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FAQs about the Yellow-Tail Blue, Palette, Regal, Hippo Tang
Disease/Health 6 Related
Articles: The Genus Paracanthurus,
Related FAQs: Pacific
YTB Tang Disease 1, Pacific YTB Tang
Disease 2, Pacific YTB Disease 3,
Pacific YTB Disease 4, YTBT Health 5,
Tangs/Rabbitfishes & Crypt, &
Pacific YTB Tang FAQs 2, Pacific YTB
Tang FAQs 1, Pacific YTB Tang FAQs 2,
Pacific YTB Tang FAQs 3, Pacific YTB
Tang FAQs 4, PYTB Tang ID,
PYTB Tang Behavior, PYTB Tang
Compatibility, PYTB Tang Selection,
PYTB Tang Systems, PYTB Tang Feeding,
PYTB Tang Reproduction, Surgeons
In General, Tang ID,
Selection, Tang
Behavior,
Compatibility, Systems,
Feeding, Disease, | 
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Regal Tang Breathing Problem 8/5/09
Hello All,
<Hi Adrian>
I have a small regal tang (3 inches roughly?) that was first in my
quarantine before my display. It was in there approximately 5 weeks, and
I had used PraziPro for 2-3 days... did a water change.... then did a
treatment with Cupramine because it had ich from the transport from the
store to home...
<Fish do not contract ich on the way home, this fish had the infection
before it left the store. Why did you use PraziPro (Praziquantel), did
your diagnosis indicate the need for this particular med? This
medication is generally used for treating flukes, flatworms and
Turbellarians, and treating tapeworms in our four legged pets. The
recommended 5-7 day treatment isn't nearly long enough to effectively
eradicate ich, generally 21-28 days to ensure an entire kill. Did you
monitor the Cupramine level with a test kit? Although a little safer
than copper, the toxic level of Cupramine is 8mg/L with the minimal
effective dose being 2-3 mg/L. Tangs are very sensitive to copper and
therefore should be treated at the 2-3mg/L level. Another problem I see
is combining medications, no other medication should be used with
Praziquantel. I'm sure your water change did not remove all of it.>
After all of that, I noticed the fish had HLLE ( vitamin lack I
believe... I try).
<And water quality.>
I then proceeded immediately to order Selcon, Boyd's Vita Chem, and
Zoecon.
I mix those into it's food now in a small dish with water, as well as
add some drops to the water.
<One is all that's needed.>
My question is - the fish seems to be breathing a lot faster than
normal.
Did the Cupramine destroy it's breathing ability? I don't know what to
do in order to judge if it's breathing is too fast - or if the Cupramine
made it always breathe this fast.
<I'm guessing the fish is no longer with you by now. The rapid breathing
is an indication that the gills are infested with the ich parasite
causing the fish difficulty in breathing.
Generally the last symptom before death.>
The rate at which it is breathing is doesn't seem to vary much. I can't
judge how many times it's moving its gills, (but it would be as if the
fish swam very fast across the tank and then stopped).
I should note that I am writing this only a few hours after adding it to
my main display. It was in a 40 gallon tall quarantine tank previously.
<Why on earth did you move an infected fish into your display tank?>
I have a 125 gallon display with 2 false clowns, and a 90 gallon sump.
The clowns seem to have befriended it.. and they are hanging out as a
group now.
Water parameters would be considered "normal".
<Mmm, I don't know what you consider normal.>
Any advice? I'm trying but I don't know what else to do other than
vitamins, lots of Nori ( it isn't finding it on the clip ) and water
quality.
<In the future, properly diagnose the disease before selecting a
treatment.
Dosing medication that will not be effective will just further stress
out an already stressed
out fish. Do read here and related FAQ's. Will help you in selecting
healthy fish and in diagnosing disease and proper treatment.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm. Also read here on quarantine.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i4/quarantine/Quarantine.htm>
Appreciated...
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian,
Re: Regal Tang Breathing Problem 8/05/09
Hi James,
<Hello Adrian>
I'll go ahead and answer your responses if you don't mind.
<Not a bit.>
I didn't mean to say the fish contracted ich purely on the ride home - I
did the treatment because I did see ich but also as a preventive with
tangs.
<OK>
As for Prazipro... I had read that PraziPro can be used safely as a
preventative measure as well, so that was the reason I had used it for 3
days before doing water changes to start the Cupramine treatment. There
was no intention of eradicating ich with this, but rather to be sure it
wasn't flukes (shaked head side to side in QT - could have been ich
causing this as well).
<Would have been better just to start with the Cupramine.>
The Cupramine worked very well and all white spots were gone. The
treatment lasted 15 days at .5ml and then I did many water changes.
<Good to hear.>
I observed the fish for another 1-2 weeks and saw no signs of the ich so
that is why I put the fish into the main tank.
<Now it makes sense. Wish your email would have had this information
from the start.>
I had also read that copper can cause a fish to breathe faster, along
with having HLLE and water quality - so I assumed the main tank
environment along with other fish and a proper diet would help settle it
down. I still have the fish and it was breathing slower last night, or
at least varying it's breathing rate from what it was before.
<Good, and hoping the tang makes it. Is it eating well?>
Water parameters are:
1.025
dKH 7.5
Ca: 460
MG: 1400
PH 8.2-3
Nitrates: undetectable
<Sounds good.>
So just wanted to clarify a few things...
<I'm glad you did. You may want to increase your water quality by
filtering the water through Chemi-Pure. Do you have good water flow, say
about 10x your total tank volume? Tangs do prefer good flow rates. You
never mentioned your tank size, type of filtering, etc.,
makes it difficult to see the whole picture.>
Thank You,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian
Re: Regal Tang Breathing Problem 8/6/09
Hello Again,
<Hi Adrian>
Thanks for the prompt reply.
<Welcome.>
I did mention my tank size in the first email I believe,
<Yes, you did, sorry.>
however it is a 125 gallon with a 90 gallon sump and a 20 gallon skimmer
box. I have 2 MP20 Vortechs in the tank with a mag 9 return pump. I
think I am going to get a mag 12 to "up" the flow.
<You have an adequate flow rate with what you have. The MP20's are
impressive, very well made and expensive.>
On a side note - The tang isn't seeing the Nori I am putting in so I
have moved it's position near it's hiding cave. I did place the Nori on
the sand but my turbo snail mowed it down first...
<If it is eating other foods, it may well recover. I have had very
healthy tangs that would not touch Nori and then some that did.>
I am also adding 4-5 drops of Zoecon to the water daily to help fight
HLLE.
I then rotate Boyd's Vita chem and Selcon in the flake/frozen food.
All The Best
<Ditto. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian
Re: Blue Tang Not Acting Quite Right 05/19/09
Hello again,
<Hello Becky>
Thank you so much for your quick reply!
<We try.>
My dad just got back from the store a while ago with a 2-gallon plastic
tank. I know it isn't much, but it is something. We have filled it with
the
water from the main tank and have put Dory the Second in (haha! Yes I
know, the "second". I hope my parents will take your advice on not
getting a
third).
<Please do put some pressure on them about not getting a third. This
fish really should be returned to the fish store when recovered. It is
much too
large for a fifty gallon tank. Additionally, this two gallon tank is not
going to work for long term quarantine. Not only will the water quickly
become toxic from the waste produced by this fish, but it is too small
psychologically, even in the short term of a few weeks. Consider a
twenty gallon tank or so the absolute minimum for quarantining small
tangs.>
Now that my dad has moved her to the Q Tank, we can see her better and
she's gotten worse from being up against that Power Head. Hopefully now
she'll be able to recover that she's alone.
<Likely it was the other tang that was damaging your blue tang. Once
recovered please either return the blue tang to the fish store, or find
a much larger home for this fish.>
<<It will never recover here. RMF>>
No matter what happens, we have learned from this experience. Even
though I'll be sad when I see Dory #2 on the bottom of the Q Tank (which
I'm sure will happen soon) I know that with each mistake, wisdom is
gained.
<I hope so.>
And besides, we got a quarantine tank out of this! :)
Anyway, thanks for your advice!
~Becky
<Your welcome Becky and good luck
Josh Solomon>
Re: Regal Tang Breathing
Problem 8/6/09
James.. you won't believe this....
<I bet I will.>
I saw my tang lining itself up in front of a rock and then.... you
guessed it.... flashing it's side on the rock a few times... I can't
believe it. I went 3 months with a fallow tank... hyposalinity for my 2
clowns... Cupramine at the proper dosage.. and now this.
<I'm certain the tank was clean after three months. The disease was
introduced into the system by some means.>
I certainly cannot tear down the entire tank again. Do you have any
suggestions as to what I can properly do to combat this? I know the odd
tang will scratch in real life and not have ich... but I'm not certain
with this one. I also know that skunk cleaner shrimp do NOT get rid of
ich under the skin, but could they help alleviate some "annoyances" the
tang has?
<Likely not enough to matter, as you say, they will not eliminate the
parasite but may alleviate some discomfort.
My suggestion would be to quarantine all fish and maintain treatment
dosage for 28 days.
This will ensure all hatching cysts will be killed. Copper/Cupramine has
no killing effect on the unhatched cysts and is why a 28 day treatment
plan is advised. As long as no fish are present in your display tank,
the parasitic infestation should cure itself in five weeks. The ich
parasites will die soon if no host is present. Any nets or other
cleaning tools should be sterilized in a solution of 20% chlorine bleach
and 80% water. We do not want to transfer any disease into the display
tank by way of implements. Have you read here?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm>
Thanks for all your help
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian,
Re: Regal Tang Breathing
Problem 8/7/09
Hi James,
<Adrian>
There are only 2 possible solutions then. The hyposalinity treatment
either did not work (months ago),
<No guarantee's here, just a preferred first step.>
or the Cupramine treatment did not work. With that said, I did properly
calibrate the refractometer before I performed hypo on my clownfish.
They stayed in there for 3 months! Tank had no fish...
As for the new tang - I only held Cupramine for 15 days because the
bottle says 14 days and then get all of the chemicals out of the tank.
Are you saying that I should extend Cupramine treatment for 28 days at
.5 ?
<To ensure a total kill, yes.>
Other than that, I do not how to transfer the fish from the QT to the
main tank? I simply used a clean net (after Cupramine treatment) and
netted the fish, then let it down into the main tank. All of this of
course, under the presumption that the ich was killed off, and not
thinking ich could attach to the net during a transfer..
<The parasite can attach to and be transmissible by any wet object. Is a
good practice to make sure the net used is sterile before transferring
the fish back into the display tank. I say this only because some folks
have multiple systems and may use an infected net in "clean" tanks.>
On a side note - the fish is still breathing slower, no more scratching,
and one tiny white dot I did see near it's tail is no longer there (hard
to tell otherwise.. you think you see little white dots under the skin
from certain angles) I'm not certain as to whether or not it was ich
because I have seen little particles stuck on a fish for some time and
then when the fish swims fast or changes direction suddenly it clearly
falls off. So I'm quite stumped as to how the ich got back in the
tank... sigh.
<I'm thinking you did not read the article I linked you to. Will explain
the life cycle of
the parasite. Also go to and read the links posted at the end of the
article, "Steven Pro's excellent ich articles".>
I think catching them all again would be very stressful? I also do not
know how to measure the Cupramine levels in the quarantine tank once a
water change is done.
<You must use SeaChem's test kit, it is designed for Cupramine. The
tests should be taken twice daily to ensure and effective dose is always
present.
There are different copper test kits on the market, some measure copper,
some measure chelated copper. Using one of the later kits can result in
erroneous readings.>
This could of contributed to the original HLLE on the tang.
<?>
I had gotten the copper level correct measuring with SeaChem's test..
and then left it at that because I wanted to be certain the copper level
always remained around .5.
<Ah, good, you do have the SeaChem kit. Again, test twice daily to
ensure the recommended dose is present.>
If you could offer some advice that would be great.
<I had given you plenty of advice, read the articles I linked you to,
more reading,
less writing. There is no easy way out.>
I think for now since the tang is calming down.. I am going to leave
them in the main tank for now, using garlic and vitamins boosters... as
well as add a couple cleaner shrimp to help with some alleviation.. if
it doesn't re-occur then it should be alright... if not... I'll have to
net them again.
<OK, you're call. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian
Re: Regal Tang Breathing Problem/Not Reading/Remembering
8/8/09
So if I understand you correctly James in regards to transferring the
fish,
I should:
1) Net fish from QT
2) Place fish in bucket or some sort of transfer holding tank
3) Sterilize net (while fish waits in bucket)?
4) Scoop fish from bucket and place into DT?
<I've only mentioned item 3. You are making this more difficult than it
actually is. All I was eluding to is not to use a "dirty" net in other
tanks to prevent disease transmission. We have already been through
sterilization a few threads back. My personal method is to keep my net
in a container of Methylene blue and fresh water for a few days after
use, then rinse, and hang to dry.>
Wouldn't the parasites fall into the water (in the bucket from) when
being transferred from the quarantine tank?
