Yellow Tang Acting Out

[himynameis]

See video. Noticed the yellow tang not eating today, and constantly following the yellow wrasse around waiting for a cleaning. This wrasse does not clean.

Upon closer inspection I see a thread attached to the right side of its spine, lodged in there and probably causing irritation as he tries to get it off on the rocks and sand.

Questions is - should I intervene? Seems to definitely be bothering him, otherwise healthy fish.

Here’s a video.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Could be an algae strand hung up on it spine, that can cause them some distress. The not eating is something that could be serious though, and possibly not related. The fish has good body condition, I'd give it another 24 hours to see if it is able to dislodge it and then see if feeding resumes. The tang does seem to be breathing a bit fast, could be from stress....

 

[vetteguy53081]

See video. Noticed the yellow tang not eating today, and constantly following the yellow wrasse around waiting for a cleaning. This wrasse does not clean.

Upon closer inspection I see a thread attached to the right side of its spine, lodged in there and probably causing irritation as he tries to get it off on the rocks and sand.

Questions is - should I intervene? Seems to definitely be bothering him, otherwise healthy fish.

Here’s a video.

Can you repost the video without ALL the shimmer? Makes it hard to see fish. Is fish breathing normal or elevated?

 

[himynameis]

In my watching him stay still for long periods waiting for something to happen (abnormal for him) I was able to scoop him up with relative ease. I pulled a three inch long thread with some tweezers that was wrapped around the tail and caught behind the right spine. Soon as he went back in he started instantly swimming more actively. I’ll keep an eye on him for the next few days, hopefully that was all it was.

@vetteguy53081 sorry about the shimmer, was just trying to get a video of the thread hanging off the tail. When I change light settings fish tend to go in hiding so I took my opportunity. But yes he seems to be breathing faster than normal, probably the stress.

 

[vetteguy53081]

In my watching him stay still for long periods waiting for something to happen (abnormal for him) I was able to scoop him up with relative ease. I pulled a three inch long thread with some tweezers that was wrapped around the tail and caught behind the right spine. Soon as he went back in he started instantly swimming more actively. I’ll keep an eye on him for the next few days, hopefully that was all it was.

@vetteguy53081 sorry about the shimmer, was just trying to get a video of the thread hanging off the tail. When I change light settings fish tend to go in hiding so I took my opportunity. But yes he seems to be breathing faster than normal, probably the stress.

Assure levels especially ammonia are safe and how are you testing your water?
What foods are you feeding?

 

[himynameis]

Assure levels especially ammonia are safe and how are you testing your water?
What foods are you feeding?

No measurable ammonia. 1450 mag, 410 calc, 10.5 alk, 1.025dsg, 78F. Testing using Red Sea test kit for ammonia. Salifert for magnesium. Nitrate and phosphates with Hanna are elevated (40 nitrate, .20 phosphates) but that isn’t anything new, have been reducing it for a few weeks now dosing lanthanum in half dose amounts for into a 5 micron filter sock. (Dealing with some Dino’s so trying to get things back in balance).

Feeding about a sheet of nori a day. Assortment of dry pellets I’ll soak in either selcon or garlic. And a cube of frozen mysis daily.

 

[vetteguy53081]

No measurable ammonia. 1450 mag, 410 calc, 10.5 alk, 1.025dsg, 78F. Testing using Red Sea test kit for ammonia. Salifert for magnesium. Nitrate and phosphates with Hanna are elevated (40 nitrate, .20 phosphates) but that isn’t anything new, have been reducing it for a few weeks now dosing lanthanum in half dose amounts for into a 5 micron filter sock. (Dealing with some Dino’s so trying to get things back in balance).

Feeding about a sheet of nori a day. Assortment of dry pellets I’ll soak in either selcon or garlic. And a cube of frozen mysis daily.

I have over 2 dozen tangs. Bump up the diet. Some recommended foods to add are:
LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

 

[himynameis]

I have over 2 dozen tangs. Bump up the diet. Some recommended foods to add are:
LRS herbivore diet
Formula 2 flake and frozen
TDO Pellets
small plankton
Hikari Marine cuisine
Ocean nutrition veggie diet
spirulina brine shrimp
mysis shrimp
Prime reef
Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract

Add selcon vitamins to foods occasionally

To be more specific, here’s what I feed, alternating through each on a daily basis or between feedings.

Hikari marine herbivore
Hikari marine carnivore
TDO pellets
Hikari seaweed extreme
Nyos true algae pellets
New life spectrum
Freeze dried mysis (usually to soak in selcon)
Hikari Frozen mysis
Hikari Frozen bio-pure
Nori (dipped in garlic on occasion)

I’ll soak freeze dried mysis in garlic extract or selcon occasionally. Sometimes I’ll soak pellets in garlic extract if I have time.

