Yellow Tang Question

[jbfastlane]

ALright guys - in my latest dilemna of the salt water twilight zone here's a situation.
2 Days ago my yellow tang had a horizontal white strip down both sides of his torso first thing in the morning. That evening it was gone. This morning he was covered literally all over with white bumps - making him look polka-dotted white and yellow.
Tonight - after spending 1/2 my day reading about ICH and how to get rid of it - I return home - and lo and behold he's all yellow with no bumps.
My assumption - looking for some backing here. He's the last live fish in my tank - something I'm assuming Mantis shrimp has eaten all my crabs, snails and fish.
My theory is that he was chased from one end of the tank to another last night and the night before and the white markings were caused by stress???
I'm ready to quit saltwater already. This is too stressful!!!!!!!!!
Please tell me something. Shall I call a witchdoctor?? How about the X-files? Hmmmmm...........

 

[foulbrew]

The stripe you saw is normal and will appear occasionally when the Yellow Tang is upset with you or stressed. The white spots appearing and disappearing are beyond my experience.

 

[azonic]

When many many fish go to "sleep", their colors fade for protection overnight.....All yellow's get this white line on the body....
When yellows get extremely pissed off or stressed about something they have a number of colorations that can appear on the body....I have seen the white markings you spoke of....Mine usually has a large brown blob of color in the middle of his body when he gets pissed by something.
I wouldn't be overly concerned....HTH.
P.S. Don't quit saltwater....if you have a mantis, have you tried any methods of catching it?

 

[dburr]

My yellow also has color shifts when the lights go out, normal.
Ich looks like salt on the fish. I had that problem and the next day it was gone. Sounds like you may have ich. I would watch him.
HTH

 

[coralcollector]

He sounds stressed to me i would look for signs of stress what are you feeding him? what else is in the tank? what is the temp?

 

[bang guy]

Sounds like a normal sleepy-time coloration. Check out the FoxFace in this pic... this is an extreme version, and the YellowTang with the white belly. This is a night pic with full flash.

 

[jbfastlane]

I have a possible Mantis shrimp eating all my livestock. I am thinking that whatever the demon is chased the tang all night and freaked him out thus the white spots.
He is eating ok. Appears very skiddish. Scared.
For Azonic - yes I have a trap set with crab meat as bait. No luck.
My next try will be dipping the live rock in ultra salinic water arounbd 1.035 I think I was told. That should evict the critter.
Not sure of the damage to the rock though.

 

[azonic]

A quick dip won't harm the rock or anything living in it..it will just make them jump out of their hole....hopefully anyway..
Have you heard anything resembling a mantis shrimp? Most common noise would be some sort of clicking sound in the tank...

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by Azonic
A quick dip won't harm the rock or anything living in it..it will just make them jump out of their hole....
Here's a hint... it works especially well if you mix your saltwater using carbonated water

 

[jbfastlane]

Are you saying use carbonated water at high salinity for the dipping??
How long should I dip - 5 mins??
Thanks for the advice.....I'll post the resolution when it happens.

 

[bang guy]

I strongly doubt a Mantis was chasing your Tang and stressing it. But if you dip rock in carbonated water at normal reef salinity any large critters will bail out of the rock.

 

[jbfastlane]

Well Bang - I've lost 8 fish, 11 crabs, 8 snails and can't find a piece or part of one of them.
I guess if I have a Mantis - dipping may find the little &$^$