Blue Tang QT

[piranhaman00]

Hello,

I have a blue tang that just got put into a 29 gallon QT. She is about 1.5". Day one she is eating GC soaked mysis and flakes well but every morning she is laying on her side heavily breathing, usually stuck underneath the sponge filter. This morning, on Monday heading to work of course, she looks worse than yesterday, really breathing heavy, on side. I did bring the [Cu] to 2.0 ppm yesterday afternoon but she was eating at the concentration last night. Im thinking when I get home she will be swimming around but not sure, is this usual behavior?

Also in the QT is an Orange Shoulder tang, same size. They are getting along but both are just so skittish. Im hoping they are just getting used to the environment, im sure this is a stress response. I noticed yetserday the blue tang has small white patches in some places, I was thinking it was stress coloration but not sure. Images arent great, I will get more tonight. Bacterial? I have Furan-2 only.

Any ideas?

Edit: After looking through other forums it looks like this is normal behavior?

 

[Katrina71]

Can you get better pics? I'd guess ich first.

 

[piranhaman00]

Can you get better pics? I'd guess ich first.

Ya sorry, I took those 2 quick this morning.

I guess I am worried about the laying on side. Im anticipating ich, hence the copper.

 

[LAReefer4Life]

Blue hippos tangs definitely can display strange behavior but breathing heavily could be the stress of the medication. Did you ramp up the copper level over a period of several days? Also want are your current water parameters? Also what brand of copper are you using and what test kit are you using?

the discoloration could absolutely be stress induced but better pictures would be helpful for proper diagnosis.

Good-luck!

 

[4FordFamily]

Hippo tangs stress easily, and in QT without the ability to wedge and hide in rocks they often lie on the bottom or wedge in weird places.

With stressing easily, heavy breathing can persist for a day or two-- but I would closely monitor ammonia as it's a common culprit for this. Medication can make them breathe heavily as mentioned, but I'd get an ammonia alert badge if you do not have one already to measure ammonia.

Test kits show false positives with copper, typically.

 

[piranhaman00]

Blue hippos tangs definitely can display strange behavior but breathing heavily could be the stress of the medication. Did you ramp up the copper level over a period of several days? Also want are your current water parameters? Also what brand of copper are you using and what test kit are you using?

the discoloration could absolutely be stress induced but better pictures would be helpful for proper diagnosis.

Good-luck!

I am using Copper Power. They were dropped into the tank at 0.90ppm and after 24 hours brought up to 2.0ppm on the dot. They are eating well in both concentrations. Cu tested with Hanna in duplicate.

Matched the salinity they came in at, 1.017. NO3 5ppm, NH4 and NO2 are zero. The tank has been fully cylced for over a month. I have two seachem alert badges on the tank registering 0ppm.

I will get better pics this afternoon. Really appreciate the help!

Hippo tangs stress easily, and in QT without the ability to wedge and hide in rocks they often lie on the bottom or wedge in weird places.

With stressing easily, heavy breathing can persist for a day or two-- but I would closely monitor ammonia as it's a common culprit for this. Medication can make them breathe heavily as mentioned, but I'd get an ammonia alert badge if you do not have one already to measure ammonia.

Test kits show false positives with copper, typically.

I have two separate alert badges, both register zero.

I feel better knowing the wedging between small areas is common. Im gonna assume she is just stressed out. Like I mentioned above, she was feeding yesterday in the 2.0ppm Cu. I turned all the lights off in the room except for the second QT tank so the tank is just lit dimmly.

Thank you both for the replies, I will get better pictures tonight and hopefully report she is swimming around some.

 

[Qasimja]

i have a hippo tang in QT right now with a square spot anthias and they both hide behind the sponge filter just like yours does whenever i enter the room i was very nervous about it too but ive read this is how they act i didnt use copper on mine just metroplex and prazi i dont really like to use copper unless i have to

 

[piranhaman00]

i have a hippo tang in QT right now with a square spot anthias and they both hide behind the sponge filter just like yours does whenever i enter the room i was very nervous about it too but ive read this is how they act i didnt use copper on mine just metroplex and prazi i dont really like to use copper unless i have to

Thanks for that! Makes me feel better. With tangs I am using copper regardless because of how susceptible they are to ich.

 

[piranhaman00]

didn’t make it through the day. Notice the white infection looking splotches I was mentioning, they were there when I got him in. Pretty bummed