Yellow Tang Died, Broken Spine? Paralyzed?

[edmond]

I have a 50 gallon tank with 30lbs of live rock that has been running for about a year and a half now.

The tank consists of 2 clowns, a Singapore angel, a purple trigger, a valentini puffer, a cleaner shrimp and a star fish. None of the fish bigger than a few inches.

Last night when I came home, I noticed my Yellow Tang, lying on it's side on the bottom of the tank. It looks as if his spine was bent and it could not straighten it out, he was trying to swim, sideways and bent out of shape. He eventually died. I had not noticed anything wrong with him prior to seeing him like this. One of his eyes looked cloudy and the top of his fin looked as if the yellow had been scratched off.

I tested the water, and everything looked fine. Would this be because of water conditions? Or did one of the tank mates attack him? Can a Valentini puffer poison him? It never seems aggressive towards the other fish at all.

 

[melosu58]

I guess anything is possible. The trigger or the puffer. It could also be a disease or parasites. Anything is possible.

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

Could it have swam into the glass?

 

[Innovator]

If the spine was severely bent in that short amount of time then most likely it ran into the rockwork or glass while either being startled or harassed.

 

[thincat]

Got any Mantis shrimp in your tank?

 

[edmond]

I only have one cleaner shrimp in there. What can a Valentini Puffer do if it puffs up? Does it secret a poison? I wonder if he was the culprit.

 

[Innovator]

The valentini would be quite a stretch as for being a culprit.

 

[thincat]

I don't believe that the puffer was the cause. here is it's diet.

It will eat frozen food, pellets and even flakes. Sometimes it will also eat snails, ornamental shrimp, coral and crabs