Yellow tang sick???

dave171 · Jul 30, 2015

Hi I have yellow tang and he has been fine and very healthy for the last few months I had him. He now suddenly has almost like bite marks out of his fins not a lot but noticeable and lost a little but if color. Is this fin rot or something else? Could it be his diet? I do feed mysis shrimp and seaweed pellets but not often, could he need more algea in the diet or what? Thanks

Tahoe61 · Jul 30, 2015

Tangs can always use more algae in their diet, it's what they do in the wild, get some Nori type foods or Rod's which has a lot of veggies and marine algae in it.

Is fish aggression going on in the tank?
Are nitrates levels in check and other basic chemistry?
Can you post an image?

reefndude · Jul 30, 2015

Could definitely use more algae based foods.

dave171 · Jul 30, 2015

Best possible picture and I do not and haven't seen any aggression in the tank. All water parameters are good and water is very clean and plenty of filtration and carbon running. I'm gonna pick up some nori and algae rings and if things don't improve then maybe try something for fin rot?

STL · Jul 30, 2015

In addition to the nori, try LRS Reef Frenzy - brought my little hippo tang back from a bad case of HLLE

Purpule Tang · Aug 8, 2015

My yellow tang also tiny body and not eating anything pellets,flake just a very little red seaweed from ocean nutrition.I worry a bout it 7_8 days not eat.

steelheader.262 · Aug 8, 2015

Also soak your Nori in a vitamin supplement like Boyd Enterprises Vitachem and Selcon.

4FordFamily · Aug 8, 2015

Flukes can also contribute to fin loss

Purpule Tang · Aug 8, 2015

This is my yellow tang not eat and tiny body:

steelheader.262 · Aug 8, 2015

Purpule Tang maybe try live brine shrimp to see if you'll get a feeding responce.

Purpule Tang · Aug 8, 2015

steelheader.262 said:
Purpule Tang maybe try live brine shrimp to see if you'll get a feeding responce.

Ok,steelheader262 I try with live brine shrimp.
Thanks for help[emoji6]

steelheader.262 · Aug 8, 2015

If this does work feed Brine shrimp pulverized flake food so your tang will get some nutrients in its belly.

mcarroll · Aug 8, 2015

I can't make anything out on your picture, but anything like tears or bitemarks make me think night predator.

Serpent Stars, crabs (hitchhikers or domestics), mantis shrimp, crayfish and other fish can all be guilty.

You mentioned the fish has been fine for a few months, so I'm not going to assume this is the fish's problem yet.

How old is the tank? Anything else new go into the tank or happen recently?

Purpule Tang · Aug 8, 2015

mcarroll said:
I can't make anything out on your picture, but anything like tears or bitemarks make me think night predator.

Serpent Stars, crabs (hitchhikers or domestics), mantis shrimp, crayfish and other fish can all be guilty.

You mentioned the fish has been fine for a few months, so I'm not going to assume this is the fish's problem yet.

How old is the tank? Anything else new go into the tank or happen recently?

Thanks for your reply mcarroll.
I have a this fish for 1.5 year's so far.
Already not have a this problem that not eating flake,pellets,and seaweed.
My tank 2 year's old and recently not adding anything to tank.
But I have a blue tang fish,it not have a this problem.

mcarroll · Aug 9, 2015

dave171 said:
Hi I have yellow tang and he has been fine and very healthy for the last few months I had him. He now suddenly has almost like bite marks out of his fins not a lot but noticeable and lost a little but if color. Is this fin rot or something else? Could it be his diet? I do feed mysis shrimp and seaweed pellets but not often, could he need more algea in the diet or what? Thanks

I would try some night viewing in the tank and consider the hostile options I listed above. Also, flakes and pellets aren't that great for a Tang - very high in protein usually low in roughage. Frozen mysis is better since it is whole animals but it's usually very hard to do portion control for something frozen for a fish like a Tang since they really needs to eat all day long. Do your best though or go get some frozen that is also a whole but is easier to portion out. A finer grained food in a flat pack should be easier to manage.

Purpule Tang said:
Thanks for your reply mcarroll.
I have a this fish for 1.5 year's so far.
Already not have a this problem that not eating flake,pellets,and seaweed.
My tank 2 year's old and recently not adding anything to tank.
But I have a blue tang fish,it not have a this problem.

Your issue sounds completely different than this one, so you might want to open a new thread. Good advice here so far though! [emoji3]

Purpule Tang · Aug 10, 2015

Today I insert a little seaweed in clips and my yellow tang eat it[emoji3]
But still it not eating flake and pellet.
Its body very thiny and need to support with foods.
Can I using from frozen food for example:mysis,shrimp and etc.
Thanks

dave171 · Aug 10, 2015

*Update* yellow tang is looking beautiful once again got him on seaweed clips everyday but will be cutting down to every other day and mysis shrimp every day !