Very Dark Naso Tang

[Voxboy]

I bought a small Naso a few weeks ago. About 2 inches. He was shipped from Florida. When I acclimated the fish from the bag to my QT I noticed he was thin...really thin. I know when they are stressed or scared they turn dark. In the bag he was also spotty. Not ich spotty but tiny white blotches. I also realize this camo type look is a night thing.
Tang was acclimated well and put in 30 gallon tank. WHile in the tank he was eating and swimming around...but was still very dark grey...almost black. After 3 weeks he showed no signs of disease but was still very dark.

i aclimated him to my display in the hopes that he would be less stressed. DT consists of P. Clown, a few damsels, yellow tang, and strawberry basslet.
Tang took issue for about 10 minutes and the naso was actually following him around the tank....still does. Naso never hides...actually never did when I added him. Eats Nori all day and pretty much stays to the left 3 feet of the tank.

Still very dark..almost black. What the hell.

 

[aleonn]

It took my naso tang a few weeks to regain his normal gray coloration. There are normal white stress spots along his top fin too at night and when my blue tang slaps tails with him during feeding time. I think yours is still stressed and settling in, but it's good that he's eating Nori.

 

[MrTuskfish]

A 30 gal tank isn't going to stress a 2" tang. A decent QT is a perfect place for a new fish to acclimate; no bullies, mayhem, competition for food, etc. Fish don't need company. Three weeks is not enough time in a QT and you may have introduced disease/parasites to your DT. Small Nasos have a very poor track record acclimating; I hope yours does well.

 

[Voxboy]

A 30 gal tank isn't going to stress a 2" tang. A decent QT is a perfect place for a new fish to acclimate; no bullies, mayhem, competition for food, etc. Fish don't need company. Three weeks is not enough time in a QT and you may have introduced disease/parasites to your DT. Small Nasos have a very poor track record acclimating; I hope yours does well.

Thanks for the input. I should have mentioned that I did treat with Cupramine for 2 weeks. So far no other symptoms other than the really dark colour. I hope it does well too. He doesn't appear to be stressed at all. Out with all the other fish....buddied up with the YT...and spends most time playing in the powerheads. Eats a little flake but does not touch mysis or cyclops.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Two weeks of Cupramine isn't long enough to eradicate ich or other parasites. I don't know what hes doing; but a fish that hangs in front of a PH constantly, often has a problem and is trying to get all the oxygen he can. Maybe just his spot, though.

 

[snorvich]

Two weeks of Cupramine isn't long enough to eradicate ich or other parasites.

I agree


I don't know what hes doing; but a fish that hangs in front of a PH constantly, often has a problem and is trying to get all the oxygen he can.

One of the first behaviors that would make me leery.


Maybe just his spot, though.

Hopefully

 

[redsea2012]

I have the exact same issue. I also bought it from a Florida Vendor, so If you found anything please let us know.

 

[snorvich]

I have the exact same issue. I also bought it from a Florida Vendor, so If you found anything please let us know.

With tangs, especially (and butterfly fish and angels but all fish should be quarantined, it is just that these often come in with parasites) it is wise to properly quarantine. If the vendor runs a low level of copper in their system, that can mask oodinium. Hanging near powerheads or returns would make be exceptionally leery.

 

[Voxboy]

Naso is doing great so far. Getting fat as well. First thing in the am he is very dark and when he is ****ed he gets dark. Aside from that he looks normal and cruises the entire tank all day. When I mentioned playing in the power heads what I actually meant was when he swims past one he does little loops and lets the power head push him around a bit. He doesn't stay in one place against the current like he is trying to get oxygen. My bad.
he is still very small and does not have his adult coloration yet.

 

[sandwi54]

Naso tangs get very dark when they are not in a happy mood, but change back to normal color within seconds. That is normal and there is nothing to worry about, unless it's always in the dark color.

If the naso tang is in your 130g tank, keep in mind that it will likely outgrow it within a year. These large-sized tangs grow pretty fast as juveniles.

 

[snorvich]

Naso tangs get very dark when they are not in a happy mood, but change back to normal color within seconds. That is normal and there is nothing to worry about, unless it's always in the dark color.

