Blue tang?

[Viet-Tin]

I had this blue tang for a few weeks. Bought it healthy and it ate as soon as I put her in the tank. She was nice and fat for awhile then all of a sudden she started to hide for a few days not eating and then becoming sucked up. After a few days she would come out again and eat like normal and gain some weight back but then go back into hiding after awhile. This time she is really skinny broke out with ich and is hiding again and wont eat. Anything I can do to help her? I recently tested my water and everything reads 0 except nitrates which isnt very high at all. Fish include pair of percs, sixline mandarin, 6 large chromis, 2 anthias, a yellow tang and the blue. I was thinking maybe the yellow was attacking it but I see no signs of any aggression. It almost seemed like it would try to help the tang eat as it would chase away any other fish that came near her during feeding. I feed frozen mysis and cyclopeeze and a small sheet or nori everyday. Any help would be appreciated.

[urban79]

well you have aggressive fish and chromis are very pushy and being that there in a large group. And if the blue is kinda small it will get push around.

[Viet-Tin]

I also wondered about that but they dont seem to bother her but they do chase my anthias around once in awhile. She is only a tad bit bigger than they are but they do out compete all other fish during feeding time. Maybe I should keep my eye on them instead of the tang. Thanks

[erikharrison]

Yeah it sounds like it's not liking another member of the tank. My trigger was doing that, then it died.

[Mr_Cool]

I don't mean to hijake. I was going to start my own post, but.....

I have a yellow tang that's doing the same type of thing. All he wants to do is hide. I've seen him eat, but not alot. I got him and two others a week ago. They were all in the same tank together (110 gallon I think) and they got along just fine. When I put them in my tank, they all seemed fine. But, then this one (the medium sized of the 3) would just shy off to one of the corners. I put him down in the sump yesterday 'casue it looked like biggest yellow and an Atlantic blue tang were kind of picking on him. But he didn't look too happy down there, so I moved him back up today. He's more of a pale yellow than the others. There's plenty of room in the tank for those four tangs, and even room for more.

Any thoughts on this? Are Viet-Tin and I having the same problem?

[erikharrison]

From what I have heard, sometimes tangs will do that when introduced to a new tank.

[Mr_Cool]

I'm guessing we just keep an eye on them then? How long is too long for them to be this way? I guess if they're keeping to themselves, and no one is picking on them, they should be o'kay. It's been a week for me, so I don't want to push it. Like I said, the my other two are fine.

Thanks!

[Viet-Tin]

This has been going on for 2 weeks now. Im afraid shes not going to last much longer. When I first introduced her in she was just fine. She swam with the chromis and it was the yellow that hid and didnt eat. Now its vice versa but ive been watching and the chromis are indeed chasing her into the rocks. The yellow is trying to fend them off but they out number him. I hope everything goes well for your tang as mine seems like its doomed :(

[erikharrison]

do you feed them nori everyday? I take half sheets of EDOMAE seaweed wraps from HEB, and roll them up; fold them in half, and rubberband them to the rock. It stays pretty good. If they are all hanging out in one area of the tank, put the nori on the oppostie side to encourage them to travel the length of the tank, keeping them less aggressive of one spot. How hot is your tank under the brightest areas? It may be possible that the fish are trying to crowd one area because it may be more shaded than others. My fish did that till I added a fan. I also have some flat rocks that are supported in the front by fiji branches, and the tangs swim in and out of them all day. I think if you make it interesting for them, and facilitate what ever you can towards less agression, you should have some better luck!!!

[urban79]

tangs are one of the first fish that should be added when adding fish.

[Viet-Tin]

I feed nori everyday and the yellow tang is always all over it. The chromis school in the open and the tang hides in one rock near the back. tank temp stays around 78-80 as I do have a 1/3 hp chiller. Blue tang likes to hide on the side of my wavebox but when she does come out she pigs out on the nori and mysis. The tangs were introduced before the chromis but I did get them around the same time so maybe I shouldve waited a bit longer. Im also going to try and feed at random spots as I always pour food into the box so they all congregate in front of it. Thanks again for the input. I really appreciate it

[erikharrison]

put the chromis in the sump. Let the tang have a break...

[Viet-Tin]

Ill try...those guys are pretty quick and I do have alot of rocks. This is going to be fun.

[Jeff]

tang are natural grazers, they will nip at algea all day long. try adding some live macro and lots of it to the tank and the tang will come nibble at it all day long. also try adding a full sheet of nori, or a half sheet in the morning, when you get off work, and just after feeding time. remember if was just caught from the ocean its main diet was algea and not the stuff we feed it.

[Sherri]

I've always felt that Regal Tangs (blue) should be your first addition before adding other tangs and more aggressive fish....

[seamonkey2]

very import, target feed the fish, feed everybody and then just feed the fish in his hidding spot, if not he will not get enough to fight off ICH and will die of that and lack of food

the exact thing happen to my........cant remember, but all the other tangs will pick on him and chase him around the tank, so I fed all and target feed him, even hid a sheet of nori by his hidding place, he got pleanty to eat and in a week he was out of hidding, and semi healthy, a year later he has double in size, fat, happy and cruises the whole tank

good luck

Jose