Does my tang look skinny?

[reefingformysons]

So I noticed that my tang had stringy white poop.

He is also started breathing rapidly with his mouth constantly open.

He has been quite active swimming around the tank and eating mysis aswell as seaweed pellets.

I just wanted opinion on wether he looks skinny/stomach pinched in?

I know white stringy poop can be a sign of internal worms or paresites.

unfortunately we don’t have general cure in the UK so I’m currently looking for alternatives.

Not the best pictures I apologise.

Would Fritz coppersafe help at all as I have that to hand?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So I noticed that my tang had stringy white poop.

He is also started breathing rapidly with his mouth constantly open.

He has been quite active swimming around the tank and eating mysis aswell as seaweed pellets.

I just wanted opinion on wether he looks skinny/stomach pinched in?

I know white stringy poop can be a sign of internal worms or paresites.

unfortunately we don’t have general cure in the UK so I’m currently looking for alternatives.

Not the best pictures I apologise.

Would Fritz coppersafe help at all as I have that to hand?

Tough to see from the side, but it doesn’t look overly thin.

Coppersafe won’t help with internal issues. However, the rapid breathing is concerning and can be a sign of external issues. Does the tank have good aeration? Does the water test o.k.? Any other fish in the tank? Are they breathing o.k.?

You can feed this fish small amounts 4x a day to put on some body mass. Skip the nori at this point, opt for pellets and mysid shrimp.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I noticed that my tang had stringy white poop.

He is also started breathing rapidly with his mouth constantly open.

He has been quite active swimming around the tank and eating mysis aswell as seaweed pellets.

I just wanted opinion on wether he looks skinny/stomach pinched in?

I know white stringy poop can be a sign of internal worms or paresites.

unfortunately we don’t have general cure in the UK so I’m currently looking for alternatives.

Not the best pictures I apologise.

Would Fritz coppersafe help at all as I have that to hand?

Fish is a little thin. Not abnormal for juveniles to have less weight than adult but assure its getting proper diet. Some items such as:

LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

 

[reefingformysons]

Tough to see from the side, but it doesn’t look overly thin.

Coppersafe won’t help with internal issues. However, the rapid breathing is concerning and can be a sign of external issues. Does the tank have good aeration? Does the water test o.k.? Any other fish in the tank? Are they breathing o.k.?

You can feed this fish small amounts 4x a day to put on some body mass. Skip the nori at this point, opt for pellets and mysid shrimp.

Jay

What do you mean by good aeration? How would I know? Water perimeters good PH 8, nitrate 3.8, phosphate a little high around 1 but will be down in a few days as put in some phosguard. But it’s been higher before and didn’t seem to have any issues other than the start of some algae. There’s a coral beauty, a pyjama wrasse and a fire fish which has been hiding for over a week now but still alive saw him briefly dart out yesterday.

 

[reefingformysons]

Fish is a little thin. Not abnormal for juveniles to have less weight than adult but assure its getting proper diet. Some items such as:

LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

I will defo grab what you’re suggesting, what would be your feeding schedule as in how much of each and how often?

 

[nuxx]

Not terrible, but could be a bit fatter. All my Zeb. Tangs were chunky.

 

[KrisReef]

How many gallons/liters is the tank? The fish looks fine but the behavior seems like the fish are not that happy?

Can you post a full tank picture, with white lights preferably.

 

[reefingformysons]

How many gallons/liters is the tank? The fish looks fine but the behavior seems like the fish are not that happy?

Can you post a full tank picture, with white lights preferably.

The tank is 30 gallons, all the fish are small and juvenile and will be moving to a Red Sea reefer 425XL within the next few months.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I will defo grab what you’re suggesting, what would be your feeding schedule as in how much of each and how often?

I have near 50 fish but for a single tang.. . try two frozen food feedings and 1-2 dry or vice versa. I mix it up with 2-3 different items.

 

[reefingformysons]

I have near 50 fish but for a single tang.. . try two frozen food feedings and 1-2 dry or vice versa. I mix it up with 2-3 different items.

Wow your tank and fish are beautiful!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

What do you mean by good aeration? How would I know? Water perimeters good PH 8, nitrate 3.8, phosphate a little high around 1 but will be down in a few days as put in some phosguard. But it’s been higher before and didn’t seem to have any issues other than the start of some algae. There’s a coral beauty, a pyjama wrasse and a fire fish which has been hiding for over a week now but still alive saw him briefly dart out yesterday.

