Chevron Tang Help

[SaltyFishMan]

Hello!

I am wondering if anyone has experience with chevron tangs or even bristle tooth tangs because I purchased a beautiful specimen today that was from Hawaii. The fish was eating at the fish store, wasn't unusually shy and had no signs of parasites or illnesses. Once adding this fish to the tank (after acclimating him for 40) he was released into the tank. I did indeed skip quarintineing but I have minimal fear of him releasing anything into the tank, especially considering he is the only fish in the tank. The problem is is that when I released him he swam imminently to the rocks and hide (which is to be excepted) but it was been 5 hours give or take and i haven't seen the fish. Does anyone know if this fish does this for the first few days or should I be more concerned Thank you, Liam

 

[rgaleana2009]

Hello!

I am wondering if anyone has experience with chevron tangs or even bristle tooth tangs because I purchased a beautiful specimen today that was from Hawaii. The fish was eating at the fish store, wasn't unusually shy and had no signs of parasites or illnesses. Once adding this fish to the tank (after acclimating him for 40) he was released into the tank. I did indeed skip quarintineing but I have minimal fear of him releasing anything into the tank, especially considering he is the only fish in the tank. The problem is is that when I released him he swam imminently to the rocks and hide (which is to be excepted) but it was been 5 hours give or take and i haven't seen the fish. Does anyone know if this fish does this for the first few days or should I be more concerned Thank you, Liam

Hello Salty, if all your parameters are ok my recommendation is to turn off the lights and wait until tomorrow. I have had a yewllow and blue tangs and some of them are very shy at the beginning. Don't worry also try to be away of the aquarium and try to dont make hard movements.

 

[SaltyFishMan]

Hello Salty, if all your parameters are ok my recommendation is to turn off the lights and wait until tomorrow. I have had a yewllow and blue tangs and some of them are very shy at the beginning. Don't worry also try to be away of the aquarium and try to dont make hard movements.

Ok thanks for the response, I made sure all my param. are in check and my new gold acan and duncan frags are doing great and I've been keeping the lights off and made sure no one in the house is allowed to enter that room lol

 

[jsker]

My tangs tend to hide when spooked. It's a new inviroment and it will take a day or two the the fish to settle in. Check back and let us know the progress

 

[jsker]

My tangs tend to hide when spooked. It's a new inviroment and it will take a day or two the the fish to settle in. Check back and let us know the progress

 

[SaltyFishMan]

My tangs tend to hide when spooked. It's a new inviroment and it will take a day or two the the fish to settle in. Check back and let us know the progress

Yeah. ill keep everyone updated and send pictures if he decides to make an appearance tomorrow

 

[SaltyFishMan]

Yeah. ill keep everyone updated and send pictures if he decides to make an appearance tomorrow

Ok so today the chevron tang decided to make an appearance, but not exactly the one I was looking for. So I had concluded that he had died and stated to move a very small portion of rock to see if I could get him before his body states to break down too much.once moving the 4th or 5th rock I saw him dart out from under the rock and move to a different section of the rock. At this time I am debating wether or not if i should put seaweed into the tank. I already tried putting in mysis and pellets but I didn't see him go after either of them. I would like to say that he WAS eating in the fish store and got a hearty meal before I purchased him.

 

[SaltyFishMan]

He finally decide to make an appearance! And now he's swimming about eating mysis

 

[4FordFamily]

Chevron can be very fragile especially when small and especially when new. They're very susceptible to disease during this time and many of them die in the absense of proper qt and treatment. I've had many chevrons over the years and I tried to keep them in ich management tanks and ultimately failed several times. Since proper qt and treatment I've lost none. My current chevron is healthy as a horse!

Once established to captivity they are often hardy, but not as hardy as many other Bristletooth tangs with regards to parasites. Good luck, but it sounds like you may have set yourself up for a short victory. I hope I am wrong. Beautiful fish.

 

[SaltyFishMan]

Chevron can be very fragile especially when small and especially when new. They're very susceptible to disease during this time and many of them die in the absense of proper qt and treatment. I've had many chevrons over the years and I tried to keep them in ich management tanks and ultimately failed several times. Since proper qt and treatment I've lost none. My current chevron is healthy as a horse!

Once established to captivity they are often hardy, but not as hardy as many other Bristletooth tangs with regards to parasites. Good luck, but it sounds like you may have set yourself up for a short victory. I hope I am wrong. Beautiful fish.

Thank you for the advice on what I should do next time, but I was wondering what diseases this fish commonly gets? Is it idk like the blue tang or hole in the head etc.

 

[4FordFamily]

Thank you for the advice on what I should do next time, but I was wondering what diseases this fish commonly gets? Is it idk like the blue tang or hole in the head etc.

Ich, flukes, and velvet are probably the most common.

