Yellow Tang Stopped Eating

hbash

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I have a Yellow Tang in a 220 gallon reef tank with two additional smaller Yellow Tangs, a very large Red Sea Sailfin, a small Gold Spot Rabbit Fish and two Gold Stripe Maroon Clowns. About 4 days ago I noticed my the Yellow Tang in question stopped eating and seems to be breathing harder than the rest.

There are no signs of disease (spots, film, etc.) and otherwise seems to be behaving normally. A LFS owner suggested flukes and that I might have some luck if I took the tang out and gave it a 5 minute fresh water dip. I have tried three nights in a row to catch the fish, but it is always down among the rock work.

Any and all suggestions here would be greatly appreciated. I've had these Yellow Tangs for a could 4-5 years and have no idea what the heck is going on nor what to do.

Thanks.
 

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threebuoys

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You may also consider capturing a video for an extended period, say 45 minutes or so, by placing your phone so that you can walk away while its recording. This might reveal if any new aggression is occurring against the fish in question since everything else and the other fish appear stable.
 
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vetteguy53081

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I have a Yellow Tang in a 220 gallon reef tank with two additional smaller Yellow Tangs, a very large Red Sea Sailfin, a small Gold Spot Rabbit Fish and two Gold Stripe Maroon Clowns. About 4 days ago I noticed my the Yellow Tang in question stopped eating and seems to be breathing harder than the rest.

There are no signs of disease (spots, film, etc.) and otherwise seems to be behaving normally. A LFS owner suggested flukes and that I might have some luck if I took the tang out and gave it a 5 minute fresh water dip. I have tried three nights in a row to catch the fish, but it is always down among the rock work.

Any and all suggestions here would be greatly appreciated. I've had these Yellow Tangs for a could 4-5 years and have no idea what the heck is going on nor what to do.

Thanks.
My suspicion too may be flukes or aggression. Sailfins dont play well with yellow mainly at feedings but if flukes, some signs you will notice is:
Yawning effect
loss of color
clouded eyes
Gills red or swollen with rapid breathing
Fish acting lethargic or swimming near the water surface
Hiding in the corner of tank or behind rocks
Loss of appetite
Shaking its head
Flashing/darting
Clamped fins
Scratching against objects
 
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Jay Hemdal

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I have a Yellow Tang in a 220 gallon reef tank with two additional smaller Yellow Tangs, a very large Red Sea Sailfin, a small Gold Spot Rabbit Fish and two Gold Stripe Maroon Clowns. About 4 days ago I noticed my the Yellow Tang in question stopped eating and seems to be breathing harder than the rest.

There are no signs of disease (spots, film, etc.) and otherwise seems to be behaving normally. A LFS owner suggested flukes and that I might have some luck if I took the tang out and gave it a 5 minute fresh water dip. I have tried three nights in a row to catch the fish, but it is always down among the rock work.

Any and all suggestions here would be greatly appreciated. I've had these Yellow Tangs for a could 4-5 years and have no idea what the heck is going on nor what to do.

Thanks.

While gill flukes can show up months after you last added a fish, they typically show symptoms in groups of fish, not just a single one. Gill flukes also don't cause a fish to stop feeding until very near the end of the infection, when the fish is close to death.

As mentioned, can you get a short video of the fish?

Jay
 
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hbash

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Possibly post some images or a short video for the #fishmedic crew. Including your water parameters and any other details would also be helpful.

The Salinity is 1.024, the Phosphate is at 0.08, Nitrate at 25ppm, Alk 9.5. Here is a picture of the Yellow Tang that just won't eat (been 5-6 days).

SickTang.jpg
 
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hbash

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My suspicion too may be flukes or aggression. Sailfins dont play well with yellow mainly at feedings but if flukes, some signs you will notice is:
Yawning effect
loss of color
clouded eyes
Gills red or swollen with rapid breathing
Fish acting lethargic or swimming near the water surface
Hiding in the corner of tank or behind rocks
Loss of appetite
Shaking its head
Flashing/darting
Clamped fins
Scratching against objects

Perhaps a bit of a loss of color. I think it is breathing a bit quicker and not eating. No shaking and nor clamped fins or scratching. While it is the largest yellow tang, a smaller one is now acting aggressive towards it. The sailfin never acts acts aggressive although if it is preyed upon it will respond in kind.

I'll try to capture some video early tomorrow and also try again to capture it for a 5 minute fresh water dip.
 
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hbash

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Here is a video I took today. A small Yellow Tang has her in the corner!!!!

 
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Jay Hemdal

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Here is a video I took today. A small Yellow Tang has her in the corner!!!!


What is that sort of white nodule looking thing on its belly? Could that be some sort of bowel obstruction?

It is breathing a bit deep/fast. Still, given you have another YT in there, I would be VERY surprised if it had flukes, as both fish should be affected more or less equally.

Jay
 
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hbash

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What is that sort of white nodule looking thing on its belly? Could that be some sort of bowel obstruction?

It is breathing a bit deep/fast. Still, given you have another YT in there, I would be VERY surprised if it had flukes, as both fish should be affected more or less equally.

Jay
The tang looked like it had poop extruded and hanging that didn’t pass. The poop is gone as of today and the nodule is gone. But it’s stomach is more compressed and still not eating. I’ll try frozen brine and pellets today if it survived the night.
 
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threebuoys

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His belly is really pinched now. Not a good sign. He may be beyond the point of being able to eat. I know it's a helpless feeling.
 
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