<When the transfer occurs, there shouldn't be any parasites in the
quarantine tank if treated properly.>
Then when I scoop the fish from the bucket they would re-attach
themselves to the sterilized net? I'm not sure why I'm having a hard
time getting the right steps down.
<Same as above.>
I did read the article, perhaps just so much information at once :)
I was also under the impression that using Cupramine for over 14 weeks
would permanently damage the fish. Otherwise I would have used treatment
longer.
<If the Cupramine dosage is maintained for 28 days, the disease should
be eradicated.
My addition amounts to 4 weeks. You need to go over the links I've
provided, all information is
explained very clearly. We just do not have the time to take individuals
by the hand and walk them through everything when the referenced
information explains all.
We are all volunteers here at Wet Web Media, and our time spent
answering queries is usually limited to a couple of hours a day.>
Regards,
<Ditto. James (Salty Dog)>
Adrian
|
Worms? 5/17/09
Hello crew,
I have searched your website for answers, and the best that I can come up
with is that I am dealing with some sort of worm.
<Is possible... or a microsporidean or such>
I have attached a photo of the fish that seems to be having the issues; and
I circled the "spots" in question (the fish only has two of these spots).
The spots seem to protrude from the fish roughly 1-2 millimeters and are
white in color. There are no other fish in the tank with any bumps, spots,
or any protrusions from the skin. I ruled out crypt when I noticed that the
"spots" were protruding that far from the fish, and when the spots remained
after a couple of days.
This fish contracted crypt (due to a non-quarantined new arrival- I won't do
this again)
<I hear/read you>
in December of last year, and was treated for a month in quarantine (with
all of the other fish in the tank). After the treatment, I kept the display
tank fallow for another month (for a total of two months)
before adding my fish, slowly, back into their original homes.
My aquarium is a 155 gallon bowfront with the following inhabitants:
1 Hepatus Tang (I have had for about 4 years- this is the fish with the
"spots")
1 Sohal Tang (I have had it for about 4 months)
<Feisty>
1 Marine Betta (I have had it for over two years)
2 Ocellaris Clowns (I have had them for about 4 years)
1 Queen Angel (I have had it for about 1 year)
And 1 Clown goby (I got this fish with the ocellaris clown, about 4 years
ago)
I also have many various corals and snail, hermit crabs, and a brittle star.
My tank parameters are Ammonia-0 Nitrites-0 Nitrates-0 PO4-<0.1ppm PH-8.0
For filtration, I have a 20 gallon sump and a 10 gallon refugium. I use no
mechanical or biological filtration, but I do utilize a Seaclone skimmer (I
have found this skimmer to be hardly useful).
<It is. I'd be upgrading... see WWM re>
I used to grow Chaetomorpha in the refugium, but within the last two weeks
all macro algae growth has seemingly ceased (this has me puzzled). My only
guess is that there just aren't enough nutrients to support the rampant
algae growth that I used to see. I have also packed the display tank full of
the Chaetomorpha to aid in filtration, and I built caves out of it to give
my Betta caves to hide in.
If you have any ideas about a positive ID,
<Not w/o dissection, the use of a scope... but...>
and a treatment, please let me know. The fish is still eating well, and I
have a small stock of Metronidazole on hand if it is needed.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
~Will
<There is a "general" approach/cure to investigate: Levamisole. Bob Fenner>
|
 |
Not looking good for my baby Blue Tang 5/13/09
Blue Tang/Health
Hello,
<Hi Chris.>
I have a 55g saltwater tank. This tank has in it 1 Blue Tang, 1 clown
fish, 1 Scooter Blenny, (now) 1 damsel & 6 crabs. I got her on Sunday, 2
days ago, and she did very well at first. Monday, I changed 20% of the
water, this was the first water change I had done in the seven weeks
since I started putting fish in the tank. (Yes, big mistake I guess.)
<Better late than never.>
I noticed that the blue yellow tail damsel I had in the tank until
today, was really aggressive toward my baby tang.
<Can be the nature of this fish.>
Sunday night she came up with one white spot, this morning she had
several. So I took her from the tank and put her in a container to go
with me to work, to keep and eye on her and go to the pet store for them
to see.
<Bad move here.>
After just one hour, she seemed to be much better. The spots went away
and she seemed happy. The manager of the pet store advised me to treat
her for ich. After much drama to find Ich-Attack, I put a small amount
in the container she was in
<I do not like the sound of this.."a small amount".>
and had my husband pick her up from my studio. He put her back in the
tank for me, as I thought she would be ok. I also raised the temp of the
tank to 78/80 and turned off the lights, as I was advised to by the
manager of the fish store. Now that I have taken the blue damsel out,
the spots seem to be subsiding.
Great, but she is very lethargic and appears to have a hard time coming
down from the top. She is breathing and will move if provoked. Any
advice on what I can do next? This tank system was a present for my 6
year old son (He wanted a killer whale and we settled on Nemo) and he
would be heartbroken if anything happened to her, as would I. (p.s. if I
would have known that she was only 2 weeks at best
<If you mean two weeks old, I can guarantee you the fish is much older
than that.>
when I saw her, as I found out today, I would NOT have gotten her.
<I'm guessing your Blue Tang is about one inch long, and at that size,
are nearly impossible to acclimate to captive systems.
I might add that in my opinion, Ich Attack is worthless for treating
ich. Copper is an effective treatment for ich, but a tang at that size
and poor health likely would die from any copper exposure. Transporting
this fish
to your job in a container didn't help matters, just added more stress
to an already stressed out fish. My advice is to research fish before
buying, ensure you can provide the environment/care they require, along
with compatibility and size issues. James (Salty Dog)>
Chris
Re Not looking good for my
baby Blue Tang 5/13/09
Blue Tang/Health
Hello again,
<Hi Chris>
Well, I was up all night checking on my tang. She seems to be doing much
better, now that I have removed the blue damsel. She is becoming more
active and starting to eat again. Her color is coming back and the white
spots are going away. She appears to be much happier now. I am hoping
that she is on her way to recovering.
<Keep your fingers crossed.>
Thank you for the advice.
<You're welcome.>
I am pretty confidant in my ability to care for this little fish and
feel she is in good hands. I did do a lot of research before starting
this tank and have had no other problems.
<Wishing you the best here. James (Salty Dog)>
Chris
Regal\Hippo\Pacific Blue Tang Health: Reading\No Useful
Information 4/2/2009
<Hi Nicole>
I have a blue hippo tang and he is laying on the bottom for the tank
breathing hard and his tail fin has turned a reddish color.
<Not good, likely an infection>
He is also going to the top of the tank every so often and bobs up and
down spitting water. I have tested the water and taken the water to
professionals to test the water and there is not a single test that
shows any water problems.
<How big is this tank? How is it set up?, and what else is in there with
it?>
I have never seen the fish eat but I put seaweed in the bottom of the
tank and has disappeared I am not sure if he is eating though.
<How long have you had this fish?>
I was thinking that he might have ick so i changed water and put in an
organic Ick Attack.
<Hmm, no, this is not a sign of Ick: read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/infectio.htm >
Not thinking he's going to make it but any suggestions what could be the
problem?
<Need more information than what you have given to best answer your
question. In the short term, get the Tang out of your main tank and put
into a quarantine tank and start treating with an antibiotic such as
Maracyn.>
Nicole
<Mike>
Re: Regal\Hippo\Pacific Blue Tang Health: 4/3/2009
Hi Mike
<Hi Nicole>
The tank is a 110. it is equipped with a wet dry filtration system. The
other life is:
a sea anemone <What species? These can and will sting fish.>
horseshoe crab <Dismal survival chances in an aquarium, read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/hshoecrabsart.htm >
4 in damsel <Species?>
1 in damsel, <Species?, Potential grouper food>
2 in yellow Tang,
1 in Clarkii Clownfish, <Grouper food>
1 in Clownfish <Grouper food>
7-8 in panther grouper. <Needs a big tank - 200+ gallons Read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/basses.htm >
I have had the hippo tang for about 2 weeks. Have a feeling the fish was
sick to begin with. it is a large one 7-8 inches <If wild caught, at a
size that does not adapt to captivity easily>
<OK, we have a bunch of potential causes here. It is possible the fish
was sick to begin with. Hippo Tangs do tend to be more delicate than
others.
That said, there are a few possible causes in the tank. Possible sting
from the Anemone, harassment from either the Damsels or the Grouper.>
<Again, please get the fish into a hospital tank and start treating for
infection.>
Nicole
<Mike>
Hippo\Regal Tang Health: Quarantine 3/26/2009
Hi Crew,
<Hi Alex>
I just discovered your site and the amazing amount of information it
contains, what a wonderful resource for those of us seeking knowledge!!
<Happy to hear you find it useful!>
I've spent the last eight hours reading through numerous threads and I
only wish I had found your site prior to purchasing a Blue Hippo Tang; for
now I realize the mistakes I have
made up to this point, and I could have surely avoided what might turn into
a big problem.
<Ok, lets see what the problem is.>
I have a 125 gallon tank with a 25 gallon
sump, mostly fish and a few corals (Xenia and Zooanthids.) I never realized
the importance of a QT
for new arrivals until now, you have truly enlightened me to the point of
change.
<Sadly, this is a lesson that is usually learned the hard way.>
My question is regarding the Blue Hippo I purchased yesterday. Prior to
purchasing I did a little
research (not enough) regarding compatibility, diet, behavior, and general
info on this beautiful fish and
decided he would be a acceptable addition to my tank. I read they are more
susceptible to marine ich than
most so I was careful to make sure he looked healthy before purchasing and
was assured by the LFS owner
that the fish was quarantine for several weeks upon arriving in his store,
and has been eating and
healthy for 2 additional weeks since leaving quarantine.
<Sounds encouraging so far.>
As he was ringing me up he went into long detail about drip acclimating
(which I always
do for several hours already) and feeding the fish with garlic soaked food
to prevent an ich outbreak.
<I personally have doubts about garlic preventing Ich.>
Garlic was a new one to me so I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the LFS
owner
swore by it and told me all the success he has had in the past treating ich
using garlic, so I purchased a bottle.
<Fair enough, it certainly cannot hurt.>
On the drive home the excitement of purchasing the fish started to wear
off and I started to get a little
nervous. All this talk of ich and preventative garlic and previous ich in
the LFS was far different from any previous fish purchase I have made and
it began to spook me a bit.
<Understandably>
Upon getting home I got even more nervous when I noticed the Tang had
gotten kind of scraped up during his
attempt to avoid being netted at the LFS (he tried to hide by wedging
himself under a rock.)
<Very common>
When I started the drip acclimation, I decided it might not be a bad idea
to try do something now to help prevent
my new little buddy from getting ich, so I thought adding some medication
to the water might not be a bad idea.
<It was a bad idea.>
Since it was 7:30 pm by this time I had to go with what I had on hand,
which left two choices:
Copper or Acriflavine. I figured Copper might be too harsh and stressful
since he wasn't showing any signs of
ich and would be in the acclimation tank for the next few hours so I went
with the Acriflavine which
I had used with success in the past on Discus and was also for marine use.
<It does not treat Ich>
I added a few drops at a time to make sure he didn't negatively react (in
an obvious way) to the medicine until I got to about 1/2 teaspoon then
used the incoming drips to
slowly dilute the water during the acclimation period of two hours. He
didn't seem to be overly bothered by the process.
<Good.>
This morning he was swimming around the tank getting used to his
tankmates and began eating the garlic soaked
food enthusiastically, however the scraping on body looked worse than it
appeared through the plastic bag upon his arrival last night. He has white
patches (abrasions not the salt grain look of ich)
so I'm afraid he is more susceptible to an ich breakout. I run a UV
Sterilizer on the tank 24/7 and have never had any
ich outbreaks in the tank since inception 4 years ago so I'm fairly sure
there is no ich in the system unless it has
been introduced by the Tang. What has me concerned is that after reading
through your site I now understand the
lifecycle of ich and also the trouble it is to properly treat once an
outbreak has begun. It seems to me that garlic
might offer an infected individual some benefit in fighting off an
infection but it would do nothing to eliminate
the parasite from a system once introduced, so if the LFS owners method of
ich treatment is garlic then I think I'm in
trouble. Since the Tang was in a tank with some coral and shrimp at the
LFS there couldn't have be any copper treatment in
the system. On to my questions:
1) I read on your site that Acriflavine isn't an effective treatment for
ich but do you think a two hour bath in a highly
concentrated solution would have any effect at killing the ich parasite if
it were present?
<No>
It appears it might have removed his slime coat so the stronger
concentration might have made it to the target.
<Removing the slime coat makes the fish more vulnerable to infection, so you
do not want to damage the slime coat any further.>
2) Since by the time you respond to this e-mail he'll have been in the tank
for over 36 hours is there any reason to try to
remove him now or am I past the point of no return.
