Help with new convict tang

Kev651

New member
Just got my new Convict tang in today. Had all my water levels tested yesterday and all are perfect. Been running tank for years now. I acclimated him for 3 hours using the drip type. I put him into my tank with the lights out for about 4 hours until it was daytime for them. I found him laying on his side in the middle of the sandbed and breathing really hard. No signs of disease. Have never had this problem with any of my other fish. Seems like yellow tail damsel, which is smaller than him, seems to show aggression but swiping his tail on the tangs side. What could be up with my tang?
 
Get that stupid damsel out of the tank is the first thing I would suggest, the stress its causing the tang isn't helping anything. Some convicts are too far gone as far as health goes
 
If possible setup a tank and move the convict into it. Although I don't qt I do acclimate new fish in a separate tank. Agree the damsel has to go.
 
Get that stupid damsel out of the tank is the first thing I would suggest, the stress its causing the tang isn't helping anything. Some convicts are too far gone as far as health goes

This^

These tangs have a poor survival rate. They can be very finicky to get eating. Did you see it eat where you bought it?

They also do best in a shoal. If you've ever scuba/snorkels in Hawaii, you will continuously see them herding around from one point to the next eating algae, never slowing down. Definitely not an easy species
 
Plus, for whatever reason convicts always seem to come in very thin. Really requires a calm environment and a lot of feeding to get them into good shape. Among my very favorite of the tangs though.
 
My convict was very skittish in qt. I would have to sneak up or watch from across the room or he would hide. He was breathing rapidly and just laying in a PVC fitting the first day. It dint look too thin for a 3" fish and was mouthing then spitting mysis at the LFS. He started eating nori rubber banded to a small rock the 2nd or 3rd day in qt. He continued to only eat nori (got him on a clip) in qt, but ate it well. Ive had it in my DT for a few months now and he is still eating nori well and learned he loves pellets too. He doesn't seem interested in mysis or other meaty offerings at all. But he's a chub, and gets along well with my chevron who's about 4". Mine is a very high energy fish who's always darting around.
 
I think a key to those guys is high flow as well. They are around surge zones quite often so lots of flow where they can dart around comfortably
 
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