Two tangs die within a month, what went wrong??

[provia]

Hi guys. Today I woke up to the dead body of my blue tang, which was being consumed by my hermit crab. He was fed daily so there shouldn’t be issues of starving. And everything was very normal when I fed him last night - he ate promptly was very active.

This is the second tang that died this way this month, the last one was a scopes tang. Everything was normal and the scopus tang was active until a random morning I found his dead body, which is half eaten by the hermit crab.

I test the parameters and they are pretty normal. Is it possible for some diseases to spread in my tank that I don’t know?

Attached is the dead blue tang. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Can ypu speak on your quarantine procedures?

Did you observe any skin lesions? Perhaps velvet or ich??

 

[provia]

Can ypu speak on your quarantine procedures?

Did you observe any skin lesions? Perhaps velvet or ich??

I didn’t quarantine them when I added them into the tank. But they had been well and active in my tang for > 3 months before they died. I didn’t see any white dots on them and any other fish so I think ich and velvet shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[IKD]

May be the lighting or sand, but these look like white spots.

If you don’t think it’s disease, maybe list the water parameters (including salinity and temp). Any predators in your tank (or predatory hitchhikers)?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi guys. Today I woke up to the dead body of my blue tang, which was being consumed by my hermit crab. He was fed daily so there shouldn’t be issues of starving. And everything was very normal when I fed him last night - he ate promptly was very active.

This is the second tang that died this way this month, the last one was a scopes tang. Everything was normal and the scopus tang was active until a random morning I found his dead body, which is half eaten by the hermit crab.

I test the parameters and they are pretty normal. Is it possible for some diseases to spread in my tank that I don’t know?

Attached is the dead blue tang. Thanks in advance.

Not a quarantine issue especially for the time you’ve had them. While disease is possible, can’t determine with dead fish. Symptoms may help but not confirm such as heavy breathing, lethargic behavior, flashing/darting, etc.
You said they were well fed- what were you feeding?
Wster parameters- define good…..,
Ammonia-nitrate-ph- salinity and with what test kits?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Tough to say much from the photo, since the crabs may have done damage -

Generally, when a single fish dies from "no symptoms" it can often be attributed to a rare internal issue - heart problem, liver disease, tumor, etc. When multiple fish "die from no symptoms" I start to wonder if the symptoms were just too subtle to be seen? Gill flukes can cause elevated breathing rates, and some scratching, but no other symptoms until death, and that can take months, with the fish dying days or weeks apart.

What other fish are in the tank?

Jay

 

[provia]

May be the lighting or sand, but these look like white spots.

If you don’t think it’s disease, maybe list the water parameters (including salinity and temp). Any predators in your tank (or predatory hitchhikers)?

The white spots you highlighted is actually dust floating on the water. Predatory hitchhikers possible because I recently set up a refugium using chaeto from my LFS. But so far the rest of the fish are fine.

Not a quarantine issue especially for the time you’ve had them. While disease is possible, can’t determine with dead fish. Symptoms may help but not confirm such as heavy breathing, lethargic behavior, flashing/darting, etc.
You said they were well fed- what were you feeding?
Wster parameters- define good…..,
Ammonia-nitrate-ph- salinity and with what test kits?

From my memory its behavior wasn't out of ordinary the night before it died. They are fed with mysis and brine shrimps.

By good hyperparameter, I mean:
Ammonia, nitrite - 0ppm
nitrate around 0-1ppm
kh - 8
Salinity 1.025

Those are tested with sera test kit.

Tough to say much from the photo, since the crabs may have done damage -

Generally, when a single fish dies from "no symptoms" it can often be attributed to a rare internal issue - heart problem, liver disease, tumor, etc. When multiple fish "die from no symptoms" I start to wonder if the symptoms were just too subtle to be seen? Gill flukes can cause elevated breathing rates, and some scratching, but no other symptoms until death, and that can take months, with the fish dying days or weeks apart.

What other fish are in the tank?

Jay

The blue tang itself is supposed to be the bully in the tank because the rest of the fish are clownfish, yellow goby, coral beauty and banggai. They are all healthy at the moment but yeah will watch out for the elevated breath rate. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Screwgunner]

How big is your tank?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

how big is the tank? I saw on your other thread you have a 160 litres tank, thats about 42 gallons. You didnt have 2 tangs in a 42 did you?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The white spots you highlighted is actually dust floating on the water. Predatory hitchhikers possible because I recently set up a refugium using chaeto from my LFS. But so far the rest of the fish are fine.

From my memory its behavior wasn't out of ordinary the night before it died. They are fed with mysis and brine shrimps.

By good hyperparameter, I mean:
Ammonia, nitrite - 0ppm
nitrate around 0-1ppm
kh - 8
Salinity 1.025

Those are tested with sera test kit.




The blue tang itself is supposed to be the bully in the tank because the rest of the fish are clownfish, yellow goby, coral beauty and banggai. They are all healthy at the moment but yeah will watch out for the elevated breath rate. Thanks for the suggestion.

What im finding odd is these losses and zero ammonia and nitrate, which questions the accuracy of the test kits. Im very familiar with Sera but not their test kits. Is there another LFS you can have the water tested at for confirmation of your readings that does Not use Sera kits ?

 

[IKD]

how big is the tank? I saw on your other thread you have a 160 litres tank, thats about 42 gallons. You didnt have 2 tangs in a 42 did you?

that could certainly be a concern

 

[Jay Hemdal]

that could certainly be a concern

I don’t think the tank size would be the direct cause of acute loss like this - the tangs wouldn’t be happy in a small tank, but it wouldn’t kill them outright.
Jay

 

[provia]

How big is your tank?

how big is the tank? I saw on your other thread you have a 160 litres tank, thats about 42 gallons. You didnt have 2 tangs in a 42 did you?

I don’t think the tank size would be the direct cause of acute loss like this - the tangs wouldn’t be happy in a small tank, but it wouldn’t kill them outright.
Jay

Yeah my tank is an Aqua one mini reef 160L , might be too small for them.

 

[provia]

What im finding odd is these losses and zero ammonia and nitrate, which questions the accuracy of the test kits. Im very familiar with Sera but not their test kits. Is there another LFS you can have the water tested at for confirmation of your readings that does Not use Sera kits ?

This is what I'm thinking as well. I'll probably take my water to another LFS where they have the digital test to test my water.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is what I'm thinking as well. I'll probably take my water to another LFS where they have the digital test to test my water.

if its the API spintest, may be no better

 

[BuckChoklit]

IMO the hermit could be the culprit. I've had mine kill 2 fish so far and, before anyone says its not possible I have come home to catch the hermit attacking the fish in his little sleeping area. Sorry for your loss