Sick Blue Tang...discoloration and hiding...help plz!

[michelleb]

Hey fam!
So I have a blue tang that is hiding by the heater looks really bad and im not sure what it could it be. I have 2 clown fish which look great, a blue chromis, a striped damselfish. I observed the fish for a while to see if maybe the damselfish where picking at the blue tang but they do not. Im not sure if he is sick or what but nobody is picking at him for what i see. I bought today API stress coat+ it says to help reduce stress and replace slime coat so im not sure if that will help but what should i do? However my clown fish seem sort of aggressive so im not sure....
HELP!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey fam!
So I have a blue tang that is hiding by the heater looks really bad and im not sure what it could it be. I have 2 clown fish which look great, a blue chromis, a striped damselfish. I observed the fish for a while to see if maybe the damselfish where picking at the blue tang but they do not. Im not sure if he is sick or what but nobody is picking at him for what i see. I bought today API stress coat+ it says to help reduce stress and replace slime coat so im not sure if that will help but what should i do? However my clown fish seem sort of aggressive so im not sure....
HELP!

For starters, stress coat (mainly for freshwater use does Not reduce stress as name implies but rather restores the fishs' slime coat - aloe vera it is)
The hepatus is likely suffering from Head and lateral line erosion (HLLE) from a high vitamin deficiency and I can imagine, you are feeding it flake and pellet food? Water quality will also play importance in healing.
Vitamin deficiency is merely foods which lack the needed amino, fats and omegas quality food offer which is essential for these marine specimens.
Recommended is :
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

 

[michelleb]

For starters, stress coat (mainly for freshwater use does Not reduce stress as name implies but rather restores the fishs' slime coat - aloe vera it is)
The hepatus is likely suffering from Head and lateral line erosion (HLLE) from a high vitamin deficiency and I can imagine, you are feeding it flake and pellet food? Water quality will also play importance in healing.
Vitamin deficiency is merely foods which lack the needed amino, fats and omegas quality food offer which is essential for these marine specimens.
Recommended is :
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

omg you're a wizard! i was giving them flake food! today i bought frozen mysis because i had another tank years ago and i gave them only mysis shrimp and i never saw this or had any problem like this.....so thank you for this!!! i hope that changing the food will be the fix!!!

 

[michelleb]

Hey so it's been a while and tang doesn't seem to have gotten better. I'm currently out of town and don't have any updated pics but I changed the food. Previously I was giving them flakes and now I changed to mysis shrimp, and I think everybody has loved that. I had two damsels in the tank that were causing all this stress on everybody, and I took those two guys out. I think they were attacking and biting my tang, but that problem is gone. However, she seems to be discolored and like clear in the front part she swims and eats fine but her color is absolutely horrendous! Any ideas of what this could be? What should I do?

 

[Jekyl]

Tangs like yours should have at least a 100g tank and need a variety diet. Nori or other veggie blends, mysis, spirulina brine shrimp are good choices. Definitely need the veggies in the mix though.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Mysis is not enough. He needs regular sheets of seaweed. Also buy some high quality frozen food (Rods food, LRS). These fish are mainly herbivores and your feeding a meat diet. Please step up the diet you are feeding him. The poor fish is suffering. Also make sure the water quality is pristine and that he has hiding spaces because they are very shy.

 

[Jekyl]

Here's a link to liveaquaria.com giving some background info on the necessities of these animals.

Blue Tang: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

 

[rwreef]

Hippo tangs are herbivores and need a primary diet if nori/algea to feed on daily. Mysis are okay on occasion, but need those greens.

Other tank parameters would be helpful also. What size is the tank?

 

[michelleb]

Tangs like yours should have at least a 100g tank and need a variety diet. Nori or other veggie blends, mysis, spirulina brine shrimp are good choices. Definitely need the veggies in the mix though.

Thanks so much....at least 100g tank? ive seen some in smaller tanks and they seem just fine...but i have a 30g...I will try the veggies and see if that helps! appreciate it!

 

[michelleb]

Hippo tangs are herbivores and need a primary diet if nori/algea to feed on daily. Mysis are okay on occasion, but need those greens.

Other tank parameters would be helpful also. What size is the tank?

So I am still learning about these things ive had the tank now about 1 1/2 years..... trying to do my best! thank you for your advice! i didnt know about the greens but will absolutely try it! and not sure what tank parameters your asking for but my tanks is a 30g and my water is fine i check it occasionally and my other fish are doing just fine....still learning the lingo... but thank you!

 

[Jekyl]

Thanks so much....at least 100g tank? ive seen some in smaller tanks and they seem just fine...but i have a 30g...I will try the veggies and see if that helps! appreciate it!

Recommended size on liveaquaria is 180g. I was being generous with the bare minimum. They get very large and should have a 6' tank.