<I would not move or stress this fish further unless you actually see signs
of Ich or an infection from the scrapes.>
I thought about trying to remove and quarantine the Tang today but
I have around 150lbs of live rock in the tank and catching him would more
than likely be impossible and only stress him
further and probably lead to more abrasions so I decided to write to you
first.
<I agree, leave the fish be and observe. With a good diet and good water
quality, it should heal up fairly quickly.>
3) If removing him is your suggestion do you have any tricks to netting
him?
Thank You so much for taking the time to respond, and thanks again for the
wonderful site. I'm confident with your sight
as a reference I'll avoid making many truly unnecessary and preventable
mistakes in the future.
<Happy to help>
Alex
<Mike>
Re: Hippo/Regal Tang Health: Quarantine 3/27/2009
Thanks for the reply Mike,
<Hi Alex, no problem.>
I guess my most pressing concern is trying to avoid introducing the ich
into the system.
<Ich is already in your system and has been since day 1, the trick is
keeping all of your livestock healthy enough so it does not overwhelm
them.>
Since the article on the lifecycle of ich says that it spends seven days on
the host fish
growing and multiplying before popping and spreading.
<This is true.>
I was curious if I have an opportunity window of seven days to remove the
Tang if he starts showing signs of ich.
OR, if it's already too late and if the ich was introduced via the Tang is
already there and
removing him would be of no value.
<Removing the fish would be of no value at this point, unless it actively
shows signs of Ich or starts showing signs of infection.>
Thanks
<My Pleasure>
<Mike>
Ich 03/26/09
Another question, sorry!
<Mmm>
My hippos has ich, as does my Foxface etc.... I assume everyone is
screwed at this point.
<Double Mmmm>
Anyways, I was told by everyone that NO MATTER WHAT Hippo tangs will get
ich over and over. NO MATTER WHAT!
<... No, not so>
So I am thinking of the best course of action right now. I dread the
thought of leaving the tank fallow for 2 months, and then having to buy
another tank to treat the infected in (smallest size?) I have a 29
gallon in my crawlspace right now but with my small house I am wondering
where the heck I will put it and will it be big enough?!
<Should be>
I will be very upset if I do the whole treatment of curing the fish
while fallowing the tank and then I put the hippo back in and it gets
ich again as I am told that is what will happen. I know you are
thinking this is what you get for not QTing, but I did
QT. My tank is new (not new to me but brand new) and these are the first
fish added after QTing. I don't know where I went wrong?
<Happens>
I am so pissed right now. I wanted a really nice system and bought a
super nice looking stand, bubble king skimmer180, 2 Vortech MP40's,
etc... My total must be near about 8000.00 right now. I feel that if the
ich knew that they would just die a horrible death and leave me with a
nice tank. But NOOOOOOOO, that is not the case. So I guess my
question to you is if I go through the hassle of QTing/ medicating
again! will the hippo just get ich again when added back to the tank
starting this whole saga over again for me?
<Is possible... however... there are some better approaches to treatment
that might work>
Should I flush it down the toilet now? ha ha, not really. And what
do you find the best treatment for ich?
<Heeeee! Sorry... Maybe quinine for you here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/quinmedfaqs.htm>
Hyposalinity or copper, and if copper what brand is best to use? Is
there a copper that is a tad safer?
<Mmm, yes... please take a gander at WWM here... chelated varieties,
brands... matching test kits...>
I want to make sure I kill the ich dead, but not the fish! I am so
sorry for the rant, you must get tired of all the questions
from people. I have Bob Fenner's book on order, I have a few sw books
already but the more you can read the better I figure.
<Mmm... perhaps. Gots to toss in the proviso that we are indeed
time-limited, task directed only to extents>
Thank you so much for your eagerly anticipated answer!!
Penny
<Sorry for the delay Penny... am out of the country diving, making pix.
Bob Fenner>
Re: Ich 03/26/09
Thank you very much for your answers. Sorry again for the rant. Who knew
this could be so frustrating???
<I'll admit to knowing the likelihood... but, am hoping we can help you
get beyond this trouble...>
I am going with Seachem's copper treatments with the matched up copper
test. Hope that does the trick for the sick fishes.
<Sounds good>
Can't wait for your book to come in the mail, should be today!
Penny
<Am also sure you will enjoy, gain by its perusal. Cheers, BobF>
Seemingly ill Blue
Surgeonfish 3/25/2009
Good day WWM crew,
I have a concern regarding one of my long time fish and I was hoping you
could help me with some ideas.
The problem is regarding my pacific blue tang / Blue Surgeonfish /
Paracanthurus hepatus. The fish physically looks healthy (no odd
markings, scale problems, bloating, discolouration, or fin problems) and
yet it is acting as if it will be dying soon (swimming upside-down in
quick bursts and mostly laying in vertical stillness in corners of the
tank; as well swimming in strange circular patterns when it appears to
get spooked).
<Yikes... I hope I am not too late...>
I noticed that approximately two months ago, the fish became very
passive (basically overnight) usually staying in the back corner of the
tank and only coming out to eat. Due to its healthy physical appearance,
I was hoping that the fish was doing this on a temporary basis. It kept
this act up until the other day (which I did not like, but I could not
think of anything that would be wrong with it). It was about a day or
two ago that it started to act very strangely as mentioned above.
Any help regarding this would be much appreciated. I feel that the fish
may not recover, although I still hold some hope. Please note that as I
mentioned above, the fish physically looks as healthy as I've ever seen
it.
<Something is very wrong if this fish is inverted... I would be checking
your dissolved oxygen, or better, just executing a large water change,
lowering your spg, adding circulation, surface agitation... This tang is
easily mal-influenced by low DO... this is likely the problem here. Bob
Fenner>
Tank overview:
72 Gallon tank with 1/5th live rock and about half a dozen small-medium
corals (none with strong stinging capabilities).
5 fish in total including 2 clownfish, an angel fish, a yellow tang, and
the pacific blue in question. The tank has about 3 hermit crabs, 5
snails, and 2 brittle stars.
Water quality is not perfect but is fairly good. It has been fairly
consistent for over a year.
The tank has been running with very few changes for around three-five
years now.
The sturgeon fish in question has been living well in the tank for over
two years now. It was about 5cm in length when it was added to the tank.
It is now roughly 12-15cm in length.
In terms of lighting, the tank has 2 150W 10k metal halides that run for
approx 9h a day, and two 96W actinic power compacts that run for a total
of 11h per day (on 1h before the halides and off 1h after the halides).
Tank temperature is maintained around 78F + or - a degree through the
course of the day.
Filtration and water flow in the tank includes: A UV sterilizer, protein
skimmer (always on), canister filter (always on - currently on a
variable flow output, but had been maintained on a constant flow up
until a month ago), and a pump (always on) for additional water
circulation.
Fish diet currently consists of two types of flake food (not the best
diet I know...). Those are Prime Reef Flakes and Formula Two Flakes, by
“Ocean nutrition”.
In terms of tank deaths, it has been over a year since I've had a fish
die, and about 6+ months ago a clam I had in the tank died off.
I believe that about covers the situation. Any thoughts would be much
appreciated.
Take care guys,
John
Regal Tang Wound? 1/7/09
Hi Crew,
<Reuben>
Firstly just wanted to let you all know that your site
is awesome!
<Thank you>
My question is regarding a Regal Tang
about 3 inches long that I've had in my tank now for around 8
months. A couple of days ago while feeding it i noticed that a white
scab around the size of a small fingernail had appeared on one side,
<I see this in your photos>
this then developed into what looks
like a wound,
<To me too>
almost like a piece of flesh has
been eaten away, along with this a couple of small blood coloured
patches have appeared on the skin just in front of the gill and ive
also seen it scratching up against some of the rocks and scenery,
other than that the fish is acting completely as normal (eating like
a pig & darting about all over). I looked it up and so far haven't
been able to find anything that quite matches it, so I've come to
you all for your expertise.
Tank parameters are:
Tanks been up
& running for 1 year
65 gallons
PH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrate 80 ( I tested the water after i noticed the
scab and have been
performing water changes to bring it way back
down)
Temp 79 degrees Fahrenheit
SG 1.024
Red sea prism
deluxe protein skimmer
Canister filter for 105 gallon tank
Extra power head for added flow
UV sterilizer
Two air stones
Sand bed is about 2 inches deep and is made of crushed coral
Inhabitants
2 Ocellaris Clowns largest is 1.5 inches had for 10
months
1 six line wrasse about 2 inches had for 10 months
<Mmm, the most likely culprit>
1 Yellow Tang about 2.5 inches had
for 8 months
1 Pacific Cleaner Shrimp had for 9 months
4 Turbo
Snails had for 9 months
A few other cool hitchhikers including
Feather Dusters, a Button Polyp & a clam like crustacean
I feed
the fish marine flakes & dried seaweed daily and a bit of frozen
food like mysis & brine shrimp once every other week.
All the
other inhabitants are fine and I've never had any problems other
than a brief outbreak of Ich not long after i started the tank up
which killed off my Royal Gramma and a Fire shrimp which had trouble
molting and ended up dying the following day.
I've attached a few
photos if they're any help.
<They are definitely>
If you've
any idea what it might be and any treatment for it I'd be most
grateful as I've grown quite attached to it and wouldn't want to
lose it.
<Is most likely a physical injury... a wound as you
surmise. I would do nothing treatment-wise here. Good maintenance
and nutrition will show this fish improving with time. Bob Fenner>
P.S once I've sorted out the water quality and the problem with my
regal tang I'd like to add possibly a couple more fish and inverts
do you have any suggestions?
<This 65 gal. tank is already past
full temperament-wise... part of the reason here... I would add no
more fishes> |   |
Hippo Tang/Health 1/6/09
Hi crew,
<Hi Derek>
I got a
Hippo Tang 1.5" at a LFS during Christmas sale, and did not quarantine
it, now I fully regret it. It seems to have developed some kind of
erosion around its stomach. I've read your forum and it doesn't seem to
be HLLE. Not much on the face and lateral line, but erodes/ scar more on
the stomach area (greyish white). The LFS told me to get it out and dose
it with some antibiotics, and if not dose it with Marine Melafix.
<Melafix isn't really an antibiotic, and quite frankly, in my opinion,
is utterly useless. What it can/will do is damage to your
denitrification process.
On another note, do not dose medication
unless you can identify the symptoms and then only dose with the proper
medication. If an antibiotic is needed, you would be better off using a
product containing erythromyacin such as Maracyn. Bob may have
additional suggestions.>
<<No sense using antibiotics here period.
RMF>>
I've tried using nets, fish traps, bottles and still couldn't
get the sucker out. Since I can't get it out, I turn<ed> off the skimmer
and dose Melafix daily,
<Stop dosing this, you will likely be causing
more problems.>
but it doesn't seem to be improving. Its still eating
like a champ, eating mysis, brine, Nori & flake.
I have a 75g tank
with 150lbs of live rock, housed in it is a 3" Yellow Tang
(I've seen
bullying and territorial dominance),
<Not uncommon when mixing
tangs.>
2 False Percs, 1 Algae Goby and one Dragon Goby.
Water
parameters seems to be quite good, should I take any other action?
What do you think the parasite/ erosion would be?
<The pic isn't that
detailed for an accurate diagnosis, but my first thought was that this
fish has been in a few scuffles with the Yellow Tang and likely got
these bruises from barreling into a cave/crevice. If you could get a
clearer pic, it would be more helpful. For now, just keep a close eye on
the Hippo.
When writing to WWM, please capitalize all proper nouns
including "i" as it saves us
much time if we do not have to do this
before posting.>
thanks a lot
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Derek
<<This is very likely simple mechanical injury as James
suggests... No use "treating"... Bob Fenner>> |
  |
Re: Hippo Tang/Health 1/12/09
Hi salty dog,
<Yikes, my
name not in caps.>
I believe you are right. The scuffs are from the
Blue Tang trying to wedge himself into caves/ crevices. The blue tang
disappears after the lights go off and hides in his favourite cave. When
the lights come on in the morning, the scars/ scratches usually worsens.
(any idea why this is?)
<In my experience, Hippo's generally try to
wedge themselves into the tightest possible
crevice and this is more
than likely why you are seeing this.>
Since your last email, I've
stopped dosing Melafix,
<Good, green tea extracts don't do much as
far as anti-biotic remedies go.>
and ran carbon to remove it. Knock
on wood the scars have been almost gone, and I'm still continuing to
feed him garlic.
<OK>
I have heard from other fellow reefers that
by putting a mirror in front of the tank, an aggressive (in my case a
yellow tang) tang will knock themselves out by chasing after their
shadow. In turn will lower the fish's aggression. I'll try this once the
blue tang is fully recovered.
