Yellow Tang Recovery

[HumuhumuFan]

Hi, I have a Yellow Tang since March 2016 that is about 4-5 inches that recently went through a scare. If you want to read the full background it is in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sick-melanurus-wrasse-and-yellow-tang.562753/

The short version is that he was living in a 75g FOWLR with a similar sized Melanurus Wrasse. I had to go away for about 5 months for Army Reserve duty. My mother took care of feeding the fish while I was gone and I contracted the cleaning service from my LFS for maintenance. Shortly before I got back they both lost interest in food and were starting look stressed. I saw some strange spots on the wrasse and treated both for flukes and then put them in a hospital tank. The wrasse didn't make it, but after about 4 weeks and 2-3 cycles of medication I have returned the tang to my DT, which was fishless the whole time and treated with PraziPro 3 times.

The eroded fin grew back and the dark streaks at the base of his dorsal fin are gone. The problem is he is still faded looking and will only eat spirulina brine shrimp and flakes. Every now and then he'll eat a pellet or two. I'm thinking the faded coloration is due to nutrition issues. I've tried 4 different kinds of nori, rubber banding it to a piece of live rock, etc.. When he was younger he would nibble at nori but only after my rectangle trigger would eat it. The trigger passed away in February 2018 (my fish spreadsheet is so handy for knowing this stuff) and since that time it was just him and the wrasse. Now it's just him. Since putting him back in the DT he looks unstressed and is casually swimming around the live rock. He is still a little fearful when I approach the tank but considering what he's been through the last month I'd imagine that's normal.

Any ideas on getting him to eat a more varied diet?

 

[EmdeReef]

Can you post pics? Sounds like it could be HLLE.

I wouldn’t be too concerned as long as it’s eating something. You could try soaking food in garlic.

 

[Big G]

Consider making your tang a "fish smoothie" ;) Get a large variety of frozen fish cubes: mysis, brine, chopped clams, cyclops, reef mix, seaweed, and most importantly for a tang, get macro algae cubes (Hikari makes them), and as many others as you can find or desire to try. Take one of each and place into a tupperware and let "slump" in the fridge. Mix a bit. Let set. Then pour off the excess liquid (can cause nitrate & phosphate spikes). Lastly, add a few drops of Zoecon vitamins. It contains lots of proteins from sponges, etc. that the fish only get in the wild. Your fish will love it. Only feed enough for the fish to eat in 1-2 minutes. Feed at least a couple of times a day. Best of luck with your tang.

Here's where I got the idea. I just simplified it a bit instead of chopping fresh fish, clams, etc. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/preparing-frozen-foods-for-my-fish-and-corals.300448/#post-3677350

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Consider making your tang a "fish smoothie" ;) Get a large variety of frozen fish cubes: mysis, brine, chopped clams, cyclops, reef mix, seaweed, and most importantly for a tang, get macro algae cubes (Hikari makes them), and as many others as you can find or desire to try. Take one of each and place into a tupperware and let "slump" in the fridge. Mix a bit. Let set. Then pour off the excess liquid (can cause nitrate & phosphate spikes). Lastly, add a few drops of Zoecon vitamins. It contains lots of proteins from sponges, etc. that the fish only get in the wild. Your fish will love it. Only feed enough for the fish to eat in 1-2 minutes. Feed at least a couple of times a day. Best of luck with your tang.

Here's where I got the idea. I just simplified it a bit instead of chopping fresh fish, clams, etc. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/preparing-frozen-foods-for-my-fish-and-corals.300448/#post-3677350

Thanks for the tips, the thing about slumping is interesting. I will try it. I previously tried a mix of PE mysis, Hikari Algae Extreme, and Spirulina Brine and he was very good at picking out the brine and ignoring everything else.

