sick tang

[rdmcgraw]

I have a few problems going on. My phosphates are through the roof, and I have dinoflagellates cropping up everywhere. Im working on getting the phosphates out...2 reactors running phosguard.

My yellow tang is sick. Hes breathing heavy and wont eat or come out of the rocks.
He has a large brown spot with a white dot in the middle. Anyone know what this is?

140 gallon tank, 25 gallon fuge, 20 gallon sump
ammonia:0
nitrites:0
nitrates:0
ph: 8.2
alk: 11
phosphates .7 ppm ( i know!)
calcium: 450
temp: 81

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

Looks like the tang is suffering because of the bad water quality. I didn't even know test kits read phosphates that high? Are you keeping up with WCs?

I'd try feeding your tang garlic and selcon soaked nori on a clip/flake. Also, soak your mysis as well.

If you can obtain fresh algae like caulerpa/gracilaria that would probably be the best to get him back into good health.

I would keep up with WC and not to wait for the waterquailty to diminish, panicked, and load up a bunch of phosphate remover. Changing it out monthly goes a long way. A good WC schedule as well.

Some action with your tang needs to be done. He looks sickly skinny. Try feeding him a couple times a day.

Good luck..

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

Also, you could try attaching a nori/algae sheet to a rock with a rubberband and putting it where he usually hangs out. That way he can graze on the algae the whole day. Make sure it's readily available 24/7.

 

[rdmcgraw]

Truthfully im new...tank is 5 months old and i had just never tested phosphates until now ( the dinoflagellates prompted me)...so I learned something. I have been doing water changes, im not sure yet where the phosphates came from, but i suspect leaching from the dry rock i started with.

 

[rdmcgraw]

What do you think that spot is?

 

[JHemdal]

The phosphates are not an issue for the fish. 0.7ppm is not a problem for fish (now, it will grow pest algae, etc. but won't harm the fish). I routinely test orthophosphate levels as high as 4.0 ppm in fish-only tanks.

As mentioned, the tang is very skinny - that is not sustainable, if not corrected, it will die from that problem alone.

The rapid breathing is worrisome - can you try to get a rate? Count the number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four to get gill beats per minute. Do that a couple of times and average the results.

I can't tell for certain what the problem is on the fish's head, looks like it might be a bruise/injury.

How are the other fish in the tank doing? I can see a powder blue in one image. These are more delicate than yellow tangs, so if it is doing well, it makes me wonder - could it be harassing the yellow tang? That would account for the injury and the hiding issues...



Jay

 

[rdmcgraw]

The other fish seem fine. ( 1 powder blue, lawnmower blenny, a green mandarin, yellow watchman in the sump, and 2 oscellaris). The powder and the yellow were purchased together out of the same tank. They have not had any issues with fighting. They actually sleep in the same area which i think is a litle strange. I did get a some emerald crabs, one of which has set up camp in their bed. I wondered if he might have injured the fish. Im not at home now, but ill get a breath rate later. I was worried that this might be velvet Oödinium. It wont be easy to catch the fish, but i I wondered if i should set up a hospital tank and run copper.

The tang was eating well, and this seemed to happen out of nowhere. The brown spot showed up, and he stopped eating completely 5 days ago. The spot has grown some, and now that white spot appeared on it.

 

[TripleT]

I can see a powder blue in one image.

Good eyes Jay.

Try different foods starting today. If he doesn't start eating better he isn't going to last much longer.

You might also try some frozen foods for herbivores, and a couple for omnivores.

And +1 on Selcon (or Zoe + Zoecon).

Do you have a QT set up? If he is being bullied, a QT could help with that instantly.

Not sure what the brown spot is.

 

[TripleT]

Temp 81? Seems a bit high.

What have you been feeding, and how much?

 

[map95003]

Looks like a bruse to me. Your tank is still fairly new, what are your other parms, especially sg, nitrates and ammonia? Your phosphates are a bit high but I don't think that's the problem if it's a FOWLR tank, but you should try to get that down a bit, you might also want to double check your reading by bringing a sample to the LFS. Running the phosphate remover conbined with frequent water changes should help. If it's any kind of disease, I would have expected the powder blue to be affected first. Also, do you have a skimmer?