<Doesn't hurt to try.>
Thanks again,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Derek |
Black spot, maybe not 12/26/08
Hi there,
<Hello Dan>
Sorry to be a bother, but I have a confusing
situation over here. I have a 90 gallon reef tank with; yellow tang,
blue tang, two clown fish, anemone, clam, cleaner shrimp, sally
light foot, purple lobster, leather corals, hammer corals, some
polyps, mushrooms and other bits and pieces. As well as about ten,
well established mangroves growing in my sump refugium.
Everything was going quite well until I added a yellow eyed Kole
tang (which I do love) to my reef.
Two weeks later I noticed
black bumps and some color fading appearing on my blue tang. As well
as some lateral line and forehead peeling on my yellow tang. So I
went on the Internet and found your site. I think my blue tang has
the black spot disease,
<Mmm... actually... you would very likely
see this now, concurrently on the Yellow, Zebrasoma flavescens... I
think you may be witnessing
Microsporideans... not really
treatable... and not very debilitating>
but I didn't notice any
info about the spots kind of bumping out a bit,
<Good
description... and likely shiny, kind of shaped like cones...
whereas Paravortex is dull, flat...>
and one day he was fine and
the next he has 20 spots on him. So I am guessing I need to
quarantine him, but what about the Kole (who is fine except for only
eating off the rocks so far) and yellow tang?
<Again... or for
emphasis, I would NOT move these fishes... at least as yet...>
I
think I can deal with the yellow tang as it seems as his peeling is
do to poor water quality
<?! What leads you to think this?>
and stress. I am about to do a water change and hook the skimmer
back up (after two years off due to the mangroves).
<I would>
Should I quarantine all of the tangs? can I do them all together?
What product would you recommend?
<No, yes, None>
Could I do
it in my mangrove tank or will the medicine possibly hurt them?
<Depending on what's used, yes>
Sorry again and thank you for
your help. I have never had a sick fish before and was upset to see
him, I do have a good photo if needed and also don't know how to
find this page again.
<Mmm, should be here with your
message/response. Please do send the image along>
Thank you
Dan
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
black spot, maybe not 12/27/08
Hi there again Bob.
<Dan>
I was worried about waiting another
day to treat my fish, so I made a executive decision and went
against your advice to wait to move the three tangs into a
quarantine. I see why you said wait as it does seem to cause a lot
of stress (for the fish and my girlfriend and I) to try to catch
them.
I was only able to catch the infected blue tang, but did
so without disturbing my reef which seemed good as I have seen what
happens when you start moving rocks around. I went to my LFS and
showed them the same photo of the blue tang I sent you,
<I still
haven't seen this image>
and he told me to quarantine all three
and to treat the fish with aquarium
Munster proto Marin
Intensiv,
<What are the ingredients here?>
which I did do. I
was reading the instructions and noticed that it said nothing of
treating black spot or Microsporideans. I know I should have waited
until you saw the photos but he seemed to be getting worse and I
wanted to get him treated as soon as possible. I have the feeling I
am not treating him with the right medication. What should I do now?
<...>
I know you will have probably answered all my questions in
my second email but just in case, should I keep treating him with
the proto Marin, and if not than what?
>... nothing<
should I
catch and quarantine the other tangs?
<... already answered>
What about the other fish?
<... How would I, anyone be able to
determine what is actually going on here?>
I have been reading
about dips - would you recommend doing this? and should I keep my
fish quarantined for 4-6 weeks? also I have a Marineland hot magnum
that came with cloth like filter like those in vacuums, would this
work for my hospital tank? or if not could I fill it up and run it
with the sponge filters? Sorry for going ahead as I have read some
of your articles where people did the same thing and they seemed
annoying. Also sorry for two emails at once, I just wanted to keep
you posted and if you thought the blue tang would be better off back
in the reef tank, another day would not have gone by.
Thanks so
much for all your help. I appreciate it.
Dan.
<... Please,
see, read on WWM re Acanthurid Health, Protozoans, Infested
Systems... B>
black spot, maybe not 12/27/08
Hi Bob
Thank you for getting back to me so fast.
What lead me
to believe that the yellow tangs peeling is do to poor water quality
is that, It had happened to him before and when I started trying to
improve my water quality it went away. He may have started peeling
before I
introduced the Kole tang, and I have noticed that a lot
of the yellow tangs in LFS do have the same problems. I guess I
diagnosed him with the head and lateral line disease. I did have a
few mangroves slowly die in my sump a few months back when on
vacation, and when I questioned the guy at the LFS about his peeling
he guessed that my nitrites were high, which they were, and said it
generally happens when water quality is low and they are stressed.
Do you think thou I could be wrong and my yellow tangs problem could
be related to the blue tangs black spots?
<Mmm, indirectly,
yes... the pitting is very likely mostly due to "poor water
quality"... is a type/form of HLLE...>
I should mention that all
of my fish are acting normal and are as hungry as ever, thou I have
noticed the blue tang rubbing a bit on the live rock. I couldn't
find any information on Microsporideans. Will my other fish be
affected if I do not quarantine the blue tang? I read some where to
remove activated carbon, I run Chemi-pure in a hang on filter should
I switch it off or change products?
<... I would keep using the
Chemi-pure>
As for the blue tangs bumps, on the blue part of his
body there are bumps with a black spot in the middle and around the
spot on the rising sides of the bump seems to be whitish. However on
his black markings he seems to only have one or two white spots, and
on his fins and tail just black dots no bumps. Does this sound like
Microsporideans?
<Could be... but... net cause/s?>
Is there
anything I should do? Hopefully the photos are usable and helpful.
Thank you very much for your time
Dan
<Keep reading. BobF> |
  |
Sick tang... 11/19/08
Could you please help
identify these for me. I am researching for someone else . From my
understanding the owners of these fish had said, this appeared over
night. I have seen this on other fish in the past but not able to pin
point what it is cause or treatment. those fish perished.
Any help
would be greatly appreciated
Lynn
<... the marking on the
Paracanthurus looks to be the result of some sort of physical trauma...
the Clown... is worrisome... overnight? This might be Mycobacterium...
perhaps Brooklynellosis... need better, close up, even
microphotographic imagery and staining to discern. Bob Fenner>
Re: sick tang. Paracanthurus 11/20/2008
Dear bob Thank
you for taking the time to get back to me on this .Unfortunately the
hippo tang passed away 24 hrs upon onset of this odd color change.. I
have seen it in the past a few times. Although it tends to be common
with blue hippos when they are smaller and more susceptible to disease
when purchase at such a young stage..
<Yes>
All with the same
signs of blackening and within 24 hrs death.. I stopped purchasing such
small fish due to this similar signs and not knowing how to help.. is it
possible that this could also be a similar strain of virus that appears
darker on the tang?
<A virus? I don't know>
due to its natural
pigment?
Please tell me your thoughts on this.. Whatever is the cause
it kills within 24 hrs..
Thank you again for your time
Lynn
<Is
very strange... frightening. Have also seen this "sudden death syndrome"
on other Paracanthurus. Again, I'm not aware of the causative
mechanism/s. Bob Fenner> |   |
Acanthuridae (Finrot?) 10/20/08
hi , i have a question about my hippo tang. i have had her 3 months.
within the past three months i have been battling a case if ich, black
ich , and now she has a white cotton looking growth on her fin.. i had
put her in some quick cure but this never went away. just curious what
it is? and how to cure it?
<Almost certainly a bacterial secondary
infection, though a fungal infection can't be ruled out. In any case,
you'll need to treat, promptly, for example with Maracyn or Maracyn 2
(I'd try the first first, and if that doesn't work, the second). Do also
understand that secondary infections don't come out of nowhere, and nine
times out of ten the cause is environmental, specifically water quality,
though mechanical trauma (e.g., biting, poor handling) should also be
considered.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/infectio.htm
Cheers,
Neale.>
Do you know what is happening to my fish? :'( 10/8/08
I was referred to you by Penny at Aqua Corals,
<A very fine
retailer, individual in my estimation>
I e-mailed her to find out
what is happening to my fish here is the message I sent her
explaining the problems I'm having...
Penny,
Here is a picture
of my Blue Hippo Tang it looks like something took a bite out of the
top of the fish and all the tissue around it is decaying, I also
have a Tang whose left fin and side has turned white and also looks
like it is starting to decay. The fish were is perfect condition
Sunday night,
<!>
on Monday morning the Blue Hippo had a small
piece missing and was white all around, today a much larger piece is
gone and the white has spread further down. Do you have any thoughts
on what might be causing this.
<Something (frightening) that is
very aggressive...>
I had thought it might be possible that they
got into a fight but they have never been aggressive with each other
or any other fish before, and they are not avoiding each other
either.
P.S All the other fish in the tank seem fine. Thank you
again for your time.
Penny thought you may be able to help, I
appreciate any suggestions or help you may be able to offer, thank
you.
Sherri
<Again... this very rapid onset troubles me... IF
the fish was somehow "bitten"... perhaps by a hidden predator (e.g.
a Mantis/Stomatopod) or another fish, to have decomposers (bacteria,
fungi...) reduce it to this condition in this short of time... is
troubling. Do you have another system you might move it to? I would
utilize a pH adjusted freshwater dip and formalin dip/bath, with
aeration enroute... in the hopes of arresting progress here. Please
read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/dips_baths.htm
and the linked
files above re. Bob Fenner> |
 |
Possible Hole-in-the-head in a Hippo tang. More 9/29/08
Hello WWM crew,
<Miguel>
I'm new to the salt-water part of the
hobby and I'm trying to figure out how to help this little guy/gal. I
would like to narrow down what I'm treating before I use any medicines.
I unfortunately started the tank before I found your great web site and
I hope I'm not screwing up too bad.
The set up: 75 gal tank started
July 2008, 80 lbs live rock, 100 lbs fine Oolite aragonite live sand
(live sand not really necessary/wasted extra money after reading your
site), Prism deluxe protein skimmer (purchased before reading your
reviews and planning to upgrade), Magnum 350 canister with a micron
filter changed/cleaned every week or two depending on conditions.
<Part of the issue here>
Once a month, charcoal used in Magnum for a
couple of days ( 2 to 3).
<I'd just leave the carbon in>
The
outlet hose of the magnum goes through a "squid" unit (Switching Current
Water Director and I have two Maxi-Jet 1200 power-heads attached to a
Red Sea Wave maker.
The latest water parameters: Temp 80F, Sp Gr
1.025, Amm 0, Nitrate 0,
<Really? Surprising>
Nitrite 0, pH 8.4,
Alk 3.92, Ca 420, Phos 0, Cu 0. 10% weekly water changes using R/O water
purchased from the LFS. Nothing is added without testing for it first
except for Iodide (hoping to get a test kit soon) which is supplemented
as per the Seachem "beginner" instructions on the bottle.
The fauna:
2 Peppermint Shrimp (which took care of a minor Aiptasia outbreak on the
LR), 3 Turbo snails, 5 Red legged hermit crabs, 3 B/G Chromis, and 1
small Hippo tang ( purchased before knowing 75 gal tank is not adequate
size). 1 frog-spawn, 1 button polyp , 1 Evergreen starburst polyp on a
controllable area, and 1 carnation (again I wished I would have found
your site before purchasing but it has grown is size).
The tang was
purchased and place in a 10 gal QT. 2 weeks later it broke out with
Marine Ich. The little guy went through copper treatment (Cupramine)
<... killed off necessary gut infauna...>
very well and was kept in
the QT for 6 weeks post treatment. He was finally placed in the main
tank and was doing great...until 2 weeks ago. I noticed a single small,
white tuft-like growth on the right nares. He was getting superficial
scrapes from the LR so I kept an eye on the area. The tuft remained
unchanged for nearly two weeks and no new ones were appearing. The fish
continued to eat and was fairly active. Within the past week things have
rapidly progressed. The tuft fell-off and now there is a nice sized
ulcer under the area (see picture WWM3) The fish also has lost a
tremendous amount of body weight and is looking emaciated ( see picture
WWM2).
<I see both>
He is still attempting to eat (Ocean Nutrition
Prime Reef flakes, Frozen Mysis shrimp and Nori is offered but has never
really eaten it). I noticed he is swimming with his mouth slightly open
and appears not to be able to close it (perhaps from the muscle
atrophy). I moved him back to the QT tank and the questions I have are:
does it look like hole in the head and if so can I dissolve
Metronidazole tablets in the 10 Gal QT tank.
<Mmm... not what I would
do>
Is there a better antibiotic/treatment to use?
<Really... root
issue is water quality, avitaminoses...>
( I'm a Veterinarian so I
have access to most antibiotics)
<Mmm, though a couple of
flagellates (Hexamita/Octomita, Spironucleus) are associated with these
sorts of neuromast destruction syndromes, the causative mechanisms are
nutritional, environmental. Even so, some folks report (indirect)
success with the use of quinacrine phosphate... see WWM re>
Should
the 3 B/G Chromis be place in the QT tank and treated or should I wait
for any clinical signs to appear? How contagious is it to other fish if
at all?
<Mmm, not so much as Tangs and Angels...>
I appreciate
your help and I've learned (am learning) so much from your site.
Sincerely,
Miguel Perales.
<Please peruse here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/HLLESWCauseF.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner> |   |
Re: -head in a Hippo tang (follow-up) 9/29/08
Thank
you for the quick response.
<Welcome Miguel>
Having gone through
the information on your web site and understanding that HLLE is a multi
etiology disease makes
it easier come up with a treatment plan. My
plan is to increase water changes to twice a week even though the
parameters seem OK. I will start soaking their food in Selcon. My
problem is this, I've searched the LFS and
no one seems to carry
Selcon. I'm going to have to order on-line so it will take a few days to
arrive. In the mean time I do have Seachem's Reef Plus which does have
Vitamins and Minerals. Will it hurt the fish to soak their food in this
product until the Selcon arrives?
<Not at all. It will help>
I
feel that I need to intervene soon and don't have much time to waste
since the tang is losing interest in eating and is hiding most of the
time.
Thank you in advance,
Miguel Perales
<Again, cheers,
BobF>
Possible Hole-in-the |
I
have a regal blue tang in serious need of help! Reading
9/16/08
Hello team,
I have a regal blue tang in serious
need of help! About three weeks ago I noticed that he was missing scales
in a number of areas and did some reading and decided that it looked
like lateral line erosion. I took a closer look at my yellow tang and
saw some discoloration on his face and lateral line as well, along with
some fin erosion. I did some reading and it looks as if there are a lot
of mixed opinions as to what causes it.
<Mmm, not to/for me>
Some
of the more popular reasons I've read about were vitamin C deficiency
and poor water quality.
<This and other avitaminoses, stress>
I
feed my fish formula 1 and 2 ocean nutrition flakes, frozen cubes of
marine cuisine with brine shrimp, and green algae sheets and have
witnessed the blue tang eating all of those, although the algae sheets
are rare.
<I'd be supplementing these foods... with a liquid prep.
like Selcon, MicroVit...>
I did some asking at my LFS and the lady I
spoke with there suggested feeding romaine lettuce for the vitamin c.
<... no. See WWM re. A very poor choice period>
I put clips in the
tank and after a couple of days all of the lettuce disappeared. I
haven't witnessed the blue tang nipping off of them but I have seen the
yellow tang eating feeding quite a bit and he looks like he may be
getting some color back. The blue tang has only been getting worse
though, he has almost no blue left on his entire body and looks almost
clear, but is still eating other foods. My clownfish, blue damsel, royal
gramma, Firefish, and neon goby all appear to be healthy.
I tested
water quality and specific gravity is 1.023,
<A bit low>
PH is
8.2, ammonia and nitrites are both zero, but the nitrates had jumped up
to 40 ppm.
<Way too high...>
I did a quick water change and that
dropped the nitrates down to less than 20 ppm and I have more water
mixing for another change if they get any higher.
<You need to
discern the cause, deal with this here. Very likely the "lettuce" in
part>
I think I may have been overfeeding so I've cut down on how
much I feed them and the water has cleared up a little as well.
I
also have been battling black algae.
<Can be a factor, toxic>
I no
longer get the brown algae all over my rocks but have about a square
foot patch of substrate that is constantly covered in black. I'll remove
all of it, but within a few hours it will be well on it's way to growing
back in the same spot but nowhere else in the tank.
<See WWM re
Cyanobacteria...>
My setup is a 75g fish only system. with an emperor
400 filter, powerhead and airstone for circulation, and the temperature
set for 78 degrees. It has been set up for about six months now.
There have been a number of events recently that may have impacted the
regal tangs health. I was having a battle with ich and conducted
hyposalinity on my display tank. I had no live rock at the time so I
moved my shrimp, crabs, and snails into my 12 g quarantine tank and left
only the fish and hermits. The tang went two months with a salinity of
1.009 and it was at the end of that time that I first noticed missing
scales.
<Another input for sure>
At the beginning I also gave him
dips in RidIch with formalin
<Ditto>
but the yellow tang wasn't
subjected to that. While the tank was in in hyposalinity I cured about
30 pounds of live rock that is now in my display tank and have another
30 pounds curing to be added as well.
Is there any way to encourage
him to eat the lettuce?
<...>
I put clips near his favorite spots
in the tank but he has been ignoring them as far as I can tell.
Thanks,
Jason
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm
Bob Fenner>
Hippo Tang 8/29/08
Dear Mr. Bob Fenner
<Akila>
I
have an 80G Marine tank with 1 Hippo Tang, 1 Bannerfish, 3 Large
Tube Worms, Bubble tip Anemone, some snails, a microalgae colony &
lots of live rocks with coral line algae. I use 6500K 500W (4 x 125)
CFL lighting. I use
a 4G Canister Filter, 5W UV Sterilizer,
Remora hang on Skimmer (with 2000L/H separate power head), 2 Power
heads (2000L/H), & Chiller.
The tank is running well. I do a
20% water change every month and feed my fish and invertebrates
carefully. My water parameters are Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, and Nitrate
< 20. This tank has being running well for the past 1 year.
<Ok>
Hippo Tang was in QT for 2 weeks and transferred to the main tank
about 2 months ago. I have attached some photos that shows a problem
that the Hippo Tang is having now. These spots are under his belly
and on the side. When you look at it closely it look like his skin
is coming off. I am so worried as to what will happen to my Tang.
Could you please help me identify this disease and let me know of a
way to help him.
Thanks in advance for your help
Best regards,
Akila
<Thank you for supplying complete information and such
fine photos. This mark looks very much like a "burn"... Am almost
sure it originated with a chance/accidental mishap with your BTA...
It should heal in time of its own accord with your good care. Bob
Fenner> |
 |
Hippo tang question, hlth., learning 8/19/08
Hi
there,
I purchased a juvi hippo tang last Thursday (August 14) and he
settled into my tank
<... no quarantine>
very well (started
swimming about the tank, meeting new tank mates within 5 minutes of
introduction)
<Good>
The tang is very small, probably as big as a
loonie, and smaller than a toonie.
<Mmm, summat less than a dollar
coin in the U.S.:
http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-vital-information/canadian-money-currency.aspx>
He does have a nice stuffed belly, but he has not eaten anything since
being introduced. He has shown maybe 3 to 4 spots of ich, which it tries
to swipe off himself by dashing on the bottom or corners of the tank
every so often.
<Mmm... you do realize the system is now infested if
this is a protozoan agent?>
He is not in complete distress at all,
and still is active, not breathing fast and generally looking pretty
good. I am taking measures to treat the fish for the ich (trying
Aquarium Munster protomarin coral, fingers crossed) I will have no
chance of catching that tiny fish in my display so I am resorting to
medication.
<Mmmm... "reef safe"... "effective"... Don't go together
any better than licorice and pizza... and I'm a giant fan of these last
two. I don't see where the manufacturer lists the ingredients:
http://www.aquarium-munster.com/Eng/GB_0_Home.asp
Do you know what
this material really is? If so, please send along>
My question is,
after how many days without food should I start to worry?
<Daily>
I already am worried, but like I say, his belly is pretty fat. He tries
to peck at floating items in the tank (thinking it's food), so I know he
is trying to eat.. he just always misses out on my feedings. When I turn
the pumps off, he goes running and hides the entire feed. With the few
ich spots, and not eating, I am worried it's health will decline at a
fast rate. I have tried feeding with pumps on, but the movement from me
putting food into the tank sends my clownfish running, so everyone
follows, they all get scared so easily.
<A bad sign>
I have also
ordered some Kent Garlic Xtreme,
<...>
and some Selcon to start
soaking the foods in, in hopes it might entice him to eat. I also
ordered some seaweed algae. All these items should arrive by Friday. I
forgot to mention, I am feeding my fish with NLS Pellets, and mysis
shrimp soaked in garlic extract (which is better?)
<Can't say>
I
don't want to lose the little guy, he is the healthiest I have found a
juvi hippo. Is he going to starve??
<Mmm, maybe. Are you going to
read?>
I really hope this guy starts noticing my pellets and mysis
soon.... with all the extra food I am pumping into the tank for him to
eat, I am getting bits of algae outbreaks. Thankfully my clowns are
complete pigs and usually clean up the leftovers.
Thanks for reading
my long post, I am terrible at summarizing. I just basically want to
know how long without food should I start to worry, what foods I should
focus on feeding (I hear the NLS pellets are a very good source of
nutrition for marine fish?)
<Yes... an excellent, very palatable
source>
I have been trying to feed every day, with no luck. It's not
that the fish doesn't want to eat, it's just that he hides when I
introduce food into the tank. I figured if all the other fish would eat,
he would notice and start eating too, but no luck on that note yet.
Thanks again for a great resource.. I appreciate your time and efforts.
<A few "things" possibly going on here. "Just" being new/stressed, to
being toxified by some homeopathic remedy... You don't mention your
system components, history, or water quality tests... Please start
reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/paracfdgfaqs.htm
and on to the
linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Tang Help! Hippo hlth. 08/18/2008
I purchased a thriving
system from someone who was moving to CA. It has been up and running in
my house now for 3mos and has still been thriving.
<<Ok>>
A 7"
Blue Hippo tang came with the system when I bought it and has been a
very healthy fish. I added my 2" Blue Hippo Tang who has doubled in size
since adding to the system. Yesterday I rearranged the rock work and
added the following;
6 green chromis
3 blue mushrooms
1 green
clove polyp
1 Christmas tree worm rock on Porites
and 2 Bali tube
worms
<<All sounds nice>>
Almost immediately the large Blue Hippo
started acting all stressed out. Trying to find a new hiding place, even
though I did not change his old one, and breathing hard. I turned off
the lights early hoping to help relieve some of his stress, but he died
overnight. Now my smaller Blue Hippo is missing this morning for feeding
time.
<<Such a shame the fish died. Could well be just stress of the
new additions as to why the surviving tang is in hiding, hope all is
well with it>>
Was one of the above toxic to Blue Hippos? What could
have possibly happened to cause such a fast death?
<<No, nothing
there is incompatible with a Paracanthurus. Did you inspect the dead
fish for outward marks, cuts, abrasions etc etc?? This would be your
first port of call upon death>>
125g reef tank
All my levels are
at 0
Nitrates are less than 10
calcium is 500
temp is a steady
80
salinity is 1.023
<<Was the LFS water added to the tank with
the new purchases? any additives etc? There is usually a reason why fish
die, and starting off giving the dead fish an inspection, can usually
start to enlighten us as to what has happened. Hope this helps, A
Nixon>>
Blue hippo tang can't swim 7/29/08
Hello,
<Josh>
I've
used your site for years, and have found many answers to my questions,
but I can't seem to find this one. Here's my problem:
I have had my
blue hippo tang for 2+ years and he has battled a few attacks of ich,
but never anything serious.
<How "it" was treated may be>
Recently (about 3 weeks ago), I noticed he was swimming around with his
head pointed down, and seemed to have trouble swimming level.
<Mmm,
not good>
I watched him for a few days and did not notice him eating.
By the time I decided I should quarantine
<Not advised here>
and
try to help him, I didn't have the time (was going out of town for a
week). So, I regretfully left him in the display tank
<Good>
and
gave him my best wishes while I was gone.
When I returned, he was
laying on his side on the bottom, but still breathing. I took him out of
the tank and put him in quarantine with Furazone green (the only
antibiotic I have available). He appeared almost paralyzed and would
flop a little bit when I touched him, but that was about it. After a
couple more days, he floated to the surface and bobbed around.
He was
still breathing and aware of my presence (would flare out his dorsal fin
when I hovered over the tank). I decided there was no hope, so I took
him out and was going to put him in a baggy to freeze him (heard this
was a quick way of putting them down). But when I did, he started
flopping and spit up a baby turbo snail.
<Interesting>
He was
showing more energy than I had seen for a while, so I decided not all
hope was lost. He still hadn't eaten anything
(probably about 3 weeks
now), but I tried again with some frozen mysis.
While I had him out
of the water, I put the mysis in his mouth and he swallowed it. I put
him back in the water, and while holding him with my hand, I placed him
in front of more mysis. He would suck them in, chew a little and then
spit it back out. But after several times of doing this, he actually
swallowed it! That was yesterday and I've now fed him three more
times by holding him and sticking his mouth in front of the mysis. I've
seen no improvement (but he doesn't seem to be getting worse either). Do
you have any idea what might be the cause and solution of this problem?
<Mmm, only wild general guesses... Could be a matter or function of
long/er term nutritional deficiency of some sort, a
developmental/genetic issue, some legacy of collection/handling damage,
some residual chemical/treatment damage... Very likely not
pathogenic...>
Could it be the baby turbo was stuck in his throat and
caused all this?
<Mmm, possibly>
But why is he floating on the
surface, unable to move?
