Dying Tang ?'s

[Reef Dave]

To all,

Yesterday after testing my water several times (paranoid about killing fish) and determining everthing was ok, I purchased a good looking yellow tang from the LFS. I acclimated him for about 1 and 1/2 hours, very slowly adding water to the bowl with a turkey baster, I even went so far as to test the water I was acclimating it in. The fish did very well last night. It was not breathing heavy, swimming normally. It was not "pacing" the tank, and it was not cowering in a corner. But this morning just as the lights came on, and the fish came out from behind its rocks, it was swimming almost vertically. with its nose in the air, and looked like it was really struggling to maintain "afloat" its breating was rapid, and fins moving "VERY" quickly keeping it off the surface of the water. Then as if the fish had become tired of "fighting" it lays on the substrate, and will then move again. I don't know what went wrong the fish looked great yesterday in the store, look great last night, and today it's like it is fighting just to swim. any help GREATLY appriciated.

Thanks
RD

[Neal358]

it sonds like their may be somthing wrong with its swim blader thsi is comon omong yong clown fish but no tangs. i dont think this is anything you can do but wait it out sory to heir the problem it alsways stink when you get a new fish do evrthing right but still hasproblems it always realy disaponting

[JohnL]

[moved]

[billsreef]

Can you give us brief description of your tank set up? ie size, DSB or not, how much rock, circulation, other tank mates etc.

Just off the top of my head I would suspect either some nightime terrortorial fight or the tang hunkered down for the night in an anoxic area.

[Terry B]

Bill could be right, but I would consider placing the tang in another tank and reducing the salinity. This will lighten its load for osmoregulation. It could be an injury, but I suspect that in the fish's weakened state that it has some sort of bacterial infection in the gills. Nitrofurazone or Maracyn 2 at the double dose each day would be my choice for a course of action. If he makes it for a couple of days he will probably pull through. Better act fast. Be sure to check that all the water parameters in the tank he came from and his new tank are similar.
Terry B