Yellow tang and quarantine tank

[Angelajean]

Hello,
Last Saturday, we were coming home from being out of town for a few days and stopped at a LFS in the area. Mainly, we were going to check out some coral. Well the last fish that I had wanted for my tank is a yellow tang. However, I need a small one. I found one and he ate fine at the store. He looked a little skinny, but all the small ones I have seen are really skinny. We brought him home and he went in the tank, after drip acclimation. I know big mistake. He picks off the rocks but doesn't really go for the algae sheets. I think he is a little shy. He is in love with the little cleaner goby and the cleaner shrimp. The cleaner goby and him are stuck on each other literally a good part of the day.

So here is the question. If I did a water change on my tank, which doesn't really need it since it was done last week, could I use that water in the Biocube? It is only a 14 gallon but I think I should put the tang in there and treat him for parasites as well as see if he will eat better. Would this be okay?
Thanks. I'm bracing myself for the tang police.
Angie

 

[Bifferwine]

What size tank is he in now? Before you try to quarantine and treat him for parasites, maybe try a different type of algae sheet -- my tangs would only eat a specific color of a specific brand. Also try Emerald Entree frozen food or Rod's Food herbivore formula. I wouldn't move the tang into a 14 gallon tank.

 

[ErinCahir]

If he's eating, leave him in the big tank. He'll come around.

 

[Angelajean]

He has to be eating something. He goes behind the rocks some but mainly hangs out in front. Every fish that I have had die, hid.
So I think him hanging out in front is good.

I was thinking he might have a parasite.

 

[Angelajean]

What size tank is he in now? Before you try to quarantine and treat him for parasites, maybe try a different type of algae sheet -- my tangs would only eat a specific color of a specific brand. Also try Emerald Entree frozen food or Rod's Food herbivore formula. I wouldn't move the tang into a 14 gallon tank.

I have fed frozen seaweed delight, cyclopeeze (he ate some), formula 2, and even some mysis. Sheets I have tried 3: Sally's seaweed salad, Omega one Super VEggie green seaweed, and ocean nutrition green marine algae with garlic extract. He tried to go for the seaweed sheets then my kole dashed in front of him. I tried putting a small amount on each end. No luck.

 

[Angelajean]

He is in a 90 gallon now with my 6 line, kole, coral beauty, clown pair, sharknose cleaner goby, and dottyback.

 

[FishyReef]

My tank was pretty skinny when I got her, but she was also small like yours. I agree with the others, give him time to adapt and as long as he's picking off the rocks then I'd leave him be. Putting him in the biocube would really stress him out. I have nori sheets that have garlic in them, and my fish go crazy for them. You could try those. You could also try rubberbanding them to a rock and placing it on the rocks instead of using the algae clips. Some fish prefer that in the beginning. As long as he is out and social, I think he'll be okay. Just feed him regularly and he'll come around!

 

[FishyReef]

I have fed frozen seaweed delight, cyclopeeze (he ate some), formula 2, and even some mysis. Sheets I have tried 3: Sally's seaweed salad, Omega one Super VEggie green seaweed, and ocean nutrition green marine algae with garlic extract. He tried to go for the seaweed sheets then my kole dashed in front of him. I tried putting a small amount on each end. No luck.

Your Kole might be causing him to shy away. I'd hang sheets on the clip for your Kole, and then either try hanging a second clip in another part of the tank away from the Kole, or adding a second sheet rubberbanded to a rock. If all else fails, you could try using tongs to keep the Kole away from the sheet - I have to do that with my red velvet wrasse whenever I hang a sheet just so everyone else gets some before he destroys the thing!

 

[Angelajean]

The other thing my Kole does to the YT is brush against him. No fins up on the back or any signs of aggression, just brushes against him then swims away. The Kole and YT are also in competition for the cleaner goby and shrimp.

 

[Bifferwine]

In the picture he does look skinny, but I've noticed that it's rare to see fat yellow tangs when they arrive at the LFS. The majority of the ones I've seen are skinny like yours, and then they start to fill out and get healthier once they get home. Normal behavior for a tang is that it will constantly pick at the rocks and glass. Is he doing that?

 

[Angelajean]

He did the first day or so. Now he is on the bottom of the tank, probably dying. I tried everything I could think of. I'll be waiting awhile before I get another one. My other fish are all doing great zipping around the tank.
Thanks for the help.
Angie

 

[little_fish]

That brushing against the yellow tang is a sign of aggression. Also if the cleaner shrimp and goby and spending a lot of time with him, he probably has some sort of ich going on.

But! he sounds like he is acting totally normal for a new tang, and I would give him some time to adjust and fatten up and he should be fine :)

I would put up a mirror to distract the kole tang and allow the yellow to get settled in though.

 

[salt_for_brains]

Take a small piece of the seaweed and fold it up a few times then rub it between your fingers under the water so it breaks apart into small pieces. It should blow around the tank and see if it peeks his interest. It will also keep your kole busy.

 

[Angelajean]

Unfortunately, little one (yt), died last night. If i get another, it will definitely be bigger.