<Lack of food...>
He shows no external
signs of problems. No visible parasites and color is good and eyes are
clear. He changed color (got pale) when I had him out of the water, so
he is still responding to stress, I guess. He is very buoyant and floats
to the surface quickly when I let him go. He cannot swim at all, but
sometimes get a little burst of energy and twitches. I am hoping there
is still a chance, since he is eating now.
<There is always a chance
at living as long as there is life>
Tank is a 450 reef tank with 48
other fish.
<Ahh, then highly unlikely a deficiency syndrome... but
perhaps something to do with ingesting hydrozoan, Anthozoan... material>
None of the other fish are showing any signs of stress or abnormalities.
Nothing has changed recently in the tank. I've never seen any aggression
towards him and he's never been aggressive towards any other fish. He's
always been shy, but still got enough to eat to keep him healthy.
Nitrates = 5
Nitrites and ammonia are 0
Calcium = 400
Alkalinity = 8
Thanks in advance for any help or advice,
Josh
<Were it me Josh, I would keep trying what you are doing. Bob Fenner>
Tang In Trouble (Mystery Malady or???) 7/13/08
Hi,
<Hey
there! Scott F. in today!>
I have had a Hippo tang for about 6 weeks.
Three weeks in quarantine; three weeks in the main tank (95 gal; asst
corals; several misc. fishes).
<I commend you on embracing a
quarantine procedure!>
Since I placed it into the main tank, he has
been mostly hiding in the live rock, with an occasional venture outsides
this protection. For the past few days, he has been very lethargic. If
finally have been able to "capture' him and place him in a QT. He is on
the verge of death, but I would like to do whatever I can to save him.
Any suggestions?
Thanks, Fred
<Well, Fred, general lethargy can
be the result of many different potential issues, ranging from poor
environmental factors to disease. You'll have to do some detective work
and ask yourself some questions here. I don't have much to go on. I'm
assuming that the fish was eating well and showing no signs of illness
during the quarantine period, correct? It is not uncommon for a fish to
hide for some period of time upon introduction to his/her new home.
However, for the fish to be in such severe state of lethargy, there must
be something else going on. Is there a "bully" in your aquarium that is
harassing this fish? Are all primary environmental parameters
(temperature, specific gravity, pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) within
acceptable limits? Is this the only fish in the aquarium that is acting
in such a lethargic manner? Are there any other telltale signs of
disease, such as rapid breathing, discoloration, excessive mucus, bumps,
spots, or other obvious body traumas? Has the fish been eating with any
degree of regularity? I think that you're going to have to remove this
fish for closer observation and possible treatment, if there is a
disease to treat.
Quiet conditions and stable environmental
parameters in the quarantine aquarium may help bring this fish back, but
it is hard to know. Administering a vitamin product, such as Vita Chem,
into the quarantine aquarium's water, might help perk the fish up a bit.
Before you begin bombarding the fish with drugs, it's important to know
what's going on, of course. Like I mention above, it's really tough to
diagnose this fish based on the information that you described. I'd key
in on either some illness, or obvious trauma as a culprit. If the
condition was caused by environmental factors, the other fishes in the
aquarium would have showed signs. If it is an obvious disease, such as
Ich, there likely would be other fishes affected. In the end, you're
going to have to get this fish into a quarantine aquarium and observe
him/her closely before deciding on your next course of action. Sorry I
cannot give you more specific advise, but I hope that the questions that
I asked, and the fish health resources here on WWM, help you use
deduction to determine what is wrong with this fish. Good luck! Regards,
Scott F.>
Re: sick Hippo tang
Tang In Trouble (Part 2) 7/18/08
Hi
Scott,
<Hello again.>
Thanks so much for your very interested
reply.
<Hope it was useful for you.>
Addressing your concerns;
1. All other fish seem do be doing fine, eating well.
2. There is no
apparent 'bullying'.
3. I keep a close watch on water quality and
there is nothing out of acceptable range.
4. Ich does not seem to be
present.
<All encouraging signs, to a certain extent.>
That being
said, I regret to inform you that the little guy has passed on to his
next life.
<I'm sorry to hear that. It's never easy to lose an
animal.>
His color was not good and he seemed to be very thin. I
really think that he starved to death.
<It is entirely possible.
Perhaps he was subjected to collection trauma, such as improper
handling, decompression sickness, chemicals, etc., which resulted in his
demise.>
In reviewing the entire experience, I think that I was
premature in moving him from the QT tank into the display. During the QT
period, I was mostly looking for Ich (knowing how the species is
susceptible to such). He may have not settled into eating well in the
time allowed. Then the stress of another move was more than he was able
to handle. Obviously, this is only speculation on my part.
<Yes, but
you might be on to something here. Remember, the quarantine period is
not just for looking for disease- it's also for "hardening" new
arrivals- waiting for them to begin to eat and regain strength.>
However, I will use this experience and be certain that in the future
any fish must be eating well before being move into the main tank.
<Excellent!>
Thanks again for your help.
Peace, Fred
<Sorry to
hear of your loss, Fred. However, your experience may benefit fellow
hobbyists, and most importantly, the fishes that we keep. Your Tang may
have not died in vain. Best of luck to you! Regards, Scott F.>
Sick Hippo Tang – 07/08/08
I was told on Reef Central to send
you a picture and some info and you might be able to tell me what is
wrong with him. I woke up yesterday
morning to my tang growing a
beard. Little white hair looking item's on its body. All my water
Parameters are good, and none of my other
fish are sick(2
clown's, 1 other tang, 2 chromis)
<... Your tang has "tang"led
with something... Either a bristleworm or such... or some other
prickly critter. Not much to do here but provide good care, and
hope. Bob Fenner> | 
Re: Sick Hippo Tang... lunacy
– 07/08/08
Should I put him in a Quarantine tank? What are the chances of
it surviving, and contaminating other fish?
<What? Start
here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
RMF> |
Hippo tang with Velvet? -
7/2/08
Hey
guys,
http://www.zaita.com/Images/Hippo01.jpg
http://www.zaita.com/Images/Hippo02.jpg
<I see>
I noticed
these marks on my Hippo today, she was fine yesterday. She seems to
have a scratch in front of them going up her body as well. I thought
maybe velvet, but I am thinking it's something more?
<Mmm,
something different. Twere this Amyloodiniumiasis, all your fishes
would be dead>
Maybe she got stuck in a rock and had to wiggle
free? It is only on 1 side of her body too.
<A possibility, but
there is a much greater likelihood that this area is resultant from
a "brush" with the Cnidarian life in your system... perhaps the
Euphyllia just in view>
Tank is 125g, 12months old. She was first
fish introduced and is now about 15cm in length. No new additions
for the last 12 weeks. She is housed with 2 Scopas tangs who she
bosses around, a few smaller fish and a CBB whom she ignores. She
rules the tank quite happily. Her appetite, attitude and breathing
all appear to be normal. She is fed Nori, enriched Spirulina and
enriched frozen brine. She has previously had white-spot but it was
only ever 1 or 2 spots that left after a week.
Apart from that
she has been a healthy blue tang. She was looking perfectly normal
yesterday too.
Thanks heaps guys, really love the site and it's
an invaluable resource.
Regards,
Scott.
<Thank you for
your kind words Scott. I would "do" nothing extraordinary here. Very
likely this area will heal w/in a few weeks, the fish all the
smarter for paying closer attention to the "decor". Bob Fenner> | 
Re: Hippo tang with Velvet? - 07/02/08
Thanks Bob,
I
kept a close eye on her that night and made an amusing
observation.
The scratch running her the side of her body
was also lined with bristles, very hard to see without a good
light and the fish moving slowly. I am guessing she was jabbed
by a fireworm (Eurythoe complanata) and then as you have
suggested, must've run into a coral.
<Ahh! Ouch!!!>
She
seems to have healed up for the most part already, so hopefully
she will be a bit wiser in which rocks she tries to play dead
against :P
Thanks,
Scott.
<Thank you for your further
input Scott. BobF>
|
My blue tang recently got ich... no pic, data, or reading
6/10/08
Hi,
My blue tang recently got ich, it was a very
small case of ich, but ich none the less. It seemed to get better until
we noticed that after a while the white spots started looking less like
ich, and his flipper looks like it has kind of been eaten at in places.
I thought maybe it was marine velvet, but after reading up on it I
figured that wasn't it. So I thought maybe it was fin rot, but after
looking at the symptoms it doesn't sound like fin rot either. Any ideas?
<... You're not joking? Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm
Bob Fenner>
Trouble in Paradise, Sick/Dying Tang, Inappropriate Stocking 6/5/08
Thanks in advance for any information you can give me. Your website
is wonderful! This is the first time I've posted so bare with me.
<Ok>
I have a 30g tank, 23 lbs live rock, 30 lbs live sand, 8
snails, 12 crabs, two tank raised Perculas (one obviously bigger
than the other but are still
duking it out),
<This never
really stops>
1 chromis, and 1 Hippo Tang.
<This tank is by
far too small for a Hippo.>
Water conditions are: temp 77,
pH
8.2, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate just below 5, spg 1.021.
<Would slowly raise the SPG to a more natural level.>
I cycled my
tank with live rock for 4 weeks. Added crabs and snails at a little
over 2 weeks (sand and rocks were covered in brown algae). I then
added 1 chromis at a little over 4 weeks. Added clowns and hippo
tang 5 days after chromis.
<Probably too much too fast.>
Everybody was fat, happy and eating Formula 1 flakes (this is what
the LFS told me to feed). This continued for about 3.5 weeks. Last
Thursday I noticed the tang rub on the rocks and saw what looked
like a couple bubbles on "her" but they went away. I didn't see her
do it again
after that. This past Sunday she wouldn't come out of
her cave and wouldn't eat, Monday the same thing. Tuesday she came
out but stayed at the surface with her nose almost sticking out of
the water and breathing kind of heavy, still wouldn't eat (see
attached photo). Last night she would swim a little but for the most
part stayed at the surface. This morning at the bottom, belly up
with "bugged out" eyes. After reading through your website for many
hours I'm thinking it was crypt/ich.
<Is common for this
species.>
My question is: Do I need to do anything to the
tank/other fish?
<Wait and see how badly they are infected, be
prepared to treat for ich in a hospital tank.>
I went by my LFS
on Wednesday and was told "that's crazy Dory for you. just keep an
eye on her." Called them back today and was told she must have been
stressed. Asked them what I needed to do at this point because I
don't want my other fish to die and was told "I don't know just
watch and see." My neighbor also had a tang from the same store
displaying the same symptoms died two days ago.
<I would think
about finding another LFS.>
I'm new to this and I have a very
upset 4 year old wanting to know where Dory is and why are the two
Nemo's fighting! (also attached a picture of the clowns)
Help!
Meghan
<Please see here for some ideas on what is going on and
where you may be heading. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nemoproart.htm
.>
<Chris> | 
Life is not a cartoon show. RMF
|
Hippo Tang, hlth. 5/29/08
Hi WWM Crew
<Carol>
I
consider your web site invaluable in resolving problems I have
encountered over the years. I am so upset over the sudden loss of my
Hippo Tang and hope you can shed some light on what might have happened.
I purchased him as a 'baby' over 2 years ago and he has grown and
thrived.
Yesterday when I came home from work there he was, my pride
and joy, dead on the gravel. I was stunned. He had eaten the night
before and showed no signs of any problem. I immediately checked the
water parameters and everything is fine. All of his tankmates (1
clownfish, dwarf lion, goby) and my anemone and mushrooms are all OK. I
checked the tang for damage and could not find anything. He did not have
Ich or HLLE. I read Mr Fenner's book about changes in water temp, but
that checked ok also (80)
Any idea what might have happened to him?
Thanks, as always, for your advice.
Carol
<Am sorry to
read/realize your loss... there are a few sets of speculations re these
"sudden death" events root causes... One that should receive credence is
that fishes, though they seem "adult", compared with tetrapods (the
so-called higher vertebrates) are not "genetically mature" as mammals,
birds... and do often (a relative term) perish from pre-determined coded
flaws... Another possibility here might be some sort of enhanced stress
from the presence of your anemone and mushrooms... these disparate
Cnidarians don't "like" each other, and their chemical warring does wear
on fish livestock. Some input re this last phenomenon and actions that
can be taken to alleviate it can be perused here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
Bob Fenner>
Re: Hippo Tang 05/30/08
Thank you, Mr Fenner, for your
reply. I have been in this hobby for many years and thought I had it
down to a science... and then something like this happens. It is very
discouraging.