By good aeration, I mean is there good surface agitation, breaking the water’s surface tension? This used to not be an issue, everyone knew to aerate their aquariums. However, in recent years, people have sort of forgotten about this aspect of aquariums, so I need to mention it.
Jay

 

[reefingformysons]

I like to think so I have a reef wave 25 on a 80% random flow which agitates the surface.

I did purchase a small air pump and air stone, I was going to put it in the chambers that houses the return pump and run it for an hour or so during lights out to get more oxygen into the tank, do you think that’s a good idea?

I think it’s the white poop and heavy breathing that’s worrying me

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I like to think so I have a reef wave 25 on a 80% random flow which agitates the surface.

I did purchase a small air pump and air stone, I was going to put it in the chambers that houses the return pump and run it for an hour or so during lights out to get more oxygen into the tank, do you think that’s a good idea?

I think it’s the white poop and heavy breathing that’s worrying me

If you don't have a skimmer, I would run the air stone in the sump all of the time.

Yes, the heavy breathing is an issue, but we need to rule out lack of oxygen as a cause.

As for the mucus feces, there are a number of possible causes for that. Here are the ones I've found:

Excess mucus in fish feces:

This will present as white or light colored, stringy fecal material that often hangs from the fish’s anus for a longer than normal period. There are a number of different causes for this, some benign, others very serious. Without access to a microscope, there is little that can be done to diagnose this issue effectively.

Idiopathic mucus feces: this fancy term is just to describe white mucoid bulky feces of no serious consequence, but of an unknown cause. Some suspicion is that this can be caused by changes in diet or diets high in fats.

Starvation: Fish that have no food moving through their bowels may excrete white mucoid feces with little bulk to them. The primary diagnostic for this issue is evident in that the fish won’t been seen to be eating. Resolving the anorexia is of course the prime focus to resolve this issue.

Bacterial infection: internal bacterial infections can cause stringy feces as well. While some of these may resolve on their own, medicated foods containing a broad spectrum, gram negative oral antibiotic may be required.

Metazoan infections: multicellular worms are often blamed for mucoid feces, but in reality, they are almost never the root cause for this, and really, can only be diagnosed through looking for their ova in fecal samples. Fish can harbor tapeworms and nematodes without producing mucoid feces.

Protozoan infection: Hexamita and related diplomonad flagellate protozoans very frequently cause white stringy feces, especially in newly acquired clownfish. Metronidazole is the most frequent treatment for this issue. It can be dosed orally at 25 mg per kg of fish body weight, or 5 g in a kg of food. However, it is a very bitter medication, and some fish will refuse to feed on food containing it. It can be dosed in the water at 25 mg/l, but this is more effective in treating marine fishes, as freshwater fish do not “drink” aquarium water.

Coccidia: These microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled parasites are common diseases in dogs and cats. In fish, they cause epithelial necrosis of the gut, enteritis and the copious production of mucus (Noga 2010). These cannot be diagnosed without microscopic examination, and there is no well researched cure for this in fishes, although Toltrazuril has been tested.

Constipation: This malady is often given as a cause for stringy feces, but it is not as common as one would think. When it is seen, the feces are usually dark, not light in color. Often touted as a “cure for constipation”, many aquarists add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the aquarium’s water – do not do this in marine aquariums, its use is primarily as a tonic/dip for freshwater fish. Seawater formulas already contain between 7 and 19 grams of magnesium sulfate per gallon (depending on the recipe). NSW magnesium level is around 1200 ppm and sulfur is around 840 ppm. Some benefit might be seen using it as a dip in additional concentrations, but adding a small amount to a marine aquarium itself has no benefit. Epsom salts do have some possible benefit when mixed into the food as a 3% by weight adjunct. Another commonly heard remedy for constipation is; “feed fresh peas”. This is an effective cure for fancy goldfish and Malawi cichlids that develop constipation and bloating. Again, overextrapolation has marine aquarists trying to feed peas to carnivorous fish, etc. The best method to enhance gut motility in fish is to feed frozen adult brine shrimp – not as a permanent diet, just long enough to get the constipation resolved.

Jay

 

[reefingformysons]

If you don't have a skimmer, I would run the air stone in the sump all of the time.

Yes, the heavy breathing is an issue, but we need to rule out lack of oxygen as a cause.

