Strange Yellow Tang behavior

[guitarfish]

This is strange...

I got a small yellow tang about 6 weeks ago, put him in 20g QT tank. Some ich spots, so I lowered the water to hyposalinity levels. He's has been eating and swimming fine, but was scratching himself, probably from ich. After a couple weeks he started looking bad, blotchy red streaks, which I determined to be a bacterial infection, so I treated him with Maracyn 2.

He improved greatly, and the meds are removed from the water now. HOWEVER, he spends most of the time ON HIS SIDE hiding under a rock. When lights are out, he comes out, and hangs out vertically in the rocks. However, when lights on, unless he's eating some nori, he just stays under one of the rocks, sideways.

What the heck? No other fish in the tank, no one bothering him.

Anyone? I've heard of hippo tangs doing this for a few days. Mine's been doing this almost a week now.

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Hows your water? PH often drops during hypo, buffer may need to be added..I do daily water changes while doing Hypo [or any medication] Ammonia can also be a problem

How big is it? Maybe not comfortable in the 20? But kudos to you for putting him in qt!!

If all else checks out, he may just be hiding....many fish will hide when alone...In the wild, if no fish are out...a predator may be lurking

 

[guitarfish]

Thanks "girl". I use a pH probe, the pH is actually a tad high, it's around 8.4. Tonight when I came home he was out and about, which is good. I think the meds (Maracyn 2) may have had something to do with it. It turned the water yellow, for openers. The tang is about 2.5" long, seems OK in the 20. I have some small pieces of rock in there for hiding. The tank is well cycled, I've been doing W/C's every 3 days or so.

Thanks for the feedback! Looking forward to getting this guy in the 75g display.