Yellow tang stressed!

bolo1904

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I just completed a 5min freshwater dip on my yellow tang. Temp and PH was matched. after about 10 minutes back in the tank(QT), he is laying on its side breathing rapidly. I'm guessing the dip really stressed him out. Ive done the dip before with my other fishes before as part of my quarantine process and they went back to normal right after. Is there anything I can do to help reduce the stress? I know fish can die from being overstressed. I know for some tangs, its normal to lay on its side. With his heavy breathing, I know this isn't normal. He swims around for a bit when I nudge him, but goes back to its side after a bit. Part of me wants me to just leave him alone and recover but i'm also tempted to nudge him every once in a while so he swims around. I feel that causes more stress. but it relieves my personal stress knowing he is still swimming.. lol.
ammonia/nitrites is zero. What can I do? Is he on its way out or can he recover?
 
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cancun

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I just completed a 5min freshwater dip on my yellow tang. Temp and PH was matched. after about 10 minutes back in the tank(QT), he is laying on its side breathing rapidly. I'm guessing the dip really stressed him out. Ive done the dip before with my other fishes before as part of my quarantine process and they went back to normal right after. Is there anything I can do to help reduce the stress? I know fish can die from being overstressed. I know for some tangs, its normal to lay on its side. With his heavy breathing, I know this isn't normal. He swims around for a bit when I nudge him, but goes back to its side after a bit. Part of me wants me to just leave him alone and recover but i'm also tempted to nudge him every once in a while so he swims around. I feel that causes more stress. but it relieves my personal stress knowing he is still swimming.. lol.
Hi there! Sorry your YT is having problems! Questions....how long have you had him, reason for the dip, water parameters? This will help others and myself answer your question better. Also a pic might help too!
 
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bolo1904

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Do you have an air hose you can put in temporarily to get more O2 into the tank? Lights out or very low?
Yes I ran an airstone in pumping air. lights are out and even got a sheet wrapped around the tank with only the top open with ambient room light getting in
 
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bolo1904

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Hi there! Sorry your YT is having problems! Questions....how long have you had him, reason for the dip, water parameters? This will help others and myself answer your question better. Also a pic might help too!
I've only had him for 3 days from an LFS. I was suspecting something that may have been a fluke so I decided to dip before I started a copper treatment. water parameters is virtually zero. New water to start the quarantine. Cycled sponge and bio filter material taken from DT.
 
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bolo1904

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I guess he couldn't handle the stress. he's a goner. Wondering if I should get another or something different. Any suggestions on a good algae eater? I really did want a YT cuz it eats algae and the color gives variety in the tank
 

cancun

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I guess he couldn't handle the stress. he's a goner. Wondering if I should get another or something different. Any suggestions on a good algae eater? I really did want a YT cuz it eats algae and the color gives variety in the tank
Just curious what was the salinity at your LFS? What was the salinity if your QT tank? Just asking because years ago when I was a noobie I bought a fish from a LFS that kept their fish only system at 1.018 or so. I dripped it for 60 min into 1.025 water. 3 days later it was dead. Just a thought. Ever since then I only buy out if coral tanks or display tanks at my LFS.

Sorry about your tang by the way. It might be worth mentioning it to your LFS. Once in a while they might give you a discount on a another fish.
 

cancun

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Also if your tank is large enough YT are usually pretty hardy. You could try another. Just make sure and check your LFS salinity first and match your QT to that salinity. Also I am sure you know, but make sure you see him eating too.
 

vetteguy53081

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Acclimation I believe was part of issue.

What is age of your tank, current salinity and water temp?
What is your ammonia reading ?
 

cancun

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I actually don't know what the LFS salinity was.
I learned the hard way back in the day. Next time make sure and ask them the salinity in the tank you are buying your fish from. A reputable store will be happy to check it in front of you as well. Check that first and match your QT to their salinity. Also check it again when you get the fish home with your refractometer. Then make adjustments to your QT if needed.

If you are not using a QT tank and your salinity is 1.025 or so, and the fish store salinity is low, I would eaither set up a QT/observation tank, or buy fish only out of a coral system or display tank. Just my 2 cents.

Vetteguy has great questions too! I wish I was on this forum back in the day. I would have saved a lot of fish, plus money and frustration!
 
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bolo1904

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The tank was a new set up. But the bio/filter material and sponge is more than a month old from my Display tank. I added some additional biospira when it was set up a day prior to adding the fish. Salinity 1.024. Temp 78. Ammonia Zero, Tested prior to adding fish while they were acclimating. Then tested ammonia along with nitrite when I saw he was stressed. I also have a Firefish in the QT with no issues from same LFS. Yea next time i'll match salinity. Thanks for the advise. I figured he was acclimated by now after 3 days. I did a drip acclimation when adding him. He was eating and did not look stressed at all prior to the dip. Im not an expert/vet but he looked healthy. And I ensured the fw matched temp and PH. When I put him back in the QT, was when he started to tank. So technically, it is a salinity issue.. Zero Salinity from the freshwater.
 

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Drip acclimate fish whenever possible and move by hand. Nets add a lot of stress and can get tangled side effects. I’ve had the most success drip acclimating for 35-45 min and moving all fish by hand. Salinity is of course important but can hopefully be overcome by a drip.
 

Kryptonian

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Just curious what was the salinity at your LFS? What was the salinity if your QT tank? Just asking because years ago when I was a noobie I bought a fish from a LFS that kept their fish only system at 1.018 or so. I dripped it for 60 min into 1.025 water. 3 days later it was dead. Just a thought. Ever since then I only buy out if coral tanks or display tanks at my LFS.

Sorry about your tang by the way. It might be worth mentioning it to your LFS. Once in a while they might give you a discount on a another fish.
Wonder why an LFS was keeping fish at such a low gravity.
 

Tamberav

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I buy fish at 1.018ish and never had an apparent problem. I just take a cup of water and dump some in and try to get them in 30-45 min. It's just an annoyance as I would rather float and dump em in if salinity matched.

Just got a quarter size Tang at 1.018...a pencil Wrasse and longnose butterfly at 1.020 and they all handled the 30 min acclimation to 1.026 beautifully.

I find peroxide dips less stressful than freshwater ones so they all get one of those before going into a conditioning tank.

It honestly sounds like the Tang was totally fine and eating and for whatever reason did not handle a FW dip. If it was acting 'wrong' right after the dip then the dip was the problem.
 
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bolo1904

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[QUOTE="Tamberav, post: 7792634, member: 43060"
It honestly sounds like the Tang was totally fine and eating and for whatever reason did not handle a FW dip. If it was acting 'wrong' right after the dip then the dip was the problem.
[/QUOTE]

Yes I think it was the dip
 

Doglips56

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Also if your tank is large enough YT are usually pretty hardy. You could try another. Just make sure and check your LFS salinity first and match your QT to that salinity. Also I am sure you know, but make sure you see him eating too.
This fish died after a fresh water dip so there was salinity shock already
 

Doglips56

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I really like my sailfin tang but they can get very large. Last time I had YT’s (many years ago when I was really clueless) they were plagued with ice and Ive never gotten another. Sorry for the loss of the fish. I recently bought an anthias that died within 1st 24 hours and store gave me a full credit and let me replace it with anything I wanted. I thought that was very kind of him.
 

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