EMERGENCY-Kole Tang

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Same update as yesterday. Only exterior visible sign of distress is some discoloration on fins. At what point do I just put him back in the display? I am not sure if the current behavior is a symptom of his current environment.

It’s a risk assessment that you’ll have to make; what other fish will be put at risk if you move it? If it’s the fish’s current environment, you could be able to sus out what the problem is and rectify it.

 

[sgdnycct]

In the second video they seemed to be picking at glass in the algae. It may have been aggression. Not sure what you are treating with but remember medication can also stress a fish. If it was aggression the quick change to normal breathing might reinforce that. I doubt any medication would work so quickly. Make sure you are not over medicating and reconfirm you even need to medicate.

Also try some live food. My go to is to hatch some brine in the little round brine shrimp hatchery.

 

[W31Olds]

I would not put him back. I would rubber band some nori to a shell or something and put it by the opening of the PVC Pipe. I had a WT Bristletooth in QT that would hide in his Pipe until I put Nori on the bottom then he would come out and graze on and off.

 

[bcarl77]

I'll give more Nori a try. Although over the past 5 years he never really went for it. Usually grazes off the glass and rocks.

 

[bcarl77]

In the second video they seemed to be picking at glass in the algae. It may have been aggression. Not sure what you are treating with but remember medication can also stress a fish. If it was aggression the quick change to normal breathing might reinforce that. I doubt any medication would work so quickly. Make sure you are not over medicating and reconfirm you even need to medicate.

Also try some live food. My go to is to hatch some brine in the little round brine shrimp hatchery.

I am going to put some carbon in to pull meds out today.

 

[sgdnycct]

Good luck!

 

[sgdnycct]

How’s the Kole doing?

 

[bcarl77]

Update: He went back to main display last night. After a few minutes he was back to swimming but way more shy.

We determined he is/was getting bullied by the Sailfin tang. We temporarily put mirrors up to try to quell the current aggression. Any ideas for long term? I cannot rearrange rock structures. These guys have been together for ~3 years.

 

[sgdnycct]

So happy the Kole made it and is back in the display! Without moving rocks around I don’t know much. Making sure the sailing is getting extra food might help. That quiets them down a little. Keep the mirrors up for a while. Maybe that’ll get the Sailfin to change their mind. You can also tray adding some temporary rock structures or dividers that change how they would normally navigate throughout the tank. Maybe do this for a couple of weeks then remove it and see how they do. You may have to do a combination of mirrors adding and food a few times. Some people say remove the Sailfin for a while. You could try that but I always worry that stresses the fish too much.