Yellow tang acting strange- please help!

Hey everyone! I have a small/medium yellow tang that has been acting a bit lethargic the last couple of days, He is able to hold himself upright and still comes out when food is put in the tank but he doesnt eat and then kinda squabbles back behind the rock to his regular spot he sleeps/hides in.

Besides feeding time it seems like he just wants to rest up against something. Everyone else in the tank is doing completely fine, A couple days ago our cleaner shrimp molted in his area and im not seeing its old shell so thats one thing I took into mind is that he may have eaten that and he could be having trouble passing it!

If anyone is confident in their QT process feel free to come snag this guy to try to help him out, I have him floating in a plexi-box and ive attempted to feed a bit of frozen krill and garlic coated seaweed (their two favorites) and he doesnt seem entertained!

He looks fine, and it isnt bit up at all, showing some signs of skinniness but not really any discoloration!

I live in san marcos, I will be gone for the day but if anyone on here wants to take a swing at getting him back on his high horse our roommate will be here and I can give you instructions in as well as have a bag ready for him!

I'd like him back eventually if possible but I also understand that he may need different conditions so I can wait to decide that, in case its safer for you to keep it. in the meantime I will offer a bunch of frags to anyone who can help!

note: Ive had him for about 3-4 months this is the first time its acted strange

please text or call for pics of his current state
(760)716-0994
-Jesse

Im back home and he is still looking kinda strange, not moving around the floater just kinda going with the flow! Still breathing though! Anyone even have an idea of what it could be?

Is he getting any greens in his diet? Seaweed sheets, feeder algae? As far as I know, tangs should definitely be getting a healthy addition of greens in their diet.

I'd be willing to try as I just recently picked up some gracillera (red algae) for some of my herbivores. But I wouldn't be able to swing by till sometime after 6.

Edit: Also, tank parameters? Ammonia/Nitrate, Phosphates. What kind of filtration medias? Size of tank?

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Originally Posted by aquanicssd

Is he getting any greens in his diet? Seaweed sheets, feeder algae? As far as I know, tangs should definitely be getting a healthy addition of greens in their diet.

I'd be willing to try as I just recently picked up some gracillera (red algae) for some of my herbivores. But I wouldn't be able to swing by till sometime after 6.

Edit: Also, tank parameters? Ammonia/Nitrate, Phosphates. What kind of filtration medias? Size of tank?

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yea plenty of greens! Feed them sheets off of a clip and he usually eats like a pig, now hes showing now interest the last couple of days. I just walked by the tank and he swam to the other side of the floater, breathing seems completely normal, just acting rather lazy!

All my paramaters are steady after checking. 60 cube with a 30 sump, chemi-pure in carbon filter, heater is working fine, top off is working cool! Just odd honestly, no other issues in the tank at all.

What were the parameters?
Any pics or a video maybe someone's knowledge may spot something we're overlooking.
Any changes to the tank lately recent water change,addition of other fish...etc?

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Originally Posted by Jega

chemi-pure in carbon filter

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Since it seems everyone else is fine, just curious on filtration - only carbon as a media? No filter pads or sponge/mechanical filtration?

Bump for actual parameter numbers (also, what kind of test kit?) and what activity/interaction you've had with the tank over the last month or so. (i've begun to keep logs and essentially a diary of interactions with the tank, it's helped me tremendously)

Unfortunately, the main thing sticking out to me is a Tang in a 60 gallon cube. My concerns are not enough swimming room, and the effect on their lateral lines. See here: Lateral Line Erosion. I know a lot of "arbitrary" numbers exist on minimum tank sizes, and a lot of people claim that their larger fish is doing fine in a smaller tank... but my understanding (especially for tangs and fish with lateral lines) is they are under a constant stressor due to the glass walls. The more space the better, and "gallons" isn't the best measurement for spacial stress.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aquanicssd

Since it seems everyone else is fine, just curious on filtration - only carbon as a media? No filter pads or sponge/mechanical filtration?

Bump for actual parameter numbers (also, what kind of test kit?) and what activity/interaction you've had with the tank over the last month or so. (i've begun to keep logs and essentially a diary of interactions with the tank, it's helped me tremendously)

Unfortunately, the main thing sticking out to me is a Tang in a 60 gallon cube. My concerns are not enough swimming room, and the effect on their lateral lines. See here: Lateral Line Erosion. I know a lot of "arbitrary" numbers exist on minimum tank sizes, and a lot of people claim that their larger fish is doing fine in a smaller tank... but my understanding (especially for tangs and fish with lateral lines) is they are under a constant stressor due to the glass walls. The more space the better, and "gallons" isn't the best measurement for spacial stress.

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I just want to start this by saying unfortunately it passed away this afternoon.

Parameter numbers off the tests (API Reef Master) Phosphates = .15ppm or less. Nitrates between o and 5 PPM (with a dying fish in the water). Ammonia as close to 0 as the test could get! All of them were as faint as possible. Salinity is about .026ppm, Auto top off working fine. Heat around 75-76. Also to answer a question from above, we do have a filter sock that is changed regularly, as well as the skimmer.

As far as recent interactions with the tank, I added the tangs a few months back! first was the purple tang, and after I added the blue hippo and yellow together, I caught the purple for a bit to let the yellow settle in, the two zebrasomas bickered a little at first but never damaged each other, they sleep and eat regularly as well as graze among each other just fine. I considered that they may stress eachother out the entire time so they were watched over quite well. In question to stress and sizing of the tank, we got all of these fish at a very juvenile size with tank space in mind! We have a larger fowlr tank as well with more room to move. We have moved plenty of fish up to the bigger space as they needed it, and have no problem selling them when they are asking for even more space!

Ive taken everything into consideration and im still kinda at loss, it happened over a quick couple of days, just kinda lost its energy! I took some photos of it out of the water where it looks great on the outside, maybe someone could examine its shape to see if maybe it had a parasite for the entirety of its time in the tank that finally took over? the only other thing I can think of is it struggling to pass something it accidentally ate!

Either way thank you to everyone for the info and help, I suppose sometimes you just cant help no matter how much you pay attention!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jega

Either way thank you to everyone for the info and help, I suppose sometimes you just cant help no matter how much you pay attention!

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I'm sorry for your loss :(

I wasn't sure of it's size either, just a guess when I gave my thoughts. I hope you are able to find what had happened, as I know for myself that helps give a sense of closure and confidence moving forward.

Can you post any pics?

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