Is my Tang Ok or Dying???

[Adam_1992]

Hey guys,

I’ve had my Blue Tang for about two weeks now and it’s been relatively okay. Not really eating but I thought it was nibbling in any algae in the tank.

Today we noticed that the Tang has been hiding under a rock all night and day. It has barely moved.

So I tried to move it to an isolated insert to feed it and it just sat there and didn’t look at the food. I’ve tried to feed Nori, normal pellets and seaweed pellets and it won’t eat none of it.

I also noticed that it’s breathing fast, it’s not gulping for air. Just breathing fast.

I’ve put it back for now and it’s hiding in a helmet I have in the tank so I can’t see it anymore.

Any help please?????

 

[JumboShrimp]

I am having a similar problem with a Tang I moved from a DT to an isolation tank; unfortunately it is now in a room where the water temperature is on the high-side, so I definitely added air stones and pointed a power head at the water's surface. He "seems" to slowly becoming more active; time will tell.

 

[Adam_1992]

I think in about two weeks I would be lucky if its eaten maybe 5 tiny pellets of food all up. I’m really worried about her.

 

[j.falk]

Breathing fast = bad sign.

 

[Adam_1992]

Breathing fast = bad sign.

Yes I figured that. Which is why I’m asking for help.

 

[j.falk]

Yes I figured that. Which is why I’m asking for help.

It could be stress from you trying to get it out of the rocks...it could be sick (see any discoloration or spots on it?)...it could be your water parameters are off...it could be another fish stressing it out...lack of oxygen in the water...there are a lot of reasons why it could be doing that.

The best piece of advice with blue tangs is to leave them alone and let them come out when they want to come out of the rocks. If you try to force them out...you'll stress them out which will lead to more problems.

 

[Adam_1992]

It could be stress from you trying to get it out of the rocks...it could be sick (see any discoloration or spots on it?)...it could be your water parameters are off.

The best piece of advice with blue tangs is to leave them alone and let them come out when they want to come out of the rocks. If you try to force them out...you'll stress them out which will lead to more problems.

I will do some water tests tomorrow and do a water change to be safe.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

As I mentioned on the other thread, rapid breathing can be a sign of gill disease. Trouble is, that without another symptom, it is difficult to say if it is bacterial, protozoan, or perhaps even flukes. Do you have a quarantine tank you could move it to? If so, you could consider treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic and copper.

Jay

 

[Adam_1992]

As I mentioned on the other thread, rapid breathing can be a sign of gill disease. Trouble is, that without another symptom, it is difficult to say if it is bacterial, protozoan, or perhaps even flukes. Do you have a quarantine tank you could move it to? If so, you could consider treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic and copper.

Jay

Unfortunately I don’t at this stage. Could I treat the whole tank? My local LFS store told me I could when I asked once

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately I don’t at this stage. Could I treat the whole tank? My local LFS store told me I could when I asked once

Trouble is there are no clear symptoms to say what direction to go with a treatment. I presume there are invertebrates in the tank? That will limit your choices of meds.
Jay

 

[j.falk]

Unfortunately I don’t at this stage. Could I treat the whole tank? My local LFS store told me I could when I asked once

If you go treating your tank without knowing exactly what the issue with the blue tang is, you'll more than likely do more harm than good.

 

[mitch91175]

If it hasn’t really eaten in that long you’ll have to figure out something sooner or it’ll die of starvation obviously.

Have you tried to put some seaweed in a clip or a rock to entice it to eat?

Maybe try feeding some brine shrimp.

 

[ca1ore]

By blue tang, I assume you mean Hepatus/regal/hippo? Also don’t say size. Assuming it’s a Hepatus, small ones don’t do well at all. Often they won’t eat and since they have small reserves essentially starve to death. By the time a fish makes its way through the supply chain, it’s often already malnourished. If it’s really eaten very little in two further weeks then the symptoms you observe are likely that. Sorry to be Mr. Negative. I think we hobbyists go ‘must be a disease’ far too quickly. I’ve always felt the stress of medications kills more fish than does the disease. Your tang may well have some kind of parasite or infection, but unless you can get it eating, none of that will matter. I QT all fish, but I make sure they’re eating before introducing any meds.

Hepatus is more planktivore than herbivore (most people don’t realize this). Try some mysis or brine.

 

[Adam_1992]

Unfortunately she died overnight... I still have no idea why though. She just never ate from when I got her.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I guess that from ocean-to-tank, times tens of thousands of fish going to hobbyist each year, some are just not going to make it. But it still hurts.