 

[SaltyFishMan]

Day 3 with the chevron tang and there are no signs of illness. He has NOT been scratching against rocks, twitching, randomly swimming very fast and there is no visual parasites on his body. He is taking mysis shrimp, but not taking it that readily. I ran out of Seaweed before getting this fish so I haven't tried that yet. I will be getting some today hopefully. I added a 5 head frogspawn yesterday. I am aware that that wasn't the best move but the coral was extremely cheap form where I live. That addition didn't seem to faze the chevron and he hasn't been effected by it. The coral was dipped for safety reasons but is now in the tank and is fully opened. The coral was also in the coral only tank (there was no fish in the system) so the chance of the coral bringing in a disease that could harm the fish is lower. I will post updates on the fish and the 3 corals (2 head duncan coral, 5 head metallic green frogspawn, and 9 head gold acan) as often as I can or if something "big" happens ( something dies, new addition, tank crash etc.)

 

[jeremy.gosnell]

I don't want to sound like a prude, especially since it appears you're new to reef keeping. Considering this is the only fish in the tank, is this a newly cycled tank? If so, I would have cautioned against adding a Chevron Tang as the first fish. Chevron tangs are fragile, and like all surgeonfish, they are prone to ich and other external parasites. Even months into a cycle, an unbalanced reef tank can have varying water chemistry. Often ph hasn't fully settled and there are still minute spikes in nitrite and ammonia, especially after the addition of a fish. These issues can weaken a fish's immune system and make survivability a 50/50 shot. Since you already have the fish I would most certainly get seaweed as soon as possible. I just want to state for anyone that acquiring a species and not having the appropriate diet on hand is irresponsible and not fair to the fish, and a good way to have a short-lived time in reef keeping.

Chevron tangs are bristletooth grazers, meaning that they should have seaweed to graze on 24/7. Their health is greatly dependant on having a consistent diet of seaweed. I can already see from your pictures that this little guy is thin, as his belly has no definition and around the head and eyes is thin. This is likely due to collection, shipping, purging, etc - but it's vital that he gets seaweed ASAP. Mysis shrimp offer little in the way of nutrition, especially for grazers and if this is a new tank, it's unlikely there is much natural algae growth.

Even the first (and only) fish in a tank should be qt'd - especially if that fish is a tang. I always advise people setting up new aquariums to establish their QT tank first, so that they can get their fish and begin the QT process while the display cycles. Once a parasite enters a marine system, your chances with success keeping subsequent fish diminishes. The longer this fish goes without seaweed, the greater your chance of success is reduced.

What type of filtration have you implemented and are you using anything to maintain and enhance the tank's bio-filter?

You're moving awfully fast with the addition of corals and a sensitive fish like a Chevron tang. I would throttle back and keep an eye on water chemistry, working to determine the absorption of calcium/carbonate/magnesium now that you've added some livestock. It's not uncommon for fish to hide when newly introduced to the tank, but it's also not a good sign for them to hide continuously. Given this little guy's condition, I would be supplementing his food with selcon while ensuring he has algae at all times. Don't be surprised if he doesn't take algae from a clip. Juvenile chevrons of this size are typically pretty flighty and nervous when first introduced to captivity. If he doesn't accept seaweed from a clip, rubber band it to a rock within the tank. He should go for that.

Again, sorry to sound like a prude, but acquiring corals and a sensitive, somewhat difficult to keep fish species isn't the best framework for long-term success. I also hope you're aware that chevron tangs lose their vibrant juvenile colors rather quickly and fade to a dark brown/olive coloration - usually within 2 years.

 

[SaltyFishMan]

I don't want to sound like a prude, especially since it appears you're new to reef keeping. Considering this is the only fish in the tank, is this a newly cycled tank? If so, I would have cautioned against adding a Chevron Tang as the first fish. Chevron tangs are fragile, and like all surgeonfish, they are prone to ich and other external parasites. Even months into a cycle, an unbalanced reef tank can have varying water chemistry. Often ph hasn't fully settled and there are still minute spikes in nitrite and ammonia, especially after the addition of a fish. These issues can weaken a fish's immune system and make survivability a 50/50 shot. Since you already have the fish I would most certainly get seaweed as soon as possible. I just want to state for anyone that acquiring a species and not having the appropriate diet on hand is irresponsible and not fair to the fish, and a good way to have a short-lived time in reef keeping.

Chevron tangs are bristletooth grazers, meaning that they should have seaweed to graze on 24/7. Their health is greatly dependant on having a consistent diet of seaweed. I can already see from your pictures that this little guy is thin, as his belly has no definition and around the head and eyes is thin. This is likely due to collection, shipping, purging, etc - but it's vital that he gets seaweed ASAP. Mysis shrimp offer little in the way of nutrition, especially for grazers and if this is a new tank, it's unlikely there is much natural algae growth.

Even the first (and only) fish in a tank should be qt'd - especially if that fish is a tang. I always advise people setting up new aquariums to establish their QT tank first, so that they can get their fish and begin the QT process while the display cycles. Once a parasite enters a marine system, your chances with success keeping subsequent fish diminishes. The longer this fish goes without seaweed, the greater your chance of success is reduced.

What type of filtration have you implemented and are you using anything to maintain and enhance the tank's bio-filter?

