Maybe sick tang?

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kdogg85

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
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My dad just bought a blue regal tang 3 days ago. I have him in my qt. I haven't seen him eat but he has all his color, no spots or abrasions, no rapid breathing. He will swim and flare up if provoked but mainly he sets on the heater suction cup. Is this something I should be worried about or not? I have a blue tang myself and it ate after the first day and seemed more lively. Dad told me the guy at the pet store gave him a fw dip before bagging him up so I wonder if that caused alot of stress and has the poor guy scared to death?
 
My dad just bought a blue regal tang 3 days ago. I have him in my qt. I haven't seen him eat but he has all his color, no spots or abrasions, no rapid breathing. He will swim and flare up if provoked but mainly he sets on the heater suction cup. Is this something I should be worried about or not? I have a blue tang myself and it ate after the first day and seemed more lively. Dad told me the guy at the pet store gave him a fw dip before bagging him up so I wonder if that caused alot of stress and has the poor guy scared to death?

The FW dip right before being bagged up and then having to be acclimated into a new system did probably cause lots of stress. What size is the QT, what are the water parameters? Are there places for it to hide like pvc fittings etc? What have you tried feeding so far? Have you put any seaweed/nori on a clip in there?
 
10 gal,0amm, 0 trite,0 trate,0 phos, 8.2 ph, 1.024 sg. Tried seaweed under pvc fitting. He swims fine, you just have to get him out of the corner. Also tried some flake food and found it on the bottom the next morning.
 
10 gal,0amm, 0 trite,0 trate,0 phos, 8.2 ph, 1.024 sg. Tried seaweed under pvc fitting. He swims fine, you just have to get him out of the corner. Also tried some flake food and found it on the bottom the next morning.

10-gal may be a little small, how big is the fish? I'd try mysis next, just keep an eye out on the parameters because they can get out of whack fast in a small QT especially when feeding. Was the fish properly acclimated to the QT? Whats the temp? Are there any other fish in that QT?
 
I meant 10 nitrate sorry. He is almost 2 inches long, no other fish, 80deg temp. Took 1.5 hr drip acclimation. I would get a pic but I don't have a camera anymore. He looks fine except he stays on the heater suction cup and I haven't seen him eat. Color looks great, and his breathing looks normal.
 
I meant 10 nitrate sorry. He is almost 2 inches long, no other fish, 80deg temp. Took 1.5 hr drip acclimation. I would get a pic but I don't have a camera anymore. He looks fine except he stays on the heater suction cup and I haven't seen him eat. Color looks great, and his breathing looks normal.

He looks fine but the fact that he hasn't eaten in over 3-days is the concern. This is what I would do.

Keep a close eye on water parameters and keep the water in pristine conditions.

Try feeding him small portions of different things (mysis, spirulina brine, frozen formula 2, different color dried seaweed, pellets etc) to see if you can get a feeding response from something. Just be careful not to feed too much raising the ammonia/nitrite.

Try not to bother the fish and don't go nearby his tank very often unless feeding or testing water params.
 
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A warning on those tiny Blue tangs. I had one about the same size, and it died because I didn't know it needed Rotifers to eat. Try to get some Rotifers and feed it that. You can also try Baby Brine Shrimp. Small ones may be a good size for it. Mine didnt eat mysis or pellets. It was too small.
 
A warning on those tiny Blue tangs. I had one about the same size, and it died because I didn't know it needed Rotifers to eat. Try to get some Rotifers and feed it that. You can also try Baby Brine Shrimp. Small ones may be a good size for it. Mine didnt eat mysis or pellets. It was too small.

I think this one is bigger than those "tiny" ones I have seen which are barely an inch. But it wouldn't hurt to try rotifers too.
 
Captahab told me to ask what the store fed him. I called and they said dried seaweed and brine or mysis shrimp. I was told that if he hasn't eaten after a week to call them back and return him with receipt for an exchange of my dad's choice. I got mine from the same place and didn't have any trouble out of either of them. This one is either scared to death or being a PIA on purpose. My dad said he saw the fish eat before buying him, so I'm hoping he's just on edge and not sick. Yes, this one is almost 2 inches in length and about an inch and a quarter tall.
 
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