<I do sympathize.>
You should know that the
'Conscientious Marine Aquarist' is by far and above the best book I have
read (from cover to cover) and is my bible when I look to purchase my
'obsessions' : >
<Ahh! BobF>
Blue Tang Problems 04/05/2008
Hi All,
<<Hello, Andrew today>>
I have recently been having some trouble with a Blue Hippo Tang in my
75gal reef aquarium. It has begun scratching on the rock work in the
tank more frequently than normal, and has numerous raised bumps on it,
about the size of a pinhead, and a few of them are white. I originally
thought it was Ich, but as none of my other tank's inhabitants (2
percula clowns, 1 coral beauty, 1 Hawkfish) have had any symptoms or odd
behavior, I figured it was something else. The tang has had this problem
before, though not as badly as lately and those bumps usually went away
within a few days or so, but this recent outbreak has lasted about 5
days now. My water parameters are pretty good, 0 phosphate, 0 nitrite, 0
ammonia, 2.5 nitrate, pH 8.3, salinity 1.025, calcium at 450 and Alk at
8, so water quality shouldn't be the issue. I am inclined to think it is
something fungal on the Tang, and if so, what should be used to treat
it? I have been soaking the food in Selcon and garlic alternately to try
to help out. The tang eats very well, I usually feed Formula flakes,
pellets and frozen foods, I tried to get it to eat Nori and seaweed, but
it refuses to eat anything off a veggie clip. Any advice?
<<Does not
sound fungal to me, it does sound like Ich, and Ich that has not gone
away from a previous infection. I would suggest moving the stock to QT
and treat with hyposalinity and monitor all. More can be read here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichart2mar.htm >>
On a hopefully unrelated
note, I have been having some Cyanobacteria problems for a few months
now, it will grow on the rock and glass until I siphon it off during
weekly maintenance, and then grow right back. Skimming through some of
your files here at WWM, I read that the DOC's from frozen foods can fuel
Cyano growth <<Potentially, yes>>. I usually feed one cube a day, and
until very recently, hadn't decanted the 'juice' out of the cubes, would
that be the source of the problem?
<<Quite possible, yes. The juice
from the frozen foods contain a high amount of phosphate (even though
some foods say they don't). Cyano can appear from a few things
overfeeding, too much light (lighting period), high phosphate and
nitrates, flow....One of these area's are providing the means for the
Cyano to bloom>>
Thank you for all your help, your services are
invaluable.
Kindly, Daniel
<<Thank you for the questions Daniel,
hope this helps. A Nixon>>
Is an 18g Rubbermaid container too small to quarantine a 6" hippo
tang? -02/27/07
Dear Crew,
Just wanted to get your advice
on this, as I have been given wildly divergent advice on my local
forum. They all completely advise against
freshwater dips even
though I've read about it many places.
<Ah, this is the "problem"
with forums. You never know who is answering your question or how
knowledgeable/experienced they are or aren't. But they're fun
anyway. :-) The freshwater dipping method is a bit "controversial"
and there are arguments on both sides.>
I am acquiring a 6" hippo
from another local hobbyist and I still debating QT/Dip methods.
Thinking my 10g quarantine tank to be too small for this
fish, I
went out and bought an 18g rubber maid box to use for quarantine. I
am wondering, will this still be too small?
<Even if you want to
debate the dips, it's pretty universally agreed that QT is generally
a good idea. 18g is a bit small for a 6" tang... but it doesn't have
to be a tank. You can use a rubber maid container, just get a bigger
one.>
Also, I have seen many times that Bob advises a
prophylactic dip then straight into the display to minimize stress
for hippo tangs. Would this
indeed be a better method for my new
fish?
<Truth be told, there really is nothing written in stone
about these things. Hippo tangs are quite prone to ich and this is
an argument for quarantining them. However, on the other hand,
stress is a big "cause" of ich. Thus, reducing stress as much as
possible might help prevent ich just as much or more as
quarantining. Fans of quarantining will say that quarantining should
be done such that it doesn't cause the fish much (if any) stress.
But again, since there's so little we actually know for sure,
ultimately there's still a lot of guess work/intuition/empiricism
involved with these things. The best we can do is make sure are
"guesses" are intelligent, well-informed ones. Personally, I would
consider the overall health of the fish when you get it. If it looks
really healthy (no discoloration, no fin tears, vibrant, active,
good appetite, etc.), you might be less inclined to quarantine it if
you think doing so would only cause it unnecessary stress. But
ultimately, the decision is simply up to you.>
As for the dip, I
have the 18g quarantine "tank" all ready to go, saltwater is aged
and aerated. If I chose to go the dip route, could I just add
Methylene blue to this tank for the dip? I was thinking that it
being saltwater, it would be less stressful for the fish.
<sounds
reasonable>
The only other thing I've never quite been able to
grasp with freshwater dips is the acclimation process from the
shipping bag to the dip container
and then to the display. Am I
right in thinking that I make sure PH, temp and salinity correlate
between the display tank and the dip vessel and
acclimate the
fish to the display tank then put it in the dip vessel? Sorry for
the dumb question, but it's something I've never quite understood.
<Not dumb questions at all. It stands to reason that the fewer
"moves" you have to make, the better. So if you were going to do the
dip, maybe you should do it straight out of the bag, then proceed to
acclimate. On the other hand, the fish might already be so stressed
in the bag, it might be wiser to "give it a break" and acclimate it
before dipping it. Again, I would try to judge the overall state of
the fish. If it looks like it's really stressed out, I'd wait to do
the dip (do it after acclimation). I'm sorry I can't honestly give
you a certain answer (no one really can). Personally, I'm not a big
fan of freshwater dips in general. A lot of the parasites it's meant
to kill/prevent are tough little buggers that aren't likely to die
off with just a dip. Or, rather, it wouldn't kill off *enough* of
them to justify the potential stress it causes the fish. But again,
this is MY opinion. And there are a lot of varying opinions on this.
You'll see even here on WWM, different crew members have different
opinions on freshwater dips. And since there's simply not enough
real formal research on any of these things, anyone's educated guess
is as good as mine (or yours).>
Thanks again for all your help!
Dane
<De nada and good luck,
Sara M.>
Re: Is 18g Rubbermaid container too small to quarantine a 6" hippo
tang?-02/27/08
Hi Sara,
Thanks for the advice. At this
stage, I'm leaning more towards skipping quarantine based on what I
know of the fish. It's from a local hobbyist who's had this fish for
a year in captivity. From the pictures it looks very healthy,
although I will reserve judgment until I actually see it.
<In
this situation (since the fish is coming from another tank where
it's been for a long time, and not from a LFS), quarantining might
not quite as important as not stressing the fish.>
The only fish
I've lost in the short time I've been in the hobby has been a hippo
tang that I got shipped. Died of no apparent cause (nothing external
anyway) and so, I resolved to only buy locally and preferably from
an established tank. I've included pictures to see what you think.
<Looks like a pretty healthy fish... but as you said, I wouldn't be
sure till I saw him/her in person.>
IF the fish did get ich in
the display, would it necessarily affect the other fish?
<Not
necessarily, no. But it would make the other fish more vulnerable to
it if they are stressed. These infections have a lot to do with the
overall health of the fish. Generally, healthy, happy fish under
minimal to no stress don't get ich nearly as easily as a
stressed/ailing fish. And some fish are just more (or less) prone to
it naturally. If the fish does get an infection, you should probably
remove it and quarantine it just to be safe. But lets hope that
doesn't happen. :-)>
Fingers crossed,
<good luck>
Dane
<Best,
Sara M.> |
Fin Rot? HLLE? Data? -02/20/08
Hello again WWM Crew!
<Mike>
I have an issue with our blue hippo tang. A couple days
ago she started swimming with her dorsal fin fully extended and it
has stayed that way ever since.
<Mmmm>
We've noticed that it
seems that the spines on the fin are starting to protrude now and
the fin seems to be eroding.
<I see this>
I have included 2
pics of her from different angles (sorry about the clarity but she
is a fast little sucker).
<Shorter exposures if you can... 125th
of a second... with strobe/flash>
I was just wondering if you
might be able to identify it and
suggest care/treatment for
whatever it is that is going on?
<Root cause here is very likely
either environmental, nutritional or both...>
Is this something
that would repair/regenerate itself?
<With good care/water
quality, and feeding, yes>
I have been checking water param.s
daily (instead of my usual every other day) for the past 4-5 days
and they are all perfect.
<... need data, not subjective
evaluations>
She swims a ton and has been eating like a pig, so
it does not seem to be affecting her in that way. Nevertheless, I
wanted to correct this if there is something I can do.
As always,
thanks again for the fantastic site, your help, and your time.
Mike P.
<... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/paracdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files
above... BobF> Re: Fin
Rot? HLLE? -02/20/08
Mr. Fenner,
<Mike>
Thank
you for the quick response. Sorry, the water parameters are: ph 8.3,
ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates reading between 5-10, salinity 1.024
and water temp at 78 degrees.
<Mmm, these are all fine...>
As
far as nutrition, I have been feeding spectrum marine pellets (1mm)
in the morning, and frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms at night.
<And this is excellent as well...>
I will get to reading. Thanks
again.
Mike P.
<I have seen such cases as yours... permanently
erect unpaired fins, hard/fin spines poking through... in tangs,
other fishes... Most of the times/instances, these do heal of their
own accord... in weeks periods typically. Thank you for the
follow-up. BobF> |
 |
African Yellow Belly Tang with large bump 2/14/08
We're
having a bit of a problem with our African Yellow Belly (Regal) Tang.
We've had him in our tank for about 14 months (that was well established
when we added him). He's eaten like a champ from the beginning (formula
two, seaweed clips, brine and mysis, clam, Spirulina, garlic, a liquid
supplement to soak food in, and another frozen product that is made up
of healthy "greens" that we mix with the meaty fare).
He had a bad
outbreak of ich, which we treated with a freshwater dip and No-Sick
Fish, product worked immediately, but he has developed a single large
bump on his forehead, that seemed to pop-up overnight. I thought it
might be from the ich, but it is blue (skin tone) and protrudes like a
unicorn's horn, just below his top fins.
He seems to have recovered
from the ich, his color is coming back rapidly, now this!
<The bump?>
The water quality is excellent, we've done several water changes and
have been very careful in monitoring our prize fish. He does seem to be
more timid than usual, I have attributed this to the ich outbreak, your
thoughts?
<Perhaps the treatment... though NSF does not list
ingredients>
Nitrates, Ammonia, etc. are at undetectable levels,
temp. is holding steady at 80 degrees, ph. is steady as well.
Any
idea what this could be? I've browsed WWM, RC and contacted several
LFS's and still have no idea what to do. Please Help!
Thanks!
Kyel
<Maybe a tumorous growth of some kind, perhaps the expression of
an embedded parasite... Necropsying the bump area... sectioning,
staining, looking under a scope... is about the only means of being sure
here. I would not treat for this mass. Bob Fenner>
Sick Regal Tang 02/08/2008
Hi,
<<Hello, Andrew today>>
I have a very sick looking Regal Tang who looks like he is about to
pass away. Two days ago he stopped eating, and coming out of his
hiding place in the live rock. At times he just falls against the
glass and stops moving his fins and tail altogether.
The tank is
two years old and at present houses only the Regal Tang (about 4") a
Yellow tang (about 3") and one green Chromis, several corals ,
snails and hermit crabs.
I am trying to restock the tank and 2
weeks ago introduced a group of 7 Green Chromis (quarantined for 2
weeks prior to introduction), however one by one the Chromis have
disappeared until only one (the smallest fish, but biggest bully) is
left. We managed to remove one of the bodies but the others have not
been visible in the tank, or we have seen then being eaten by the
crabs. Someone did ask if we have a mantis shrimp in the tank which
was eating the Chromis but I am pretty sure it is just down to the
bullying nature of that fish that the others have died.
<<My
initial thoughts did also lean towards a mantis hiding in there. Any
clicking emanating from the tank??>>
I did a 20% water change
last week, because of all the dead bodies, and the protein skimmer
is working well. All the water measurements seem OK Nitrite 0.05,
Nitrate 10, Ammonia zero and Phosphate zero. The tank is 4 x 2 x 2.
I have moved the regal tang into quarantine but don't know how to
proceed, he has no obvious signs of any problem except complete
lethargy. I have been feeding mysis shrimp, algae sheets and fresh
algae, lobster eggs for the Chromis and a bit of flake but he will
no longer eat anything.
Is there anything I can do?
<<Is the
tang slow breathing? This is usually coupled together lethargy. For
the most part, not overlit good signs. It could well be that the
tang is suffering from a parasitic disease like Amyloodinium or
Crypto, but is not yet showing the external signs of suffering. As
its now moved to quarantine, I would suggest you keep a very close
eye on the fish for any outward showing signs. continue trying to
feed its favourite feeds, provide plenty of greens, with a touch of
garlic or Selcon. Keep a good water change routine on the qt tank.
Don't get dis-heartened about it. Also, what is the SG of the tank
out of interest??>>
For his sake I would appreciate some help.
Caroline Reid
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A
Nixon>>
Re: Sick Regal Tang 02/08/2008
Thank you very much for your
response Andrew
<<Hello again Caroline>>
SG is 1.022, and he
is breathing very very slowly if hardly at all.
Am going to pop
out to LFS now for some garlic. Is there anything I can do to
control parasites (will check the FAQ's now)? And is the Yellow tang
likely to come down with it also - there is a UV steriliser on the
main tank.