If you don't think the yellow tang is getting enough food you may want to use 2 nori clips, that way he gets his fair share. Use the nori/seaweed that has garlic in it.

 

[Myvirtue]

hope your tang gets better

 

[rdmcgraw]

Looks like a bruse to me. Your tank is still fairly new, what are your other parms, especially sg, nitrates and ammonia? Your phosphates are a bit high but I don't think that's the problem if it's a FOWLR tank, but you should try to get that down a bit, you might also want to double check your reading by bringing a sample to the LFS. Running the phosphate remover conbined with frequent water changes should help. If it's any kind of disease, I would have expected the powder blue to be affected first. Also, do you have a skimmer?

If you don't think the yellow tang is getting enough food you may want to use 2 nori clips, that way he gets his fair share. Use the nori/seaweed that has garlic in it.

yeah everything else is fine.

140 gallon tank, 25 gallon fuge, 20 gallon sump
ammonia:0
nitrites:0
nitrates:0
ph: 8.2
alk: 11
phosphates .7 ppm ( i know!)
calcium: 450
temp: 81

SG is 1.025
It is a reef tank, mostly zoanthids, which seem fine.
The problem is not his access to food, its that he wont eat it.

 

[RBU1]

Temp 81? Seems a bit high.

What have you been feeding, and how much?

A temp of 81 will not cause any problems. My tank runs 79 at night and 81 during the day. Been that way for years. Stability is more important then actual temp unless your going over 85 degrees then I would start to worry.

I would think that water quality would have something to do with it. I had a yellow tang get similar looking spots right after I did a flat worm treatment. After several large water changes he was back to normal. Keep up on the feeding and do some large water changes.

 

[rdmcgraw]

Ive been feeding a half sheet of nori daily, and also rods food twice daily. For the rods food i usually break off a piece about 1/2" wide and 1 inch long.

 

[rdmcgraw]

Since he stopped eating i tried mysis, brine, and flake as well

 

[RBU1]

Well not eating is a bad sign. Hopefully he will start soon.

 

[rdmcgraw]

Well i came home today and the fish was out of his hole. Ive seen him picking at some nori too. The white dot that looked like a piece of puffy lint stuck to him is gone.

I counted his respiration at 38-40 times per 15 secs, so 150-160 times per minute. Its still faster than the other fish, but i think slower than yesterday. I have no idea what this number should be.

I tried to find selcon today, but failed, im going to have to order it. I did pick up some NLS food (recommended on wet web media). I also started soaking mysis in garlic.
Phosphates are .5 ppm now.

 

[rdmcgraw]

The yellow acts much better but the brown patch has definitely spread.
Its now on his nose too

MY powder blue now has signs too. His bottom fin has a brown spot. Also there are the white things on his pectoral fins.

I dont think its ick, the white is kinda puffy looking like cotton.

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

Truthfully im new...tank is 5 months old and i had just never tested phosphates until now ( the dinoflagellates prompted me)...so I learned something. I have been doing water changes, im not sure yet where the phosphates came from, but i suspect leaching from the dry rock i started with.

Very understandable. Yeah, I myself learn thing new everyday with saltwater. Hope all goes well. keep us updated.

 

[SaltwaterAdict]

The phosphates are not an issue for the fish. 0.7ppm is not a problem for fish (now, it will grow pest algae, etc. but won't harm the fish). I routinely test orthophosphate levels as high as 4.0 ppm in fish-only tanks.

As mentioned, the tang is very skinny - that is not sustainable, if not corrected, it will die from that problem alone.

The rapid breathing is worrisome - can you try to get a rate? Count the number of gill beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four to get gill beats per minute. Do that a couple of times and average the results.

I can't tell for certain what the problem is on the fish's head, looks like it might be a bruise/injury.

How are the other fish in the tank doing? I can see a powder blue in one image. These are more delicate than yellow tangs, so if it is doing well, it makes me wonder - could it be harassing the yellow tang? That would account for the injury and the hiding issues...



Jay

I agree, but the phosphate needless to say should be taken care of to obtain better waterquality. +1 the powderblue may actually be harassing the yellow tang indeed. Yellow tangs and powderblues are very territorial and require a large tank to disperse the aggression. Some quarreling is alright, but when they start beating up eachother that can lead to open wounds/infections or flat out killed. let us know how these tangs are doing together.