You're moving awfully fast with the addition of corals and a sensitive fish like a Chevron tang. I would throttle back and keep an eye on water chemistry, working to determine the absorption of calcium/carbonate/magnesium now that you've added some livestock. It's not uncommon for fish to hide when newly introduced to the tank, but it's also not a good sign for them to hide continuously. Given this little guy's condition, I would be supplementing his food with selcon while ensuring he has algae at all times. Don't be surprised if he doesn't take algae from a clip. Juvenile chevrons of this size are typically pretty flighty and nervous when first introduced to captivity. If he doesn't accept seaweed from a clip, rubber band it to a rock within the tank. He should go for that.

Again, sorry to sound like a prude, but acquiring corals and a sensitive, somewhat difficult to keep fish species isn't the best framework for long-term success. I also hope you're aware that chevron tangs lose their vibrant juvenile colors rather quickly and fade to a dark brown/olive coloration - usually within 2 years.

Thank you for the advice, and yes the tank is cycled and yes I made sure to implement biological filtration along with mechanical, and I also have a carbon reactor that I'm debating weather or not to add. I would like to add that I am not new to the hobby but I simply used to stick with larger fish only systems (so you are right that I'm new to reef keeping). I have own many fish but never a bristle tooth tang because I felt the fish would become big enough and the other bristle tooth tangs (kole, squaretail etc) didn't look nice. I got this guy for 80$ because the owner knows me and I am kid and he knows that I have no source of income.I am also aware that this fish becomes and blackish green color. I can send a video of my 120 system when I had a Californian sting and a 7 Inch yellow tang(both of these fish were supposed to be moved into a reef ready 180 but the tank cracked). I had those fish a little of 2 and a half years before the power went out while on vacation. I can also send a video of the filtration and all the "specs" on the tank. I also made sure that my Nitrates and Nitrites are at 0ppm and my ammonia is also at 0ppm. My phosphate was at around 10ppm which was extremely high with caused a algae bloom in the system. The phosphate now is around 5ppm. Ph is at 8.2 and the salinity is at 1.026. calcium is at 390 ppm, Mg is at 1240 and dKH 10 (these are all very low right now because I dose on Fridays) If you have any questions about the system as of right now just ask in the chat

 

[SaltyFishMan]

Thank you for the good advice, it really helps a lot. Right now I was a eshopps 3rd gen wet dry filter that is about 3 feet long 2 feet wide (these measurements were just eyeballed) This filter came from my 120 fish only but I decided to take that tank down and use that equipment on this system. In the filter I have a ASM G-4 protein skimmer (I am aware that his is more then overkill and only run it to dry skim). I have a filter sock that mechanically filtrates the tank and then runs through some live rock (only about 10 pounds but the "rock" is barnacles so it has a lot of surface area. In addition to that I am running 10 pounds of k1 (its a plastic commonly used in pond filters and was recommended it by my LRS). I have 2 air bubblers to move the k1 around and oxygenate the water. I also have a carbon reactor that is rated for a 160 gallon tank but I'm not sure if I should hook it up (please advise me on this). The water is then pumped back into the by an ehiem pump (this system is reef ready might I add). In the main system I have 50+ pounds of live rock with a 4 inch sand bed. The system is a 54 gallon corner tank (when the tang outgrow the tank HE WILL BE MOVED, sorry I have to stress this point because people don't realize that a fish 1 1/4 doesn't need a 180 gallon fish tank when it is that young, once it reached the 4 inch mark it will be moved into a bigger tank.) I have cycled the tank for 4 weeks before adding this fish and I also add biological bacteria to boost the cycling. Once I added this fish I also add trigger pods to once again boost the ecosystem. I have been monitoring the fish and coral for 3 days now and the fish has no signs of diseases yet and 2 of the 3 corals are fully open. The acan is not opening and I was wondering if anyone knew if I could do anything to improve it opening because at the LRF is was a truly stunning coral. The 2 head duncan is fully open and is some of the mysis that I am feeding the tang. The 5 head frogspawn is also fully open (all five heads). You also said feed seaweed which I did just put into the tank about 3 hours ago and the tangs seems "scared" of it (he won't venture more then 6 inches of it). It is green seaweed so I'm wondering if I will have a different outcome if I use red seaweed, what do you think) I am feeding him regular mysis but I will most likely start supplementing vita-chem with it. I'm usually one that is totally for quarantining fish but the system filter broke on me and I simply didn't have the time to fix or buy a new one (I am aware this EXTREMELY bad on my part and deeply regret not addressing this issue. Normally I QT my fish for 3 weeks in a 20 gallon long fish tank with a marine land filter (no carbon). I dose the recommended amount of cupramine and do semi-dailey water changes). I made sure that all of my parameters are in check too. (Nitrates and Nitrites are at 0ppm, Phosphate is at 5ppm, Ph is at 8.2, dKH is at 11.5, Calcium is at 390ppm, Mg is at 1240, salinity is at 1.026) If you have any more further advice for me on keeping this fish or the acan problem it would be treating appreciated

 

[trithumb]

Hey there, shot in the dark. How did the rest of this saga go? I am looking at scooping one but they are super hard to find right now. I have a lead on one but its not cheap