Why Are Yellow Tangs And Blue Hippo Tangs Hard To Keep

[Kevinmc]

In the past month I have lost 1 yellow tang and 2 blue hippo tangs. Why? Complete water testing has been done, + all params are good. These fish were purchased in bags and not in tanks, they lasted only about two weeks.

 

Any Ideas? (scratch)

[Michael7979]

First thing I would ask..... 'Are you sure you bought healthy fish from a good vendor?'

Secondly........ 'What were you feeding them and how often?'

Thirdly........'Did they show any signs of diease/infections before dieing?' 'Or after they died?'

 

This is all after you say your params. are good of course.

[Kevinmc]

Well, not reall sure as to the health, because I bought them still in the bag from the wholesaler to the shop, and everything seemed to be fine for about two week.

 

I started feeding them both Sally's seaweed salad, (green Alge) twice a day, hanging the it on an alge clip.

 

They did not show signs of being sick, but, the last two days they would hide more in the rocks.

 

Can you tell me, are they temp sensitive, is 78-80 degrees okay for them?

 

Thank

 

Kevin

[Nyles]

Your temp is fine, I prefer to buy fish that have been in captivity for a while before purchasing. Fish are very stressed from the ocean and I would always look for an "acclimated" fish over a bag fish any day, optimally a fish from a local member is best.

[Reefin']

Tangs can get stressed from shipping easily resulting usually in an outbreak of ick ....have u had any other fish die recently besides these tangs? do u quarantine?what where their symptoms?

I suspect that the fish had something already that manifested from shipping stress OR u could of had some parasite lingering in your water from some previous fish not being quarantined that may or may not be still alive(meaning its a carrier)and infecting any new incoming fish that maybe stressed....... Which results in a fish dying a week or two later. I like to my tangs or any fish eating and in tank or from some other hobbiest tank.....where u can see and judge their health easier......

 

lately every fish I have bought in bag have bit the dust...

 

I lost a mandarin the third day( didn't notice some fungus or bacterial infection on gill plate cause of plastic bag doesn't allow good inspection). And I lost six bangaii this last week ...one by one daily.....all these fish where in quarantine...thank god!!!!!! Makes u wonder if these are captive raised liked told or cyanide caught.......maybe its shipping stress...I dunno

I started out buying fish in the bag like others cause they where a bargain....u took the chance of the loss for the bargain....that's cool...but seems like lately they seem to be regular price or close too.....not worth it IMO. Nothng against nobody or any shops, but I can't afford it.......

 

So......I would rather pay 20-30% more to get a healthy and properly collected fish that will survive....than go through six fish at a bargain basement deal...........I may still purchase SOME in the bag "steals" and take my chances , NOT the regular price in the bag special , but its russian roulette

 

out of the last 15 fish I have bought in bag , I only have three to show for it...................u do the math...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this isn't workin.....

 

The definition of insanity is doing the samething over and over and expecting a differnt outcome......

 

Done ventin

 

Latr

[andy]

I've had a couple of bad runs with new fish that initially looked ok (some that were even eating) that ended up dead after a week or so. I haven't noticed anything obvious on the deaths, no signs of parasites or disease... they just croak. The 'regulars' in my tank are fat, healthy and active so I'm pretty sure it's not anything I do.

 

Who knows? They're relatively delicate creatures that get treated pretty roughly on their way to us; a lot of their bag-mates don't survive the trip. Toss in the potential of cyanide and explosives-based collection and I guess we're lucky anything lives at all.

[Kevinmc]

I am finished buying fish for now, I have lost 1 yellow tang, two blue hippo tangs and 2 royal grammas in the last month. $$$$, what hurts when I am not as much into the "fish" as my wife. I currently have 4 clowns and 2 yellow tail blue dams, and a man. goby, that is all that is left.

 

Everything else is doing great, if there is such a word...LOL. no spots, no slim, healthy and eating and all very active. I know now, that it you don't see them swimming, they are most likely in the rocks waiting to die.

 

Nothing else is going on. As for the temp of the tank it ranges from 78-79 at night and 80-82 with all of my lights on in the day. Could I be missing something?

 

Thanks

 

Kevin

[Kevinmc]

Looking for a 20 QT tank, any leads. Or anything that could work glass or acyrlic tank wise.

 

Thanks

 

Kevin

[Kevinmc]

Will UV Kill ich ?

[chewie]

Yes, but it will take alot longer due to it being everywhere in the tank(substrate, rock, ect.)

 

I recently lost a Powder Blue Tang to ich. It took about 3 weeks. He wouldn't have anything to do with Nori(seaweed), but he grazed the rocks all day long. I thought he was going to make it, but sadly not so.

 

It's the nature of the beast with these fish.

 

Nyles hit it on the head.

 

The best way to buy fish is to get them form local reefers. But if you have to get it from the LFS, MAKE SURE IT EATS! I just got a Blue tang and it was eating nori in the bucket during acclimation. I've had him a week. he eats like a pig, and has not shown any signs of ich. I soak the nori in Selcon(vitamins) before feeding. As long as I can keep him healthy he will be fine.

 

Blue Tangs are one of the most susceptible tangs to ich. Try one that isn't too small. How big was the last one?

[dsoz]

The only tang that I have tried to get was a yellow one. I know that they are "ick magnets" so I made sure that he went right into a 29g QT tank that contained copper ick medicine. I would rather nip it in the bud before putting it into my tank. He did his 2 week hospital stay, then went right into the tank with no problems. He eats healthy, and is even bullying my foxface rabbitfish.

 

dsoz

[Nyles]

Never had ick on a tang personally, I hold three now over 1.5 years with no issues, blue, yellow and naso. No UV or other stuff. I have had ick but it was first week of fish and it was a clown.

[defigart]

My wife has a blue tang that was about an inch when she got him. Little tangs can't store food reserves. He would fatten up at a feeding and almost look emaciated a few hours later at the next feeding. He is close to two inches now, and keeps his shape between feedings, but still gets fed 3 or 4 times a day.

 

If your tangs were small, and you were feeding only once or twice a day, he might not have been getting enough food. Blue Tang's are stupid fish, I have seen ours pretend he is a clown fish, and try to "host" in some Xenia. Have also seen him forget he is eating and start cruising around the tank, while food is litterally surronding him.