my yellow tang wont eat! Please help!!!

tanglady

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I got my yellow tang about a month ago. When i first got him he was eating fine. About 5 days ago i noticed that he was staying at he bottom of the tank. Since then he wont eat. I've tried krill, pellets, mysis and nori. What should i do?? All my other fish are doing good.
 
Yep, first question is did you qt and what meds did you use, if any? Was he purchased locally or did he get shipped to you? Tangs look like they are eating sometimes, when in reality they are starving and just picking. How big is it?
 
Yep, first question is did you qt and what meds did you use, if any? Was he purchased locally or did he get shipped to you? Tangs look like they are eating sometimes, when in reality they are starving and just picking. How big is it?
i did not qt. He has had ich for about a week. Ive been using Ich-x. My other fish are doing good. Idk what is wrong with him. I purchased him locally.
 
here is a pic of him. He is about 2 inches long.

unnamed.jpg
 
did you quarantine?
i got him about a month ago. He was very active and used to be one of the hardier fish. I put him in qt. He didn't even swim away from the net or flop around when he was in it. Its like he has no will to live.
 
Do you think it could be depression? Does that happen to yt? I looked into cyanide, could he be traumatized and just slowly starving?? He still swims around but is unresponsive to his environment. I think the poor guy only has a few days if he is lucky.
 
What’s interesting about your post is you say you have been treating for ick AND using a product which does not work. I would immediately jump to the possibility that he still has ick.

Ick, which definitely culminates in not eating as the gills become infested with the parasite.
Ick-x does not work, only a copper based med like cupramine our hypo.

If you treated for ick and he looks like that + does not eat......high suspicion ick still present.

I would:

Immediately put that fish in QT and lower salinity to 1.019, this will help him respirate.

Choice A:Treat for Ick or Velvet (doubt velvet)
Use cupramine or similar copperbased product.

Choice B: Treat for Ick. (This treatment requires no meds and easier on tangs)
Lower salinity to 1.009, this can be done quickly. Maintain this salinity.
Read up on Hypo.....important when you get to the part of increasing salinity...this must be real slow...like .002 max per day....

If there were any other fish in the DT, same for them.
Your DT would have to go without fish for 76 days.

Read up on both treatments.
In both cases, try and feed a little each day, whatever he is used to.
Change about 10% water every other day maintaining either the copper dosage or the salinity dependent on which, if any treatment you pick. This is to ensure no build of ammonia in the uncycled QT.

Anything treatment in the DT, or is other than copper, hypo or TTM, DOES NOT WORK.
If a fish got better using other than these documented treatments, the fish recovered on its own.
 
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A new fish that won't eat initially, but then starts is generally normal; but one that goes from eating to not eating is a bad sign. It could be aggression, but usually it is some kind of underlying disease or protracted malnutrition. Sorry to say that the picture you showed is of a fish in pretty rough shape. A little bit of fin damage which may mean a bacterial problem (or aggression); but the bigger problem is that it is emaciated. Once a fish start to lose muscle mass in the face or behind the head they are tough to turn around. At this point I would not personally subject the fish to any medications; probably do more damage than good. Offer as much variety as you can and fingers crossed …...
 
Poor baby. I am sorry he is doing poorly. If you cannot get him to eat, he will not make it. I am also afraid if you medicate he will not be able to take the meds either. Tough spot.
I think I would try hyposalinity treatment to ease his osmotic regulation and possibly help with any parasites that are present. No need to bring down slowly. Just get your qt to 1.010 and put him in.
If he begins to eat, then begin a med protocol after he has eaten and looks better for a while (5 days or more).
 
A new fish that won't eat initially, but then starts is generally normal; but one that goes from eating to not eating is a bad sign. It could be aggression, but usually it is some kind of underlying disease or protracted malnutrition. Sorry to say that the picture you showed is of a fish in pretty rough shape. A little bit of fin damage which may mean a bacterial problem (or aggression); but the bigger problem is that it is emaciated. Once a fish start to lose muscle mass in the face or behind the head they are tough to turn around. At this point I would not personally subject the fish to any medications; probably do more damage than good. Offer as much variety as you can and fingers crossed …...
Unfortunately he passed away last night.
 

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