Woke up this morning and found my 3-year-old yellow tang lying motionless on his side at the base of the rocks. He was barely breathing. I left him alone hoping for the best. Two hours later, still no movement and now no breathing. I reached in the tank, poked his lifeless body out into the open, and pulled him out by the tail. I placed him into a plastic container and prepared for the funeral.
A minute or so later, I went to flip him over to examine his other side for damage or possible cause of death. I noticed his fins stiffening when I touched him. I also noticed his gills had opened up, as if taking a deep breath (container had no water). Then the gills moved. He was actually still alive.
He looked clean otherwise, so I placed him back in the tank. I expected him to sink to the bottom, but he actually started swimming slowly. After a few minutes, I put some flake in the tank and he ate. Then I added a piece of nori on a clip, and within few minutes he was eating that. It's now 3 hours since his "resurrection" and he is looking and acting perfectly normal. Only thing I notice is a small scuff on one side, otherwise he looks perfect.
Did this fish die and come back to life? Anyone experience anything like this before?
A minute or so later, I went to flip him over to examine his other side for damage or possible cause of death. I noticed his fins stiffening when I touched him. I also noticed his gills had opened up, as if taking a deep breath (container had no water). Then the gills moved. He was actually still alive.
He looked clean otherwise, so I placed him back in the tank. I expected him to sink to the bottom, but he actually started swimming slowly. After a few minutes, I put some flake in the tank and he ate. Then I added a piece of nori on a clip, and within few minutes he was eating that. It's now 3 hours since his "resurrection" and he is looking and acting perfectly normal. Only thing I notice is a small scuff on one side, otherwise he looks perfect.
Did this fish die and come back to life? Anyone experience anything like this before?
