Tang look bad

[Simon Reefing]

Hello everyone! I need some help with my tang. I’ve had him for a few years and do not want to lose him. I noticed he hasn’t been eating about 3 days ago. This is odd since he eats like crazyy.

fast forward to yesterday. I noticed he has some discoloration. It looks like scares and a little bit of HLLE. He eats seaweed but does not go for anything else anymore. He was hidding in the rock structure but today he is out and about. He looked a bit stressed and mad. Him and my puffer go everywhere together and yesterday I noticed him tail whip a little. His breathing is fast and heavy open mouthed. what worries me is I just noticed him rub on a rock. I do not see any spots on him.

some things I’ve done and thought it could be:

1. tested water since I thought maybe it’s something I’m missing. Every looked good will post results below. No other fish look sick or stressed and eat fine. Corals have honestly doubled in size this week also.

2. Nothing has been added to the tank for years coral and fish have stayed the same tang 2 clowns and v. puffer.

3. skimmer is on and refugium runs opposite time. And I moved my nozzle to break the water in case oxygen issues.

4. I have about 25 to 30 gallons ready for a water change. Last one made was last Sunday. I do one every week. I did remove a lot of my chateo idk if that could have affected anything.

sorry for the rambling I’m really trying to think of everything possible. I really want him to get better. I’m probably missing something but I will respond with any questions! Thank you for your help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone! I need some help with my tang. I’ve had him for a few years and do not want to lose him. I noticed he hasn’t been eating about 3 days ago. This is odd since he eats like crazyy.

fast forward to yesterday. I noticed he has some discoloration. It looks like scares and a little bit of HLLE. He eats seaweed but does not go for anything else anymore. He was hidding in the rock structure but today he is out and about. He looked a bit stressed and mad. Him and my puffer go everywhere together and yesterday I noticed him tail whip a little. His breathing is fast and heavy open mouthed. what worries me is I just noticed him rub on a rock. I do not see any spots on him.

some things I’ve done and thought it could be:

1. tested water since I thought maybe it’s something I’m missing. Every looked good will post results below. No other fish look sick or stressed and eat fine. Corals have honestly doubled in size this week also.

2. Nothing has been added to the tank for years coral and fish have stayed the same tang 2 clowns and v. puffer.

3. skimmer is on and refugium runs opposite time. And I moved my nozzle to break the water in case oxygen issues.

4. I have about 25 to 30 gallons ready for a water change. Last one made was last Sunday. I do one every week. I did remove a lot of my chateo idk if that could have affected anything.

sorry for the rambling I’m really trying to think of everything possible. I really want him to get better. I’m probably missing something but I will respond with any questions! Thank you for your help!

Will be impossible to assess without clear pictures under white lighting/ Please post some pics

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Any chance the v puffer is bullying the Tang?

 

[Simon Reefing]

this was preformed with my local reef shops spinning test kit I do not have all the test kits

Alk: 9

ph:8 (my ph probe on my controller says 8.2 -8.5 depending on time)

Calcium:428

Nitrate:2 (my salf. Test kit shows 0)

Nitrite: 0

Phosphate:0 (my Hannah shows .11)

ammonia: .1 but this is api test kit so idk if there really is ammonia I feel like my corals would be bothered.

 

[Simon Reefing]

Any chance the v puffer is bullying the Tang?

That’s what I thought but I haven’t noticed any aggression from him he kind of just does his own thing. Thank you for your help also!

 

[Simon Reefing]

Any chance the v puffer is bullying the Tang?

Pictures are coming I wanted to make sure to post so I wouldn’t lose anything I wrote lol

 

[Simon Reefing]

Yes I do have to much Xenia I do not know what to do with they over took everywhere lol

 

[Simon Reefing]

Puffer shows no signs of disease

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yes I do have to much Xenia I do not know what to do with they over took everywhere lol

These thumbprint imperfections suggest:
High nitrate
Vitamin deficiency

Is there a couple of bumps by its tail ?
What foods are you feeding tang ?

 

[Simon Reefing]

These thumbprint imperfections suggest:
High nitrate
Vitamin deficiency

Is there a couple of bumps by its tail ?
What foods are you feeding tang ?

I’ve tested with two different test kits and I could detect nitrate do you think the test can be bad?

vitamin deficiency I am incline to believe this also. I was gone for vacation so I only feed with the auto feeder. I recently changed the food to PE pellets. I was using full spectrum before I bought PE. I also feed seaweed but I didn’t for a while since I was on vacation. I recently bought so reef frenzy as well.

I do not see any numbs on his tail. He does still have a nice shinny slime coat though if that means anything.

 

[Simon Reefing]

These thumbprint imperfections suggest:
High nitrate
Vitamin deficiency

Is there a couple of bumps by its tail ?
What foods are you feeding tang ?

Also thank you for your help!

 

[Simon Reefing]

These thumbprint imperfections suggest:
High nitrate
Vitamin deficiency

Is there a couple of bumps by its tail ?
What foods are you feeding tang ?