Several fish I got with my tank last year were severely malnourished and had a lot of fin damage and other diseases. Since then they have recovered and are now fat (and hopefully happy). I have rehomed a few that outgrew the tank after getting them back in good health.

 

[vetteguy53081]

To be more specific, here’s what I feed, alternating through each on a daily basis or between feedings.

Hikari marine herbivore
Hikari marine carnivore
TDO pellets
Hikari seaweed extreme
Nyos true algae pellets
New life spectrum
Freeze dried mysis (usually to soak in selcon)
Hikari Frozen mysis
Hikari Frozen bio-pure
Nori (dipped in garlic on occasion)

I’ll soak freeze dried mysis in garlic extract or selcon occasionally. Sometimes I’ll soak pellets in garlic extract if I have time.

Several fish I got with my tank last year were severely malnourished and had a lot of fin damage and other diseases. Since then they have recovered and are now fat (and hopefully happy). I have rehomed a few that outgrew the tank after getting them back in good health.

A lot of your foods are dry/freeze dried. Add at least LRS herbivore frenzy to your foods

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

To be more specific, here’s what I feed, alternating through each on a daily basis or between feedings.

Hikari marine herbivore
Hikari marine carnivore
TDO pellets
Hikari seaweed extreme
Nyos true algae pellets
New life spectrum
Freeze dried mysis (usually to soak in selcon)
Hikari Frozen mysis
Hikari Frozen bio-pure
Nori (dipped in garlic on occasion)

I’ll soak freeze dried mysis in garlic extract or selcon occasionally. Sometimes I’ll soak pellets in garlic extract if I have time.

Several fish I got with my tank last year were severely malnourished and had a lot of fin damage and other diseases. Since then they have recovered and are now fat (and hopefully happy). I have rehomed a few that outgrew the tank after getting them back in good health.

But - the fish is still not eating? A diet change won't be the cure for that. I think your diet is more than sufficient to keep this fish from developing ANY chronic malnourishment issues.

 

[himynameis]

A lot of your foods are dry/freeze dried. Add at least LRS herbivore frenzy to your foods

Will do, I definitely think there’s room to improve the diet, thanks.

@Jay Hemdal the fish is more active now and eating again. I do think that the issue was the piece of thread or whatever it was wrapped around and caught up in the tail/spine.

 

[miroch]

Will do, I definitely think there’s room to improve the diet, thanks.

@Jay Hemdal the fish is more active now and eating again. I do think that the issue was the piece of thread or whatever it was wrapped around and caught up in the tail/spine.

My yellow tang has had a bacterial infection (or parasite) where he had long white stands of poop come out. Maybe thats what he has?

 

[himynameis]

My yellow tang has had a bacterial infection (or parasite) where he had long white stands of poop come out. Maybe thats what he has?

The fish is now back to normal, breathing good and eating again. Poop looks normal, nothing odd that I can see there. I really think it was that piece of thread wrapped around it irritating it. Not sure how long it could have been there, no more than 24 hours. When I pulled it off with tweezers it seemed “lodged” in the barb fairly good, almost like a wood splinter. Glad I was able to intervene early, I don’t think it would be able to remove it otherwise.

 

[miroch]

The fish is now back to normal, breathing good and eating again. Poop looks normal, nothing odd that I can see there. I really think it was that piece of thread wrapped around it irritating it. Not sure how long it could have been there, no more than 24 hours. When I pulled it off with tweezers it seemed “lodged” in the barb fairly good, almost like a wood splinter. Glad I was able to intervene early, I don’t think it would be able to remove it otherwise.

Thats good to hear. Maybe you shouldnt sew that close to your tank next time lol

 

[KrisReef]

Will do, I definitely think there’s room to improve the diet, thanks.

@Jay Hemdal the fish is more active now and eating again. I do think that the issue was the piece of thread or whatever it was wrapped around and caught up in the tail/spine.

Curious, might the “thread” have been a strand of hair?

Glad the YT has such an engaged keeper!

 

[himynameis]

Thats good to hear. Maybe you shouldnt sew that close to your tank next time lol

Hah yeah I’ll have to take my knitting addiction to a different room!

Curious, might the “thread” have been a strand of hair?

Glad the YT has such an engaged keeper!

Not hair, too thin. I’m almost positive it was a strand that came off of a poly filter pad I just added a few days ago. Ran an ICP and saw I had some slightly elevated zinc so seeing if that will help absorb it. I don’t usually run filler floss or pads at all, so it was surprising to see a thread, but now it’s starting to make sense.

I’m definitely pretty invested with the livestock since I went through quite a lot to get them back to good health. Previous owner didn’t seem to know why things didn’t work out for them when I was picking up the system (Innovative Marine tank and several fish - all skinny and sick).