As for the mucus feces, there are a number of possible causes for that. Here are the ones I've found:

Excess mucus in fish feces:

This will present as white or light colored, stringy fecal material that often hangs from the fish’s anus for a longer than normal period. There are a number of different causes for this, some benign, others very serious. Without access to a microscope, there is little that can be done to diagnose this issue effectively.

Idiopathic mucus feces: this fancy term is just to describe white mucoid bulky feces of no serious consequence, but of an unknown cause. Some suspicion is that this can be caused by changes in diet or diets high in fats.

Starvation: Fish that have no food moving through their bowels may excrete white mucoid feces with little bulk to them. The primary diagnostic for this issue is evident in that the fish won’t been seen to be eating. Resolving the anorexia is of course the prime focus to resolve this issue.

Bacterial infection: internal bacterial infections can cause stringy feces as well. While some of these may resolve on their own, medicated foods containing a broad spectrum, gram negative oral antibiotic may be required.

Metazoan infections: multicellular worms are often blamed for mucoid feces, but in reality, they are almost never the root cause for this, and really, can only be diagnosed through looking for their ova in fecal samples. Fish can harbor tapeworms and nematodes without producing mucoid feces.

Protozoan infection: Hexamita and related diplomonad flagellate protozoans very frequently cause white stringy feces, especially in newly acquired clownfish. Metronidazole is the most frequent treatment for this issue. It can be dosed orally at 25 mg per kg of fish body weight, or 5 g in a kg of food. However, it is a very bitter medication, and some fish will refuse to feed on food containing it. It can be dosed in the water at 25 mg/l, but this is more effective in treating marine fishes, as freshwater fish do not “drink” aquarium water.

Coccidia: These microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled parasites are common diseases in dogs and cats. In fish, they cause epithelial necrosis of the gut, enteritis and the copious production of mucus (Noga 2010). These cannot be diagnosed without microscopic examination, and there is no well researched cure for this in fishes, although Toltrazuril has been tested.

Constipation: This malady is often given as a cause for stringy feces, but it is not as common as one would think. When it is seen, the feces are usually dark, not light in color. Often touted as a “cure for constipation”, many aquarists add Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the aquarium’s water – do not do this in marine aquariums, its use is primarily as a tonic/dip for freshwater fish. Seawater formulas already contain between 7 and 19 grams of magnesium sulfate per gallon (depending on the recipe). NSW magnesium level is around 1200 ppm and sulfur is around 840 ppm. Some benefit might be seen using it as a dip in additional concentrations, but adding a small amount to a marine aquarium itself has no benefit. Epsom salts do have some possible benefit when mixed into the food as a 3% by weight adjunct. Another commonly heard remedy for constipation is; “feed fresh peas”. This is an effective cure for fancy goldfish and Malawi cichlids that develop constipation and bloating. Again, overextrapolation has marine aquarists trying to feed peas to carnivorous fish, etc. The best method to enhance gut motility in fish is to feed frozen adult brine shrimp – not as a permanent diet, just long enough to get the constipation resolved.

Jay

It’s a AIO system. I do have a Tunze 5001 skimmer running constantly

 

[KrisReef]

The tank is 30 gallons, all the fish are small and juvenile and will be moving to a Red Sea reefer 425XL within the next few months.

If the fish are in the pictures they are so small I can’t see them

It appears that they have some places to hide, and 3 small fishes in 30 gallons is probably fine, but if they don’t like being in the tank and feel endangered then the fright response would increase respiratory activity.
I hope they don’t have any other issues from the list that Jay provided. Try decreasing light levels and photo period perhaps?

 

[reefingformysons]

If the fish are in the pictures they are so small I can’t see them

It appears that they have some places to hide, and 3 small fishes in 30 gallons is probably fine, but if they don’t like being in the tank and feel endangered then the fright response would increase respiratory activity.
I hope they don’t have any other issues from the list that Jay provided. Try decreasing light levels and photo period perhaps?

Lool they are all hiding. They are young that’s the only reason I purchased them as I know as they grow they will defo need more then a 30 gallon but by that time they will be in a much larger tank.

I have radion G6 currently.

Do you have any experience with this light? If so any suggestions on max intensity for a tank this size with just one G6?

I went today and purchased a floating frag rock to give them an extra little space to hide just in case that is one of the issues that is upsetting them as the tang and coral beauty both share that cave on the right side of the tank.

 

[Debramb]

I have near 50 fish but for a single tang.. . try two frozen food feedings and 1-2 dry or vice versa. I mix it up with 2-3 different items.

Oh, thanks for the pics! Beautiful and what we strive for