Sailfin tang issue.

[Bugeater281]

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m in nebraska. The farthest place you can get from the ocean. But I can not keep tangs alive. Now my latest tang is about to die and I’m not sure there’s anything I can do.

Day one. Added tang to qt tank, sponge filter and hob filter. 78*. Dosed a double dose of Fritz bacteria. The moment I set the tank up I added a sea hem ammonia alert. It was instantly on alert. Figured the strip wasn’t super accurate. Tested with an api kit(was yellow).

Day 2- fish is shy and hiding(only 1.5-2in). Added some caulerpa amd nori. He wouldn’t touch the nori. But did eat a bit of macro.

Day 3- fish is way more active. He ate some mysis in the morning. Later that evening I mixed up some mysis/metro/garlic/focus. He went ham on that mysis.

Day 4. Ammonia warning is getting a bit darker. Do a 2 gallon water change. Head to work. I get home, fish isn’t looking good. He on his side on the bottom, breathing heavy and swimming g a few inch at a time. Ammonia hang thingy is a bit darker but not quite on the warning. So I test ammonia with api test. Light green(granted I tested three times, one dark green-1st. 2nd light green, 3rd yellow, test is 2 years expired.

I drain 90% of the water, and refill with my new cycled tank water(0 ammonia, 5 nitrate). At this point it’s 3am and I need to go to bed.

Day 5. Fish is more active, but at the top of the tank. Looks to be trying to get air(no redness on the gills). Ran to my work(local lfs). Grab a new salifert test kit. And some ammonia remover. Test the ammonia, it’s around .125. Add some ammonia remover to be safe. I also tested the water I had drained the night before. Is was around .25ppm.

Now the fish is just laying on the bottom. He’s not breathing fast anymore. Not sure if he will make it. Anyone have any ideas?

I have some medicine laying around if I need some.


I’m starting to hate tangs. I bought a naso 6 months ago. Guy got super fat and Ate massive amounts of culerpa. Then one month in he basically dead. Day before was acting just fine. This was in a 55g I have upstairs.
Neither fish showed any symptoms of parisite, crypt,velvet or flukes.

Since I work at and lfs, I see these conditions quite regularly. This sailfin had been at our show for two weeks and looked great(hense why I bought him)

I’ve been keeping fishtanks for over 10 years. But I have Terrible luck with tangs. And I can’t figure out why.

 

[CanuckReefer]

My first thought is tank size. 55 g? Seems small for these larger tangs, especially Sailfin or Naso. They need lots of room to feel happy. I have a 90 g and my yellow has been 16 years, I originally tried Sailfin and Naso years back, it was a similar scenario to what you're experiencing here....

 

[Bugeater281]

My first thought is tank size. 55 g? Seems small for these larger tangs, especially Sailfin or Naso. They need lots of room to feel happy. I have a 90 g and my yellow has been 16 years, I originally tried Sailfin and Naso years back, it was a similar scenario to what you're experiencing here....

Tank size was for qt. I have a 210g system.

 

[Tamberav]

Small tangs are more fragile. What size is the QT tank?

A picture of the QT would help. It sounds like it was not cycled before the fish was added?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Tank size was for qt. I have a 210g system.

Ah ok! My mistake... then that's definitely not the issue... dang. Best of luck, seems you're doing all you can. Somebody else will weigh in with some sage advice.

 

[Bugeater281]

Small tangs are more fragile. What size is the QT tank?

A picture of the QT would help. It sounds like it was not cycled before the fish was added?

Qt tank is a 10 gallon. Didnt think that size was big deal due to how small the tang is. Added filter media from another system, and I dosed fritz turbostart 900 at 2.5x the dose over two days. I really didn’t think ammonia would be an issue. I don’t think my ammonia got over 1ppm. I’d be surprised if it went over .65ppm.

Fish is still swimming. But in slow circles.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Small tangs actually ship better and a little more stable in some cases.
I have no faith in Badges nor API test kits which the badge is intended for both fresh and salt water. I would have the water tested by a Trusted LFS other than where you work and see what they come up with for comparison.
I suspect some level of toxicity with your water ( ammonia and nitrate).
I assume you are using RO water and not tap from faucet. In addition, a concern would be as to why you are still seeding and adding bacteria to a tank with fish in it as it indicates tank is not yet seeded or ready for livestock and hence, you will have chemical changes especially spikes especially when waste is produced.
Describe your method of filtration and delivering oxygen to these fish.

 

[Tamberav]

Qt tank is a 10 gallon. Didnt think that size was big deal due to how small the tang is. Added filter media from another system, and I dosed fritz turbostart 900 at 2.5x the dose over two days. I really didn’t think ammonia would be an issue. I don’t think my ammonia got over 1ppm. I’d be surprised if it went over .65ppm.

Fish is still swimming. But in slow circles.

I would say any ammonia is harmful.

I would say uncycled + only PVC hides adds to stress. It is a very unnatural looking environment.

People often say QT kills but it is because people don't really put a lot of time or thought into QT which increases stress and stress kills a lot of fish.

I have a sailfin which was paper thin and the size of a quarter when I bought it. I used a 25g (I would say 20L or 29g is nice even for small tangs). Sand on the bottom can help with reflection and I add fake plants and bricks for hides as fish don't really like white PVC and how unnatural it is to them. I also always have the tank cycled so the fish is never exposed to ammonia and I can feed heavily.

QT does kill fish, but it is because the popular way to QT is horrible IMO.

 

[Bugeater281]

Small tangs actually ship better and a little more stable in some cases.
I have no faith in Badges nor API test kits which the badge is intended for both fresh and salt water. I would have the water tested by a Trusted LFS other than where you work and see what they come up with for comparison.
I suspect some level of toxicity with your water ( ammonia and nitrate).
I assume you are using RO water and not tap from faucet. In addition, a concern would be as to why you are still seeding and adding bacteria to a tank with fish in it as it indicates tank is not yet seeded or ready for livestock and hence, you will have chemical changes especially spikes especially when waste is produced.
Describe your method of filtration and delivering oxygen to these fish.

I am using a 6 stage rodi unit from brs.

Filtration is a hob filter, a sponge filter. And some foam filter media from my tank that’s been running for 5 years(55g). I dosed bacteria just to be safe.
I’m also running an auto top off.

I’ll be testing my rodi water here in bit. Just to make sure cloramines arnt present in the water.

I have no need to get tested at another lfs. I have salifert test here at home. I don’t think I’ve ever had a major issue with ammonia. Because I have 7 tanks in my house, both freshwater and salt. So I always sees my tanks with other tanks.
Only exception is my new 200g system, I cured my live rock for around a year. I had some clowns that are doing just fine. For water changes I was using my 200g water to do the 10 gallon.

 

[Bugeater281]

Fish may survive. It’s still alive. It still spends some time on its side. Normal breather and swims a bit more now.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Fish may survive. It’s still alive. It still spends some time on its side. Normal breather and swims a bit more now.

Never know, I did have one (Coral Beauty) that seemed on deaths door, dipped him, nothing still same, water changes pretty severe and whammo he was back 2 days later. Lived another year....