HLLE

[zygote2k]

My Scopas has recently developed HLLE or something that clearly resembles it. I bought it a year ago as a baby and it has eaten heartily. I have fed it a variety of foods including nori. Is there anything that will reverse the HLLE?

[Chad]

The is a lot of speculation about it out there that you no doubt have heard... The only thing I know of that has been proven to cause it is certain types of GAC (my source here is Jay Hemdal, curator of the Toledo Zoo). I think if you want to know more you should contact Jay (he is an RC member and author of Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques).

Edited April 8, 2010 by Chad

[Coral Hind]

From what I have read over the years they really do not know exactly what causes it. It seems stress, diet, carbon use, and stray currents get the most attention. I have only had two fish get it and just weeks after they started to show signs I got zapped from a rio power head. I assume it had been leaking voltage into the tank prior to that. I have recieved several tangs that had HLLE over the years and although it never reversed under my care it did stop from getting worse.

 

Since you already offer a good varied diet I would reduce stress from tankmates if any exists, and add a grounding probe you don't already have one.

Edited April 8, 2010 by Coral Hind

[zygote2k]

I do use GAC and I can get a ground probe. The fish seems to be pretty stress free and gets along with the other tankmates.

[reefhunter]

I heard it was from not using a skimmer............ haha just kidding rob!

[Novi]

I heard it was from not using a skimmer............ haha just kidding rob!

 

LOL.... Or using LED's

[treesprite]

I heard it was from not using a skimmer............ haha just kidding rob!

 

Good one! Right in line with Rob's style of humor.

[paul b]

It is actually caused by captivity. Yes I know that sounds stupid but fish in the sea never get it and there are just too many theories to count.

All fish can get it but tangs, which are schooling fish and always stressed in a tank get it the most. I have always kept Hippo tangs in my 100 gallon reef and after a few years, they all got it. I rarely use GAC, I have a big skimmer, feed food from the sea, have a ground probe etc, etc.

That is the only fish that get it in my tank.

[treesprite]

It is actually caused by captivity. Yes I know that sounds stupid but fish in the sea never get it and there are just too many theories to count.

 

I think that's the best answer. I wish all fish could be bred and reared in captivity, so that they don't respond negatively to the mere action of being put into captivity.

[davelin315]

I have had HLLE develop as soon as I started carbon use that produced carbon dust in the water. If you are using it in a media reactor and it's tumbling, make sure it's not shredding - that has caused HLLE in my yellow tangs and also my Dussumieri tangs. The yellows haven't gone back but it has halted when I fixed the flow through the carbon reactor while the Dussumieri seem to recover from it. Given that the scopas is a Zebrasoma I'm assuming that it won't recover. The other typical causes, as have been mentioned, are diet, electrical current, and stress. Of course, no one knows exactly what causes it, but anecdotal evidence like mine with the carbon is very common and nori typically helps to take care of it.

[Chris-]

I have read somewhere that they need to have fresh, real live veggies from the sea. I got some Ulva, which my powder blue does not like (he likes that grape pod finger looking stuff I told you about I got from OC) and have not seen anything on him. I also am NOT running my carbon or GFO either.

 

Thinking about it, obviously, it sounds like a skin infection type of thing. I had a tang that started to get it but it did not progress very far. It would then heal up as another spot would pop up and then it too would heal up. Come to think of it, I believe I was using carbon and GFO at the time. I think once it gets too far advanced, like a bad case of acne, they do not recover because the skin is too messed up. Hopefully I am wrong on that though.

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

I've heard its from many things, like diet not enough vit C or A and also sometimes parasites..........but I am no Biology major!