow Tang 1/25/07
Thanks, he was turned over sideways in the morning and died within an hour.  I will make sure to get a sump
system and some more current before I buy another, oh and some vitamins.
<Don't know if I answered this or not.  You must reply with the original query.  We get hundreds of queries weekly and certainly can't remember which crew member answered what.
Anyway, sorry to hear.  Do research fish before you buy to insure your system meets their requirements.
James (Salty Dog)>
Robin Standard

Yellow Tang with Red Blotches 1.19/07
Hello Wet Web Media Crew.
<Hi>
I have tried to find a treatment plan in your many FAQ but was not able to find something.
I have got 2 Moorish idols, one juvenile emperor, a white ribbon eel and a yellow tang in quarantine in a 100 litre hospital tank for the past 20 days. I had white spot in my main tank and am in the process of running it fallow for the second time. (the first time it ran fallow for 35 days and when I introduced the fish back the white spot came back as well) this time I have increased the temperature to 29 C. <Ok>
All fish have been treated with copper  Cupramine for 2 weeks at the recommended dosage and are disease free. Only the yellow tank I had to remove after 9 days as he had stopped eating and got rather thin. He picked up fairly quickly in a 3rd tank (which was not cycled and I had to do daily water changes). When the other fish finished the treatment with Cupramine I put all fish into the  100 litre tank that is cycled but without copper. All fish are fine except for the yellow tang. He has developed red spots under his skin that look like bruises. He is not eating well , his breathing is a bit more rapid then usual and his mouth is slightly open. <Sounds environmental, perhaps poor water quality + copper (tangs generally fair poorly with copper) + lots of fish in a small container.>
I found these symptoms on your website but unfortunately not the name of the condition or a treatment for it. I know that my hospital tank is a bit crowded (the water parameters are all in a good range). My options for the tang are:
1: Put him into the main tank that has run fallow for only 3 weeks now but with more space (420 litres) and heaps of life rock to pick on. <Will most likely cause all of your previous work against Ich to be for naught.>
2: Leave him where he is and take the chance that he gets worse and dies!?! <Not a great option, but in some ways better than putting him back in the main to get ich again.>
3. get out the third tank (70 litres) and quarantine him in there by himself but the water will not be of good quality and I will have to do daily water changes.  <Best option.>
Could you please advice of what he is actually suffering from and what you would do in this case. I'd like to get rid once and for all of all white spot in my main tank, and after may hours of studying your wonderful website I believe  I can, but I don't want to loose my fish in the process.
Any advice would be really appreciated.
By the way, I love your website, it's great!!!!!!!!!!! many thanks, Jana.
<Best bet is to put him in a QT alone for a while.  At least daily water changes will be necessary to keep the water good but this is his best chance.  If ich comes back in the future do not use copper on the tang, they really don't tolerate it well.  Go with hyposalinity next time.>
<Chris>

Yellow Tang Turning Brown  1/9/07
Hello,
<Hi there>
I was looking at some of the forums and there was one identical to  mine.  I have a very active Yellow Tang,  about 2 weeks ago he got  some brown at the top of his eyes.  Now it is on his fins and some around  his mouth.
<This is usually a sort of "stress" marking... something (size, lay-out of the system, water quality, social/psychological is amiss>
  My water
quality is PH 8.4, Nitrite 0, Am 0, and my nitrate  level was high at 10 but with a water change about a week ago it is at about  4ppm.
<These are all fine>
  He is very active and eats well.  I do not know what to do for  him as the forum just recommended feeding him Nori.
<Need more than this...>
I have 2 percula clowns, 1 blue hippo, and a coral beauty angel fish all doing will.  Just the Yellow Tang is having problems.
Anything that I can do for him?
Rick
<Could be either the Centropyge or other Tang is mal-influencing your Yellow... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Yellow Tang Spots  12.29.2006
Dear WWM Crew:
   I really hope you can give me an idea on what the problem is with my Yellow Tang, He was moved from the main tank to a QT almost two weeks ago, after developing ich. I have been treating him with copper at the QT and ich seems to be gone, but he still shows a few white blotches on one of his sides and on his tail...Any ideas on what it is or what to do? He is eating well and seems to be very happy.
   I hope you can give me an idea.
  Thank you,
  Oscar
<Hi Oscar.  It's very difficult to distinguish parasites or infections without a picture.  I have always had great luck giving my tangs a pH adjusted freshwater dip to rid these types of ailments.  Please read more here, http://www.wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm.  Send in a picture if this info isn't helpful.  Thanks, Ryan>

