Imperator color change

[ragona]

My Imperator (emperor) angle fish began the long process of changing from the juvenal coloration to the adult color about a year ago. It is beginning to make major strides right now. The face turned light blue over the course of the last week (email me for pictures). However, with these larger changes, its appetite is far below normal. I add a 1/2 of a capful of the Fish Solution supplement to the tank each day. The chemicals are ideal (ph 8.3, Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 60). Does this sound normal? Thanks

[angelcraze]

Dietary changes is expected in the wild than in tank due to the area juv are in. Like Regal, it was written that juv are in deeper water then audit.

But if you are feedg artificial food, u may not see that change.

Adult emperor tends to like meat content pellets rather than vege pellets, however I have seen vegetarian audit emperor who simply except nothing but Nori.

Feed vitamin soaked supplement & protein soaked supp. If u feed krill, then protein supp is not needed.

I would normally not add too much suppl direct into tank for fear of affecting the water chemistry. Try soaking into food instead. Again try not to overdose vitamin diets.

If yr emperor is feedg properly, don't try to change its food too quickly; do a mixture. Sometime it takes awhile even to get fish to accept even small pacific krill.

While it is good to look into the care of angels as it changes, but not to over do things that might knock the tank off balance.

[ragona]

Thanks for the advice anglecraze. That’s what I thought, too. However, I alternate between 5 different frozen foods, flakes, pellets, freeze dried krill, and frozen precooked sea food. THere should be someting for everyfish. Today I purchased Ocean Nutrient’s Formula One, which use to be its faviorite. While the angle went for the food, the effort was just not there. Even the sluggish cowfish would beat him to the pieces. It did eat a little, especially the pellets, which the others prefer the least.

[angelcraze]

There is never one fish food that fits all.

If there is a change in behavour, do perform a check water and possible disease if u think it is abnormal. Only the owner in presence will know the situation best.

Emperor and Majestic do eat less when they change there teeth, witness by sharp spikes sticking out and dropping.
However if its jaws is always protruding, as if it just swallowed something big, do check on water and aeration.

I use Hikari small sink pellets for wrasses, JBL marine & blood parrot feed for angels/surgeon/trigger and krill for the sake of the doctor fish, also as a omega-3 supplement for all.
All my fishes takes floating pellets with the exception of wrasses.

Try to identify what they likes (including Nori) and stick to those feed. For traing purpose feed slowly, small amount in numerous session but don't leave too much uneaten.
Angel seems to like red pellets over green and there is a nutrientional different between marine pellets and fresh H20 feed.

[ragona]

I have also noticed that the angels prefer the red pellets. It seems like he/she is not seeing well. It swings at food or follows it, but does not get it. Over the course of the week. The pH fluctuates between 8.3 and 8.0. Could this be causing trouble?

[angelcraze]

PH ?? Very hard to say, especially for those fish which are pampered with very good water chemistry. My fish r somewhat accustomed to poorer water, as I don't pay much attention to water quality. Besides I always add SeaChem Marine buffer after every water change

I hv read that changing emperor gets pretty agitated but hv no experience in it.

As a precaution, check for stray voltage. And I would assume that u are not currently treating with copper. Check for stress by it tankmate and its ensure eyes are clear.
Do some water change too to balance off the PH; perhaps caused by the fish solution.

I only see angel missed getting pellets on new fish, but get used to it very soon.

Do keep a closer watch, as long it eats, it is still holding. Feed medicated food if necessary as a precaution. Check that it's waste is not white.

[ragona]

Here's an update,
The fish still does not accept food. He has developed three spots (it looks almost like stains on one side of the face.) They don't bother him. My guess is they are just imperfections in the color. When food goes in his mouth, he shakes violently, almost as if he is ripping apart something. Here's where your advice comes in: The LFS person, who is semi-creditable, thinks something may be caught in his gills. He goes on to recommend a fresh water dip to dislodge it. I'm not sure but the gills do look slightly swollen. However, I vowed never to remove that fish from this tank unless absoultly necessary, after a rough transport two years ago. You make the call?

[angelcraze]

As mentioned if u see mouth puffy as if it has swallow something huge, check yr water, especially O2, ammonia. If u do not intent to take it out, try keeping water high by some water change in next 2 days, run carbon thru.

Don't add any bacterial supplement at these stage.

Try softer food like fresh shrimp and soak nori.

I am skeptic abt telling people to use medication unless clear symptom as there are too many side effects mentioned by diff hobbists.

Some subtler treatment includes using Herbal cure like Ocean-Free but may not be avail in some area.
Or 20min soak with Furan medication (include aeration).

[ragona]

Today, I came home to a nearly white angle fish lying on the bottom of the tank. I quickly put it in a fresh water bath where it laid on the bottom of a bucket for 25 minutes. Upon arrival into the salt-water tank, it returned to the same spot and refused to eat. The outlook is very grim. About two months ago, my cowfish was ill. In the course of recovery in the hospital tank, it developed a case of VIBROSIS (black spots on the skin). A reef central member assured me that this is uncontagious so I reintroduced the cowfish back into the tank. Recently I noticed that my trigger has a black spot that gets larger when the lights go out. This angle fish also had large black spots, which looked like part of the adult color pattern, near its gills. Could this disease be what did him in? Any advice on how to get rid of in order to avoid any other tragedies. Would a medical flake do the trick?

[angelcraze]

You probably do not hv time for slow treatment. Get broadband medication like furan.

Correct me if I am wrong, is cowfish poisionous like boxfish ? Is it possible of poisoning.

[ragona]

The cowfish is poisonous, but that is its last defense. This is a case of complication in the aging process and a weakened immune system. In my opininon, there was little that could be done to save this creature. In any case, I just removed the fish. This is truly a tough loss. Thank you for all of your advice anglecraze.