dying tang

gvran71

New Member
brought home yellow tang from lfs about 6:00 last night. Followed acclimation guide and he was released into tank around 7:00. I do not have a q tank.
he is only fish in tank. he swam around end to end quite normally for about 4 hours. This morning he is behind some of my live rock laying on his side, not moving but he is breathing quite heavily it seems. petotal fins are moving quickly also. he has been in this state for about the last 2 hours.
Same thing occurred with a Bursa trigger that I bought last week. He eventually died. At the time I brought a water sample to my lfs, which has a good reputation and they told me my water was fine.
Water parameters: Ph-8.2, nititite-0, nitrates-1-2, temp-79,
I have a 75 gallon long tank, wet-dry, with protien skimmer, some live rock and live sand. Tank has been up for 3 months and has cycled.
What could be the problem?
I appreciate all the help I could get.
George
 

gvran71

New Member
this is my first tank. ammonia level - 0
I realize that I need a Q tank.
I own a three books, including a reference book. At work so I don't have the names. I have done a ton of research and study but I guess first hand experience is essential.
thanks for the response.
 

737mech

Member
Did you happen to ck the s.g. of the h20 that he was swimming in from the LFS. I do. It gives me a reference to help me do a gentle acclimation reducing stress. Ph and alk are some other things to consider during acclimation. Most likely your h20 and the LFS are very different. I would try acclimating more slowly than 1 hr.
Was the tang swimming and acting normally at the LFS? When did they get him? SW fish are very sensitive to any changes = stress. Was he netted?
I would follow Terry's advice and start out with a beginners fish. Clowns are a great choice. Tank raised are your best bet. Always research then buy. Do you have some test kits? Salifert is a good brand to work with. Hope the tang hangs in there for ya.
HTH
 

buzz

Active Member
I would definitely recommend getting your own test kits instead of having to bring samples to the LFS.
You say you followed an "acclimation guide." Where was this guide from, and what exactly did it tell you to do?
If the same thing happened to your trigger, there is definitely something amiss here.
What kind of circulation do you have in the tank? What kind of water did you use in the tank? Was it RO? If so, what salt mix did you use?
Any stray electrical current in the tank? Do you have a grounding probe?
Just trying to cover all avenues.
I am also more concerned with possible ammonia and minicycling of the tank. You say he is the only fish in the tank, and you tried with the trigger only last week. Were there any fish in the tank during the prior 3 months?
 
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