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Not sure it will survive - Chevron Tang

Against my better judgement and despite my initial reluctance.. I purchased a fish from Hidden Reef. My last purchases from hidden reef are fraught with disaster for the most part. The last purchases ended up with them reluctantly giving me a store credit for my fish purchases. This isn't a bash hidden reef although I don't agree with them not allowing points on the Blowout Day even after I dropped almost 600 dollars in supplies and equipment.. Its 10 dollars when you spend 1,000. Lol... I digress..

I purchased what seemd like a healthy, eating, swimming, 3" Chevron Tang to be the centerpiece of my 60 gallon setup. The tank is ready.. but the fish isnt. It has been keept in a 10 gallon, heated, zero nutrient/ammonia/ite/ate environment thats fully cycled. Its barebottom with live rock using established water and carbon filtration.

Initially it ate pellets. They demoed it eating brine shrimp in the store. I have brine shrimp but as it was eating pellets I didn't hatch any or start it with frozen. To me the pellets had more nutrients initially. I didn't dose ANY medecine as it showed no signs of anything wrong.. INITIALLY.

Its been with us since the blowout which is just over a week... I started noticing near its side.. a Black Spot. Its still active.. color looks ok...but a little faded. It seems to be swimming in the current ok... (Flow is a Tunze 6045 Nano angled up for oxygenation.) The spot looks like a missing scale or something.. Just Darker than normal.. I haven't noticed any struggling or anything.. Lots of flaring and fast swimming.

Yesterday I dosed 1/2 teaspoon of PraziPro and this morning when I turned on the light he was out and about like normal. I threw some pellets in.. and I did notice him eat a few but nothing much.. Just kept swimming. I know that fish sometimes loose their appetitie after prazi dosing.

I have at my Disposal

(3) 100% Water Changes Mixed and Standing BY
Cupramine
PraziPro
Praziquantel
Levimisole
Quinine Sulfate
Metrozionale
Kanamayacine
Formalin
API Stress Coat

I have multiple different Antibiotics

DR G's Medicated Fish Food (FrozeN)
DR G's Medicated Fish Food (Liquid)
DG G's Medicate Fish Food (w/ Nitromethaziaonalle (sp) + Antibiotics)



My Fish eat a combination of Medication laced food twice a week. I haven't started this guy on that mix yet. Any Tips?
 
Good luck is all I can offer. I recently broke my promise to not buy fish from them as well. I picked up a sailfin, kole, and 6-line. All were eating well initially and all perished in QT between 1 and 3week periods. There has to be something going on in their system as far as I'm concerned.
 
Good luck is all I can offer. I recently broke my promise to not buy fish from them as well. I picked up a sailfin, kole, and 6-line. All were eating well initially and all perished in QT between 1 and 3week periods. There has to be something going on in their system as far as I'm concerned.


You are not the first to say that. The fish I purchased from them was in a system with a salinity of 1.17. I adjusted my QT to match the battery of tests I performed including PH and temperature. I logged everything. They don't like when an experienced reefer comes in and says.. I matched your salinity,Ph and temperature in a sterile purpose built environment 100% fully cycled. Your fish died of a visible disease that obviously didn't rear its head in the store. I expect credit not b/s claims that it was my fault, or that my system was too sterile to support the fish. What horse****e is that? Thats what they said the first visit.
 
the only way a system is "too sterile" would be if you just dumped the fish in with no bacteria to support the fish. Good luck with the chevron - beautiful fish.
 
I worry that the fish is injured in some way. I think PaulB is the one that suggests tangs and butterfly fish are just prone to internal injury which is what yours sounds like. Do you have a picture? I agree with Phil you cannot have too sterile an environment.
 

Hockeynut

NJRC Member
That sucks I hope it survives just keep feeding it if it will eat it's got a chance. I found sometimes smaller tangs have a hard time acclimating to tank life. Also do you have a 20 gallon 10 Is kinda small maybe it tank size is stressing it out. Good luck
 
He is very small but not microscopic. The 10 gal is empty and except for some liverock and shells designed to let him hide and sleep there's nothing in it. I have a 20 high available as well that I can move him to. I just thought that I would limit stress in moving him. The prazi seems to be working. I checked him today and it seems the black spot is pretty much gone. Just abrasion where it was. I think it might have been intestinal worms or something. I'll leave him in prazi tonight and do a water change. If alls well he can go into the 60 this Friday.


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So today I checked on him and he seems a lot better than before. He seems much more active and I can't see the black spot anymore. Just a whiteish/tan spot where it was before. The Prazi-Pro has worked wonders on the "disease" but his appetite has suffered. He hasn't touched pellets forcing me to remove them before they screw with the water quality. Today I will try using some frozen brine. I think I will also be moving him to his new home in the 60 gallon. I have avoided posting any pics of the 60 gallon as I wasn't sure I was pleased with the orientation of the tank or the rockwork. After some tweaking I'm happy now. I have been cycling the new tank with seachem STABILITY.
 

Paul B

NJRC Member
The spot looks like a missing scale or something.. Just Darker than normal..

I hope he recovers. I have autopsied many fish with that black spot and it is internal bleeding probably from capture. If it is that, it is always fatal as the blood just becomes infected as it lays beside the organs. But if the spot is just from an exernal injury, it will go away
 
I hope he recovers. I have autopsied many fish with that black spot and it is internal bleeding probably from capture. If it is that, it is always fatal as the blood just becomes infected as it lays beside the organs. But if the spot is just from an exernal injury, it will go away

I feel that it was a worm of some sort. I'm not sure but I know that he did twitch considerably when I added the prazi pro. Almost like it was burning or maybe the worms were getting nuked.. He also took a few massive poops. I'm hoping for the best.
 
I feel that it was a worm of some sort. I'm not sure but I know that he did twitch considerably when I added the prazi pro. Almost like it was burning or maybe the worms were getting nuked.. He also took a few massive poops. I'm hoping for the best.

We all feel better after a massive poop. :D
 
I never followed up with this. Let it be known that the Chevron is perfectly well and alive. I think he just needed a few massive poops and some good lovin. He is alive and well and currently in my 60 gallon Loving life and exhibiting beautiful juvi coloration.
 
I never followed up with this. Let it be known that the Chevron is perfectly well and alive. I think he just needed a few massive poops and some good lovin. He is alive and well and currently in my 60 gallon Loving life and exhibiting beautiful juvi coloration.

Great news and husbandry...!
 
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