Just added a blue tang, worried owner needs some advice...

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weekf

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
334
I have just added a new blue tang yesterday. About 2 inches in size. Do they hide all day when just added to a new tank? I have seen it come out swimming and eating but whenver he sees people come close to the tank he will go back into the rockworks hiding.

He is eating sushi nori alright but I tried to get him to eat some frozen food soak in garlic and tried pellets as well he just won't eat them. He is also kind of look weak from the way he swim. The blue tang I used to see in other tanks is like swimming left to right non-stop this guys is like in slow motions.

There are no spots or ich on him his color looks perfect. Are these because of the stress of catching him home? If so how long can this keep on going. I sat there almost ALL day staring at him (far away) kind of worries me.
 
Give it time and be careful not to overfeed. If you have seen the tang eat something already that is a very good sign.

It is common for all fish to hide for a few days while the adjust to the new surrounding. Just watch for signs of other inhabitants bullying the tang. Otherwise sounds very normal to me.

HTH,
 
Alright I will give it another to settle down and see what happen. Currently I am not letting any other fish near him as I have used the egg crates to separate my 132g into 2 halves. All fishes on the other half including a yellow tang. I might want to return the yellow tang if the blue tang is doing alright. Only a cleaner wrasse would be able to swim through the egg crates to do some cleaning for both the tangs.
 
weekf said:
Alright I will give it another to settle down and see what happen. Currently I am not letting any other fish near him as I have used the egg crates to separate my 132g into 2 halves. All fishes on the other half including a yellow tang. I might want to return the yellow tang if the blue tang is doing alright. Only a cleaner wrasse would be able to swim through the egg crates to do some cleaning for both the tangs.

IMO, this will only further stress the new fish and require a longer period for it to get used to the new surroundings/tank mates once the egg crate is removed.

I take it you do not quarantine your fish? FYI, this can be done but is very risky as disease that is not currently visible can be introduced to the main.
 
There are some issues I am seeing with your aquarium. First off cleaner wrasses are one fish that should not be kept in captivity. I am sure the LFS where you got him failed to mention; though cleaner wrasses are great cleaners they will never acquire enough parasites in captivity to survive and will eventually starve. Chances are your is looking thin already as most sold in fish shops are thin upon arrival.

First when you say Blue Tang what type of "Blue Tang" do you have. A Powder Blue Tang, Blue Regal or Hippo Tang, Atlantic Blue Tang, Blue Eyed Kole Tang? A picture of the fish or scientific name would be helpful in telling just what type of fish it is.

As for using eggcrate to seperate these fish that's not a good idea. As afilter mentioned this will only prolong a stress episode once the two fish realise they are both in there together. Most surgeonfish especially those of the same genus will spar and sometimes fish so violently that if one fish is not removed it will almost certainly perish. Depending on what blue tang you have a spar might occur until territories are established and respected.

At any rate introducing a surgeonfish without qt is also not recommended. Since these fish have a slim coat of slime they are very succeptable to marine ich and the stress of moving to a new tank also makes that risk greater. If the fish is eating norii that is a good sign. Id pull the egg crate and observe the reactions of both tangs to see if this pair will be a fit.
 
Yeah sort of knew I screwed up. I have since return the blue tang since he was not doing great in my tank. He just seemed unable to settle.

Regarding the cleaner wrasse, I feel so sorry for these guys really after I got it. I didn't do any research at all before I buy the cleaner wrasse. Just that when I was at the LFS I saw this wrasse cleaner other fishes and thought he could clean my yellow tang because my YT used to have black spot (since gone), I bought it right away. I did ask the guy at LFS about this fish temperaments, feeding etc etc he just said it is a hardy and cool fish, I won't have any problem. But when I reached home and go onto the net I saw so many comments about this fish starves to death in home aquarium and people here also suggest me not good to have this fish as they won't live long. Too late. Stupid for me to do an impulse buy.

Now the wrasse still doing great although I know it won't live long in my tank. Only my YT will let him clean his body. I don't know to keep it or return to the LFS. If I return it they will sure sell to other people and it will also die anyway. And I only get half the price back! I want to help it but I can't release it into the sea. Any idea what to do with this poor thing? I think he is doomed!
 
i really dont belive these comments about the cleaner wrasse not eating, i have got 2 and i have to say they eat as much as my tangs do (alot) they do serve a great puropose to. However they should say in the ocean as they do provide a service to all other creaetures (even though after diving in the barrer reef all you see is cleaner wrasses every where eating other fish LOL
 
I dont know if it`s not eating or just dont last long in captivity but they will only make it 4 or 5 months. Mine would eat alot also but never made it past 4 months. There is nothing you can do for him now but just let him run the course. You`re LFS says they are hardy, I`ll bet he wont take it back whichs goes to show he knew. Just let him do what he does best now. But to get back on subject I would also remove the eggcrate and see how things go. All tangs need plenty of swimming room and you cut yours in half which will create another stress factor. I hope all goes well.
 
Oh I have since returned the blue tang. It was not doing really well. No sickness and no whitespot. He just hide a lot and when he went back to his mate in the LFS man he was so happy. Even the guys who works there give me full refund because it was so healthy. But I then added a black and white Heniochus bannerfish.
 
Yeah it was a nice fish. My yellow tang still very mean as usual and harrassing the bannerfish the first day. After the first day they seems like best friend wherever the YT go the bannerfish will follow him.

I know bannerfish like to school with themselve I think he mistakenly see the YT as their same kind. So cool to watch.

I have some xenias in it which my clown is still hosting on whenever the bannerfish go near it he will chase him away and the bannerfish doesn't seem to bother the xenias at all. He will just nib on the liverocks.
 
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