Yellow Tang Ailment

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hey,
    Love your first name.  Anyway, I have this yellow tang that has had a white film on a portion of his body(both sides, his hedad is also covered with this film, except for the end of this mought.  Part of his upper fin turning black.  After reading articles of the internet and talking to the pet store, I have tried just about every medication there is.What is going on?  What kind of disease is this?
Answer -

Todd,

It's sounds like your tang has a couple of problems.

I think your tang has an ich infection which would be the
white film on it's body.   The ich is 100% in an advanced stage due to the massive tissue damage. It starts out as a couple of tiny white specks called trophonts.  The other problem is your entire tank is infected with these parasites.  They will go host to host and attack any fish in your tank.  The black area is called Marine velet disease which in my experience is fatal. I would also say your tang is beyond help.  Have your tried Copper sulfate it is a great med.

Are any other of your fish infected ?
Todd please get back to me and I can give you a step by step to prevent this from happening again.

I hope this helps
Todd
1. dose your tank with Copper sulfate to 0.15 ppm
2. Do not forget to remove all invertrebrates and carbon/live rock from your tank.
3. Copper must stay in your tank for at least 21-24 days.
4. Good luck

    Hey,
         It doesn't look like any of my other fish are infected.  I have a flame angel, royal gramma, and a blue damsel in there.  Asking the pet store people around here, I have gotten all kinds of answers.  Lately, I have been told that he is suffering from body slime.  Which is a fungal infection, I guess.  Yes, I have tried coppersafe in the tank.  I treated the whole tank.  Not in a hospital tank.  I don't think it helped too much, I have also tried a medication that rids the fish of only bacterial problems.  As of right now, I am about to try two medications that work together.  They are Melafix and Pimafix.  Both all natural stuff.  Should I treat the tang in the large tank or treat him in the hospital tank, which as a now, hasn't even begun cycling since I got the tank from a relative.  I would wait but I am probably running out of time.  The tang still eats regularly, although slightly less.  The black on his fin looks like it may be going away slowly.  He spends a lot of his time at the bottom of the tank, staring at a plant, or a the top, like he is waiting for food.  When I first noticed this, it didn't appear to be ich because he has had ich before and it didn't even come close to looking like that.  Any suggestions?  

Answer
Todd,

is it possible to take water out of your main tank and place it in your hospital tank? This way your ph, NH3 nitrites will be at an acceptable level. Many people do not set-up a hospital tank until there fish get sick. Melafix and Pimafix are drugs that I have not used but you said they are natural and work in conjuction which is great.

The black on the fins which is the marine velvet is recceding. The copper is helping this problem.  Also your tang will produce alot of slime to help the marine velvet. That has happened to me a couple of times over a ten year period.

The good thing is none of your other fish have been
affected.  Try to get your tang in the hospital tank asap.
Try 75% cycled and 25% freshly mixed salt water.(how big is you hospital tank 10 gallons is fine) He is eating that's good. I would treat both tanks to be on the safe side. I feel your tang will do alot better isolated  

Also there is a new product called Real Ocean(www.CatalinaWater.com) water it's great. I just set-up a 30 gallon tank up today. It's already cycled h2o from the Pacific ocean. Nitrites 0 nh3 0 and ph 8.3 Just let the temp adjust to 82 and put in your fish. It costs 9.99 for 5 gallons of water. So you could use that for your hospital tank.
Good Luck if you need any more info let me know.
Todd