Before I left I took out a ton of chateo because it was full. I hate killing pods because I feel bad. So I swirl the chateo in a bucket and dump the water back it’s always upper nasty. I did this before I left so I’m wondering if my nutrients are up and that’s what caused the explosion of my corals also. I did do a water change after I did that

 

[vetteguy53081]

Before I left I took out a ton of chateo because it was full. I hate killing pods because I feel bad. So I swirl the chateo in a bucket and dump the water back it’s always upper nasty. I did this before I left so I’m wondering if my nutrients are up and that’s what caused the explosion of my corals also. I did do a water change after I did that

Very high possibility yes

 

[Simon Reefing]

Very high possibility yes

Thank you so much for your help. I’m going to do a water change right now. I usually don’t like to over correct but I threw a lot of food in there hoping he would eat at least one so that probably didn’t help. Thank you again!

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Before I left I took out a ton of chateo because it was full. I hate killing pods because I feel bad. So I swirl the chateo in a bucket and dump the water back it’s always upper nasty. I did this before I left so I’m wondering if my nutrients are up and that’s what caused the explosion of my corals also. I did do a water change after I did that

But your nitrate test out at 2, correct?

If so, 2 is not high at all. I am leaning towards either lack of vitamins and the tank lacking the amount of food it was getting. Or boht os those and possibly the puffer being a bully due to it wanting the same amount of food as it got before. Puffers a notorious for being pigs and will bully to get a fat belly.

 

[Simon Reefing]

But your nitrate test out at 2, correct?

If so, 2 is not high at all. I am leaning towards either lack of vitamins and the tank lacking the amount of food it was getting. Or boht os those and possibly the puffer being a bully due to it wanting the same amount of food as it got before. Puffers a notorious for being pigs and will bully to get a fat belly.

Haha I don’t doubt it he has gotten bigger since I left is that honestly could be the case probably everything compounded. Yes I get a zero when I test my lfs said 10 but wrote down 2. I honestly don’t go to that one often just because I don’t really trust it I prefer Nemo’s reef but it was to far. I’m thinking my test can be bad since I’ve never tested over 0. And maybe my nitrates shot up to 10 plus the food issue just causing the perfect storm

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Haha I don’t doubt it he has gotten bigger since I left is that honestly could be the case probably everything compounded. Yes I get a zero when I test my lfs said 10 but wrote down 2. I honestly don’t go to that one often just because I don’t really trust it I prefer Nemo’s reef but it was to far. I’m thinking my test can be bad since I’ve never tested over 0. And maybe my nitrates shot up to 10 plus the food issue just causing the perfect storm

It is possible. What test kit are you using again, salifert? If so, I think they have a low range way of doing the test, but could be wrong on that. Biggest thing is to look at the exp. date. Even if it is 10 then that is still not bad. My tank with 12 tangs sits at that all day long with no issues and some FOWLR tanks sit closer to 80 with fish having no issues.

I am still leaning towards some good food for the little guy, watch the puffer at feeding time and do not do too many things to the tank too fast. If you do not have dinos, still have some algae film on the glass, we know the tank is not at 0 nitrates. If it is at 10, still not bad and a small water change will not hurt anything.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

At either 10 or 2. This is not nitrates. Nitrate toxicity to fish is way way higher than this.

My yellow tang never looked better than when he was sitting in north of 200 nitrates and unreadably high phosphates with five DKH.

Recent changeup in food as well as you not feeding what you normally do and as often could have something to do with it. I also wouldn't completely clear the puffer of any wrongdoing.

 

[Simon Reefing]

It is possible. What test kit are you using again, salifert? If so, I think they have a low range way of doing the test, but could be wrong on that. Biggest thing is to look at the exp. date. Even if it is 10 then that is still not bad. My tank with 12 tangs sits at that all day long with no issues and some FOWLR tanks sit closer to 80 with fish having no issues.

I am still leaning towards some good food for the little guy, watch the puffer at feeding time and do not do too many things to the tank too fast. If you do not have dinos, still have some algae film on the glass, we know the tank is not at 0 nitrates. If it is at 10, still not bad and a small water change will not hurt anything.

Thank you so much for your help! I don’t have any Dino’s but I do have a bit of algae slime and cyano. I was going crazy figuring out what was the cause since my nitrates are “0” but with that being said I’m going to add some more bacteria and do chemicals as the last resort.

I did have a question is it normal to see a ton of dead pods? I always see them dead in the water but at night I have hundreds so they are not dying but while I’m doing my water change I see a handful at the top dead.

 

[Simon Reefing]

At either 10 or 2. This is not nitrates. Nitrate toxicity to fish is way way higher than this.

My yellow tang never looked better than when he was sitting in north of 200 nitrates and unreadably high phosphates with five DKH.

Recent changeup in food as well as you not feeding what you normally do and as often could have something to do with it. I also wouldn't completely clear the puffer of any wrongdoing.

Oh wow that’s cool! What caused the nitrates to be that high? And yes I’m going to start looking at him a bit more it’s weird because I’ve had all of them for a few years. **** always hits the fan when you go on trips I feel.