<< You could raise your Sg more towards 1.025..The
best course is as in previous email. Monitor the fish for any
external changes, keep a good feed regime and water changes. And
most of all, stay positive>>
No there are no clicking sounds from
the tank but with all the sounds of the water it is difficult to
hear anything else. I am currently preparing water for a 25% water
change of Q tank.
Caroline
<<Good Luck Caroline, hope all
turns out well. A Nixon>> |
Blue tang itching 1/23/08
Hello Crew,
I have a question
about my 1 inch Blue Tang.
<Small...>
I have thoroughly read your
pages on fish, diseases and parasites, and I am still not sure if my
tang has ich, or if it may be stress.
<Perhaps a bit of both...>
I
have had the tang in the main tank for 2 weeks. I QT him for 6 weeks
before the move to the main tank.
<Ah, good>
He was in the main
tank for 2 days, and began rubbing his belly against the rocks. He
stopped rubbing his belly after three days, and had a few scratches from
doing this, there was no injury, and no cysts have appeared. He seemed
to be over whatever was bothering him. Three days after he stopped the
belly rub, he started a head rub, and this has been happening for three
days now, there are still no cysts to be seen anywhere on his body.
<Paracanthurus do scratch quite a lot... naturally>
He is breathing
normally, eating, playing (he's hilarious), schooling with the chromis,
and generally having a good time,
<Ahh!>
he has also made a bed in
one of the sinularia. No other fish are showing any signs of itching,
rubbing, scratching or cysts/spots. I haven't done anything to treat him
yet as I wanted another opinion on whether it is ich or not. I asked the
LFS, and of course they wanted to sell me a $50 bottle of liquid that is
reef safe, and can be dumped into the main tank -
<Mmm, I would NOT
do this>
they were not very happy when I told them that was one of
the worst things they could recommend as a treatment. I stopped short of
telling them to read WWW.
<Please, don't feel, be so reserved>
Should I just go ahead and QT, dip etc, or wait a few more days to see
if those darn cysts appear?
<I would leave all as is presently>
It is going to be a challenge to catch him since he is only an inch, and
I don't want to stress him if he doesn't have ich, and he just stressed.
Tank stats for your info are: 50gallon tank with a Fluval 305 canister
filter (bio and carbon that is changed weekly), Aqua C Remora skimmer
(best purchase I ever made), powerheads to blow the water around, T5HO
lights, with live rock, aragonite substrate, 2 Sinularia, 1 BTA, cluster
Duncanopsammia, cluster candy cane, cluster of Blastomussa (all corals
are very happy). 1 ocellaris (hosting in the BTA), 1 mandarin, 1
bicolour blenny, 4 schooling blue/green chromis, and the tang. I know
the tank is too small for the tang, he will be moved to a bigger tank.
Water parameters are within the recommended limits (didn't list them as
I have rambled on too much already).
Thanks for the advice, very much
appreciated, my tank couldn't live without you :)
<Welcome! Bob
Fenner>
Blue Hippo Tang Question 1/17/08
Hi Crew,
<Dane>
I am
new to the world of marine aquariums but have been immersing myself
in the literature this past month (including CMA - a fantastic
book.) Anyhow, I got a great deal on a complete 55g setup with
everything included, the tank is cycled with all water parameters in
order. At the same time I purchased and set up a QT, and a week ago
I purchased my first fish: 2 false perculas and a blue hippo tang.
My question pertains to this tang:
When she (I'm just using she
for ease of expression as I don't want to call her "it") first
arrived she spent a lot of time hiding which I found out was very
normal. For the past week though she's started roaming the tank a
bit more, especially when she thinks I'm not looking. She's also
been eating garlic-soaked Nori and picking at the clowns' flake
food. However, today I got home and she seemed paler than usual. I
also noticed that she appeared not have touched her Nori (it's
normally all gone from the clip by the time I get home.) She was
also very subdued. Water quality was all fine.
Nevertheless I
still did my daily water change using water from the display tank.
Have just checked and water from both tanks is good: Amm: 0, Nitrite
0, Nitrate 0, PH 8.4 (a little high I know.)
<Is fine>
So my
problem seems to be that she's not eating and is now swimming around
the tank a lot following her reflection.
<May be a clue here... I
would darken an end panel (place a piece of paper over the outside)
to rid this reflection>
Also, the paleness seems to be an issue
and her breathing is rapid. It just seems like a big change from how
she's been acting this past week.
Am I being paranoid?
<Mmm,
no. Just observant and cautious>
I've included a few pics I just
took to see if that helps you at all. (Just the fact I can even get
near enough to the tank to photograph her is weird - normally she'd
go and hide even if I walked past!)
Thanks for your help. I've
been using this site everyday to answer questions I have and to
supplement what I've gleaned from books. It is such a valuable
resource to have. Keep up the good work!!
All the best,
Dane
<I take it you've already read re Paracanthurus on WWM... but please
do review here re feeding: http://wetwebmedia.com/paracfdgfaqs.htm
I would expand the food selection and try soaking in a food
stimulant (e.g. Selco/n), ahead of offering... and be patient. Bob
Fenner>
| 
|
Hippo Tang with recurrent Crypt 1/16/08
Dear WWM crew,
Thank
you for receiving my question!
<Welcome>
I have a hippo tang (have
had for 18 months) who I treated 1 year ago for Crypt.
<Looks like
with copper... resultant in the obvious neuromast destruction here
(HLLE)>
He successfully had 2 weeks of copper, other fish quarantined
and display tank fallowed for 7 weeks. Despite all of this, he
intermittently “breaks out” when stressed (change in environment, power
outage etc). Has 1 mm “white spots” for 2 – 3 days, then they appear to
cycle off and he appears clinically “free”.
<Mmm, yes... not
atypical... Your system is infested still>
In between episodes he is
lovely, with all other fish (2 pairs of clowns and 1 mandarin)
unaffected. Display tank – 300 litres (80 gallon), these 6 fish and
various soft corals. Sp gr 1025, temp 26C, pH 8.2, amm, nitrates,
nitrites 0.
His last episode, he did not so readily recover from,
actually stopped eating (amazing as he is always ravenous), and has
since been returned to a treatment tank. He has been in copper (tested
twice daily and maintained at 0.25 ppm – never below 0.2ppm) – he
improved after a few days, then dramatically worsened and has remained
covered. He has had 12 days of copper. I have started
freshwater/methylene blue dips, which I think are giving some relief. He
is slightly better than 7 days ago, but is still visibly covered with
white raised 1 mm diameter spots – body and fins. Some are larger – up
to 3 mm diameter, most are small.
<Okay... though the copper is
killing this specimen... slowly>
He is in a 60 litre (13 gallon) bare
bottom treatment tank - too small for him I know - am keeping ammonia
down with 30 % water changes 2 - 3 times weekly, and occasional Chlor
mon to neutralise the ammonia (your opinion on these products in this
situation??)
<Can be useful>
His appetite is still great. RR is
increased (approx 80/min) with open mouth.
My LFS says it is not
Crypt but continue copper.
<... Is very likely Cryptocaryon... Do
they have a scope?>
I am concerned with prolonged exposure to copper
with this Tang, and also – what am I dealing with? I would value your
input on this case. Continue copper? -
<I would not...>
how long
until I should expect a response? How often should I freshwater dip?
<These won't cure the resident infestation...>
Should I try formalin
dips?- how often?
<I wouldn't>
Should I skin scrape? (if so, how
with a glass slide, and what should I stain with?
<H and E... or any
other acid fast...>
Any good sites for protozoan ID?
<None that I
know of... look for Ed Noga, "Fish Disease, Diagnosis and Treatment">
I think scraping would be very difficult/traumatic on my scatty hippo
tang .. he is crazy…easily freaked out…).
<... you could try a
quinine route of treatment... but returning the fish to the infested
system...>
I have included some photos – difficult to capture, but
they may be of help.
Myself and “Big Blue” are extremely grateful for
your advise.
I often and extensively utilize your website, and am
grateful for the knowledge, experience and wisdom found within it.
Thank you,
Kim Newell
<The best route (of a few) would be to cure
the Paracanthurus... and place it elsewhere... and resist placing any
new fishes in the infested system... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/parasittkfaq2.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner> | 
|
New Regal Tang, hlth. 01/14/2008
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
I work at my LFS, a few months ago our marine tanks where wrecked by
some HBH balancing blocks, yet my idiot boss refuses to re-cycle the
tanks, and even worse, still insists on ordering new fish (and selling
them while they are entering the early stages of ich). Don't worry, one
of us (me or her) will quit soon. Anyway my question rests with a 2-3
inch regal tang (which I've been wanting one for ages) who was ordered
and placed in one of our wrecked tanks, it sat there for days hiding and
sitting lethargically on it's side (to be expected) but it was doing it
for longer than it should have taken it to settle in (it also flashed
quite a lot, ich?).
<<Sounds precarious..>>
Against my better
judgment I took it home as I knew it would die a certain death at work,
it's currently sitting in my 50 litre quarantine with crushed shell and
coral + one piece of (very healthy) liverock.
<<Remove the sand and
rock from the quarantine, just have a piece of PVC pipe in there for
hiding. Sand and rock can harbour parasites which will remain, and the
idea of quarantine is to keep parasite free for new arrivals. Its also
easier to clean after the quarantine process is complete>>
It seems
to be improving (since I brought it home yesterday) but the shells + LR
are probably the worst things it could possibly be flashing against. I
tested the water with some tri-sulfa <<Would stop using this>> before
drip acclimatizing it, although I know now that this probably won't help
a lot. She eats like a machine (I've been feeding her some
krill/Spirulina granules) but still scrapes and hides on it's side under
the (bridge shaped) live rock most of the time.
<<Best advice is to
keep a close eye on the fish, is it showing any signs of Ich? It does
sound like Ich, however, I would not pre-empt a treatment until you can
confirm this>>
The water param.s are (tested 3 days ago) :
PH:8.2,
Ammo: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: 0, SG: 1.023-5
Once she is better I
plan on putting her in a 55gal with 1 royal dotty back, 2 false
Perculas, one green Chromis and a coral goby (suitable tank mates?).
<<Suitable tank mates, however unsuitable tank size, you ideally need
120 or more gallons to house these fish. Yes, its small now, but these
do grow quite quickly in a well maintained system>>
Anyway my
question is, is there else anything I can be doing (or doing better) to
ensure her good health and survival?
<<You're taking the right
approach with the fish. Keep it fed well on a good staple diet, maintain
excellent water parameter and keep a very close eye out for Ich. Hope
all goes well with the Tang>>
Thanks, Oscar.
<<Thanks for the
questions, A Nixon>>
White patch on Blue Tang (Paracanthurus) 11/30/07
Hello
WWM crew...
I have a blue hippo tang with white patches all over
it's body (I have included pics).
<I see these>
This has
happened on two occasions. The fist time, it wasn't that bad, and In
asking advice from aquariacentral.com.. they suggested that the
cause was the tang not getting enough green's in it's diet.
<Mmm,
maybe... not the greens per se though>
I then fed it greens, and
it went away within a few days. Now, just a few weeks later, it has
happened again, except this time it is a lot worse. I again went to
AquariaCentral and they suggested that it is stress (caused by
possibly the damsel).
<Possibly a component as well>
I have a
very tame damsel, and it never bothers the tang, however
occasionally I will see the tang chase it around, however it has
always done that. (5 month old tank) Here is the thread on
AquariaCentral regarding my problem:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131877
Tank
Specs:
55 Gallon,
<This species, Paracanthurus, needs more
room than this...>
1 Blue Damsel, 1 Blue Hippo Tang, 1 Yellow
Watchman Goby, 1 Hi-fin Goby, 1 Banggai Cardinal, 2 Scarlet Skunk
Cleaner Shrimp, 3 Sexy Anemone Shrimp, 1 Sand Sifting Sea Star, 1
Serpent Sea Star, 1 Brittle Sea Star,
<What species? If
Ophiarachna in particular, this animal could be over-stressing the
Paracanthurus by night>
various crabs/snails for a clean up crew
Water parameters are all fine (0 Ammonia/0 Nitrite/ 15-20 Nitrate).
<This is borderline... too high... another source of stress... the
real "cause" here>
Do you believe that it is stress that is
causing the tang to produce these white patches?
<Yes>
Currently the patches are starting to fade, however I wish to try to
prevent this problem from happening again...
Thank You!
-Jessica
<This is a "good" email in that you've provided most
all the useful, pertinent info... A few "things" would help here...
A larger system, the addition of a living sump (refugium), the
culture of macroalgae there and its feeding to the tang, perhaps the
addition of "mud"... This is a HUGE amount of material to introduce
to you... not knowing what you already are aware of. Please take the
time to peruse here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm
Jotting down notes, more specific questions re these aspects of
set-up, filtration. Oh and the survey piece on this species:
http://wetwebmedia.com/paracant.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner> |  |
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