My tang died and I do not know why.

[beginnerreefer04]

I bought a chocolate mimic tang on Saturday and he was doing great for two days and then boom was dead. He has a line down his side with what looks like bite marks almost in it. I am terrified he had some kind of pest that is going to take the rest of my fish out. The line is much darker now that he is dead then it was when he was alive.

 

[KrisReef]

That's the lateral line, normal on fish but perhaps showing some problem/disease?

The gill area looks horrific. Sorry.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I bought a chocolate mimic tang on Saturday and he was doing great for two days and then boom was dead. He has a line down his side with what looks like bite marks almost in it. I am terrified he had some kind of pest that is going to take the rest of my fish out. The line is much darker now that he is dead then it was when he was alive.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you tell us more about your tank? What size and how long has it been set up? What were the latest parameters prior to the fish dying? What other livestock do you have?

 

[littlefoxx]

tank mates?

 

[beginnerreefer04]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Can you tell us more about your tank? What size and how long has it been set up? What were the latest parameters prior to the fish dying? What other livestock do you have?

Tank is a 90gallon 36 long 24 wide. It’s been up for a little over month after upgrading from a 13 gal nano. I had a fruval tester and I hated it and just received my brs master test kit today. But according to the fruval my nitrates were less than 15 never got a readable results for ammonia. Otherwise
Alk 9.3
Nitrates 12
Phosphates .3 I know they are high high high
Mag 1350
This is after I found him dead, his tank mates are a small coral beauty angle 2 clown fish a bicolor blenny flame hawk and 3 fire fish.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Tank is a 90gallon 36 long 24 wide. It’s been up for a little over month after upgrading from a 13 gal nano. I had a fruval tester and I hated it and just received my brs master test kit today. But according to the fruval my nitrates were less than 15 never got a readable results for ammonia. Otherwise
Alk 9.3
Nitrates 12
Phosphates .3 I know they are high high high
Mag 1350
This is after I found him dead, his tank mates are a small coral beauty angle 2 clown fish a bicolor blenny flame hawk and 3 fire fish.

Did you quarantine the tang?

 

[beginnerreefer04]

That's the lateral line, normal on fish but perhaps showing some problem/disease?

The gill area looks horrific. Sorry.

If you zoom in on the brown line in the last photo you can see missing scales. I’m scared he had some kind of pest that’s going to take out my other fish

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

If you zoom in on the brown line in the last photo you can see missing scales. I’m scared he had some kind of pest that’s going to take out my other fish

The missing scales probably occurred after it was dead.

 

[beginnerreefer04]

Did you quarantine the tang?

I only have my 13 gallon tank so I did not have a quarantine big enough for him. My lfs is very trust worthy and said he was a very healthy fish prior to me getting him

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I only have my 13 gallon tank so I did not have a quarantine big enough for him. My lfs is very trust worthy and said he was a very healthy fish prior to me getting him

You put a tang in a 13 gallon tank??

 

[beginnerreefer04]

You put a tang in a 13 gallon tank??

No the tang was in my 90gallon 36”x24” only spare tank/quartentine is my 13 gallon which was to small to quarantine a tang in

 

[beginnerreefer04]

You put a tang in a 13 gallon tank??

Sorry about my wording there I see how that was confusing

 

[beginnerreefer04]

No the tang was in my 90gallon 36”x24” only spare tank/quartentine is my 13 gallon which was to small to quarantine a tang in

This is what the tank looks like

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

This is what the tank looks like

Small for a tang.

 

[jda]

That tank looks fresh. You might never know what killed it in a tank that new - those are not easy places for things to live. Captive bred fish (clowns), damsels are usually better things to start a tank with since they are used to sterile tanks.

Chocolate tang in a 90 gallon can work - they don't get large. IMO, tangs are going to like stacked up rock where they can escape and get away totally unseen. The caves and arches and things that humans like to build are horrible for fish that like to hide.

You can find ugly used tanks all over Denver for QT - free or cheap in the 20-30 gallon range.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Chocolate tang in a 90 gallon can work

Even in a 3 foot 90 gallon?

 

[jda]

I am not going to die on that hill if it is well fed and has places to hide. I have a 10+ year old chocolate tang that is barely over 4 inches and is a mellow fish that does not dart around the tank like other fish can. To each their own.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I am not going to die on that hill if it is well fed and has places to hide. I have a 10+ year old chocolate tang that is barely over 4 inches and is a mellow fish that does not dart around the tank like other fish can. To each their own.

I was genuinely asking for your opinion, not trying to argue

 

[jda]

All good. I have long accepted the fact that nearly nobody wants to listen to me anyway - a byproduct of having 5 daughters... I have super thick skin.

 

[KrisReef]

All good. I have long accepted the fact that nearly nobody wants to listen to me anyway - a byproduct of having 5 daughters... I have super thick skin.

I had only one daughter and two sons, actually 2 daughters but the first's mom ran me out of town and told her lies and stories (admitedly some were true) but the result is that I am estranged from her, but that wasn't the post I was trying to make.
None of my children really listen to me either, except to do the opposite of what I suggest in many cases.

I have peeling skin myself, and somethings never heal. The Tang in this story had a mysterious death and the size of the tank may have played a role but I think the outcome would have been the same in a 300 g tank? It appears to have been doomed judging by the strange discoloration in the lateral line and the fact that it is no longer with us? These things happen too often and our skin thickness isn't the cause or the cure. These things just stink.

I read your posts and listen, for the record. Our kids will eventually figure out their own way and hopefully they will be grateful for what we have done for them along the way.

They might even come asking for advice and I'm going to give them pizza when they do.