Please help I think my yellow tang is in trouble

[sassy16]

I have a 55 gallon fish tank that is about 2 mo old. I have my water tested weekly at my lfs. Friday they tested my water and said it was almost perfect my nitrates were a little high but my tank just cycled. I have live rock, live sand, two clown fish, a fox face, blood shrimp, chocolate chip star fish and 3 hermits. They said I could add a yellow tang so I bought him. He stays behind my rock hiding and would peek out the first two days. Last night I noticed he was at the bottom behind the rock I thought he died so I put the net in and he moved. I came in later and he was in front of the rock still at the bottom. This am he was back behind the rock at bottom . I feed frozen food and I put algae sheets on every evening for the fox face and tang. Although I noticed the blood shrimp loves the sheets. Anyway, is this normal for a new tang. I keep thinking he is dead he doesn't swim around a lot like the rest and doesn't get excited at feeding time like the rest. I am a little panicked because I have tried cardinals and the first was murdered by a coral beauty and/or a peppermint shrimp so I got rid of them and bought another cardinal and within a week he died. I am new to fish please any info would help!!

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by sassy16 http:///t/397271/please-help-i-think-my-yellow-tang-is-in-trouble#post_3540656
I have a 55 gallon fish tank that is about 2 mo old. I have my water tested weekly at my lfs. Friday they tested my water and said it was almost perfect my nitrates were a little high but my tank just cycled. I have live rock, live sand, two clown fish, a fox face, blood shrimp, chocolate chip star fish and 3 hermits. They said I could add a yellow tang so I bought him. He stays behind my rock hiding and would peek out the first two days. Last night I noticed he was at the bottom behind the rock I thought he died so I put the net in and he moved. I came in later and he was in front of the rock still at the bottom. This am he was back behind the rock at bottom . I feed frozen food and I put algae sheets on every evening for the fox face and tang. Although I noticed the blood shrimp loves the sheets. Anyway, is this normal for a new tang. I keep thinking he is dead he doesn't swim around a lot like the rest and doesn't get excited at feeding time like the rest. I am a little panicked because I have tried cardinals and the first was murdered by a coral beauty and/or a peppermint shrimp so I got rid of them and bought another cardinal and within a week he died. I am new to fish please any info would help!!

Nope, not normal for a Tang... The fish seems super stressed. Do you have a Quarantine tank or Hospital tank setup? The tank may still be too new for the addition of new fish. I would recommend getting your own test kits and do your own testing, that way you know yourself what the levels are and if the tank is stable. Or, the tang is getting picked on and that is what is stressing out the fish. A 55g is a bit small for any tang, this can cause a lot of stress too.

How much rock do you have in the tank and what kind of flow and filtration do you run?

SV

 

[jay0705]

Agreed. I have a fox and tang in my tank. The only time the tang hides is at nt or when I walk by the tank fast. Other wise when I put nori in the tank him and the fox try and rip it out of my hand b4 I clip it lol. Does he still look yellow? When sick or stressed they get pale and loose the brightness

 

[sassy16]

No quarantine tank. I have three huge pieces of rock. I have a sump and not sure about the pump it's whatever the live fish store told us we needed for this specific tank. My clowns mind their business I've never seen them pick on anybody. They are actually kind of the jokers of the tank they photo bomb every picture I take. My fox face is kind of shy and two itself I've never seen it bother anybody either. So I don't think it's being picked on but I may be wrong. I know when I first put my clowns and my Fox Face and they hid for about a week and then finally started coming out and getting personalities. The tang is bright yellow and I see no spots on it. So how can I destress it? They originally told me to start with five fish so I started with four fish and shrimp. I had a blenny originally but it died I never replaced it. The LF S said the yellow tang would be okay in a 55 gallon I questioned them about it because I thought they needed a bigger tank. I am so confused everybody has different opinions and I don't know what is right. And this is an expensive hobby to not know what to do and keep losing

 

[sassy16]

My mom bought this Tank for my son for Christmas. I just wanted a cheap glow fish freshwater tank. Don't get me wrong now I'm addicted to the saltwater tank but I just don't know what to do and I'm doing everything I am told and I still am losing fish. My original fish are happy that's why I don't understand why I lose new fish. I got the tang because I was going to get a cardinal and they told me with my nitrates being slightly elevated that the cardinal would not do well but the tang would be okay.

 

[sweatervest13]

Folks on the forums do not benefit by selling you things that you may not need. LFS do... They are in the business of selling fish. They don't mind if you buy a couple and they don't make it... That way you come back and buy more, or they sell you an additive to add to the tank for a quick fix (over priced junk that does not work).

