purple tang QT wont eat

[Risk1994]

I got this purple tang from LFS on 7/3. Its now 7/12 and he has not eaten a single bite. I cant say this for sure since I cant watch him 24/7 but hes in QT with a yellow tang who's eating voraciously. I give them them a mix of nori/lettuce/frozen/seaweed pellets...I've tried everything, I've soaked in garlic. I get a slight feeding response from him...but he wont bite. There is no copper in the tank yet, I like to make sure they look good before I stress them further.

I saw 2 tiny black dots on his tail the other day, dont see them now. He was EXTREMELY shy when I first got him, hid for the first 4 days, he comes out now but no eating.

LFS had him for a week before I picked him up and reported he was eating ok. I wanted a pair of tangs so I had them source these for me.

Here is a pic, I dont see any outward issues, his mouth is kind of white, but I dont know if thats normal for purple tangs.

(water has a lot of debris, I just dropped a bunch of food in to see if I could get him to eat)

ph is 7.7, ammonia 0, nitrite 0.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Have you tried mysid shrimp yet? Zebrasoma tangs will often go after meaty foods before algae products. Also, try feeding from a darkened room and stand far away, it may not be feeding due to being shy. (If both the YT and purple weren't eating, I'd be leaning towards a tank issue, but with just one not eating, I would think it is something with that fish alone.

Jay

 

[G Santana]

I agree with trying meaty foods as well, my PT will eat mysis, clams, shrimp and brine shrimp.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mysis, live brine, spirulina brine and fish eggs- all enticers.

 

[Risk1994]

I've given frozen brine along with frozen angel and herbivore food. Ill try PE mysis tommorrow in a darkened room. I dont think Ive given that one yet.

 

[Risk1994]

Neither of them ate the PE mysis, now the yellow is hiding and not eating. Man I HATE QT!

 

[Risk1994]

so if he didnt have ich before sure seems like he has it now. I'm not sure if he had something else that weakened him to where he has ich now, or if he had ich all along. I never saw any white spots on him.

Tried to take some pics, but hes hiding.

I did a big WC (since I've been overfeeding trying to get him to eat) now Im going to add copper and hope for the best, not sure what else to do. Any advice? Copper or something else? I dont know the root cause...

see that white puffy stuff on the bottom?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Unfortunately, pic does not help. Coppersafe is best. Assuming its ich and not lymphocystis or flukes.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

so if he didnt have ich before sure seems like he has it now. I'm not sure if he had something else that weakened him to where he has ich now, or if he had ich all along. I never saw any white spots on him.

Tried to take some pics, but hes hiding.

I did a big WC (since I've been overfeeding trying to get him to eat) now Im going to add copper and hope for the best, not sure what else to do. Any advice? Copper or something else? I dont know the root cause...

see that white puffy stuff on the bottom?

So - this shows the issue with trying to resolve fish issues remotely. I was focused on the purple tang not eating in quarantine and I missed the line where you said you hadn't started any treatment. Quarantine is just isolation until you start a treatment, and it leaves the fish at risk. I always begin full copper within 72 hours of the fish going in the tank. Coppersafe works much better at preventing ich than curing active infections.

Are the fish breathing rapidly? I can't tell much from the photo.....

Jay

 

[Risk1994]

So - this shows the issue with trying to resolve fish issues remotely. I was focused on the purple tang not eating in quarantine and I missed the line where you said you hadn't started any treatment. Quarantine is just isolation until you start a treatment, and it leaves the fish at risk. I always begin full copper within 72 hours of the fish going in the tank. Coppersafe works much better at preventing ich than curing active infections.

Are the fish breathing rapidly? I can't tell much from the photo.....

Jay

Lesson learned. I wanted to make sure the fish were eating before putting in copper. Perhaps I should just start copper immediately regardless.

Theyre still asleep but hes sleeping on his side. I see some small white puffy stuff on the top of him now, thats new. Impossible to take a pic at this point.

I added half dose of copper last night. Ill add more today to get up to 2.5 perhaps tomorrow.

 

[Risk1994]

This morning he's been laying on his side breathing rapidly. I gave him a 5 min freshwater dip.

I was able to get some better shots now that hes so still.

Im thinking this guy is a goner. I gave the yellow the FW dip also.

 

[Risk1994]

dosed metroplex. Copper is at 1.0 from last night, just increased slightly to close to 1.5.

 

[Jeffcb]

Do you have a refugium? I have a Naso tang that did the same. Not in QT, don't have one but. He didn't eat for over a week after adding him to the tank. . He was starting to get a sunk in belly. I have at least 15 different kinds of frozen food, 3 different nori types, garlic ect. Thought I tried everything. Some one suggested the grape caulerpa from my refugium. He began eating it like a child eats spaghetti. Sucking down whole strands. Named him Noodles! He has finally started picking on the nori but I still have to give him caulerpa every day. Just a thought Good luck.

 

[Risk1994]

Do you have a refugium? I have a Naso tang that did the same. Not in QT, don't have one but. He didn't eat for over a week after adding him to the tank. . He was starting to get a sunk in belly. I have at least 15 different kinds of frozen food, 3 different nori types, garlic ect. Thought I tried everything. Some one suggested the grape caulerpa from my refugium. He began eating it like a child eats spaghetti. Sucking down whole strands. Named him Noodles! He has finally started picking on the nori but I still have to give him caulerpa every day. Just a thought Good luck.

Appreciate the advice, don't have a fuge or caulerpa.

FWIW he does look a tiny bit better, could just be wishful thinking.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

dosed metroplex. Copper is at 1.0 from last night, just increased slightly to close to 1.5.

There isn't any reason not to go to a full dose of copper. I don't mix metro and copper though, so I can't tell you if there are any concerns in that regard.

Jay

 

[Risk1994]

There isn't any reason not to go to a full dose of copper. I don't mix metro and copper though, so I can't tell you if there are any concerns in that regard.

Jay

Thought you were supposed to slowly bring it up over a few days. Got that from humblefish

 

[Risk1994]

best shot I could get,

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thought you were supposed to slowly bring it up over a few days. Got that from humblefish

Nope - that’s not correct unless you are using copper/citric acid, then you do. More fish die from disease during a slow ramp up. Bound coppers can be brought up in a day. A bigger issue is improper dosing due to poor test kits.
Jay

 

[Risk1994]

currently 2.5 using Hannah checker.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Looking back at the pictures this morning - they aren't super clear, but I think I can see Lymphocystis along the dorsal fin. That is inconsequential, and not related to the rapid breathing or not feeding.
Is the fish up and swimming, or still laying on its side?

jay