Purple tang!!!! I'm hoping not ich

[Cmryan0811]

I just bought a beautiful purple tang which I was very excited to get but when I brought him home it looks like there are white spots almost like a design on his face and I wanted to make sure it's not ich. I want to post a photo and I am not sure how to do it!

 

[Mike Johnson]

I upload photos to photobucket and then link them to here. Just don't panic yet. Keeping the fish stress free right now is more important.

 

[saltfan]

Hard to tell without a pic, but I have seen alot of tangs with spots on the face, like mike said dont panic just yet.

 

[nivek]

If you need help posting the photo, you can email it to me and I'll upload it for you. Send it to : kevchooi@yahoo.com

 

[Cmryan0811]

Thank you I emailed it to you nivek. Hopefully I am worrying for nothing!!!

 

[nivek]

Ok got the email. Here's the photo attached.

 

[Bearjohnson]

Possibly head and lateral line disease... I'm sure others will chime in.

http://www.masa.asn.au/masawiki/index.php/Lateral_Line_Disease

 

[whippetguy]

+1^ that's exactly what I thought when first saw the photo.

 

[Mike Johnson]

^^^ Yup, perfect example. Not full blown, yet.

 

[theplantman]

Looks like that fish is in the display, I would pull it out and set it up in a quarantine/hospital tank.

 

[Mike Johnson]

If it was me I'd take it back to where I got it and demand a refund. They don't get that overnight.

 

[Bearjohnson]

+1^ on the refund

Purple tangs are expensive and lateral line is not easy to cure.

 

[PSU4ME]

I bought a purple and it was 100% clean..... 2 days later it was covered in ich. He was in my qt though. Treated him with cupramine and he got HLLE in 1 week. He is almost 100% healed but its been about 6 months of stuffing him with fats, vitamins and Larry's reef frenzy

 

[PSU4ME]

 

[ohiojeff]

definitely lat line. I got an emperor with it as a good deal once and I have him for years. shops mark down these fish. if you got a good deal on it, then you knew what you were buying, and it isn't the end of the world. with good diet and water he will heal and recover. it isn't contagious. your other fish will not catch it. it is caused by poor diet and poor water quality. make sure he is eating a variety of foods, and offer him nori sheets. keep your water quality high and he will recover. if you paid full price, I would take him back as the others suggested.

 

[PSU4ME]

If you paid less than $175 it might have been discounted but over $175 I'd ask for a refund or a store credit

 

[Cmryan0811]

Is there any way to fix that or will he give it to my other fish??????? I paid 160 for him I don't want to lose him

 

[PSU4ME]

You can fix it, takes a while and depends on the fish.

Here is what I would do. Ensure quality food. I use Larry's reef frenzy which give me a good variety of food sources. I soak in selcon and Zoe at least 2-3 times a week and keep a steady diet of red/green/brown seaweed in the tank for him. Sometimes I soak the seaweed.

My guy is healthy but you can see a little scarring but he is almost back to normal. I have a weak spot for rehabilitating fish so I'd stay the course..... $160 isn't bad

 

[Cmryan0811]

I didn't think it was bad for such a beautiful fish!!! It makes me very sad tho because I get very attached to my animals.. Thank you for all the help and hopefully everything will be okay!