I would start by researching the nitrogen cycle and brush up on the basics of the three types of filtration. A good saltwater book is also priceless. Research is a great way to get more familiar with keeping up on your little slice of the ocean. And any questions you have come here and ask away... We are only concerned with you enjoying your tank and being successful. We don't sell anything the advice is free!!


HTH's

SV

 

[jay0705]

Relax first. Sv is correct here u get free advice and usually dam good advice. A 55 is small for a fox and tang. But that shouldnt be your issue rt now. This may seem odd but where is the tank located? Is it in an area w Lot of foot traffic? Also if possible add more cured live rock. Fish like to feel safe. Multiply hiding spots help this

 

[sassy16]

I appreciate the advice and just don't want to keep murdering fish. I would like to get a really large tank for my living room if I can keep this one good for a year or more. The LFS I go to is pretty good. I have been to a few and didn't like the fact they always had a lot of dead fish in their tanks and just wanted to sell to you not answer questions. These people will answer my questions and last week and the week before told me to wait before I added anymore fish because my tank was cycling and coming out of a cycle the following week. Can I save this tang or should I write him off. Is it possible for them to be stressed and all the sudden come out of it? Should I just leave it alone and if so how will I know if it does die. The rocks are placed very close to the back of the tank because I didn't want the fish behind the rocks but there are caves and areas to get into. Anyway I think if he does die I'm not sure I will know because he will be propped up right. Now my husband just called and said my son pulled the pump out of the sump and when he put it back in it made the tank cloudy. I don't know how he got into it I have a child lock on the cabinet. My poor fish.

 

[sassy16]

Why would it make the tank cloudy?

 

[jay0705]

Let the tang be. And see.
2nd what do u have in your sump? I dont use one, but most people have mack algae , lr and such

 

[jay0705]

Also your son could be why the fish hide. It can take awhile for them to get use to use rt up to the tank. If hes around it alot they will get stressed and hide

 

[sassy16]

The tank is in my 2 year old sons room. No not a lot of traffic but I think it was a bad idea to put it in there and now I can't move it. He has never messed with it before and I put a lock on the cabinet because I know two year olds are curious. I have no idea how he got into it. I hope this episode doesn't kill all my critters in there. I know I learned not to add water into the sump because I did it once and the same thing happened it blew white cloudy water into my tank and took a week or so to clear back up. My poor husband just panicked and put the running pump back into the sump and said it made tank cloudy. Maybe I should just stick to training and breeding horses! Lol. Did it blow cloudy water because that is all the junk that is in those balls in the sump that it filters? I am so stressed I wanna cry! You guys are very sweet to help me.

 

[sassy16]

To be honest all I know is there are these plastic green balls in an area in the sump and the pump that pushes the water back in that's it.

 

[sassy16]

Up to today my son only showed interest when I would say let's feed Nemo's and Foxy. Other than that he has ignored it. But today of course he decides to mess with it. Probably because he sees me go under there to get stuff.

 

[jay0705]

Dam lol that I hoped that was the issue. It could just that its a new tank. But it sounds like a water quality issue

 

[sassy16]

See jay my water was almost perfect per the lfs. Nitrates a little high! The pump thing just happened right now as we type! I am at work working hard as you can see! Lol

 

[sassy16]

I am the idiot no one wants to deal with!!! Lol we have those people in horses too! Sorry I don't know what the heck I am doing and my mother just threw me into it! I love the tank now though and want to learn! I promise!

 

[jay0705]

lol same here. Ok the thing w lfs they generally use cheap tests.that could be the issue.. how do u mix your salt and how often do u do water changes? Tap or r/o water?

 

[sassy16]

Well I was told to change 25% of the water once a month. Then about about three weeks in the LF S told me to do a water change so I did. Then about two weeks later they told me I should change 5% of the water one week and 10% the following week and change water every single week so I did that. Then after two times of that I went in my tank was in a cycle and they said not to change so I have not changed sence and that was about three weeks ago. I purchased my water from them and they mix it. That was easier than doing it myself. They tell me to add fresh water daily because of evaporation but I don't because I really have no evaporation. The tank is a corner bow with a glass top and I don't know why but I really don't get much evaporation and I check my salt level daily and it's normally right in the middle of what the tester says is okay. Sorry if there are mistakes I'm using talk to text. Lol

 

[jay0705]

Lol np. Ok first dont trust them. I know it seems harsh and its not always meant to be bad advice but it happens. Get a 5 gallon clean bucket mix your own. It has to be mixed and aerated for atleast 24 hrs b4 u add it to the tank. Do u have rock in your tank or live rock? I dont get much evap either in any of my tanks. What do u use to test your water? U said strips?