help with my tang....

[mh51072]

i just added a yellow tang to my 46 gallon bow with about 15 lbs of live rock and about 35 lbs of live sand with a tomatoe clown and a yellow clown--all very small fish--i added the tang sat and last nite it was very confined to one spot in the tank,next to a rock at the bottom--well today it is at the same place and seems to be blowing every 5-8 seconds in the sand--my ammonia is 0 and nitrites and trates are perfect---ph is probably a little low at about 8.0-8.2---whats up with this fish?/i need a little help--thanks alot <img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[fishymissy]

Is the fish "blowing" with it's gills, or is it slapping with it's tail?
If the fish is slapping with it's tail, then it's just claiming it's territory. Very normal. Mine slaps the glass at least several times a day.

 

[mh51072]

seems to be blowing out of his snout--barely moving my mother said--man,this is very upsetting as i hate to see anything suffer and worse is i dont know what to do????

 

[fishymissy]

Yes, keep it on one post or things will be very confused.
Without more to go on, I would suggest that the fish is "barely moving" because it's scared of everyone staring at it! 15lbs of rock doesn't provide a lot of hiding spots, and they (tangs) can be spooked rather easily.
Tell your mom to ignore the tank, try to stay away for awhile, and from a distance wait and see if the fish doesn't come out.
We posted at the same time, so I'll add to this. I will still suggest that your mom do the above, there isn't much you can do about it anyway from where you are. The only other thing I wanted to ask was are the other fish okay?

 

[mh51072]

other fish are great--the tangs has now quit blowing out of its snout,but working its gils profusely she says---man,this is really upsetting if the fish is suffering

 

[fishymissy]

Sorry, had to leave for a bit....
Does your mom know anything about fish?
Do you have a QT set up?
Has anything changed?

 

[fishymissy]

This is very confusing....are the soap bubbles you mentioned in the other thread in the same 46g? Are you seeing these bubbles right now, or did you see them earlier? Have you used a bucket (or any tool used in the aquarium) lately that could have been contaminated?

 

[ebeckels]

also...how well did u acclimate this tang? he might still be in a sort of shock if he was acclimated to quickly.

 

[mh51072]

i acclimated him over a 1.5 hour process--thought i did it correctly--was great for 2 days now htis--the bubbles were from my powerheads having problems i think--ok now--the fish id very dormant and just still lying at the bottom of the tank--i called lfs guy and he said could be injury from shipping since he had only had for few days--said to bring it back and he would replace it,but i just hate the thought of soemthing suffering by possibly something i could fix

 

[fishymissy]

Is the fish laying flat on the bottom or is it still upright? Still breathing heavily?
I doubt this had anything to do with the way you acclimated, and since the other fish are fine, it most likely isn't a water quality problem. If the fish is still breathing heavily then my biggest concern is that this might be oodinium (Amyloodinium) which can kill quickly....the treatment for this is copper, which will work very well, but if you treat with the copper you must realise that the LR you have will pick up the copper and hold it. If you have a QT tank, this would be the very best way you could treat this fish. If you NEVER intend to use this 46g tank as a reef or semi-reef and you have no inverts in the tank like snails, or crabs, then you could do this in the main tank. If the fish is still having breathing problems, and is still in one spot, then I think the copper treatment to be your best bet. But don't wait too long to do this, don't wait until tomorrow you must do this as soon as you can!
Please understand that I am not an expert on diseases of fish, just a hobbyist that has seen some fish illness, but I have never seen oodinium, I am reading about this is one of my books, "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock. On page 254 he says "As a rule of thumb, any fish that exibits rapid, shallow opercular fanning ("panting") or stays in an area of high water movement near the surface or displays any other symptom that would lead one to conclude that it is having trouble breathing should be treated immediately with copper. Every hour that goes by is critical."
You must decide if this fits the description of what is happening to your fish. Good luck!

 

[ebeckels]

acclimating sounds fine...i think she has a good idea...decide if that's what it is and treat it.

 

[mh51072]

dont have a quarantine tank yet--was gonna set up a 10 gallon i have freshashwater in now,but procrastinator me has not--i have 40 lbos of rock coming thurs pm so i guess copper in my main tank is a bad idea---the lfs said to bring him back to him and he will trade me for another one--should i do this because i have no way of saving the fish right now--thnk u guys and didnt mean to be short and numerous posts,i was just upset about making the little guy suffer and i wasnt there--thnks alot

 

[fshhub]

i would trad him 4 credit, adn wait a couple of days to a week, adn make sure none of the other fish cotract anything before adding anythign esle to the tank, if they do ok, then look at getting another fish, in the meantime, go ahead and set up a Q tank, so it is ready to get a nother fish in a week or 2, then til you are done q'ing the new fish, you should be sure that your system ahs notheing that will be aprob for the newest members
HTH

 

[jimi]

Fshhub gave you some good advice, you better use it. Take the fish back for credit as mentioned and pray you did not introduce ich or worse velvet to your tank and other fish. Quarantine all new fish from now on for at least two weeks, if you dont sooner or later you will be sorry.

 

[fishymissy]

Agree with Fshub, let the LFS treat the fish themselves, and don't bring anything else home for a week or better to make sure nothing has spread in your tank.

 

[michaeltx]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned that the tang in a 46 isnt a good idea anyway they need alot of swimming room that a smaller tank doesnt provide common practice is a tang in 55gal or less isnt a good idea some get away with a small tang in a 55gal but as it grows eventually will have to be traded in for a smaller one. my suggestion would be to take the tang back and get store credit and get something a little smaller that doesnt need all the swimming room that a tang does. finnal decision is up to you though..
good luck.
Michael

 

[fshhub]

i agree, michael, but he is already contamplating to take it back, adn instead of appearing to be lecturing on another fact, i did not want to mention this in fear taht my (apparent)scolding may turn him off to the other important picture here, if he were to go and get another tang now, i wuld mentioned it, besides, you cannot say much, most people will do it anyway

 

[mh51072]

ok ,i guess i am considered most of them,since that is how the last post was ended--fyi--i got a very small tang because my 3 yr old wanted it for his b-day and planned on either taking it o my brothers 150 gallon or possibly upgrading myself when i get my lr done--so many times,people dont know entire situations and dont say it because it is not really pertinent to the situation-thnks alot for all the "helpful" advice though <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />

 

[fshhub]

nothing meant by most of them, i meant most people who really want tangs, and as i said i didn't want to say anythign to appear to be scolding, but i guess you missed that part, and i remember you wanted the tang for your 3 yr old, i remember the post fairly well, so try my not knowing, one thing that i do knowis that i should not have said anything, because of your reaction ESPECIALLY since i am sure that i or somone else has lready tried to convince you(so why be ingnorant and beat a dead horse), and i also knwo
THAT SIZE DOES NOT MATTER with tangs, 1 2 or 3 inch fish they neeed a lot of swimming room, smaller ones(real small)need a little less, but should still have room to swim, how LONgis a 46 boww??
and i also think(i read most of the posts and i sometimes have problems with all the details, but if you give me a key, it clicks, like your 3 yr old) that you got the tang with the intention of its going to a larger tank soon, i did not flame then, and not starting now
<img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />
believe me, if i were to start on the tang whether pertinent or not, it would have been alot sooner
all i am saying is sorry for the misunderstanding, it wwas not meant to rile you, but to keep from starting the grat tang debate when you need help and advice for a more pressing matter, ok

 

[mh51072]

sorry man--just alittle stressed --not been a good day--i really appreciate all ur guys info--i really do