Sick Yellow Tang   12/28/06
Hi,
<Hey Otis, JustinN with you today.>
I have a 110 gallon marine aquarium with rock and sand.   A few  days ago I noticed black spots on my yellow tang and I treated the tank with  "Copper Power".   My tang now has red spots and is doing very  poorly.   
<Mmm, you've likely damaged the biofilter in your tank. Treating in your display tank is a very risky and poor idea.>
I also have a clownfish, a domino damselfish, and royal  Dottyback.   They seem to be doing fine.
<Ok>
My plan is to have a fish only tank so I thought that copper treatment was okay.   After reading through your website I am not so  sure.   
<By now you know that your substrate, any live rock you have, and possibly even the silicone sealing your tank now contain copper traces. This won't help keeping any invertebrates later on, whether they are corals or otherwise.>
What would you recommend for my remaining fish?   
<Quarantine all the fish, for 6-8 weeks while allowing the tank to run fallow (fishless) for the same duration.>
How can I get rid of the parasites from my main tank?
<See my recommendation as stated above> <<Mmm, I would've referred this writer to our FAQs on Paravortex... RMF>>
I am setting up a HT for future fish, however I am concerned that my  main tank will get them sick.
<Not of concern if you allow your display to run fallow for a minimum of 6 weeks. Without a fish host, the parasites will run through their lifecycle and die in this period.>
Any help would be welcomed.
Thanks,
Otis Ferguson
<Hope this helps you! -JustinN>

Tang with HLLE  11/29/06
Dear Crew,
<Hi>
This Yellow Tang is suffering from what appears to be HLLE.
<Picture did not come through.>
The upper fins continue to deteriorate with poor color (faded   yellow), however the lower fins appear to deteriorate very little to none.
She is approximately 2 1/2" inches long.  I've had her for 7 months.
44 pentagon gallon tank  (I know this is a bad tank) <Quite>
25 lbs of Live rock
Other Inhabitants:
(1) 1 1/2" percula clown
(1) Skunk Cleaner
A few Hermit crabs
Water parameters are:
10 PPM Nitrate
0 Nitrite
0 Ammonia
The tang eats Mysis shrimp, Nori and formula 2.
She has been in a hospital tank for 4 months and treated with the following medications:
1. Furazone Green - treated 3 months ago - twice Fins improved a little bit   Returned into main tank. Fish got worse. Returned to hospital tank.
2. Erythromycin -treated 2 months ago, and again a month ago. Cured Tail and lower fin. Cured top fins for a week, then top fins got worse
3. Regular water in hospital tank - slow improvement - returned to  main tank
I have returned her to the main tank and her color has improved however the main fin (sorry I do not know the proper name) never seems to heal/improve.  The fish eats well and seems happy, however looks terrible.
Any suggestions?
<HLLE is generally caused by poor nutrition, increase plant material in feeding and limit the meaty foods which are not part of its natural diet.  Please see http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hllefaqs.htm for more.>
<Chris>

Question about ick? Need... to read      11/25/06
Hey,
<Neighhhhhh!>
I was looking over the website and I wasn't sure if I answered my question or not. I have been treating a yellow tang and a percula clown in my quarantine tank
<Now a treatment tank>
for ick over the last few days. They had all the classic symptoms for it. The clown seems to be getting better, he is eating and swimming well. The tang's eyes have become cloudy, fins are starting to look bad, and gill working pretty hard. Is this a symptom of ick or could it be something else.
<Could be, but more likely a symptom of the treatment (Acanthurids are sensitive to copper, poor water quality, the combo.>
I have been treating them with rid ick for about 4 days.
<And Malachite...>
Thank you for your help. It is greatly appreciated!!
Zach
<Read on my friend... your present answers and some others to soon come are answered on WWM. Yellow Tang Disease, Crypt... Bob Fenner>