Purple Tang: Pop-eye and bloated Beth: Please Advise

Scenario:
30 gal Long
pH: 8.0 (Added buffer to correct pH)
SG: 1.09
nitrAtes: 3 ppm
My purple tang has been in QT (30 gal long) for nearly 2 weeks now while I have been performing hypo due to an ich outbreak on a blue hippo tang. This morning before I left for school, the Tang was showing pop-eye. I checked water parameters (did water change because Trates were ar 25ppm) and left for school at 12:15pm today. Just returned (5:30 pm) and went straight to QT tank to check on tang. My Purple Tang now not only has pop-eye but it's ventral side is bloated and it looks like it's trying to "pass" a large amount of fecal matter. It's disturbing me greatly because the "fecal matter" looks pink-ish.

Is it's insides comming out?! Oh I feel awful. And there are also white splotches showin all ove it's body. It's not small white round cycts, but medium sized pale blotches, and it's breathing is very rapid. It is also stuggling to remain upright and leaning on the pvc pipe and fake plants. The pinking matter is not moving either. It's just stationary from it's ventral opening. The other fish in the tank ( 2 Scooter Blennies, 1 Lawnmower blenny, 1 royal gramma, and 1 blue hippo [smal] are swimming around, respirating normally, eatting fine, and overall look normal.
I appreciate any and all help and advise. I think my poor tang is done for.:needhelp:
Jessica
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
There is nothing wrong with your pH, so don't add any more buffer. How is the popeye situation? Can you post a picture of the fish?
 

bird dog

Member
Sorry about your purple tang I never saw a live one that looked like that. I have been fighting ick myself and just lost a powder brown and powder blue in right behind . I also have a purple so I can feel your pain. Good luck.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Get to the LFS and get Maracyn Two for Saltwaterfish. Begin treatment tomorrow if you can. Just before each redose, do a small water change and, if you have a carbon filter, run it for 1 hr before you redose [but stop using it when you redose]. Keep the lights off in the QT and add some good circulation throughout the QT.
Feed this fish 3x a day making at least 1 meal with meaty foods soaked in FRESH garlic, not bottled. Use a turkey baster to target feed [maximizing feeding the tang, and minimizing a waste in the tank].
If you don't mind, I am going add your fish pic to my collection for use in the Diseased Fish thread, if that is ok?
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Can you post that picture directly onto the this site so I can copy it. There appears to be something wrong with accessing it now...
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Originally Posted by Bird Dog
I have been fighting ick myself and just lost a powder brown and powder blue in right behind . I also have a purple so I can feel your pain. Good luck.
Are you treating with hyposalinity? It is the best choice for treatment.
 

dskidmore

Active Member
Originally Posted by Clownfish4life
SG: 1.09
I'm hoping this is a typo, and your SG is 1.009? 1.09 would be hyper salinity, not hypo.
 
Beth,
I will go to the LFS soon as I get off of work to get the Maracyn Two. And feel free to use the pick. I hope the Tang makes it. I'll leave a note for my mother-in-law to leave the lights off. I just added a Powerhead for circulation when I was reading more of your posts to specific threads. Is there any way I can send you the pic directly? I havn't learned how to post directly to the sit yet.
DSKIDMORE,
Yes, I meant 1.09. Kindda rushing while typing.
Thanks Beth.
 

dskidmore

Active Member

Originally Posted by Clownfish4life
DSKIDMORE,
Yes, I meant 1.09. Kindda rushing while typing.

You did it again.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Its 1.009. What are you using to measure salinity/specfic gravity?
I got the picture now. If you are able to take a better one, I'd appreciate it and then post pictures as the situation improves.
Let us know if you get the meds.
 
Beth,
Using a refractometer.
But I went and got the med today. Actually sent my mother-in-law to buy it while i was at work. My husband began treament as soon as he came home, I came home about 2 hours behind him. The tang.... it looks dead. It's was behind some macroalgae and it was upside down, tail pointed straight up. I started to cry and went to net him to take him out before other fish starting eating him and he righted himself and proceded to hobble/swim behind the pvc pipe. When I turned off the lights he went back behind the algae and he's upside down again....
I feel so helpless.....
And Skidmore... 1.009. See, I got it right. :)
 

dskidmore

Active Member

Originally Posted by Clownfish4life
And Skidmore... 1.009. See, I got it right. :)

:cheer:
Well then, it's not a problem obvious enough for me to help with. :confused: I hope your fish pull through. It sounds like you're doing everything right.
 
I am about to cry. I can't take looking at my tang, and I haven't the heart to snap pictures... reminds me of that sick website with all the pics of dead people and people who have died foul ways. My poor tang is literally standing on it's head with very hard respiration. And it's insides are just comming out. I know it's insides now cause it's bright pink with veins and everything. It's turning inside out and I haven't the heart to be rid of him since he lives still.... I know it's suffering and probably for something I did. I don't mean to sound so dejected and whiney, but for anyone who reads this thread...
Please please please QT yor fish before adding them to the main tank. If you don't have the room or the buget for a QT tank don't start the hobby. It's not worth making something suffer, something as small as a helpless fish that relies and depends on you to feed it, provide a clean and healthy environment, and overall general maintence for it's home, for your screw up. If you think cutting corners is going to cut it, then you should just try to imagine someone throwing rotting garbage into your home and locking you in.
If my fish dies, and I'm being realistic because it looks aweful, and I can get over this mistake I most probably caused, every fish I EVER get will be QTed. I swear it.
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I thought you said he was in a QT??
It doesn't sound good. Is the fish in a QT or not? You can't use that medication in your display tank.
 
It is in QT, Beth. I'm just saying if I would have QT all my fish from the begining then none of this would have happened. And I know better than to add medication to my main tank. Last thing I want to do is kill off my corals and shrimp too.
He still looks bad though. I kept checking on him throughout the night. Kept waking up feeling sick so I kept checking the QT tank. Still floating around on it's head. Didn't eat yesterday. Othr fish ate fine. I actually found it on it's side earlier this morning but still breathing....
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Keep up with the medication treatment. It may well be too lately honestly, but we can try. Is that Maracyn Two FOR SW fish?
At nite, while you must keep the lights off in the tank at all times during treatment, leave a dim light at all times going in the room, even at night. Sounds werid, but fish tend to die once it is completely dark.
 
Hey Beth,
Just got home and he's up and swimming around..well bobbing along the bottom of the tank. That pinkish stuff is kindda dragging. But it keeps trying to swim straight. Got the Maracyn Two for Saltwaterfish. I am following your directions. There is a dim light on at night. I don't turn the sump's light off at night so that's there.
But I am concernerd cause the water now has a greenish-yellowish tint to it. I nearly freaked out so I did a pH (8.2) and a Trate test (0>2) so the water's parameters are okay.... is something wrong? Maybe the carbon you told me to run 1 hour before redosing needs to be replaced?
P.S. I posted 3 more pictures on that link. I even have one up of when he was upside down. He looks so bad.
Jessica
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
That coloration is perfectlly normal. Its the Vit. B complex of M2 for SW Fish. Be sure to do a water change, and an hour of carbon filtration [if you have it] before redose. Get plenty of water movement at the surface of the tank. Maintain a steady temp.
Can you get a pic up now? I am asking so I can assess the fish, not just to add to my collection.
 
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