Help! New fish swims into glass

[Pandora]

You guys I think were all barking up the wrong tree with the tank size (200 gal! Come on!) , blinding, etc.

What he's describing is just what tangs do when they have skin irritation and just general stress. This often happens in newly acclimating tangs, early stages of ich (present on many tangs, but subclinical, i.e. you will not see it, and it often doesn't develop full disease if treated right). Sometimes this can also happen when something is interfering with the lateral line of the fish, which allows them to swim in a directed way; this irritation of their nervous system causes them to swim into glass, rocks, etc. In addition to that noted above, stray voltage can cause the lateral line issue. Tangs are resilient if given room to get over the stress, and good water quality. Glad to see yours seems improved!

 

[Pandora]

You guys I think were all barking up the wrong tree with the tank size (200 gal! Come on!) , blinding, etc.

What he's describing is just what tangs do when they have skin irritation and just general stress. This often happens in newly acclimating tangs, early stages of ich (present on many tangs, but subclinical, i.e. you will not see it, and it often doesn't develop full disease if treated right). Sometimes this can also happen when something is interfering with the lateral line of the fish, which allows them to swim in a directed way; this irritation of their nervous system causes them to swim into glass, rocks, etc. In addition to that noted above, stray voltage can cause the lateral line issue. Tangs are resilient if given room to get over the stress, and good water quality. Glad to see yours seems improved!

 

[ddevlin]

I ran him up to the LFS and had them take a look at him and they said he was fine, just give him time and he will eat. They did offer to take h im back, exchange, ect, ect but I think that I can provide more attention to him at home rather than a stor with hundreds of fish to care for. Hopefully I didn't stress him further by taking him on a car ride, but he is behaving just the way he was then so I think that it didn't phase him a bit. He is swimming in the open more but still has not eaten.

 

[Pandora]

Not all fish will eat the first day or two after you get them, because of stress from new surroundings. So long as he is swimming and otherwise behaving normally, give him a day or two, then see if he will try a little Formula 2 again (frozen/live foods can stimulate the appetite for difficult feeders). Honestly, I don't know if I would have taken him back if the store was offering me credit, because he sounds a little more listless than a really healthy fish if he is so easy to catch.

 

[CodeBlue]

You guys I think were all barking up the wrong tree with the tank size (200 gal! Come on!)

I think I am the only one to mention tank size. I did not think my sarcasm was that subtle. Notice I said you need a tank at least a mile long. Just poking fun at the tang police.

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6605226#post6605226 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CodeBlue
I think I am the only one to mention tank size. I did not think my sarcasm was that subtle. Notice I said you need a tank at least a mile long. Just poking fun at the tang police.

Sorry bout that Code, the web is a tough place for subtle sarcasm! Judging from the replies, I wasn't the only one who thought you were serious...

 

[ddevlin]

Thanks CodeBlue, and for your input (and everyone else) as well. As for the tang, my wife swears that she was seen him nipping at the Nori. I have only seen one bite here and there so hopfully he is doing the big bites while she is watching him.

 

[Petstorejunkie]

that is really good to hear! perhaps you just have a shy eater at this point. it took my purple tank about two weeks before it would eat the nori when it knew i was around