New Blue Face Angel got the shimmy shimmy shake

ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
I just got a 5" Blue Face Angel today. I acclimated him for an hour, much more than I have my other fish. I put him in the tank, he swam calmly to the bottom of the tank, looked around, then went to the back of the tank and has stayed there for over 3 hours and does this violent shake thing. But when I put food in the tank he voraciously ate everything that floated near him.

I got him because he seemed hardier than usual. Unlike the other fish at the LFS he ate like there was no tomorrow. He has a birth defect, like a dip in his dorsal fin near his head, and I figured he'd be one of those endearing fish that just lives forever. Nobody has bothered him, and I'm encouraged that he's eating even in his distressed state. Anybody know what it could be? I've read that a high PH will cause fish to dart which is similar to what he's doing, and I just dosed the tank with Fusion 1 and 2 earlier today. Anybody have any ideas what the problem is and his chances of beating it?
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
A fish shaking like that is usually from an irritation of some sort. What are your nitrate levels? High nitrates can be very irritating to a fish that has not acclimated to them, so fish already in the tank wouldn't react the way a newcomer would. You also have to consider the possibility of a parasitic infection. Was the fish quarantined and treated with an anti-parasitic medication or fresh water dip?
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
I had all of my levels checked before I bought him, all were excellent. Nitrates were at 5. It might have been that because he was fine today. Still exhibiting typical blue face shyness but eating like a maniac when I put food in the tank. Thanks for the info.
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
He's doing fine. Great eater. My old Queen Angel terrorized him but he still ate. Finally removed the Queen. The Blue Face is a big ragged but still eating and swimming around. Can't wait for him to heal. It's his tank now. Anybody know how long it takes for moderate fin damage to heal and if there are any food additives to help accelerate the process?
 
mauler

mauler

Active Member
With a healthy well feed fish you can see improvement in a few days the best thing you can do is feed him and provide a stress free environment with pristine water quality
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
It's probably gonna take longer than a few days. I'll include a video I shot of him yesterday. But he eats like a pig, but only mysis shrimp (with vitamins soaked in). With the other queen gone (the new one is smaller and passive) his environment is stress free. And my water quality, as always, is top notch. Here's the video. You can see his fin damage at about 40 seconds in. Don't forget to go HD and enlarge the viewer.

 
Kristin1234

Kristin1234

Active Member
Your tank is beautiful. The angel is awesome. I have no answers but may I ask what type of coral that is? The tall red tube looking ones?
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
Thanks. I actually had it better, but the LFS guy messed up the rock work when taking out the Queen. I just fixed it today, looks MUCH better. The tall red tube believe it or not is a live sponge. I have 3 in the tank. They're called Red Tree Sponges. They're cheap, too, only $20.00, any size.

All my other "corals" are different types of mushrooms, plus I have one anemone.
 
Kristin1234

Kristin1234

Active Member
ClaptonsGhost said:
Thanks. I actually had it better, but the LFS guy messed up the rock work when taking out the Queen. I just fixed it today, looks MUCH better. The tall red tube believe it or not is a live sponge. I have 3 in the tank. They're called Red Tree Sponges. They're cheap, too, only $20.00, any size.

All my other "corals" are different types of mushrooms, plus I have one anemone.
Click to expand...
Are they tough to keep?
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
Pretty sure she meant my sponges, trigger40.

Well, oddly enough I never looked into that until I saw your post, Kristin. It seems they are very difficult to keep, but I've had mine for months, I'm constantly grabbing them and replanting them, one time one of them actually popped out of the water (you're not supposed to do that!!!) but they're all doing fine. They feed off the stuff I put in my tank for the mushrooms so I guess I'm inadvertently taking good care of them. I originally bought them for my Moorish Idols to eat off of, not as a tank ornament.

Oh, and trigger40 remember you were following a post I made about my mushrooms not propagating? Well, they're multiplying a lot now. How about yours?
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
Kristin1234 said:
Ha! I have some mushrooms in the tank and they have yet to kick the bucket. Seems like everything else does though.
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Kristin, I had terrible luck with my tank at first, and I've been doing this for 40 years. I think the oceans are getting so polluted that fish behavior and survival rates are a lot different than in the 70's-80's. What size/type of tank do you have?

btw tomorrow I'm going to shoot some video of my new aquascaping. I'll post the link in this thread.
 
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trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
ClaptonsGhost said:
Oh, and trigger40 remember you were following a post I made about my mushrooms not propagating? Well, they're multiplying a lot now. How about yours?
Click to expand...
i got my colony growing! two of my big shrooms split. that was a few weeks ago and i haven seen it happen again. my kenya tree has given me two new trees over the month.
 
Kristin1234

Kristin1234

Active Member
ClaptonsGhost said:
Kristin, I had terrible luck with my tank at first, and I've been doing this for 40 years. I think the oceans are getting so polluted that fish behavior and survival rates are a lot different than in the 70's-80's. What size/type of tank do you have?

btw tomorrow I'm going to shoot some video of my new aquascaping. I'll post the link in this thread.
Click to expand...

I have a 100 gallon tank with a 3 chamber sump below. In my sump I have a sock in the first chamber which I plan to add some live rock to, a protein skimmer in the second (which idk if the damn thing is working correctly and if I like it) and then I have 2 return pumps in the last chamber. I have 2 power heads and plan to get one more. I have lost 2 fish. Flame Angel and a dwarf lion. Well and a blue damsel.
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
trigger40 said:
i got my colony growing! two of my big shrooms split. that was a few weeks ago and i haven seen it happen again. my kenya tree has given me two new trees over the month.
Click to expand...
I don't see mine splitting. I just see new mushrooms popping up in different parts of my tank. Always a thrill to move a small rock and find a large, bright green mushroom I never expected to find.
 
ClaptonsGhost

ClaptonsGhost

Active Member
Kristin1234 said:
I have a 100 gallon tank with a 3 chamber sump below. In my sump I have a sock in the first chamber which I plan to add some live rock to, a protein skimmer in the second (which idk if the damn thing is working correctly and if I like it) and then I have 2 return pumps in the last chamber. I have 2 power heads and plan to get one more. I have lost 2 fish. Flame Angel and a dwarf lion. Well and a blue damsel.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the same setup I have except I have a 180 and two overflows, hence two sock filters which I hate. They clog every 3 days. Anyway, the protein skimmer you have to tweak a little at a time. Literally a nudge this way or that. It's a major pain but once you get it tuned it's almost as enjoyable watching it do its job as it is watching your fish. Not really but you know what I mean. Just get it to where the water level is just below the cup so that only foam is entering the neck.

I have lost 3 flame angels, 3 coral beauties and a half black dwarf angel. Don't know what the deal is, I can't keep dwarf angels OR powder blue tangs (3 of those as well). I'm hoping my tank is done now because I've run through all of my "disposable income".
 
santamonicahelp

santamonicahelp

Member
ClaptonsGhost said:
He's doing fine. Great eater. My old Queen Angel terrorized him but he still ate. Finally removed the Queen. The Blue Face is a big ragged but still eating and swimming around. Can't wait for him to heal. It's his tank now. Anybody know how long it takes for moderate fin damage to heal and if there are any food additives to help accelerate the process?
Click to expand...
Sorry I dont have the answer for you. But I'm glad to hear that he is doing great now! I agree with Kristin's opinion on the red tree sponge. They look beautiful in your tank!

-YK
 
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