Sailfin Tang - is it normal for its fins to look like this?

[Acalin]

Hello all,

I currently have a Sailfin Tang and a Coral Beauty in the QT at about 1.5 month mark.
The first month I've treated them with Pazi and included Metro+Focus in their frozen food, then for the past 2 weeks they have been at about 2.5 ppm copper (using Fritz Coppersafe & testing with Hanna).
2 more weeks to go with Copper before attempting to move the fish to the DT.
Both fish look normal (to my beginner's eye) and eat like pigs when it's food time.

I've noticed that the Tang's fins don't look as smooth as they used to look when I got the fish. (see pictures).
Reading about different diseases on this forum, got me worried, but in the same time, I was thinking it could be maybe because of stress, or maybe because it's growing.

Anyway, I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Is this something common and if not, what would you suggest for treatment?

Thank you in advance for your time and help!

 

[Thomas Jedlicka]

Looks to me it looks like he is getting nipped at. Especially a coral beauty it does not surprise me they can be fiesty. If they are close in size i have no doubt that it is the CB. Other than that the fish looks okay. I notice some lateral line erosion but that could just be something preexisting and looks very minor.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all,

I currently have a Sailfin Tang and a Coral Beauty in the QT at about 1.5 month mark.
The first month I've treated them with Pazi and included Metro+Focus in their frozen food, then for the past 2 weeks they have been at about 2.5 ppm copper (using Fritz Coppersafe & testing with Hanna).
2 more weeks to go with Copper before attempting to move the fish to the DT.
Both fish look normal (to my beginner's eye) and eat like pigs when it's food time.

I've noticed that the Tang's fins don't look as smooth as they used to look when I got the fish. (see pictures).
Reading about different diseases on this forum, got me worried, but in the same time, I was thinking it could be maybe because of stress, or maybe because it's growing.

Anyway, I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Is this something common and if not, what would you suggest for treatment?

Thank you in advance for your time and help!

No and its evident he is a victim of aggression. What other occupants are in tank?
Typical nippers are clown, trigger. puffer and some wrasses such as 6 line. I see zero lateral line issue and good body weight

 

[Acalin]

No and its evident he is a victim of aggression. What other occupants are in tank?
Typical nippers are clown, trigger. puffer and some wrasses such as 6 line

It's currently in the QT with a Coral Beauty. Which makes me wonder: if the Coral Beauty is that agressive agains the Tang, should I even attempt to put it in my DT and give it a shot to nip at the corals?

 

[threebuoys]

It's currently in the QT with a Coral Beauty. Which makes me wonder: if the Coral Beauty is that agressive agains the Tang, should I even attempt to put it in my DT and give it a shot to nip at the corals?

I am definitely suspicious that the Coral Beauty is the culprit. Those dwarf angels are pretty but they can be mean.

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's currently in the QT with a Coral Beauty. Which makes me wonder: if the Coral Beauty is that agressive agains the Tang, should I even attempt to put it in my DT and give it a shot to nip at the corals?

Coral beauty very capable of nipping. What you can do is turn your phone to video mode for about 30-45 minutes and then feed tank and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as culprit knows you're there. Feeding causes the aggression when they try to take all the food
Come back and review video and you may very well see what is going on

 

[Thomas Jedlicka]

No and its evident he is a victim of aggression. What other occupants are in tank?
Typical nippers are clown, trigger. puffer and some wrasses such as 6 line. I see zero lateral line issue and good body weight

First photo you can see the lateral line indent very minimally towards the base of top fin. looks like very minimal, nothing that I would worry about. I just though I would point it out.

 

[Acalin]

Coral beauty very capable of nipping. What you can do is turn your phone to video mode for about 30-45 minutes and then feed tank and walk away - YOU MUST walk away as culprit knows you're there. Feeding causes the aggression when they try to take all the food
Come back and review video and you may very well see what is going on

Thank you for the advice! I'll do just that this evening. I have a spare camera which I'll install there and watch remotely.

Do you think I should not even attempt to put the Coral Beauty in the DT if he's so aggressive against the Tang? I really don't want him to start nipping at the corals or start going after the other fish I have in the DT (2 clowns, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 royal gramma, 1 green mandarin, 1 hector goby and 1 yellow watchman goby).

 

[Acalin]

First photo you can see the lateral line indent very minimally towards the base of top fin. looks like very minimal, nothing that I would worry about. I just though I would point it out.

