Dark Spot on Yellow Tang

[Gary Majchrzak]

there's a steep learning curve with marines- and especially reef animals.

if you choose to stop shopping somewhere because you lose $70 worth of the livestock they sold you.... I don't know where you're going to go because this is going to happen everywhere with everybody. I don't purchase much livestock anymore but it's always a gamble- and I research the livin crap out of everything!

I've lost animals from all sources. Nothing is a gimme and it sucks when something doesn't survive- and not just because of the money involved.

I will continue to patronize CF... along with all of our other LFS's in upstate.
After comparing them with other LFS's around the country, our LFS's are great.

I think you should try another YT. Try a different source if you think it matters.

 

[Patti7dc]

Well I am glad to hear that my issues are "normal", even if they are a bummer. I do wait until the water they come from matches the water they are going into in both temp and SG when I acclimate but if a longer acclimation up to salinity in a QT tank is the best way to go, then I will definitely try that next time.

When I bought the yellow tang I was under the impression that they were hardy fish. Then from what I read when its health was deteriorating, it seems as though they are sensitive fish. I guess you can be both sensitive and hardy, but maybe I wasn't as careful with acclimation as I should have been. Either way I took him back to CF to have them double check my water params (all were as they should be) and to get their opinion on what was wrong with him. The woman said her best guess would be an internal parasite (that caused him to bleed internally?). But he never got any skinnier, so I don't know about that diagnosis.

Either way - I will definitely try another one as I think they are beautiful fish. Other than the longer acclimation and quarantine - is there any major advice anyone would give me that would help? If the fish is sick when I acquire him then there's little I can do but I do not want to be at fault for hurting the poor thing or causing him suffering.

 

[Patti7dc]

On a related note - if anyone needs to find a new home for a captive yellow tang let me know. I'd rather adopt one I know is healthy.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

is there any major advice anyone would give me that would help?

I think Tom's protocol in this thread is top-notch:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2185929&highlight=fish+acclimation

 

[Patti7dc]

I picked up another Yellow Tang from Tom at TRS when I went to grab a beautiful bicolor hammer today. He had about six of them there so we picked a good one and I'm pretty confident that lightning won't strike twice.

Acclimating him slowly in the QT. Fingers Crossed!