Help fast!

bluedevils38 · Feb 2, 2014

well unfortunately I woke up this morning to find my hippo tang swimming weird and was dead within 20 minutes of when I watched him! I took him out and seen what was weird on the back of his body near his tail! What could have caused that all my parameter are good and nitrate is at about 10ppm all my other fish and coral look healthy! The first thing tthat I thought it could've been is the ich but I've never had that and second could my BTA stung it?

trido · Feb 2, 2014

It might have tangled with the BTA. The sting could cause the fish to go into shock and kill it. I don't usually dwell on one fish death, unfortunately its part of the hobby and over the years it just happens.
Sorry for your loss though. Its never a good thing, even with a chromis, especially with a tang.

TJ's Reef · Feb 2, 2014

I would agree that it seems likely to be caused by your Anemone, in the patterning of damage. How big/small is the Hepatus Tang ? Probably to small to be in with an Anemone especially in the confines of a smaller aquarium.Cheers, Todd

Velodog2 · Feb 2, 2014

If you have an anemone with fish you should never let the tank go completely dark. It appears this happened at night. Without some kind of dim nightlight fish can stumble into anemones. I know from long experience with a very deadly carpet anemone.

Reefing Madness · Feb 2, 2014

Possibly HLLE got started there.
Usually at night Hippos stake out a piece of rock and camp there for the night.

bluedevils38 · Feb 2, 2014

The tang was about 2.5 inches and atleast it's just from the anemone not a disease!

Trex · Feb 2, 2014

Personally, I would be surprised if an E. quadricolor was the root cause of this; out of the hosting anemones they have one of the weakest stings. In the wild they prey items no larger than mysis shrimp.

How long have you had this fish?
Did you QT it?