Blue Tang Issues

[DLHDesign]

Received 4 tangs on Tuesday and put them into QT after a 10hr+ drip acclimation. Three of them are doing fine, but the Blue has struggled from the start. Here's a video from last night:

As you can see, it's very emaciated. I've got plenty of nori in there (green aquatic kind), but I've not seen it eat. Also tried various foods - three kinds of pellets and several varieties of frozen. This morning it was no better - struggling at the surface, mostly lying flat.
I've removed him from the shared QT into a bowl with an air stone and new water from the DT (and a small bit of nori just in case). I've covered the bowl with a semi-transparent, loose lid (eg; upside-down kids plate).

I don't see any signs (yet) of disease - no white spots, no black spots, no white lines, no "freckles", no visible wounds. It's frill is a bit ragged, but it doesn't look torn.

Anyone have suggestions? It's a tiny little thing, so my current thinking is that this is a result of shipment stress. Not sure what I can do to get it to eat; I think that's what it needs most right now...

 

[helen ann]

Can't help! Sorry!
Awwwwwwwww, poor lil' guy ... hope he gets better!

 

[Brew12]

Received 4 tangs on Tuesday and put them into QT after a 10hr+ drip acclimation. Three of them are doing fine, but the Blue has struggled from the start. Here's a video from last night:

As you can see, it's very emaciated. I've got plenty of nori in there (green aquatic kind), but I've not seen it eat. Also tried various foods - three kinds of pellets and several varieties of frozen. This morning it was no better - struggling at the surface, mostly lying flat.
I've removed him from the shared QT into a bowl with an air stone and new water from the DT (and a small bit of nori just in case). I've covered the bowl with a semi-transparent, loose lid (eg; upside-down kids plate).

I don't see any signs (yet) of disease - no white spots, no black spots, no white lines, no "freckles", no visible wounds. It's frill is a bit ragged, but it doesn't look torn.

Anyone have suggestions? It's a tiny little thing, so my current thinking is that this is a result of shipment stress. Not sure what I can do to get it to eat; I think that's what it needs most right now...

Wow.. that is a very long drip acclimation. Were you monitoring ammonia the entire time? I can't see the video but is he breathing rapidly?

 

[DLHDesign]

Wow.. that is a very long drip acclimation. Were you monitoring ammonia the entire time? I can't see the video but is he breathing rapidly?

Yeah; I had the Seneye in there watching things. Nothing got out of whack enough to set off any alarms.

OH - not 10hrs. Ugh - no way. It was closer to 5hrs. (10hrs was a work estimate I was sending out at the same time... Sure hope I didn't send the client a 5hr estimate...!)

Yes; rapid breathing from the start.

 

[Empress]

Is he able to keep his body horizontal at all or does he continuously stay in that same position as in the video? Tail up and head down?

 

[DLHDesign]

Some occasional horizontal swimming, but it's infrequent (rare, even?). Mostly at this point he's just on his side at the surface. Looks exhausted...

 

[Brew12]

Yeah; I had the Seneye in there watching things. Nothing got out of whack enough to set off any alarms.

OH - not 10hrs. Ugh - no way. It was closer to 5hrs. (10hrs was a work estimate I was sending out at the same time... Sure hope I didn't send the client a 5hr estimate...!)

Yes; rapid breathing from the start.

Even 5 hrs is a very long time. I'm pretty surprised your Seneye didn't show anything. Did you add any stress reducer/ammonia reducers to the water while acclimating?

I wish I could see the video. My 1st thought would be flukes with velvet a close 2nd. Shipping stress is a possibility too.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It was closer to 5hrs.

still way too long imo.

either ammoina burn or lack of oxygen

 

[DLHDesign]

Even 5 hrs is a very long time. I'm pretty surprised your Seneye didn't show anything. Did you add any stress reducer/ammonia reducers to the water while acclimating?

Yes; there was some stress guard in the source water (which was also from my DT).

I wish I could see the video. My 1st thought would be flukes with velvet a close 2nd. Shipping stress is a possibility too.

Is the inability to see the video on my side, or yours (it's an "unlisted" YouTube)?
The fish was breathing rapidly, almost alway in a head-down position. Breathing is rapid. Directional movement seems unintentional - just moving the fins out of habit.

 

[DLHDesign]

still way too long imo.

either ammoina burn or lack of oxygen

Interesting; that was the duration that the Acclimate instructions suggested for a "sensitive" fish given the flow rate. I think the time given was to replace 100% of the water in the container? Can't say I've been overly impressed with the physical aspects of the box, so I'm not sure why I would think that the paper instructions were any better...

I've got the air stone in there now with new water. Hoping that might help...

 

[Brew12]

Is the inability to see the video on my side, or yours?

The inability is on my side. Not seeing anything useful in the photo.

