Blue tang in QT laying on side and losing color

[Nico Ellis]

So the blue tang is still alive but never moves from the PVC. They yellow tang now is looking rough. Neither have eaten since I put the prazi in the other day. Tests still show no ammonia and no nitrites. The yellow tang seems to have some red spots and also now a few holes in the dorsal fin that were not there yesterday. Attaching 2 lousy cell phone pics. Getting enough water ready to do about a 50% water change just in case. Only thing that changed is I took off the smaller air pump and added a larger one I had here to make sure there was plenty of oxygen after dosing the prazi.

Poor guy, wish him luck.

 

[blkhwkz]

A positive update on the blue tang. Decided yesterday I should continue the furan dose even though the yellow tang died. About an hour after I dosed it, I noticed the blue tang was still hiding, but not sideways anymore and he actually swam normal to get there. Last night before I went to bed I went down to the basement to check on him and he was doing laps around the tank non-stop. This morning he is back to hiding on his side, but the swimming last night makes me hopeful. Fed some mysis and some pellets this morning and hoping he will eat those. Have to do a 25% water change today anyway so figured if he doesn't eat it all I can clean up the left overs then. Think I am going to continue the furan and metro doses as directed and then will do a large water change and observe him while I wait out the fallow period.

 

[blkhwkz]

This blue tang is pretty entertaining. The last 3 nights it has decided to swim in the QT tank, but only late at night. Even if I leave the lights off (and tank is in a room in the basement with no windows or ambient light unless I turn lights on) he only swims at night. Just checked tonight and swimming around again, apparently he is on midnight shift now. Ammonia badge shows green from the front, lighting it from side or back looks okay though. Thinking the antibiotics may have wiped out most of the beneficial bacteria. Doing 25% water change tomorrow already after the last dose of furan today. I have some filter floss I had in another tank for a few weeks seeding it, so I will add that tomorrow too.

 

[melypr1985]

This blue tang is pretty entertaining. The last 3 nights it has decided to swim in the QT tank, but only late at night. Even if I leave the lights off (and tank is in a room in the basement with no windows or ambient light unless I turn lights on) he only swims at night. Just checked tonight and swimming around again, apparently he is on midnight shift now. Ammonia badge shows green from the front, lighting it from side or back looks okay though. Thinking the antibiotics may have wiped out most of the beneficial bacteria. Doing 25% water change tomorrow already after the last dose of furan today. I have some filter floss I had in another tank for a few weeks seeding it, so I will add that tomorrow too.

Yup. They can be weird fish. Glad to hear he's acting fine now

 

[blkhwkz]

So this fish has not eaten since the yellow tang died. He still swims all night non-stop and he still poops all over, not sure how when he won't eat. Doesn't appear to be lethargic by the hours of swimming he does, but he is very skinny now. In cupramine he ate like a pig, figured maybe the antibiotics killed his appetite, but those have been out for 10 days. Tried the garlic nori he used to eat tons of, tried some pellets, some mysis, some live brine, some Rod's and some LRS, doesn't touch anything. Fallow period ends in 17 days and was going to add him about a week after, so hopefully he ends the hunger strike soon. Would like to get him fattened up a bit and eating regularly before moving him back over.

 

[Humblefish]

@blkhwkz Sounds like something (a disease?) is lingering.

 

[blkhwkz]

@blkhwkz Sounds like something (a disease?) is lingering.

Had a feeling you might say that. Really wish blue hippos didn't have issues with CP. Don't see any spots or anything out of the ordinary, other than he is now only a night owl and won't swim when lights are on. Going to give some Rod's with Selcon a try again tonight and see if I can get him to eat any. Love to know how he doesn't eat and keeps the energy to swim non-stop all night long, doesn't matter what time I go down there he is going one end of the tank to the other with lights off. I need some of that energy

 

[Humblefish]

Had a feeling you might say that. Really wish blue hippos didn't have issues with CP. Don't see any spots or anything out of the ordinary, other than he is now only a night owl and won't swim when lights are on. Going to give some Rod's with Selcon a try again tonight and see if I can get him to eat any. Love to know how he doesn't eat and keeps the energy to swim non-stop all night long, doesn't matter what time I go down there he is going one end of the tank to the other with lights off. I need some of that energy

I know you said in your OP that you were treating for an ich outbreak, but are you sure it wasn't velvet instead?

Two things stand out, which cause me to believe that your Hippo might still have velvet:

1. Velvet causes fish to be sensitive to light.
2. Fish with velvet often swim continuously and/or swim into the flow of a powerhead, in an attempt to relieve symptoms from their gills by drawing in more flow/oxygen.

