Help Extremely Sick Yellow Tang

jbillens

jbillens

Member
I took this poor guy off the hands of a ''reefer'' whom had him in a 30 gallon tank.
He is in terrible condition as you can see from the pictures below. I know he is severely malnourished as his diet consisted on prime reef flakes, and thats it. Also his fins are erroding and allong with much of his body. What can i do to nurse him back to good health. He has a 110gal waiting on his good health.
Josh


 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
It looks like he is in a QT. Can you describe the current environment? Established QT? Is that QT have any decor at all? Are those spots red? Or brown?
If he is in an established QT, I would begin antibiotics with Maracyn Two for SW fish. Do a water change just before each re-dose, and, if you have the capacity, run a carbon filter 1 hr before the re-dose [obviously not during the whole treatment time, only prior to the re-dose].
Is the fish eating?
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
Yes he is in a QT tank. It is a 20 gallon that i filled with water from my tank. Ph 8.0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0 amonia 0 calcium 450 alk is at 3.5. I did place a few pieces of LR in the tank after takeing the picture. I have never heard of Maracyn Two. Is that like Melafix. I was getting ready to dose the QT with melafix. He has not eaten anything for me as of yet. I just prepared some mysis shrimp and they are soaking in garlic extreme and kent zoe marine. He will not eat green seaweed. I am soaking that in the mixture as well to see if he will eat it. His spots are more brown than red. Towards the bottom of the fish there are places where his vessels are somewhat visible (this was the reason i was going to dose melafix).
Thanks
Josh
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
his eyes are also a bit clowded, also reason for the melafix. And he is now mostly laying flat on the bottom of the QT. He looks so close to death.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
How long have you had him? Your tank may still cycle event though you used water from your DT.
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
I just got him this morning from this guy. I do not know how long he had him before that. I have set up this QT like this every time i use one and it has never cycled. I hope it does not go into a cycle.
 
alyssia

alyssia

Active Member
Originally Posted by jbillens
I just got him this morning from this guy. I do not know how long he had him before that. I have set up this QT like this every time i use one and it has never cycled. I hope it does not go into a cycle.

Hopefully it won't. I also tried to set mine up like that and it cycled everytime.
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
hmmmmmm......Well I guess all I can do is just hope it does not cycle. If it does I will deal with that when it happens. I think the main thing I need to do now is get this lil guy eating something.
Thanks
Josh
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
Update:
This is going to be one long night from the looks of it. I got him to eat about a quarter inch of green algae soaked in garlic extreme and zoe. I fed it straight into his mouth by hand and he just ate a little bit of it while he was still laying on the bottom of the tank. He will not eat mysis. He took in a few shrimp but then spit them out. Any ideas how to get him eating.
Thanks
Josh
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Wow, that fish is in horrible condition.
If he will not eat prepared foods, you may want to begin offering him live brine shrimp soaked in Garlic and vitamins to make him feel a little more comfortable. After he feels comfortable in the QT and with you, he will most likely begin eating prepared foods.
A couple of things I would do at this point: get a sponge and stick it in your wet/dry or sump of your display tank for a few days. This will pick up bacteria from your display tank so that you can transfer it over to the quarantine and prevent a cycle. Get some live bacteria and have it on hand, just in case a small cycle does begin. The live bacteria will slow down and possibly prevent a cycle by adding nitrifying bacteria into the tank. If the cycle does begin, I don't think this fish will make it. I would also use something to try and relieve his stress. I like the MelaFix you have. It has always worked for me, so I would probably use that.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I can not see successfully treating this fish with antibiotics in a newly setup QT. I don't give him much hope without it.
 
jbillens

jbillens

Member
Well it doesnt matter now. I witness him die about 10 min ago. I was just getting him to eat some mysis. I walked out of the room and came back with the green algae to try and saw him ''twitching'' very violently. This lasted for about 10 seconds and when he stopped he was not showing any signs of breathing. I am going to leave him in there yet tonight just to be certain. If only I had got him yesterday. Well thanks for everyones imputs and help.......We gave it a good shot.
Thanks
Josh
 
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