Missing kole tang part 2( and I don't think it's good)

[Wade1]

Yesterday my missing kole tang had showed back up, but after a while I could tell he was not doing well. He was breathing very rapidly and barely swimming around, even got stuck on the back of a powerhead for a minute..I called my lfs. They said I couldn't do much and if I tried to take him out he would likely not make it. Well I haven't seen him for 24 hrs again. Cant locate him anywhere, and just happen to notice thousands of copepods on the glass, I doubt this is related but who knows. Hope if he died the cuc got him because removing my rock is not an option. How long before I would see an ammonia spike, or would I? Thanks again for the help

[SkyJunkie]

I'd keep looking. You'll spot it eventually even if its dead. I didn't see my tomini tang this morning. After a few hours of periodically checking I found him. Wasn't a good outcome. :(

[mal7887]

Did you do any type of acclimation? Many times issues like this can be discovered in the acclimation process prior to the fish being released in your display tank. This can also help prevent infecting your display tank with a deadly disease/parasite. It would be in your best interest to locate and remove him from the tank if he's dead. Depending on your BIO filter you might not see a spike, but why chance it?

[Wade1]

My lfs kept him for 3 weeks in qt for me, I drip acclimated him for over an hour. My biggest problem is its a corner tank and I can't get a look from anywhere but the front. Even slid my iPad camcorder back there to try and see something but no luck. All my rockwork is aquascaped with pvc and glue, I prolly couldn't get it out if I wanted.

[godsdoc]

I would definitely consider setting up a Qt/hospital tank and put all the fish you get in there before putting them in the display.
Since we are already past this point I would attempt to catch him and put him in a hospital tank and attempt to save him. I would think that if he was getting stuck to a powerhead he would be easy to catch if you can find him. Do you notice anything unusual about the fish, like disease?
I would also keep looking for him if you can't find him because you need to get him out especially if he is dead.
Good Luck, it always sucks to lose a fish.

[Wade1]

Thanks for the reply, I know I should have a qt, however the local guy qts them for 3 weeks and treats them if needed with no charge. I was going to catch him yesterday but they told me let him be..if I could find him now I would get him out..I do have a 20 gal. Ready to go for him if he shows up, I'm assuming he's dead at this point though. I haven't seen my emerald crab today at all, he's usually out and about quite a bit. He's probly having a tang dinner as we speak. No signs of disease anywhere, I have 2 little tank raised clowns who have never givin me a bit of trouble...so..how long would it be before I started seeing ammonia, if I were going to?

[sleepydoc]

I would expect you would see a spike - that's a fair amount of decaying material for the tank. When I've had dead snails in my 120 I see a spike in nitrates within a few days. Haven't seen an ammonia spike, but I get them out pretty quick, too.

[sasharotty]

I was going to catch him yesterday but they told me let him be

Man, thats some bad advice. :debi: In a hospital tank at least he would have a chance to be medicated and eat without problems. Ammonia spike should show rather quickly depending on size of the tang and bio. How old is the tank? And i would NEVER take a lfs word on a qt period. The stores i have gone to all of their filtration is looped together.

[Wade1]

@sasharotty, ok, thanks. Point definitely taken. Tank is 3 months old, but about 60 lbs of my rock came out of a friends 5 year old system with little die off, I have a good skimmer I think. Any suggestions on how to find him? The tank is 27 inches lid to base, I can only see in the front. Still no signs of him. As of this morning no ammonia or nitrates, he was about 2.5 inches long maybe 3