If the naso tang is in your 130g tank, keep in mind that it will likely outgrow it within a year. These large-sized tangs grow pretty fast as juveniles.

Exactly.

 

[slapshot]

They can be dark as juvis. 14 day is copper is plenty to see if you have ich or odinium. Had you noticed ich another 7 days would have been advised it takes 14 for odinium. I bet he is just a dark color. Congrats, sounds like you have a beauty!

 

[Voxboy]

If the naso tang is in your 130g tank, keep in mind that it will likely outgrow it within a year. These large-sized tangs grow pretty fast as juveniles.

I have a 300 gallon with stand in my laundry room (wife is real happy)
It will probably take me a year to afford to get it up and running. I think I have a couple before he outgrows the present 6 footer. I snapped this pic earlier today.

 

[sandwi54]

I have a 300 gallon with stand in my laundry room (wife is real happy)
It will probably take me a year to afford to get it up and running. I think I have a couple before he outgrows the present 6 footer. I snapped this pic earlier today.

Cool. 300g is a nice tank for a naso tang, and I agree that it will take a few years for a naso tang to outgrow a 6-foot tank.

Your naso tang is beautiful btw. He looks a little skinny but a good diet will fix that. You may also want to deworm him too.

 

[Voxboy]

Cool. 300g is a nice tank for a naso tang, and I agree that it will take a few years for a naso tang to outgrow a 6-foot tank.

Your naso tang is beautiful btw. He looks a little skinny but a good diet will fix that. You may also want to deworm him too.

Hmmmm.........now you got me thinking. This Naso was paper thin when I got him and did not think he would make it through the night. I still do not think he is out of the woods yet. Getting better everyday but long term who knows. I called the distributor when I got it and informed him of the bad shape fish was in. Gave me a credit whether the fish makes it or not. What is the best way to deworm him. Can I do it in the DT or do I have to get him out. I don't want to have to do the latter.....don't want to create undo stress if possible.

 

[sandwi54]

Hmmmm.........now you got me thinking. This Naso was paper thin when I got him and did not think he would make it through the night. I still do not think he is out of the woods yet. Getting better everyday but long term who knows. I called the distributor when I got it and informed him of the bad shape fish was in. Gave me a credit whether the fish makes it or not. What is the best way to deworm him. Can I do it in the DT or do I have to get him out. I don't want to have to do the latter.....don't want to create undo stress if possible.

I noticed that you put him in QT first but decided to move him into DT hoping he will be lessed stressed. I apologize for being blunt but this thinking is not correct. Most fish are actually less stressed in a QT because they get to spend time alone without harassment from tank mates as well as competition for food. A fish has a higher chance of adapting to captivity and learning to eat prepared food if it goes through 4-6 weeks of QT period. It is also easier in the QT to train the fish to eat the food you want it to eat.

Another big reason for QT, as you probably know already, is disease treatment. You probably lucked out on this naso tang that it didn't bring in any disease (or did it?). Deworming is typically done by dosing prazipro, and that's better done in a QT than DT. Prazipro is relatively reef-safe apart from some specific types of corals, but it will kill all of worms, good or bad, leading to water quality issue. Since you already put the naso tang into the DT, you will have to dose the DT if you want to deworm, since any worms that the tang possibly carried have likely reproduced in the DT already.

My recommendation at this point is that you leave the tang as is. If he is eating well and putting on weight, then it's likely he didn't come with worms, so you'd be ok. If he doesn't put on weight, dose the DT with prazipro and have lots of water made to be ready to change water any moment you see an ammonia spike. Prime can also be used to detoxify ammonia.

In the future, I recommend QT every new fish for 6 weeks and deworm with prazipro. I also do prophylactic treatment with cupramine to eliminate the possibility of ich and/or velvet.

 

[Voxboy]

I noticed that you put him in QT first but decided to move him into DT hoping he will be lessed stressed. I apologize for being blunt but this thinking is not correct. Most fish are actually less stressed in a QT because they get to spend time alone without harassment from tank mates as well as competition for food. A fish has a higher chance of adapting to captivity and learning to eat prepared food if it goes through 4-6 weeks of QT period. It is also easier in the QT to train the fish to eat the food you want it to eat.

