purple tang swimming sideways

[68551]

I need help as a beginner who never owned an aquarium...All my water parameters are correct except nitrate is high. the tang is swimming low in the tank and on it's side sometimes.. Fins are flipping too much?.. It's not happy.. Still eating but he used to look very content and swim gracefully.. Now he seems to struggle a little to stay afloat/ straight. He is eating normally.. I put a wave maker in the tank and that's when it seemed to start and all the fish started to hide so I turned it off.. No marks on his body or anything..wavermaker was turned off.. quarantine tank isn't ready yet. tang came w/ the tank and used to be happy go lucky.. any suggestions? pardon me but I am new and reading as much as I can.. this fish was/is the highlight of the tank and we are very upset that he doesn't seem happy.

 

[hansonfam]

HI Sue.

I would look up swimbladder damage. I am not entirelly sure if that is the problwm but it may be able to point you in the right direction and compare what is happening with your guy. Hope everything works out and he is okay.

Lisa

 

[68551]

Tang OK

Tang OK

Amazing!!!! Last night I was frantic, //////Hardly slept worring about the Tang....Turned on the lights in the morning & he looked more grey than purple....Thought he was a gonner....Since I don't have a QT set up I just turned out the lights to keep the stress level down....Came home from work & he was back to normal!!!! Tested nitrates & they had come down slightly from an all time high....It must have been stress b/c I have brown algae that looks like cinnamon sprinkled all over the tank....It must have used up some of the nitrates....Is that possible???? Thanks, Sue