Interesting; that was the duration that the Acclimate instructions suggested for a "sensitive" fish given the flow rate. I think the time given was to replace 100% of the water in the container? Can't say I've been overly impressed with the physical aspects of the box, so I'm not sure why I would think that the paper instructions were any better...

I've got the air stone in there now with new water. Hoping that might help...

I'm not a pro and I know those acclimate procedures are written by people who are, I just don't like them but they are good for people who will be putting their fish directly into a DT of a different salinity.

I like to match my QT to the salinity of where I am getting the fish from. I've never had a hard time getting that information. When I get new fish I just temperature acclimate with the bags closed, open the bag to verify salinity, and if it is a match I dump the shipping water out through a colander and put the fish in the QT. That way I leave the old water behind. Haven't had a problem doing that yet.

Part of me wants to suggest doing a fresh water dip. I'm just not sure the fish could handle one in that condition.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Interesting; that was the duration that the Acclimate instructions suggested for a "sensitive" fish given the flow rate. I think the time given was to replace 100% of the water in the container? Can't say I've been overly impressed with the physical aspects of the box, so I'm not sure why I would think that the paper instructions were any better...

I've got the air stone in there now with new water. Hoping that might help...

yea I just did a quick search to check acclimation and yea info is all over the place man. from real sources too. some recommend (advanced aquarist) using baking soda to correct ph even though the effects wont last. fine for a fresh water dip but the qt??????

+ 1 0n the salinity part. Pro advice is all over the map there too. Ive never had trouble with a 40 to 60 drip w prime and stable temp, regardless of salinity actually.(back in the noob days even)
i think your doing the right thing on air and watch the temp. it likely it was just not as healthy as the rest.

dang it.
we need some real fish guys

#reefsquad

 

[Duke4Life]

5 hrs seems like a long acclimation and how did it look in the bag? I've been at my LFS the past few times when he was unpacking, most were fine but have seen 1 here and there that looked poor from the start.

 

[DLHDesign]

i think your doing the right thing on air and watch the temp.

My goal is actually to bring the temp down; slowly, of course. Lower temps will mean higher oxygen content and slower metabolism - both of which should help, at this point. Don't want to crash the temp down, of course. But we keep our house at 74F, so the thick ceramic bowl and general warmth of the room should do the trick for a slow decline.

how did it look in the bag?

Poor, to be honest. It was swimming head-down in the bag as well.

 

[jenreefer]

It is for this very reason that I keep my acclimation to 30 minutes or less with careful attention to the quality of the water in the bag. Just cannot get them out of it fast enough if you ask me. Too many times I hear this same scenario with extended acclimation. Bag water goes south and that is that.

Were all four fish in same bag or were they each in their own bag?

I would keep temp at 78 and use air stone. Also keep bucket covered and quiet. Darkness and quiet will give this little guy a chance to destress. I would prolly not attempt any kind of dip on such a sick little guy unless the fish experts recommend it. Good luck.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My goal is actually to bring the temp down; slowly, of course. Lower temps will mean higher oxygen content and slower metabolism - both of which should help, at this point. Don't want to crash the temp down, of course. But we keep our house at 74F, so the thick ceramic bowl and general warmth of the room should do the trick for a slow decline.


Poor, to be honest. It was swimming head-down in the bag as well.

lol. Im in San Diego. All the tanks are 77, so is the living room, so is today. little cool this morning though.
my qt (no fish a few coral) dropped to 67 a few weeks ago. I had forgot to plug the heater in this year.

 

[DLHDesign]

Were all four fish in same bag or were they each in their own bag?

Each in their own bags. Two of them (the Blue and a Yellow Eye Kole) were added into the same QT. Not the best option/choice, but I only had two drip acclimation boxes and four fish to do. They all came from the same source, of course.

Noted on the drip timeline, yeah. I've always felt that it was long, but did my best to "follow directions"... In the future, I'll shorten it up for sure. I'd not mind eliminating it, but I use my DT water as my QT water, so it may be more difficult to get the salinity to match. I'd have to add salt/rodi to adjust, and then I'd also be working to get the QT water back over to the DT salinity before I could add them in... Seemed easier/less error prone to start off with a drip acclimation to get everyone on the same field. Hyposalinity baths and such are always an option, of course.

 

[jenreefer]

Looking at that video, I am wondering if he does not have a swim bladder issue. Poor little guy.

 

[jsker]

Ok lets move forward, is it eating? One, the little guy is probably pretty stressed. Two if it is swim bladder chop up some fresh/frozen peas and that should clean it out. Three my favorite is metroplex with some focus in the food to medicate. I would do the meds and chopped peas deal.

Maybe also so soft music, dem lights might work too I would try the above first

 

[Empress]

I agree he's not swimming right. Air gas bubbles or something like that??

Where's our #reefsquad?