someone please help

[azonic]

Please take the time to read this!
In my tank are a small sebae, a small false-eye puffer, and a small yellow tang. Ammonia = 0
Trites = 0 Trates = 5 PH = 8.4
My problem is this...I just got home from work and looked into my tank and saw no one...Even though it's the night there is usually some movement...anyway...i found the fish using a flashlight...the sebae was lying on the sand by a rock...the puffer was lying on a live rock, and the yellow tang was somewhere behind the rock....The sebae was very sluggish...when he saw the light he scurried behind the rock...the puffer doesnt look good at all...He was on a rock towards the top of the tank and he started swimming off of it and he sorta just sank instead of swimming...he seemed very low on energy and just sorta bounced onto the sand...and is now lying on the sand bed....He has white lines going all over his body...which weren't there 7 hours ago when I went to work..The yellow tang came out from behind the live rock and his color was completely faded...he looked like a pale brownish/white color with a big dark spot in the middle of him...and he has a solid white line going from his head to his tail on both sides of his body...I turned the main tank lights on and his colors are starting to normalize again but the white streak is still there...and white streaks are still all over the puffer...Is this normal for when they "go to sleep"? Or are they all dieing? HUMBUG! Someone please help if you can. Sorry this is so long, wanted to give as many details as possible. Oh yeah, temperature is 79-80 degrees.

 

[teog]

how long has the tank been running...also do you add addidtives? if so could you have over dosed them? Also have you sprayed your house with any type of pest control? it sounds like some sort of toxic problem.

 

[azonic]

Tanks been running a month. Nothing added...except reef plus...but that was last added over a week ago. Nothing was sprayed near the tank, i make sure of it.

 

[musipilot]

Be careful not to overreact. Most pufferfish, especially the smaller ones, camouflage at night. Our blue spotted puffer turns into a brown horrible looking creature every night and completely blends in with the plants on the bottom to sleep. The first time we saw him do this, we were convinced he was dying. The tang's white lines are normal in some specimens, not necessarily a sign of trouble. If you're certain nothing foreign has gotten into the tank (windex, for example) wait it out until morning and check everyone again. Do not adjust your normal lighting schedule, that will freak them out more if something is really wrong. Good luck!

 

[azonic]

Thanks Musipilot, I'm going to do some research on the web about puffers and get my water tested completely tomorrow at my LFS.
Anyone else?

 

[musipilot]

How is everyone this morning?

 

[jumpfrog]

Don't stress too much yet. My yellow tang looks exactly like your description every night. I too have a puffer and he likes to lay down to go to sleep. Last night after lights out my flame angel went in her cave and layed down on her side like a dog and went to sleep. Too weird!
Good Luck!

 

[azonic]

Everything was perfect this morning, they were all swimming about before I woke up and now again tonight i just got home from work and checked on them and they are the exact same way. I guess it's just normal, gave me a quite a scare though. <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" />

 

[karlas]

it could be just the night time thing a lot of fish dull in color at night. its a defense against predators instead of showing off all their colors they actually dull themselves. our kole turns a real pale almost white color, the green chromises turn a ugly splotchy brown. after the light is turned on after about ahalf hour or so their colors are back and bright again.