Another big reason for QT, as you probably know already, is disease treatment. You probably lucked out on this naso tang that it didn't bring in any disease (or did it?). Deworming is typically done by dosing prazipro, and that's better done in a QT than DT. Prazipro is relatively reef-safe apart from some specific types of corals, but it will kill all of worms, good or bad, leading to water quality issue. Since you already put the naso tang into the DT, you will have to dose the DT if you want to deworm, since any worms that the tang possibly carried have likely reproduced in the DT already.

My recommendation at this point is that you leave the tang as is. If he is eating well and putting on weight, then it's likely he didn't come with worms, so you'd be ok. If he doesn't put on weight, dose the DT with prazipro and have lots of water made to be ready to change water any moment you see an ammonia spike. Prime can also be used to detoxify ammonia.

In the future, I recommend QT every new fish for 6 weeks and deworm with prazipro. I also do prophylactic treatment with cupramine to eliminate the possibility of ich and/or velvet.

Never detected any bluntness. All good advice. I always treat with cuparmine and admit I quaranteen new arrivals for about a month. I put the Naso in the display after a 14 day cupramine treatment because he was actually banging up against the glass in the QT tank (small tank). I hope I got lucky on this one however. I will treat with Prazipro however....just in case.

 

[sandwi54]

Never detected any bluntness. All good advice. I always treat with cuparmine and admit I quaranteen new arrivals for about a month. I put the Naso in the display after a 14 day cupramine treatment because he was actually banging up against the glass in the QT tank (small tank). I hope I got lucky on this one however. I will treat with Prazipro however....just in case.

Aah I see. So you actually did the right QT steps. My bad for assuming you didn't QT him.

Internal worms won't kill fish short-term, and may still not long-term. Though, I hate to see my fish eating a lot and still stay skinny, so it's my standard protocol to deworm them in the QT. Though, I want to share with you this particular experience.

I have a naso tang as well who came in with internal worms (white, stringey poop), I battled with it for months and tried all sorts of meds (multiple rounds of prazipro, metronidazole, medicated food, etc.), but nothing helped. What finally killed the worms (or whatever it was) was hyposalinity. So just keep this in the back of your mind: if you have a skinny fish and no med helps, try hypo.

 

[Voxboy]

Aah I see. So you actually did the right QT steps. My bad for assuming you didn't QT him.

Internal worms won't kill fish short-term, and may still not long-term. Though, I hate to see my fish eating a lot and still stay skinny, so it's my standard protocol to deworm them in the QT. Though, I want to share with you this particular experience.

I have a naso tang as well who came in with internal worms (white, stringey poop), I battled with it for months and tried all sorts of meds (multiple rounds of prazipro, metronidazole, medicated food, etc.), but nothing helped. What finally killed the worms (or whatever it was) was hyposalinity. So just keep this in the back of your mind: if you have a skinny fish and no med helps, try hypo.

Again..more good advice. Love this site.

I am constantly monitoring my fish. The Juvi naso is the least attractive fish in my tank....but my favorite. If I am going to monitor his weight. I would prefer to do a hypo treatment than medicate.
When I feed my fish.... 3 times a day..... I take a 4 by 4 inch square piece of nori rubbed in garlic, and put bloodworm mixed with selcon, and cod liver oil....and roll it like a cigarette. I use four elastics on a cleaning magnet so it does not go all over the tank. The naso beats all fish at eating time including a 5 inch tang and trigger. I expect him to put on weight at a reasonable time

 

[sandwi54]

Again..more good advice. Love this site.

I am constantly monitoring my fish. The Juvi naso is the least attractive fish in my tank....but my favorite. If I am going to monitor his weight. I would prefer to do a hypo treatment than medicate.
When I feed my fish.... 3 times a day..... I take a 4 by 4 inch square piece of nori rubbed in garlic, and put bloodworm mixed with selcon, and cod liver oil....and roll it like a cigarette. I use four elastics on a cleaning magnet so it does not go all over the tank. The naso beats all fish at eating time including a 5 inch tang and trigger. I expect him to put on weight at a reasonable time

Sounds good. Hopefully he puts on some weight soon. My pair are super fat and real cruisers.