 

[melypr1985]

Had a feeling you might say that. Really wish blue hippos didn't have issues with CP. Don't see any spots or anything out of the ordinary, other than he is now only a night owl and won't swim when lights are on. Going to give some Rod's with Selcon a try again tonight and see if I can get him to eat any. Love to know how he doesn't eat and keeps the energy to swim non-stop all night long, doesn't matter what time I go down there he is going one end of the tank to the other with lights off. I need some of that energy

Are you able to get a good look at him? it seems like he's only out and about at night when you're not around or far away. Any way you could get a video - up close- of him or just a good look for yourself of his whole body and behavior?

 

[blkhwkz]

I know you said in your OP that you were treating for an ich outbreak, but are you sure it wasn't velvet instead?

Two things stand out, which cause me to believe that your Hippo might still have velvet:

1. Velvet causes fish to be sensitive to light.
2. Fish with velvet often swim continuously and/or swim into the flow of a powerhead, in an attempt to relieve symptoms from their gills by drawing in more flow/oxygen.

Could have been velvet, I thought it was ich, but I don't know much. Everything I was told was velvet would wipe out everything really fast (1-2 days) and this took quite awhile. The one local person I know that could have told me for sure was not available at the time to come take a look. I figured it was cupramine for 30 days either way. That could also explain the yellow tang getting the bacterial infection and dying.

Are you able to get a good look at him? it seems like he's only out and about at night when you're not around or far away. Any way you could get a video - up close- of him or just a good look for yourself of his whole body and behavior?

He is out now just in one area on the bottom of the tank. When he is out swimming, he acts normal other than bumping into things (I figured because lights are out, not sure) His body and behavior seem to be normal other than extremely skinny. Here is the best I can do on some cell phone pics, the one is grainy from zooming in. Had to use imgur since photobucket is down.

 

[blkhwkz]

I ordered a bottle of Coppersafe to try something different from Cupramine that will be here tomorrow. Yesterday he started swimming more during lights on, and after swimming all night lights off, is swimming around today with lights on. I put some fresh nori on a rock with a rubber band, added some pellets. Still not eating, but he is poking around the bottom of the tank like he is looking for food. I'll try some frozen again tonight too. Going to hold off on using any copper again if he starts eating, just not seeing any spots or anything on him.

 

[blkhwkz]

Coppersafe is here, but still holding off on using it. Added an old powerhead yesterday to see how he reacted to that. I spent over an hour watching him and then for a few minutes at a time off and on the rest of the night. No swimming into the flow of the powerhead or anything. Still out and about swimming with lights on and off, still not eating. The nice thing is the powerhead got most of the detritus into the HOB filter. Did I mention this tang sure poops a lot for a fish that won't eat? Seems to be enjoying having some decent flow as he swims around the tank.

 

[blkhwkz]

Added the Coppersafe and brought the levels up over a few days. Tang still hung out in the corner with the powerhead on, so turned it off and he was back to swimming like normal during lights on. Looks like he is eating pellets and nori now, just not while I watch. Turned the powerhead back on today and he is fine and swimming everywhere. Completely lost as to what may have been wrong that the Coppersafe seems to be helping and why 30 days of Cupramine didn't clear it all up. Or maybe he just really loves copper. Going to complete 30 days of Coppersafe and then hopefully he is good to go in the DT after.

 

[Steve1500]

I have a similar problem. Yesterday I bought (LFS, 45 minute drive to home) a yellow tang, black cap basslet and a small blue hippo tang (1 1/2"). I am using the TTM (10G tank) process and my TTM tank started a little lower in temp because I had to adjust my SG close to the bag water. I bag acclimated for about 20 minutes and when I put them in, the temp was about 77 degrees, it is now about 79 degrees. The SG in the bag was 1.018 but I wanted to slowly raise the SG to match DT so I set it at 1.019 for the TTM tank. After bag acclimating, I put all three in the tank. At first, they all hovered in one corner. This morning the yellow tang is swimming around the bottom and the basslet moved to another bottom corner. Both seem lethargic, but ok.

Here is my concern: When I turned on the room lights to look at the fish this morning, the blue tang was occasionally laying on its side and seems to have lost some color. Then about 30 minutes later, he is near the top of the tank hiding between the glass and the heater. It looks like he gained some color back too.

Other than monitor, is there anything I can do? Not sure if the stress of moving them is the issue or the change in water temp/SG is causing the problem with the blue tang. Would a .001 SG change cause issues?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Blue and especially yellow tangs lose a lot of color when the lights go off. So that’s completely normal.

The blue tang naturally likes to wedge himself in tight spaces to sleep in and for protection so that can explain why he is hiding in between your heater and glass wall.

If you can, leave the blinds open on the closest window to give the fish some ambient light and some type of day/night schedule. Try to refrain from going in the room and blasting them with light once the room is completely dark. Hope this helps

 

[Steve1500]

Thanks Marine for the quick reply....retired USAF.

This gives me some relief knowing they lose their color at night. Will follow your advice on lighting. It may be coincidental, but the yellow tang seemed to swim up to the blue and nudge him to get moving. Then when the blue moved up from the corner to the top of the tank, the yellow just swam away. It was almost like he was trying to keep him alive.