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Leeroy
05/05/2007, 01:16 AM
I have recently noticed that my sohal tang is not happy and is looking stressed.
I first noticed it on Sunday. I had brought him back some purple seaweed from the beach (for a treat). He had been grazing on it for most of the day.
Normally, he just cruises around the tank, grazing here and there, but lately he looks stressed. He is swimming erratically and is darting all over the place. His breathing is a little bit faster than normal, but no signs of flashing.
I thought that he may of been tripping out on it a bit (maybe like too many toxins like in caulerpa?), so I took it out of the tank.
He has been swimming erratically all week and seems to be pretty stressed.
He has no obvious signs of disease on him.
He is about 13cm long, is housed in a 180g (approx 700l system), tank mates are yellow tang, lipstick tang, two ocellaris clowns, and he is the dominant fish in the tank.

I have just noticed last night that he is unable to retract his caudal spines. There are nothing obvious on his spines, no scales or anything and none of the other tankmates are showing any cuts.
There looks like there maybe something white, right at the base of his right spine, but its a bit hard to tell.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/DSCF1793.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/DSCF1776.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a241/Leeroy_102/DSCF1765.jpg

Anyone have any ideas as to what to do?

Cheers,
Lee

Jeffrey Porter
05/05/2007, 03:52 AM
maybe that algae was like red bull for fish. i have no idea. if it only started after eating the algae and everything else in the tank is the same, then it must have something to do with it.

Creetin
05/05/2007, 05:32 AM
That is odd, He looks healthy enough. Is he still eating good?
As lonh as he is eating like a champ i would not worry too much. Hopefully it will correct itself soon. I always wanted to see the spines of a sohal.
Keep an eye on him and as long as he stays eating and looks good i would not worry.
Nice tank BTW Coom looking micromussa there in the last pic!

jmaneyapanda
05/05/2007, 06:16 AM
personally, I would not add things from the beach to your tank. Remember, the waves that crash onto beaches are the protein skimmers of the ocean. You essentially fed you fishj something from the skimmer cup of the ocean. There is no telling what that macro had on it, in it, or whatever. keep your water clean, feed healthily, and possibly add some additives (garlic, Vit C, Slecon, Zoecon, etc), and cross all your fingers and toes.

BTTRFLYGRL
05/05/2007, 07:31 AM
Sohols grow to be extremely aggressive..They have been known to kill their tankmates. Is it possible the behavior is normal for this fish? I would be a little worried about the Naso..They are one of the more peaceful Tangs ..
Another possibility is that you introduced some kind of parasite.
Pollution from the beach.. you never know what people are dumping on our beaches that could harm the fish.. I wouldn't collect anything from there either

Leeroy
05/05/2007, 12:05 PM
Jeffrey, that's what I initially thought, but it should of gone through his system after six days.

Creetin, he is still eating well, as always. I have had him for over a year, and have never seen his spines, always wanted to though. Even when he sides up to the other two tangs and they test his dominance, I have never seen them.

jmaneyapanda, point taken. I like to give my fish a variety of food and thought that giving the tangs some of their natural food would be good, but I guess I could cause all sorts of problems.
I will enrich his food with some garlic and selcon.

BTTRFLYGRL thanks, they are an aggressive fish, and will kill certain tankmates under certain conditions, however I don't think this is the case with him.
The naso is a very passive fish, however I have seen him stand up for himself a couple of times.
Its interesting that if the sohal plays up to the naso, he will either just roll onto his side a bit and flutter all of his fins, or just keep swimming along, not at least a bit interested. The yellow will stand his ground and test his dominance. But there is no real aggression between them. Although this may later change in time.
I think if he was out to kill, he would be outright nasty, fins all flared up and have someone in the corner.

Its a bit daunting putting the nori clip in the tank, with him buzzing around your hand.

My concern at the moment is that he is still stressed, he is darting around and not his usual self. He looks like he is agitated and his breathing is faster than normal (maybe from being over active), and that the stress will affect his health. He has been agitated now for 6 days.

Thanks,

Lee