I'll take a closer look at that. Could be the angle the picture was taken but I'll watch it closer, just in case.
Thank you!

 

[Thomas Jedlicka]

Thank you for the advice! I'll do just that this evening. I have a spare camera which I'll install there and watch remotely.

Do you think I should not even attempt to put the Coral Beauty in the DT if he's so aggressive against the Tang? I really don't want him to start nipping at the corals or start going after the other fish I have in the DT (2 clowns, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 royal gramma, 1 green mandarin, 1 hector goby and 1 yellow watchman goby).

It could just be the fact that the tank they are in does not provide as many natural hiding spots, and the tang doesn't have a chance to flee. I think it would be fine personally but I tend to be more risk-friendly when it comes to those kind of things it is all personal preference

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for the advice! I'll do just that this evening. I have a spare camera which I'll install there and watch remotely.

Do you think I should not even attempt to put the Coral Beauty in the DT if he's so aggressive against the Tang? I really don't want him to start nipping at the corals or start going after the other fish I have in the DT (2 clowns, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 royal gramma, 1 green mandarin, 1 hector goby and 1 yellow watchman goby).

if it is caught with aggression - you can isolate in an acclimation box for a week or two and see if resumes behavior in which you will have to rehome it

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'll take a closer look at that. Could be the angle the picture was taken but I'll watch it closer, just in case.
Thank you!

I do not see a lateral line issue- do not fret. I have 20 tangs and know what a lateral line issue looks like as pictured

 

[MnFish1]

Thank you for the advice! I'll do just that this evening. I have a spare camera which I'll install there and watch remotely.

Do you think I should not even attempt to put the Coral Beauty in the DT if he's so aggressive against the Tang? I really don't want him to start nipping at the corals or start going after the other fish I have in the DT (2 clowns, 1 blue hippo tang, 1 royal gramma, 1 green mandarin, 1 hector goby and 1 yellow watchman goby).

I would not break your quarantine protocol. Do you have hiding places - if so - I would start by re-arranging them.

 

[Acalin]

I would not break your quarantine protocol. Do you have hiding places - if so - I would start by re-arranging them.

I have limited hiding spots in the QT as it is only a 10 gal and I have only 2 PVC elbows in there.
I'll try to add some more stuff in for hiding.

As far as the quarantine, I wasn't planning to end the plan early. I have 2 weeks to go and I have noticed this thing on the tang's fin for a few weeks now.
Not the best scenario, but the way he managed to make it so far in QT with the CB's aggression I have confidence he can make it for another 2 weeks until the quarantine protocol ends.

Thank you!

 

[MnFish1]

I have limited hiding spots in the QT as it is only a 10 gal and I have only 2 PVC elbows in there.
I'll try to add some more stuff in for hiding.

As far as the quarantine, I wasn't planning to end the plan early. I have 2 weeks to go and I have noticed this thing on the tang's fin for a few weeks now.
Not the best scenario, but the way he managed to make it so far in QT with the CB's aggression I have confidence he can make it for another 2 weeks until the quarantine protocol ends.

Thank you!

Agree - if there are no changes - the damage likely occurred at first. Given that it's a small QT tank - I assume - that now the fish are getting along. I agree with @vetteguy53081 try to video/watch from afar. I would daily move the PVC

 

[Thomas Jedlicka]

I have limited hiding spots in the QT as it is only a 10 gal and I have only 2 PVC elbows in there.
I'll try to add some more stuff in for hiding.

As far as the quarantine, I wasn't planning to end the plan early. I have 2 weeks to go and I have noticed this thing on the tang's fin for a few weeks now.
Not the best scenario, but the way he managed to make it so far in QT with the CB's aggression I have confidence he can make it for another 2 weeks until the quarantine protocol ends.

Thank you!

Cut an egg sheet to fit as a barrier in the middle of the tank to separate the fish

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have limited hiding spots in the QT as it is only a 10 gal and I have only 2 PVC elbows in there.
I'll try to add some more stuff in for hiding.

As far as the quarantine, I wasn't planning to end the plan early. I have 2 weeks to go and I have noticed this thing on the tang's fin for a few weeks now.
Not the best scenario, but the way he managed to make it so far in QT with the CB's aggression I have confidence he can make it for another 2 weeks until the quarantine protocol ends.

Thank you!

It is likely the CB nipping at the tang. Good thing about sailfin tang fins - they grow back really fast. I think in your DT, with more hiding spots, the aggression will lessen.

Jay