My blue tang seems hurt

[Sevastian]

I got this tang yesterday from pet co at first he was hiding inside of the rock formation but I came home from work today to see him just laying there should I try and return him or assume he’ll get used to the tank

 

[Sevastian]

I have a sailfin tang that swims aground licks at detritus and seems as happy as can be

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

It may be acclimation stress. Do you know the salinity of the Petco tank compared to yours?
Blue tangs often take a few days to come out and swim more comfortably.

More history about your tank and fish is needed, as well as clearer pictures (I know it is tough to get good fish pictures!). Here is a link that explains that:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...sease-treatment-and-diagnosis-section.775547/
Jay

 

[LiamPM]

Regals can be some of the "oddest" fish when it comes to "playing dead" and wedging themselves into tiny crevices for plenty of time at a go.

Very, very long time since ive added one but i remember way back in the beginning of the hobby thinking to myself i may have had a problem because one was regularly wedged head first in a tiny crevice constantly - Regals just tend to be very shy when first introduced and almost play "hide and seek" - I cant see you, you cant see me.

Better pictures as Jay said is definitely worth the check but it sounds like a Regal being a newly introduced Regal.

Pictures for peace of mind though.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Very

I got this tang yesterday from pet co at first he was hiding inside of the rock formation but I came home from work today to see him just laying there should I try and return him or assume he’ll get used to the tank

typi

I got this tang yesterday from pet co at first he was hiding inside of the rock formation but I came home from work today to see him just laying there should I try and return him or assume he’ll get used to the tank

typical trait of a hepatus tang- wedging within rocks, hiding, laying/playing dead and swimming in rocking motion. . . . Not a personality that I admire

 

[Sevastian]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

It may be acclimation stress. Do you know the salinity of the Petco tank compared to yours?
Blue tangs often take a few days to come out and swim more comfortably.

More history about your tank and fish is needed, as well as clearer pictures (I know it is tough to get good fish pictures!). Here is a link that explains that:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/s...sease-treatment-and-diagnosis-section.775547/
Jay

No I didn’t check the Petco salinity when they were getting the fish they where just throwing rocks around in the tank and the rang ended up under one that is another worry but acclimation stress would make sense is there anything I can do to help right niw

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

No I didn’t check the Petco salinity when they were getting the fish they where just throwing rocks around in the tank and the rang ended up under one that is another worry but acclimation stress would make sense is there anything I can do to help right niw

No, not after the fact. Hopefully, it is just a blue tang being strange like they sometimes do.

Jay

 

[Sevastian]

No, not after the fact. Hopefully, it is just a blue tang being strange like they sometimes do.

Jay

He was swimming around this morning now I’m just worried cause he is a little bigger than my sailfin if there will be aggression

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

He was swimming around this morning now I’m just worried cause he is a little bigger than my sailfin if there will be aggression

Difficult to say, but in general, hepatus tangs are not as aggressive as sailfins, so hopefully, there will be a blalance of power. Is the hepatus tang eating?

Jay

 

[Sevastian]

Difficult to say, but in general, hepatus tangs are not as aggressive as sailfins, so hopefully, there will be a blalance of power. Is the hepatus tang eating?

Jay

Looked like he was a bit yeah he was swimming around in front of me for about an hour now he’s back in his crevis

 

[LiamPM]

Nori on a clip is a great tool for feeding Regals (and most surgeons in general), can be left in for an hour or so and will allow it to feed when comfortable if its not whilst you are around or infornt of the tank.

 

[Sevastian]

Difficult to say, but in general, hepatus tangs are not as aggressive as sailfins, so hopefully, there will be a blalance of power. Is the hepatus tang eating?

Jay

I don’t have a clip what should I do in the mean time

 

[nereefpat]

I don’t have a clip what should I do in the mean time

Rubberband and a rock.

Primary food for a new blue tang should be frozen mysis and spirulina brine. They are plankton eaters in nature, although they usually will goo for nori eventually.

 

[acesfull44]

I have a 6" Blue Tang in my 310, and he lays literally flat between 2 rocks and he does not move. This is his way of getting away from the Purple from time to time. In my experience this is normal behavior, but it could be an acclimation issue?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I don’t have a clip what should I do in the mean time

Hepatus tangs are not always big nori eaters when small. Do you have frozen mysids and small pellets you can feed?
Jay

 

[Sevastian]

Yeah I am doing that currently she likes the brine shrimp

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I am doing that currently she likes the brine shrimp

Frozen brine is a good starter food, and helpful in getting fish to eat, but it is not a complete diet. At some point soon, you need to try to get it to eat other meaty food items - diced mysids, good quality pellets, etc.

Jay

 

[Sevastian]

I got pellets too plus once we run out of brime we are gonna get my sis

 

[nereefpat]

Frozen Mysis is my favorite. I would get some and alternate between the two. Another new good I've found is Hikari's squid. It's chopped up to Mysis size, and my fish seem to love it.