Yellow Tang Acting Strange

[Instant Tang]

I got a yellow tang in my 75 gallon that's started acting strange within the past few days. Nothing has changed recently in the tank and the water conditions are excellent.

Here's what he does, I'll do my best to describe it....

He will sometimes move his tail fin very quickly and push his tail portion lower and forward, swimming in rapid bursts of speed with his dorsal fins fully extended. Looks like he's trying to show off or intimidate another fish, only there are no other fishes nearby when he does it.

He's eating well, pooping often...and seems alert and hides quickly as always...

He's behaving normally most of the time, but then goes into his little dance/routine...sometimes repeating it for many minutes...and does this now throughout the day.

Any Tang experts out there who've seen this before? Is it just some odd phase he's going through?

Thanks,

Robert

 

[White Tiger]

For possible help, answer the following questions.

1. Does the tang scratch itself on rocks?
2. Do any of your fish have white spots?
3. What other types of fish do you have in the tank?
4. Does it swim upsidedown or sideways?

 

[marrone]

That's flashing and usually a fish does this when they have some sort of diseases. Check and see if either white spot or a powder look to the body. Also look for rapid breathing. You may want to start adding some garlic to the food and if he does have some thing the garlic will help him fight it off.

 

[Instant Tang]

He appears fine, no ich or spots that I can see. He's eating well. I'll put in some garlic enriched frozen alga for some feedings this week and see if that helps.

What does the red bacteria that I've heard about look like? I did notice last night that his tail (by his switchblade) had a rather redish tinge to it, but that seemed to just be his muscle tissue showing through the light.

He's plenty plump enough, so I know he's eating and no one in the tank is picking on him or anything.

 

[marrone]

I don't think I've heard of red bacteria but usually when a fish has red dots on its body it's some type of hermorrhaging.

Semi-Larv. Butterfly do get Red spot diseases but I think it's confined to them.

 

[Instant Tang]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7049676#post7049676 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by White Tiger
For possible help, answer the following questions.

1. Does the tang scratch itself on rocks?
2. Do any of your fish have white spots?
3. What other types of fish do you have in the tank?
4. Does it swim upsidedown or sideways?

1. No, I haven't seen him scratching himself on the rocks.
2. No, no other fishes have any ich- my royal gramma is, however turning prematurely grey! His yellow and purple have a noticeable white/grey scaling and is losing his color for some reason.
3. 1 Pacific Blue Tang (1.5"), 1 royal gramma, 5 chromis, 1 maroon clown, 1 six-line wrasse, 1 purple firefish, 1 diamond goby, 1 (large!) rose bta, 1 clam, many corals.

The yellow tang is the largest fish in the tank, and he's about 3" long from snout to tail. The most recent addition (and my last until I get a larger tank!) was the pacific blue tang, they've co-existed now for weeks without much battling and do swim near each other often, even while feeding, without any fighting. And again, the yellow Tang will flash like that and do his odd dancing without any provocation from any other inhabitants.

Thanks,

Robert

 

[marrone]

Robert

You may want to check for stray voltage in the tank. Fish losing their colors and turning greyish can be from stray voltage.

Michael

 

[Instant Tang]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7051161#post7051161 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marrone
Robert

You may want to check for stray voltage in the tank. Fish losing their colors and turning greyish can be from stray voltage.

Michael

Wow, how do I do that? I've got a grounding rod in the water...my maxijets click when the Red Sea Wavemaster kicks them on and freak the fish out when they do, but not sure if that's imparting any voltage into the tank...

How do you check for stray voltage???

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Are you due for a water change? Try doing a large water change, see if it helps

As far as red blotches, watch him, he may need to be treated

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=138705


How long have you had him? If less than two weeks, he could be carrying parasites [ich] and it just hasn't shown visible spots yet

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Hey cool! I just wrote [ i c h ] without the spaces and that link popped up

<a href="http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.htm" target="_blank">Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion
of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available</a>



learn something new everyday

 

[White Tiger]

A fish swiming in rapid burst in a non-aggressive tank usually indicates a paracitic disease. The most common disease that can cause this is ick (it could be a different paracite). Eventhough the fish does not display any symptoms of ick, it could still have it. In fact, fish sometimes do not display their sickness until it is too late.

 

[Aussie fish]

I would have thought that the Pacific blue tang would show signs of ich before the YT or as well as the YT. My YT behaves in a similar way and is not sick. Maybe it is a growing behavior?

Cheers
Aussie fish

 

[White Tiger]

Ick does not always display its symptoms. You might not see any white spots, but in reality, you fish could have ick.

 

[stykthyn]

my purple does that after I clean the glass and he can see his reflection

 

[slavearm]

Yah,

My taneti goes berzerk after I clean the glass if I haven't cleaned it in awhile also.