I tried rubberbanding a clump of live chaeto and caulerpa to a piece of rock but he seems oblivious to it. Yesterday he stopped by the nori clip and sized it up for a few seconds, bit the nori once and retreated in a rush. I don't think he even got a piece, but I guess pecking at it is progress.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Update: I soaked some of the red nori in GarlicGuard and tried it. I haven't tried that in a while. He approached it very, very cautiously but eventually started to pick at it. It's like it made him remember that he liked it or something. After that he went over to the rock with macroalgae rubberbanded to it and went to town on it. Now he's swimming around pecking at the live rock too.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I think he probably just needed some time to settle back in. Glad he is eating again :)

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I think he probably just needed some time to settle back in. Glad he is eating again :)

I can't remember the last time he ate nori. That was one of the reasons I decided to treat him in the hospital tank with the wrasse. He ignored green nori earlier today. To be honest, I thought GarlicGuard was all hype but I can't explain what I saw this evening. Either way, I agree, glad he is eating again. :)

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I can't remember the last time he ate nori. That was one of the reasons I decided to treat him in the hospital tank with the wrasse. He ignored green nori earlier today. To be honest, I thought GarlicGuard was all hype but I can't explain what I saw this evening. Either way, I agree, glad he is eating again. :)

Nothing like being too close to the bottle of Garlic guard when you first crack it open!

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Since I got home from work today he is acting very strangely. He has been sitting in a small live rock cave continuously other than the two times he kind of dashed around the rocks and went back in the cave stirring up sand and actually making a splashing sound.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Is he the only fish in there now?

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I tried unplugging each piece of equipment for a minute to see if that made him relax, to try to rule out stray voltage from something. No change.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Is he the only fish in there now?

Yes. Think he might be feeling exposed?

 

[ngoodermuth]

I think that’s his problem, when a reef fish doesn’t see other fish swimming around... they assume a predator is nearby. He needs a buddy :)

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I think that’s his problem, when a reef fish doesn’t see other fish swimming around... they assume a predator is nearby. He needs a buddy :)

I hope that's it. New tankmates in are in QTs right now. Help is on the way!

 

[HumuhumuFan]

I think that’s his problem, when a reef fish doesn’t see other fish swimming around... they assume a predator is nearby. He needs a buddy :)

He looks like he may have injured himself dashing around the tank. There is a small brown spot on the top of his head. I don't want to pull him back out of the DT and hit him with more medications. I will if I have to, but I'd like to avoid it. I'll just keep an eye on it for now. What I'm debating is skipping the Cupramarine phase of my QT of the Christmas Wrasse and introducing it into the tank ahead of schedule so he isn't the only fish in the tank for another 2 weeks. She's been in QT for 10 days and I treated her with PraziPro. She was eating well until I added the Prazi and stopped eating for a few days. I read that can be an appetite suppressant for fish. Yesterday she showed interest in food again, although she didn't eat much. She appears healthy. I know it's a risk, but I'm worried that being by himself is also a risk. Just don't know which option to go with.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Update: I bought some macro algae to try to get him to eat something besides spirulina brine shrimp. As I previously posted he was eating. Tonight I noticed this, the algae is passing right through him. This can’t be good. Should I try focus + GC soaking the brine shrimp? Is this suggestive of internal parasites?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

No, some Macro won’t completely digest (roughage). This could be normal.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

No, some Macro won’t completely digest (roughage). This could be normal.

That makes sense, I just wish I could get him to eat more in terms of quantity and variety. I think I might try buying more caulerpa and clipping it into the clip with some nori to get him to associate both as food.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Update: With the tang acting scared and my Christmas Wrasse acting stressed in my QT but no signs of disease I decided to go ahead and add the wrasse to the tank yesterday evening. In the past I've had wrasses hide for 2 or 3 days but she has been out all day. Instead of pacing the side panel of the QT she is cruising around the live rock totally relaxed. The tang seems very curious about her has been acting more normal as well. I saw him pecking at both the live rock and the clump of chaeto I put in the tank. Both fish ate Hikari Mega-Marine.

 

[HumuhumuFan]

Update: He is now eating red nori, flakes, and the spirulina brine shrimp.