Yellow Tang Stopped Eating

[JDainHanson]

I have an 80 gal reef (well working on the reef part) and added a yellow tang about 2 weeks ago. I had it in qt for a week and he looked very healthy, bright, no signs of disease, was eating all foods that I feed my tank, so I decided to put him in the display. After adding him he continued to look healthy, was eating all foods, was picking algae, everything normal. Two days ago I noticed he started to keep to the back of the tank and didn't come out for feedings. This morning I saw him in some rocks in front and noticed his stomach was very thin. I placed some food pretty much right in his face and he didn't take it. I netted him and placed in a specimen container in my main and added food and he just looks weak and won't take it.

I currently have a two fish in my qt tank that I got about 4 days ago, so I'm not sure what I should do. Should I add the tang to it and keep the other two fish in there (a sixline wrasse and a midas blenny)? or should I move them to the main now and transfer the tang to the qt? or leave the tang in the main and keep monitoring it from there? The fish in qt look healthy and are both eating flake food. I have to leave for work in two hours so I don't know what to do here...

I am testing my water params now Ill post when I get them.

 

[JDainHanson]

Water Params:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 - 5
PH - 8.2
Salinity - 1.021 (Just added top off)
dKH - 6.4 (I know it's low, I started adding buffer a couple days ago)
Phosphate - 0 - .25

 

[melosu58]

Tangs are herbivores and need plenty of vegetable matter. They really need dried seaweed. Try that maybe dipped in garlic or selcon. Also moving this to the sick fish forum.

 

[JDainHanson]

Ok, well after about an hour in the specimen container it's now laying on its side breathing pretty heavily. it has not touched any food, including a piece of dried seaweed so I took it all out. I put some nov-aqua in it to help de-stress it some what. I don't see any spot or discoloration on him, just a pinched stomach. I think I'm going to move him to the qt and start slowly acclimating him. I just don't know whether to leave the other fish in or move them.

 

[melosu58]

It might be too late. For it to have a pinched stomach it`s been not eating for awhile. Sorry

 

[NeoCatsy]

I had the same problem with my tank, Which died after a week of QT. He laid on his side, then would swim, then lay down again . I agree it maybe to late, I miss my tang.

 

[austinsdad]

Watch out for any sings of marine velvet. Unlike ich, which starts on the skin, it starts on the gills and is sometimes not known by the hobbyist. Kills fast too. Just in case.

 

[JDainHanson]

Ya he didn't make through the rest of that day. When I got home from work he was already dead. He looked perfectly healthy as far as I could see, nothing on his skin, gills weren't red or inflamed. I guess it just happens sometimes. Anyway thanks for your help.

 

[austinsdad]

OK, just watch the rest of the fish.

 

[Innovator]

There are a host of disease possibilities not observable via the naked eye (or clothed XD), which is why the qt process is so important (qt = medicate). Even through all of the prevention techniques and medications available, sometimes there is nothing one can do but hope the animal pulls through.