I got a yellow tang... - Page 5

maroonclwn · #**101** 07/02/2003, 01:55 AM

i have read all the opinions regarding tangs on tank sizes. One expert such as scott michaels says a 75 is the smallest to keep a yellow tang in while Bob Fenner says he would/do keeps yellow tangs in a 55 gallon tank. Also on the wetwebmedia web site it says a 50 gallon is the absolute smallest they would keep a zebrasoma tang in. I wouldnt agree with this because of the sailfins, and the ln black tangs grow to a foot but imo a 55 is fine for a yellow or brown scopas tang.

On a side note i have been reading some of brads comments and was surprised to find out he was an adult

saltaholic · #**102** 07/02/2003, 05:36 PM

here is just a little update, tang seems to be doing good has fattened up a good bit since arrival, ich is not visible. Is very active and likes to pick at the odds and ends of the back tank wall. I have been feeding it ocean formula flake, brine soaked in zoe and feeding macro sheets. As far as affect on other inhabitants, my clown had aquired some ich and since has cleared, all others no change. Like I siad earlier this was the last fish to be stocked, so in 3-4 weeks w/ all goes well I will feel at more ease of the ridance of ich, and if would to come back then I will have to different action then. I expect to have no problems <----that is really hard to type with fingers crossed

EmilyB · #**103** 07/02/2003, 09:02 PM

Do try to feed Piscine Energetics mysis, it is SO nutritious and OSI flake.

tang named junkyard · #**104** 07/02/2003, 09:48 PM

I had one in a 44 for 2.5 years and he was really healthy.. Now he is in a 90. They key to doing your part in the aquarium trade is keep them alive. I've seen some sickly tangs in 100 plus tanks. Just make sure he eats lots of greens and your good.

saltaholic · #**105** 07/26/2003, 09:36 PM

Here is another update. Tang is doing great, I think did a complete turn around. I have not seen any signs of ich for the last three weeks, and being this is the last fish other then maybe a lawnmower blennie for my wife. I will be glad to put the ich days behind (cross fingers).

Here are some pics. Excuse the quality as the hp315 reminds me of the seaclone for skimmers

etech · #**106** 07/26/2003, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brad Gardner
Tangs belong in the ocean NOT in our little glass boxes.

with that kind of logic you should get out of the hobby

BTW saltaholic your tang looks great !!
good luck with it

The Aquarist · #**107** 07/26/2003, 09:53 PM

HEY!!! That's what I like to see!!!

A beautiful, healthy fish! Nice job on the medical treatment!

The Coraline algae in your tanks is really thriving. What do you suppliment with to get those results?

EmilyB · #**108** 07/26/2003, 09:59 PM

That tang is almost as sweeeeeeet as my own Spiffy....

saltaholic · #**109** 07/26/2003, 10:03 PM

etech cool lookin tank you have

Hey thanks for the comments I cant wait to get him in a bigger tank, I seen a one in a 125 and it was huge awsome looking, and a 125 is what I am shooting for

rleechb · #**110** 07/26/2003, 10:50 PM

you'll all kill me. I have a yt in a 29g. 55 is being setup right now though, and the tang is teeny and happy.

The Aquarist · #**111** 07/27/2003, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rleechb
you'll all kill me. I have a yt in a 29g. 55 is being setup right now though, and the tang is teeny and happy.

I am not a member of the "Tang Police", but I think more people really have to start researching adult fish size and overall needs before they buy any fish or animal. Maybe you did research because you are upgrading, but I read this kind of thing so often here at RC. The usual result is a dead fish. Some people are very willing to keep repeating the Try and Die scenario thinking they will be an exception to known facts. That amazes me.

ADVICE:
When you stack the rock in the 55, don't stack to the lights all the way across. Leave as much swimming space as possible, give the Tang a secure hiding place and move the water with several Maxi Jet 1200s, Quiet One 1200s or maybe a submersible Quiet One 3000 somewhere in the tank , which REALLY moves water, so maybe direct it with a "T" PVC fiiting in several directions. Make it feel like a bigger tank! (In My Opinion anyway!)

Dont Fear The Reefer · #**112** 09/20/2003, 12:30 PM

I have been following and enjoying the various rants mixed in with pieces of wisdom. Now I join the fray with a question.
Does this look infected to you?

He seems fine, eating well. It must itch cause he will float against some long hair algae. Two weeks in this tank. It is a 75g tank, I know... he should be in the ocean... but he is a good hair algae eater. Call me selfish.

Thoughts? Please, no thoughts from Brad.
:~)

Dane

saltaholic · #**113** 09/20/2003, 03:08 PM

Dont know about the discoloration but looks very skinny. Try some nory sheets. My tang will munch on this all day, I sometimes wonder where he stuffs it all!!!

EmilyB · #**114** 09/20/2003, 06:10 PM

Also spirulina flake - OSI is very good.

Phish14 · #**115** 09/20/2003, 06:53 PM

I'm just curious, but doesn't the territory a fish defends irrelevant a far as our fishtanks go? I ask this because thesize of the fish's territoty depends mostly on availability of food and the fish have no trouble finding food in a reeftank where the food is given to them. I just can't see the evidence in this arguement.

The Aquarist · #**116** 09/21/2003, 08:17 AM

I believe that's a Mimic Tang, which will change color and that could be what we are seeing, but overall, it doesn't look healthy to me. If it was my fish, I would see if it will eat some frozen, chopped spinach. If it does, that will definitely fatten it up quickly if you drop some in the tank several times a day or just hang some leaves of unchopeed spinach that has been frozen or boiled previously. If it eats the chopped stuff, I would soak some in Selcon for about an hour and a half before feeding. Selcon would soak into Formula 1 or 2 Flake food very easily, so you can try that too. If there are no positive results in a few days, then it may help to soak anything it is eating in anti - biotics before feeding or just treat the fish with anti-biotics in a sick tank. This really looks like a nutritional matter to me overall, but I'm not sure what to make of the red area near the gill. It's hard to call in this picture. If it looks like a natural coloration of the fish, then OK, but if it looks like an infection, then I would start a sick tank anti-biotic treatment now. I have seen blue coloration there on the Mimic Tang, but it's possible that the red is also natural for a certain time period.

OrionN · #**117** 09/21/2003, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Aquarist
I believe that's a Mimic Tang, which will change color and that could be what we are seeing, but overall, it doesn't look healthy to me. .......

That is not a mimic tang that is changing in color. It is a sick Mimic tang that is getting infected. It is not because of the hair algae because hair algae do not infect fish. It is likely that hair algae is one of the sing that your tank is not doing well and that the water chemistry is out of balance. I have seen many tank full of hair algae with poor corals but very healthy fish.
I hope your tang will still be with us in a week or two.
Good luck

The Aquarist · #**118** 09/21/2003, 09:47 AM

I have never seen the color change occur, so I am not familiar with the transitional appearance, but I have seen the 2 different appearances. I agree that the fish did not get sick from hair algae and that it is not a healthy looking fish. I suspect it was sick when you bought it. I'd like to see a more clear picture of the front part of the fish if possible, say ... from behind the gill through the face because I can't be 100% sure what I'm seeing on the gill in this picture. It has an appearance similar to bacterial infections. I don't like to recommend anti-biotics if I don't think they are needed and fish often do not eat while in an anti-biotic treatment. Honestly, going by the emaciated appearance, odds may be as slim as Minh Nguyen implied, but if it will eat and if you can fatten it up a little in a couple of days, I think its odds of lasting through an anti-biotic treatment and surviving will be far better.

Dont Fear The Reefer · #**119** 09/21/2003, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the info, I will try to get another picture, but he is shy about showing that side. The other side is fine for now. This morning when feeding, I will let him eat, then try and net him. I have a ph and temp matched freshwater bath for him. I wasnt concerned the algae caused it, only commenting that he rubbed on algae to relieve itching. The hair algae is a leftover of the tanks former life at my ex's house. I just got it back a bit over a week ago. Water quality is good, except nitrates are high, and am doing freq water changes. Bath time (for him)

The Aquarist · #**120** 09/21/2003, 10:21 AM

I didn't see where you commented on hair algae being the cause, but since Minh Nguyen made mention of it, I just put my 2 cents in on that too. The dip could help. It's great that the fish accepts food. As long as it's eating, soaking any food in Selcon would give a great deal of extra nutrition. If you go for an anti-biotic treatment, saltwater Maracyn 2 is very good and there are several other broad spectrum anti-biotics that are good against bacterial infections.

Dont Fear The Reefer · #**121** 09/21/2003, 10:54 AM

Dont have any Selcon, best I can do today is Garlic Extreme and Formula one with some bits of SeaWeed Selects and Algae Wafer mixed together in a turkey baster. The mimic comes out to eat from it like the other fish. Yesterday I bought a cleaner Shrimp, and within seconds of putting him in the tank, the mimic was harrassing him to "get to work"! The shrimp just wanted to be left alone for a while.

saltaholic · #**122** 09/21/2003, 11:20 AM

The cleaner probally needs time for himself and am sure once he gets comfortable he will go to work. How did the FW dip go? I think the best thing to do is try and pump as much good stuff into him and let the fish cure itself. As you probally read on this thread when I got my tang it was in poor health. Only magic I did was ensure that it was getting good meals. Now he is fat as ever and looks great.

SPC · #**123** 09/21/2003, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phish14
I'm just curious, but doesn't the territory a fish defends irrelevant a far as our fishtanks go? I ask this because thesize of the fish's territoty depends mostly on availability of food and the fish have no trouble finding food in a reeftank where the food is given to them. I just can't see the evidence in this arguement.

No, a fish will not change its habits of defending a territory simply because food is available. I wonder, have you ever owned a damsel?

Fish have developed habits over millions of years of evolution that are connected with their very survival, they don't change these when we place them in an aquarium.
Steve

Dont Fear The Reefer · #**124** 09/21/2003, 12:12 PM

He is in the bath now. Was hard to catch. I was patient and didnt have to move any rocks. I am sure he wont eat in the bath, but I am goint to try and see what happens.

saltaholic · #**125** 09/21/2003, 01:02 PM

how long do you plan to keep in the bath?