Help! Blue Tang decided to quit eating.

Squidward

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This sucks. I just lost a large sized Cuban Hogfish I've had for over a year this past week. He just stopped eating for 3-4 days and started breathing heavy and being lathargic not swimming much. He bit the dust and I had no idea what went wrong. Jay's article does shed some light on what could've happened. Man it sucks.
 
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Update: My BT is more active today than a week ago when he decided to quit eating. I haven't seen him eat yet but visually he looks in good shape. Have some Entice Flake food coming tomorrow,

maybe he'll change his mind about eating. Short video shot with my Ipad shows a snippet of him swimming.
 

Jay Hemdal

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Update: My BT is more active today than a week ago when he decided to quit eating. I haven't seen him eat yet but visually he looks in good shape. Have some Entice Flake food coming tomorrow,

maybe he'll change his mind about eating. Short video shot with my Ipad shows a snippet of him swimming.
There's something about the way it's swimming: sort of bobbing along. I also can't tell, almost looks like it is breathing a bit fast (far away to really see though).

Jay
 
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Yeah, I noticed the odd swimming movements, any thoughts? In pearson his breathing appears to be a tad fast but besides comparing to my other tangs I'm just guessing.
I'll attempt another video when the commotion here subsides. Better half is having renovations done.
 

Jay Hemdal

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Yeah, I noticed the odd swimming movements, any thoughts? In pearson his breathing appears to be a tad fast but besides comparing to my other tangs I'm just guessing.
I'll attempt another video when the commotion here subsides. Better half is having renovations done.
I'm not sure what the swimming thing is about - at first I wasn't even sure it was "something". Let's see if anyone else has a guess to what that is. The only thing I can think of is that it is sculling to offset a slight negative buoyancy

Jay
 
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Update:
My Blue Tang is on 1 week since I last saw him eat, tried a variety of foods. His swimming appears to have improved some, he's not dragging the back half around , more a typical level motion, less tail activity.
Out and about regularly but not for extended times. Breathing looks good to me and colors are great but they always have been. Food curious but I've not witnessed any eating.
Will attempt to get a closer video but he doesn't stay out long. All other tank mates are fine with him and in general.
 

Jay Hemdal

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This is a mystery. With some fish (angelfish most often) they pick at something inedible and a blockage occurs in the throat. The Epsom salt idea was for intestinal blockage, not if it is in the stomach or throat. Force feeding is one option, the feeding tube could work around or possibly dislodge the blockage.
I guess I keep coming back to the idea that the fish looks at food, but doesn’t eat…
Jay
 
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I considered the force feeding option after reading the article posted, thatwould be a first for me in over 30 years in the hobby.
 

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Are you sure that he’s not eating….could he be eating when your not there……I would figure if not eating he would be going in the bad direction, maybe some colour loss…..
 
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Anything is possible and I hope that's the case. He was always a pig and boom he stopped. My wife and I are both retired and pay close attention to the tank because we enjoy it so much. With him not eating we're like helicopter parents. Never know what happens behind the decorations or when the lights go off.
Right now I'm hoping he's just chillin while he heals from something I can't see.

Whats interesting is about 4 weeks ago my better half was moving things around and cleaning the inside glass of the tank, she adjusted some of the crushed coral on the bottom and accidentally it buried him, she ran her hand thru the bed and he slapped her index finger and got her twice. Her finger swelled up and hurt like the devil. She went in to her Dr. the next day and they gave her anti-biotics and a couple basic pain pills. Her finger is still puffy and sore but much better. Wonder if he suffered an interal injury during that episode, we watched him closely and all was good untill about 10 days ago.
Her Dr. won't give him an X-ray, I asked. :)
 

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This is a mystery. With some fish (angelfish most often) they pick at something inedible and a blockage occurs in the throat.

Maybe a piece of one of those plastic plants.

Also, the lava rock is an artificial aquarium product and not a real lava rock right?
 
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The red rock is real ( I call it lava rock, don't really know, is that a no-no?
Been rotating it thru my tank for more years than I can count.
 

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Anything is possible and I hope that's the case. He was always a pig and boom he stopped. My wife and I are both retired and pay close attention to the tank because we enjoy it so much. With him not eating we're like helicopter parents. Never know what happens behind the decorations or when the lights go off.
Right now I'm hoping he's just chillin while he heals from something I can't see.

Whats interesting is about 4 weeks ago my better half was moving things around and cleaning the inside glass of the tank, she adjusted some of the crushed coral on the bottom and accidentally it buried him, she ran her hand thru the bed and he slapped her index finger and got her twice. Her finger swelled up and hurt like the devil. She went in to her Dr. the next day and they gave her anti-biotics and a couple basic pain pills. Her finger is still puffy and sore but much better. Wonder if he suffered an interal injury during that episode, we watched him closely and all was good untill about 10 days ago.
Her Dr. won't give him an X-ray, I asked. :)
I have a YT that will not eat with the others while I’m by the DT.
Soon as I move 20 feet, she’s out there pecking away.
She’s, anti-social to me.
Maybe yours is just shy.

Theirs a bone by the tail which can be weaponized.

Just being mom and dad……that’s a good thing.

Fab hobby for retirement…..me too…
 
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Yup! My wife found out the hard way.What she went thru was much worse than when my Lion got me like 4 times up my arm.
Wish the eating was just being anti-social but he was far from that for many months before all this.
 
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Update Video:
Just got these when we added frozen brine. Came out more than once but I can't confirm he ate anything.
2nd video is out of focus but shows his breathing.
He's active for short periods, has a preferred hiding spot on each end of the tank.
 

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Wonder if it would stress him out to the max if I force feed him thawed out brine.
If so how much? Put him in a gallon of tank water and hold him to administer it?
Maybe hold him with a soft sponge?
 
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Jay Hemdal

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Wonder if it would stress him out to the max if I force feed him thawed out brine.
If so how much? Put him in a gallon of tank water and hold him to administer it?
Maybe hold him with a soft sponge?
I see it trying to eat, can't tell if it got any though. That just seems to confirm the idea that it is a blockage of some sort prior to the stomach. You won't be able to force feed it brine shrimp, but you might be able to tube feed it some gruel. I think the article I linked for you describes that process - I will say it is VERY difficult to do that without practice and without a fish anesthetic.

Jay
 
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Any idea how much Clove Oil too use since the MS 222 is not available to the public?
1 drop per liter?
I know it's a long shot but doubtful he'll survive without some type of intervention. :(
Found this out of curiosity, not a Tang but fasinating just the same. Common tankmate to a lot of reefers etc. Not sure what type of Butterfly it is. I was trying to get an idea of feeding tube placement.

Untitled.jpeg
 

Jay Hemdal

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Any idea how much Clove Oil too use since the MS 222 is not available to the public?
1 drop per liter?
I know it's a long shot but doubtful he'll survive without some type of intervention. :(
Found this out of curiosity, not a Tang but fasinating just the same. Common tankmate to a lot of reefers etc. Not sure what type of Butterfly it is. I was trying to get an idea of feeding tube placement.

Untitled.jpeg
Sorry - I only have a dose of clove oil for euthanasia in my formulary (20 ppm). Try running a Google search. The best thing to use to feed a fish this small is a feline urinary catheter with the tip cut off attached to a syringe barrel. Make up a gruel out of water and flake food and try to pump some into the stomach.

Jay
 
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I believe I saw the 1 drop per L in an article by Humblefish or a response to said article but I'll keep looking.
Thanks again!
 
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