so i think i saved a fish

sirbiggstixx

sirbiggstixx

New member
so about 7 weeks i was at the fish store in town, baton rouge is fortunate to have several great fish stores..And there was this tiny orange shoulder tang that was at near death, covered in ick and barely swimming or doing anything, so i convinced the guy to let me have it since it was def going to die..I brought it home and put it in my 20 gallon QT tank..I had the temp around 82ish and the salinity pretty low..I fed it a mash of cod, nori, salmon, mauhi mauhi, and halibut, with fresh garlic and some cyclopeeze..i think i can safely say that she is pretty much back to full health..shes about 3/4" - 1" and has zero ich and has a fat little belly..

so heres the thing, i dont think i wanna get rid of it(she is like my baby, we have gone through so much)..i only have a 40 gallon tank FOR NOW..I have a 55 freshwater that i will soon take down and have her in it..Now eventually in a year or so i will be graduated from college and be on my own and have a house and will buy like a 200-300 gallon tank..so eventually i will have a very large tank like these tangs like to have..since she is only less than an inch is it ok that i keep her in the 40 and in the next year or so upgrade her to a mansion tank..
 
Man I love Orange Shoulder tangs! I got one from LA it was probably 3/4"... great personality and immediately fit in, even with my 7" clown trigger.

Heres the thing... Mine is in a 250 and in about two months has grown to about 2 - 2 1/2".

So I would unfortunately have to say a 55 is too small and give him to a much bigger home. Know that with out you though, he wouldn't have made it! ;)
 
yeah i love my clowns but this is def a favorite..yeah the tank is def going to be upgraded to something quite large..shes def a trooper..ill post a pic in the morning..
 
not yet..its a real deep yellowish color..when i got it she was almost white, very pale and i mean covered from tail to mouth in ich..i had to wipe it off everyday..it took about two weeks for it to really be able to swim away from my hand..

ive read that they start getting the shoulder around 2+ inches..give or take...so i got a little ways to go..
 
Well done, not easy to bring a fish back to health from the state you describe it was in.

They are tenacious little buggers with lots of spunk.
Mine stands up to a Sohal twice his size, although he does know its a fight he cant win.
 
yeah she def has some spunk now that she is healthier..how long would you say it will take for her to get back to full health..
 
Orange shoulders grow into one of the smaller tangs though (as far as tangs go, right?). I'd say you have some time to enjoy your friend, esp. if you put it in the 55 later.
 
Hey, word from a mod, here---bravo. This little guy---or gal---is very lucky. While on principle we urge certain tank sizes as beneficial for this species, the care and kindness and skill of the OP is highly commendable. Keep your guy as best you can: and may he travel safely with you. With the skill-set you have, I have no doubt he is in the hands of someone who'll not only want to do the best for him, but who has the ability and skill to read the situation and carry it out. Here's the list of tank size recommendations, for convenience <a href="/forums/showthread.php?t=1946007">Recommended Tank Sizes for Tangs (Surgeonfishes)</a>, which is basically saying, in the transitions he may be in along the way---give him as much room as you can; and when making a tank choice around this species, a 'long' tank with a low rock arrangement is the best choice.
 
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