Purple Tang still alive but looking very rough - trouble swimming

[Stevorino]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

I noticed today our purple tang was hiding and fed extra to entice him to come out and he wouldn't take food.

I have never noticed problems/bullying from other fish, but it clearly looks like it to me.

1. Could this be anything other than fish aggression?

2. Anything I can do to help chances of success? I caught him and have him in my sump to keep same parameters. I could move to QT with copper/treatment but didn't want to do it before checking here first.

Thank you!

 

[Stevorino]

** I did increase flow recently in the tank and have been dialing it in, I wonder if it is possible he got stuck in powerhead temporarily? **

 

[Jay Hemdal]

** I did increase a lot of flow recently to the tank, is it possible he got stuck in powerhead temporarily? **

It sure looks like mechanical damage to me. Either sudden tankmate aggression, or being caught in a powerhead. However, healthy fish really don’t get caught in powerheads, so if that happened, there may be some underlying issue.

Can you isolate it in a acclimation basket, or better yet, a tank divider?

 

[Jekyl]

.

 

[Stevorino]

It sure looks like mechanical damage to me. Either sudden tankmate aggression, or being caught in a powerhead. However, healthy fish really don’t get caught in powerheads, so if that happened, there may be some underlying issue.

Can you isolate it in a acclimation basket, or better yet, a tank divider?

Absolutely - I have a nice sized acclimation box I can drop into main display. Right now he is in my fuge that's pretty sizeable.

He's a small fry, smaller than the size of the top of a soda can in all. I just introduced 2 new gyres and the flow was pretty outrageous as I dialed it in... given his size and the flow, I think it's very possible he got sucked into one

 

[Rjukan]

What fish was he in with? It really looks like he was beat up rather than being caught up in a powerhead.

 

[Reefering1]

Agreed, that looks like he's getting beat up on like a red headed step child

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

I noticed today our purple tang was hiding and fed extra to entice him to come out and he wouldn't take food.

I have never noticed problems/bullying from other fish, but it clearly looks like it to me.

1. Could this be anything other than fish aggression?

2. Anything I can do to help chances of success? I caught him and have him in my sump to keep same parameters. I could move to QT with copper/treatment but didn't want to do it before checking here first.

Thank you!

W O W !! What other fish are in tank with it?
Have you noticed chasing or aggression especially at feeding?
Isolation will offer fish its best chance of healing and survival.
If not sure on bullying, next time you feed, set your cell phone on video mode for about 30 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a bully at feeding time.
Review the video and see who it may be

 

[Brian1f1]

Wow…

 

[Stevorino]

W O W !! What other fish are in tank with it?
Have you noticed chasing or aggression especially at feeding?
Isolation will offer fish its best chance of healing and survival.
If not sure on bullying, next time you feed, set your cell phone on video mode for about 30 mins and drop a little food and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as they know youre there. Often the aggressor is a bully at feeding time.
Review the video and see who it may be

Yellow, Blue Hippo, and Gem. As far as I can tell, they have all been getting along.

I have a picture of him from within the last week or so with no fin damage at all.

He did not look like that before I did significant work to the tank Sunday - new powerheads and scrub down of tank.

Today I noticed he was being seclusive, and then caught him when he came out and struggled to swim.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yellow, Blue Hippo, and Gem. As far as I can tell, they have all been getting along.

I have a picture of him from within the last week or so with no fin damage at all.

He did not look like that before I did significant work to the tank Sunday - new powerheads and scrub down of tank.

Today I noticed he was being seclusive, and then caught him when he came out and struggled to swim.

I believe Jay mentioned powerhead. While a new higher powered head can do this damage, it takes a weak fish to end up in a powerhead. The tail shows a clear bite. I rule out gem tang, but not the yellow and possibly hepatus
I assume fish has been eating?
The pic you posted was of low light and I could not see the body

 

[Stevorino]

I believe Jay mentioned powerhead. While a new higher powered head can do this damage, it takes a weak fish to end up in a powerhead. The tail shows a clear bite. I rule out gem tang, but not the yellow and possibly hepatus
I assume fish has been eating?
The pic you posted was of low light and I could not see the body

Fish has been doing great - honestly my favorite to watch and none of this before Sunday.

This was them when I took a pic early weekend. Blue is out of frame but never seen her be aggressive in ~8 years.

Is there anything I can do other then just give it safety and time?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish has been doing great - honestly my favorite to watch and none of this before Sunday.

This was them when I took a pic early weekend. Blue is out of frame but never seen her be aggressive in ~8 years.

Another thing to do is with suspects, see which ones have nips on their fins and dont which may offer a clue also

 

[Reefering1]

But he's tiny...