Two day tang disease

[Mangodude]

I've lost 4 tangs in the past two months to what i'm calling the "two day disease"


here's the specs/symtpoms

all the tangs orginiated from different tanks
it is not the food and i've tried a few diff foods. (I added a tang that was straight from the wholesaler, he caught the disease and was dead in three days)
it is not ich. i've got pics to prove this and am regretfully very experienced with ich.

Seems to only be affecting my tangs. No other fish have died this sort of death.

Symptoms occur for one to two days before death.
No previous signs of discomfort/etc

symptoms include:

staying in one area of the tank and not moving much
visiting the cleaner shrimp a bunch even though the cleaner can't find anything on them
loss of apetite



The tangs were all in near-perfect health prior to the two-day disease. Eating fine. Swimming fine, etc. I even took a bunch of pics of my naso the day before he got the disease because i thought he looked especially vibrant that day.



Any ideas?

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have no idea, not much to go on. however, new fish are much easier (and safer) to acclimate in a QT. Not only will this prevent parasites/diseases from getting into the DT; but the new fish can acclimate without bullies, lots of activity, food competition, etc.

 

[asonitez]

could me marine velvet - usually sugary powder on their skin sometimes kills without even showing on skin.

 

[MrTuskfish]

could me marine velvet - usually sugary powder on their skin sometimes kills without even showing on skin.

Possible, but velvet is extremely contagious and other fish would have it. Velvet sure is a big reason to use a QT though, its very deadly.

 

[asonitez]

some fish are stronger to velvet. i know tangs are susceptible but i've known chromis and some gobies and stuff get away

 

[Mangodude]

Thanks for the tips!

I'll QT all my tangs before they go in the DT from now on.

hmm I think I would've seen the layer on the skin but if it can be almost invisible it coudl've slilpped my eye..

the other fish that are doing fine are:

chromis
blue damsel (no he's not aggressive to any of the tangs or other fish)
yellow coris wrasse
coral beauty angel
zebra dartfish
lawnmower blenny
royal gramma

 

[00Warpig00]

I've had a few dwarf angels in my QT tank look in perfect health on day one stop eating on day two and dead on day three. To this day have not confirmed what it was. I was disgusted and broke down the Qt tank and bleached everything. Let it sit dry for several weeks still disgusted finally set the QT back up and have had fish after fish through it successfully ever since. SO SO SO happy whatever it was never made it into my DT.

Nick

 

[snorvich]

I've had a few dwarf angels in my QT tank look in perfect health on day one stop eating on day two and dead on day three. To this day have not confirmed what it was. I was disgusted and broke down the Qt tank and bleached everything. Let it sit dry for several weeks still disgusted finally set the QT back up and have had fish after fish through it successfully ever since. SO SO SO happy whatever it was never made it into my DT.

Nick

Only dwarf angels? Which ones?

 

[sandwi54]

velvet very often kills the fish without showing any symptoms. the reason is that it usually attacks the gills before moving onto the body, and that causes gill malfunctioning. many fish die from that long before velvet gets into the advanced stage to move onto the body.

Velvet and brooklynella are the biggest reasons for QT, not ich. Unfortunately, many hobbyists only know ich but not the other much deadlier parasites.

 

[mm949]

you would know if your fish has velvet...
sounds like an acclimation issue, osmotic shock
also test the pH first thing in the morning....tangs have issues with low pH

 

[Mangodude]

you would know if your fish has velvet...
sounds like an acclimation issue, osmotic shock
also test the pH first thing in the morning....tangs have issues with low pH

I assure you it was not acclimation. 3 of them had been in the tank for 6+ months.

all have been dead for over a month but if it ever reoccurs I will check the ph.

Wouldnt' they all die at the same time though if it was a PH problem?

 

[92reefer]

I had the same experience. Not trying to hijackt the thread but I could use the same advice.

I have a new 60G cube that's been cycled for a few months. 4 yellow damsels/chromis doing very well. Introduced a very small yellow tang about a week and a half ago. Tang had no marks on it whatsoever and no pinched belly. Witnessed him eat mysis at pet shop before buying.

I tried to get the tang to eat either romaine lettuce or Ocean Nutrition Marine Green algae. Tried both about 4 times each and the tang wouldn't go near it. Just avoided it. Only thing I've been feeding is Formula 1 Flake and Frozen Mysis. Everything was find until about 2 days ago when I woke up and saw he had dark patch on one side of his body just behind the middle. I noticed he wasn't out swimming around, just parked in a cave under the rocks hanging around the cleaner shrimp. Hit stomache appears to be pinched now since I don't believe he's eaten very much in the last few feedings.

I hate to see that because that usually (IME) means death is looming?

I don't have a quarantine tank set up. Is there any other food I could try or is it possibly the food that is suspect (Mysis)? Any other suggestions?

 

[00Warpig00]

Only dwarf angels? Which ones?

Flame Angel's and Coral Beauties.

Luckily I have had no other health issues with fish in QT so far. Even a pair of Flame Angels that went into the Qt right after I set it back up.

Nick

 

[MrTuskfish]

Flame Angel's and Coral Beauties.

Luckily I have had no other health issues with fish in QT so far. Even a pair of Flame Angels that went into the Qt right after I set it back up.

Nick

For what its worth: I'm convinced that there are a lot of problems with fish from certain collection sites. Especially, IMO & IME; fish from Indonesia, The Phillipiines, or just labeled the "Indo-Pacific" This has always been a concern, but just seems to be more of a problem lately. I don't have any hard facts, just what I pick up on RC, a little research, and comments from a big online retailer. Flame Angels and Coral Beauties are at the top of the list. People on the forum seem to be having a lot of trouble with these usually easy fish and I think its due to their origin. IMO, its worth the effort to find fish from places like Christmas island, The Marshall islands, Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, etc.