 

[michelleb]

Mysis is not enough. He needs regular sheets of seaweed. Also buy some high quality frozen food (Rods food, LRS). These fish are mainly herbivores and your feeding a meat diet. Please step up the diet you are feeding him. The poor fish is suffering. Also make sure the water quality is pristine and that he has hiding spaces because they are very shy.

Didn't know that they were mainly herbivores so thank you for that information! and I'm doing my best and trying to reach out and what i can for my fish...i don't want anybody suffering which is why I'm here! my water is good i have it checked and my other fish are healthy.....i have rocks in there but what would you recommend as far as hiding spaces? maybe plants? or just more rock to make more little nooks?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Didn't know that they were mainly herbivores so thank you for that information! and I'm doing my best and trying to reach out and what i can for my fish...i don't want anybody suffering which is why I'm here! my water is good i have it checked and my other fish are healthy.....i have rocks in there but what would you recommend as far as hiding spaces? maybe plants? or just more rock to make more little nooks?

Rocks are fine as long as he has a couple of places to hide and can feel secure.

I wouldn’t worry too much about your tank size right now. 30 gallons is small for him. But first get him the right nutrition and get him healthy. Down the line as you grow more advanced and your budget increases you can upgrade him to a bigger tank. Step by step.

Fundamental water parameters: temp, salinity, ph, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate level. This should become a mantra for any marine aquarist. As you get more advanced and get into corals and invertebrates then you can start worrying about phosphate/ca/mg etc. But try to master the basic ones.

Id like to leave you with 2 take home messages. First there is an incredible amount of information on the web. Please try to learn as much about whatever you keep as you can. They are now at your mercy so try to do right by them. Second don’t just rely on one type of food. For herbivores seaweed (and there are different types) is a must. But feed them a variety of highly nutritious foods. LRS and Rod’s food are two examples. Very nutritious frozen foods. My fish kill for it. Remember, variety is the spice of life. Good luck partner.

 

[michelleb]

Rocks are fine as long as he has a couple of places to hide and can feel secure.

I wouldn’t worry too much about your tank size right now. 30 gallons is small for him. But first get him the right nutrition and get him healthy. Down the line as you grow more advanced and your budget increases you can upgrade him to a bigger tank. Step by step.

Fundamental water parameters: temp, salinity, ph, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate level. This should become a mantra for any marine aquarist. As you get more advanced and get into corals and invertebrates then you can start worrying about phosphate/ca/mg etc. But try to master the basic ones.

Id like to leave you with 2 take home messages. First there is an incredible amount of information on the web. Please try to learn as much about whatever you keep as you can. They are now at your mercy so try to do right by them. Second don’t just rely on one type of food. For herbivores seaweed (and there are different types) is a must. But feed them a variety of highly nutritious foods. LRS and Rod’s food are two examples. Very nutritious frozen foods. My fish kill for it. Remember, variety is the spice of life. Good luck partner.

love the fundamental water parameters info! had no clue tbh...i will do my research! thank you so much

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

love the fundamental water parameters info! had no clue tbh...i will do my research! thank you so much

Also if you want a physical book to read, I recommend the following: The consciouscious marine aquarist. This is the first thing I bought 20 plus years ago when I started. I love this book. It will teach you the basics and it will open your eyes to the ethical issues of the hobby. Also your main loss of livestock will be due to disease. Pay close attention to the section on how to quarantine new fish. It may seem daunting to you right now but I promise you that you will go very far in the hobby if you learn how to quarantine first. Also the book has been out for a long time so there are many used copies if you want to save a few bucks. The latest edition is the one with a yellow fish on the cover. I still have my original copy eventhough it’s falling apart. I still learn new things from it. Knowledge will be your road to success!

 

[rwreef]

Start with the BRS 52 weeks of reefing for the basics. For long term success in this hobby you will need to do lots of research along the way. Nothing good happens fast in reefing.

 

[michelleb]

Start with the BRS 52 weeks of reefing for the basics. For long term success in this hobby you will need to do lots of research along the way. Nothing good happens fast in reefing.

thanks for the advice....ill check it out! and yes i am always looking up things and learning always!

 

[clarkeda]

Hey fam!
So I have a blue tang that is hiding by the heater looks really bad and im not sure what it could it be. I have 2 clown fish which look great, a blue chromis, a striped damselfish. I observed the fish for a while to see if maybe the damselfish where picking at the blue tang but they do not. Im not sure if he is sick or what but nobody is picking at him for what i see. I bought today API stress coat+ it says to help reduce stress and replace slime coat so im not sure if that will help but what should i do? However my clown fish seem sort of aggressive so im not sure....
HELP!

 

[clarkeda]

What is his problem please, my first post. He has that on both sides.

 

[Jekyl]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal