Tangs dying one by one.

[racer69]

This all started about 5 days ago when my blonde naso tang started holding in one spot in the tank and not eating the way he usually does. I a matter of three days he was dead, with no signs of external disease. His respiratory was normal until the last few hours. Two days later the same thing happened to my Tenneti Tang of two years. All tank perameters are very normal and no real changes in the tank other than a few frags from our frag swap.

Has anyone had a similar experience and if so, what was your treatment. Tonight I have noticed my Yellow Tang of four years starting down the same path and I am at wits end.

[Clown-N-Around]

Wow! That is terrible. I don't know, but I know that my vet had said one time that if I had a fish die and didn't know why he could do an autopsy. Could you or someone else check to see if there is an internal parasite that can't be seen from the outside? Not sure if you still have the deceased fish, but if it is some stomach worm or something, there might be a treatment that could save your other fish.

[Caleb Kruse]

I know its really far away from you Todd but Neptunes up in denver does autopsies on fish. Sorry about that

[bmwardo]

I know it is a bit of a long shot, especially in a 180 gal, but is there any way you can pull them out, put them in a QT and start medicating for internal parisites?

Sorry about your losses

[adams0816]

Are any other inhabatants affected?

[Sk8r]

Is there any possibility [remote, I know, in this large a tank] that it was short of oxygen? Skimmer problems/changes? Did it happen during the night? Caulerpa in fuge? I've not had this happen with tangs, but I know they're high-demand on oxygen: I have had it happen with very large freshwater fish, had a whole large tank go oxygen-short for no expected reason, just day/dark involving an overcharge of weed/algae.

[adams0816]

Sk8r is that one fat cat.LOL

[racer69]

So far, I haven't had any other fish show signs but it is early morning right now. I will see at lunch if any others are dying. The tank is always well oxigenated with the water almost boiling on top and 2000 gph crashing into the sump. I don't have calurpa, just cheato. There have been no visible signs of anything wrong with the fish, and the only ones being affected are the larger tangs.

[roadracn]

hey racer, my tangs did some of the same things. Do yo have any algae in the tank. Kinda looks like hair algae but the tangs won't eat it?

Curt

[Dave & Monica]

Pls post if you ever find out what happened. I think most of us have a few Tangs. My Nasso and yellow have been with me since the beginning. I'd hate to loose them - sorry about the loss.

[racer69]

Yeah, I haven't had any hair algae for about a year. If I find out, I will post what happened.

[reefkoi]

Have you fed any live foods Todd, like brine or some worms of some sort?
Did you happen to feed that new algae scott carries? the lamnaria from Reef Nutrition by chance? I know that stuff needs to be soaked in water for a long time or it'll expand in the stomache and block them up.
I think its something only the tangs are eating, it's strange only tangs are dying.
Chris
C

[racer69]

Chris, no live foods or even new foods. Just nori, and frozen foods. The yellow is doing much better now so maybe whatever it was it seemed to be isolated.

[reefkoi]

hmmm.......sucks you can't figure it out though.
Well I hope the yellow pulls through and the rest make it.
C