I want to rescue a tang at Petco

[Wurst]

There is a tang at Petco that my wife and I thought was dead on Saturday. It was stuck to the intake of their tank, completely grayed out - not a hint of color. The fleshy part of its fins were gone - just the spines. It also had a notch out of the top of its body. We went back the next day to see if Petco stocked something else we were looking for and the fish was still there, but this time we noticed its eyes moving and parts of its body. I have a 20 gallon QT to try treating it and all the meds out there - prazi, cupramine, kanaplex, metroplex, sulfaplex, etc. I'm curious to know if it might be possible to save this thing and eventually move it to my 300 gallon tank if it makes it. Futile effort??? Looking for thoughts and feedback on how bad this thing might be. I wish I had a picture. They only stock yellow tangs and hippos, so it has to be one of those two.

 

[Wurst]

There is a tang at Petco that my wife and I thought was dead on Saturday. It was stuck to the intake of their tank, completely grayed out - not a hint of color. The fleshy part of its fins were gone - just the spines. It also had a notch out of the top of its body. We went back the next day to see if Petco stocked something else we were looking for and the fish was still there, but this time we noticed its eyes moving and parts of its body. I have a 20 gallon QT to try treating it and all the meds out there - prazi, cupramine, kanaplex, metroplex, sulfaplex, etc. I'm curious to know if it might be possible to save this thing and eventually move it to my 300 gallon tank if it makes it. Futile effort??? Looking for thoughts and feedback on how bad this thing might be. I wish I had a picture. They only stock yellow tangs and hippos, so it has to be one of those two.

To be clear, I don't have this fish. Would only go back to get it if someone here has information that I could use to help save it. I doubt the kids at Petco care to save it, so it has a better chance with just about anyone else.

 

[cody2cannon]

Following! Hopefully someone has info that can help!

 

[Humblefish]

Sounds like a tough case. Typically, fish at Petco have velvet and this is the protocol I've used to save dozens of them: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

However, unless you are seeing signs of velvet (symptoms listed here) it's impossible to say if you are treating for the correct disease or not.

 

[melypr1985]

It sounds like it would be a very touch case. We've seen some tough cases come through with a positive result with some attention to detail and big effort. I would doubt it will be alive tomorrow to save, but if it is take a good clear picture of him and we can try to give you an idea of what to do for him. It's likely he has bacterial infections going on and I would bet my dog that he has velvet/ich.

 

[Wurst]

I figured I wouldn't have any responses until morning. You guys are quick. I'm about half way through humble's post he sent. Would you guys recommend buying him and starting humble's steps, or sending a pic to get feedback and then get him/her later in the day tomorrow? I'm pretty commited to saving this tang and if I could pull it off it would be a great learning experience, plus I want a tang for the 300g tank eventually anyway.

 

[melypr1985]

I figured I wouldn't have any responses until morning. You guys are quick. I'm about half way through humble's post he sent. Would you guys recommend buying him and starting humble's steps, or sending a pic to get feedback and then get him/her later in the day tomorrow? I'm pretty commited to saving this tang and if I could pull it off it would be a great learning experience, plus I want a tang for the 300g tank eventually anyway.

I can't say whether to buy it or not. I will say that time is against him with the way you've described him. If it were me, I'd try to get him for free since he's apparently on death's doorstep. Take him home and immediately start on the protocol Humble posted. Have the QT and meds at the ready before you take him home

 

[Wurst]

Just read your whole post Humble, twice. Very informative. I don't have acriflavine so the best I can do is check if a LFS has it or next day it and try for freshwater dips for a day. I don't have chloroquine either though, just cupramine, so this isn't looking good for me or the tang. This is a bit out of order, but you think a FW dip and then kanaplex might be okay for the first day until I can get acriflavine & chloroquine? I know bending the guide you set probably isn't "good" since that isn't how you spelled it out, but figured I'd check your thoughts.

 

[Humblefish]

Just read your whole post Humble, twice. Very informative. I don't have acriflavine so the best I can do is check if a LFS has it or next day it and try for freshwater dips for a day. I don't have chloroquine either though, just cupramine, so this isn't looking good for me or the tang. This is a bit out of order, but you think a FW dip and then kanaplex might be okay for the first day until I can get acriflavine & chloroquine? I know bending the guide you set probably isn't "good" since that isn't how you spelled it out, but figured I'd check your thoughts.

At the very least you'd want to do the 5 min FW dip and then into QT w/Kanaplex. Once the fish goes into QT, you have 48 hours to raise the Cu level to therapeutic before dinospores (free swimmers) begin to reinfect the fish. I warn you, though, that if the fish looks weak he probably won't survive the FW dip.

 

[Wurst]

He has to be better with me trying something than in that tank at the store. I'm not entirely optimistic since I can't even find a picture in Google images of what this poor guy looks like to show you, so he must be a unique case. I appreciate the feedback though - at least I know some steps to follow while jumping into this fiasco. Hopefully this time next week he is all better! (kidding)

 

[Humblefish]

He has to be better with me trying something than in that tank at the store. I'm not entirely optimistic since I can't even find a picture in Google images of what this poor guy looks like to show you, so he must be a unique case. I appreciate the feedback though - at least I know some steps to follow while jumping into this fiasco. Hopefully this time next week he is all better! (kidding)

Good luck. Try to get a deal on him before agreeing to pay full price. Sometimes the Aquatics Dept. manager can give 1/4, 1/2 off a sick looking fish.

 

[Big G]

Sounds like a tough case. Typically, fish at Petco have velvet and this is the protocol I've used to save dozens of them: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

However, unless you are seeing signs of velvet (symptoms listed here) it's impossible to say if you are treating for the correct disease or not.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is so true. I just lost a y tang and a goby from Petco to what now appears to have clearly been velvet. I thought it was flukes because no visible spots. Thanks, Humblefish. So much to learn.

 

[Humblefish]

Petco is like "velvet headquarters"

 

[Murica]

Petco is like "velvet headquarters"

I love walking in and seeing dead fish in their holding tanks covered in ich

 

[Humblefish]

I love walking in and seeing dead fish in their holding tanks covered in ich

I have a love-hate relationship with the place. I hate what they do to fish, but if it weren't for them providing me with a never-ending supply of diseased fish to experiment on... I wouldn't know half of what I do today. Sometimes all you can do is try to turn a negative into something positive.

 

[Big G]

Petco is like "velvet headquarters"

Petco is the only saltwater fish store in my area. It's 150 miles to the closest LFS. Arrgghhh!

 

[Humblefish]

Petco is the only saltwater fish store in my area. It's 150 miles to the closest LFS. Arrgghhh!

Buy online

 

[Murica]

Petco is the only saltwater fish store in my area. It's 150 miles to the closest LFS. Arrgghhh!

Granted sometimes their options are limited, but live aquaria supplies very healthy fish from my experience

 

[keddre]

I have gotten a few fish from petco and usually (at least at mine) it's just nutrition and poor water quality. If I were to try it, I would drip acclimate it into my fuge (or a qt tank in your case) and provide it with a constant grazing rock where he has seaweed to eat whenever I see it's empty

 

[GHsaltie]

Any update OP?