Sick tangs

[usmc121581]

Ok little back ground I have a 8"+ Vlangimi and had a 6"+ Sailfin, this weekend both fish were eating brine shrimp, seaweed, etc. well yesterday went down and sailfin was sluggish and very skinny. I know I have feed a couple times since Sat may have missed a day but they have been feed. Well the sailfin died last night. So I go down to feed the tank and now the other tang will not touch a thing. He was always the first to chopped down on any food that was put into the tank, he even would eat out of my sons hand. Now hasn't ate a thing, didn't even seem like he was interested. To be honest I have been so busy I really haven't paid attention to how much they ate, I just know they have been eating. I know maybe try to get something like entice to get them to eat, only issue is isn't a LFS except petsmart around me, and they don't deal with anything like that. So does anyone know what may be going on, all the other fish eat fine. Is there something I can make or try like a home remedy. I have had this fish for 8 years and he is my sons favorite so I don't want to lose him.

 

[HumbleFish]

When was the last fish added? Do you QT?

Any symptoms of any diseases? White spots, scratching, twitching, stringy white poop?

 

[MrTuskfish]

FWIW" : I doubt that the diet or lack of nutrition is to blame. They are probably symptoms of the real problem. When a fish stops eating after 8 yrs; you need to find out why, not just find a different food. HumbleFish's questions above may help.

 

[usmc121581]

I haven't added fish in months, the sailfin tang was the last one that was added, which was over a year ago. I Noticed this past weekend the sailfin had tattered back fin as if a fish was bullying it, but the only fish big enough was the vlangimi. Looked today, fish was hiding under my closed loop/GAP ledge in the dark, he also is dark as if stressed. But when I come up to the tank he comes out like he wants to eat. I will try again later today to see if he will eat now. No white spots are visible as of right now, no twitching and haven't seen him poop. Last poop looked alright a few days ago.

 

[HumbleFish]

I should have also asked: Any corals/inverts or anything "wet" added to the tank recently? Just trying to figure out if some fish disease hitchhiked it's way into your tank somehow.

The hiding in the dark thing sounds like Velvet, but more fish should be affected. And you say the Sailfin had "tattered back fin"; well that could be tail rot i.e. bacterial infection. Nothing definitive, but perhaps some clues.

What other fish do you have? The thing you have to remember about tangs is they have thin mucous coats, so they are most susceptible and often first to display symptoms of external parasites like Ich.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I notice you have 3 percula and one other clownfish. Clownfish, when they sexually mature and form a pair, will usually not tolerate any other clowns of any species in the same tank. The pair will claim a space in the tank and defend it at all costs. A pair of clowns, especially the female
,can easily do serious damage to any other fish. This may well be the cause.

 

[usmc121581]

No my yellow striped perished late last year and I forgot to update the signature. But only thing added was cured live rock I had laying around. I cooked it for about 2 months and added it slowly over a month so to not spike any para. I also had some chalice frags from LA aqua about 2 months ago, however I did dip them before placement into my tank. Updated list is 6 pajama cardinals all fat and eating, 4 percs all eating, pink spotted goby eating, dotty back eating, fire fish eating. I just tried and he seems like he is interested just does not take it, used to be an aggressive eater.

 

[usmc121581]

Well this morning the vlangimi tang decided he wanted to eat after a week. Wont eat the seaweed, so I will go get a different brand.