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Naso Tang with cloudy eyes (more: antibiotic use) Hello all,
I have a customer with a Naso Tang that has stopped feeding and has
cloudy eyes. All of their water parameters look good and this
particular customer is very diligent in maintenance and feeding. I have
never experienced this type of problem and honestly have rarely had to
use antibiotics with any saltwater fish so I would be very appreciative
if you could recommend any antibiotic or other course of treatment.
<May well be that this animal (especially if it is the only one thus
affected in the system) just mechanically injured itself (ran into the
sides, rock)... this happens with Naso tang species (need room)... and
that there is no specific treatment advised, advisable... other than
good maintenance practices, self-healing> Also, if you could
recommend particular antibiotics for treatment of various
"common" bacterial type infections in saltwater fish I would
be grateful. <There are none. Most all infectious diseases of
ornamental aquatics are secondary, tertiary... opportunistic due to
deficiencies in water quality, nutrition, battering by tankmates, the
odd genetic anomaly... some antimicrobials like Furan compounds are
efficacious as adjuncts to improving ones chances in improving
conditions overall... in some cases dips/baths, feeding, injection
(intramuscularly mainly) of antibiotics is something to be suggested...
but the cases are few, specific> In my years of keeping saltwater
fish both as a hobbyist and now an LFS owner I really can't recall
needing to use antibiotics so I feel a bit inept when asked how to
treat these types of problems. <Oh, agreed. This has been my
experience, recollection as well. Bob Fenner> Thanks, Richard - Naso Tang Life Span - My fish died over the weekend and I believe it was 8 yrs old. <Am sorry to hear of your loss, but good job keeping it this long.> How long can these fish live? <In the wild, likely two to three times this amount. In captivity... hard to say, too many factors go into its quality of life. I'd say that under ideal circumstances [giant tank, lots of water flow, low competition for food], you could expect at least 15-20 years.> Thanks, John <Cheers, J -- > Naso tang problems Hello, over the time of taking care of my fish I do a lot of research, reading books and message boards. And I have heard on the message boards from a lot of people that there Naso tangs do perfect for about 6 mos. and then suddenly they wake up and there Nasos are dead, I am one of these people as well. There are no disease signs, there perfect looking, until they croak. After my Naso died I asked my LFS about it, he said for the past year or so Nasos have been doing bad. He told me too about the 6 mos. problem with Nasos. He said he tries making big deals so he doesn't have a dead Naso in his store. Did you ever hear about this? <Mmm, no definite time frame on these sorts of mysterious losses. Most of the Naso lituratus sold do die from being kept in too small a volume, size systems principally (starving is another large source of captive mortality)> I want to try another Naso, is there any other way I can avoid losing another Naso. I think these fish are awesome. BTW my tank is 240 gallons, water quality great. Thanks! <Please see here re selection: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/naso.htm Bob Fenner>
Ill Naso Tang and UV sterilizer Hello Guys, <Hi Scott, Don with you tonight> First of all, you have sold me on the QT and I just purchased one today after reading through the many testimonials on the web site and in light of my sick Naso. I will follow protocol of many other write-ins with a description of set-up and with a few questions. Sorry for the information overload, and thanks for any guidance you can offer to this novice aquarist. Tank description : 75 gallon, custom sea life wet-dry and protein skimmer. live sand, Rio 2500 powerhead, no U.V sterilizer yet, but am currently shopping for one and open for suggestions in this area. Water parameters: ph- 8.2 ammonia - .40 (?color chart!) nitrite - .25 nitrate - 20 --- I can't seem to affect these parameters, with my biweekly 10% water changes, or even after a 25% change today. any suggestions <If these numbers are accurate, you have something dying/decaying (like food, snail, crab, etc) keeping these high. The ammonia and nitrite need to be 0. Could be the 'dry' part of the wet dry filter. Is your skimmer giving good skimmate, dark color/good quantity, daily? It should. Could your tests be inaccurate? See if you have a local Fish Store or another aquarium friend that can confirm?> I purchased a Naso from an out of town dealer with several specimens - half of which had black powdery spots all over and half of which looked and acted fine. I chose one of the healthy ones and after 5 days, mine is looking the same. He has been pacing constantly from one side of tank to the other around rockwork for 3 days. I found him lying motionless this morning and thought he was dead. I have set up a 10 gallon quarantine tank ( I know, finally). I gave it a freshwater dip and placed it in QT. <Yes, we should never buy from a tank (or even an apparent 'clean' tank if the store uses a combined water system) that shows any kind of disease. Never, as you now know :(.> prior to reading your website I : set up QT with all new water (oops) and new sponge filter (2nd oops) -- now what? <Make lots of salt water and aureate the heck out of it. Get ready to use it for daily (20-50%) water changes. You will need to do this to keep ammonia and nitrite in check> also dosed with 1st dose of copper treatment (now wishing I hadn't)-- stop or go? <Hmm, yes, for black spot, fresh water dips are highly successful and much less stressful. Initiate water changes and remove/replace sponge from filter. Make sure the fresh water dips are pH, temp adjusted and aerated> Naso is not eating (offered live kelp, and Mysis shrimp among others)-- hasn't eaten in 3 days <Continue offering, siphoning off uneaten excess right away> I also have yellow tang in tank that was successfully treated for pop-eye, but is showing pale coloring around face. is this disease or nutrition deficiency? <I would increase veggie in diet, maybe a supplement by soaking in Selcon if you can find it> I am also concerned about: purchasing an appropriate U.V sterilizer with the correct flow rates-- my water parameters and the ever presence of am, ni, and na-- <I would read here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/UVFAQs.htm and the blue links at the top of the page for more. I found this link by typing 'U.V sterilizer' into the Google search at the bottom of the WetWebMedia.com home page. Try it you'll like it!> my dealer sold me an air pump to match the 10 gallon tank but I'm not sure if it is adequate for this fish-- <I am sure the pump is OK for the QT. A small powerhead is a good idea as well. But let's be frank. The worst news for your fish is that a 75 is possibly (but I don't think so) large enough for a yellow tang. And for the Naso? Forget it as this fish is heading for 18". The Yellow Tang needs 90-120G and the Naso several 100's of gallons. Don> Naso tang Hello, I recently added a lipstick tang to a 100 gallon tank..<did you quarantine this fish for 3-4 weeks> All usual tests were fine... the tank houses 2 Percula clowns and two blue damsels who are all fine. <ok> After about five hours in the tank the tang simply wanted to rest on the bottom and not move. <usually they rest on the bottom when first introduced> After about twelve hours he was on his side..<did you acclimate him properly?> Still alive but not wanting to move. If prompted by the movement of a fish near by he would swim around a bit but always return to somewhere on the bottom. He died in about 24 hours from being introduced into the tank.<That is why it is good to quarantine fish before introduction to the main system> The tang had been at the shop for at least two weeks and was very healthy looking. swimming great and eating fine. Any idea what I did wrong? <could be how you acclimated it, but from now on I would quarantine all fish for 3-4 weeks before introduction> One suggestion was that my oxygen content was too low. I purchased a test kit today and measured between five and seven (which does seem low by some reckonings.)<well these free open swimming tangs require high levels of dissolved oxygen> Could this have effected a larger fish in this way, but still have supported the smaller damsels? <yes, it could have> I feel very guilty for losing such a fine fish, and would like to establish what I did wrong before trying another one. <good idea> The tank contains only fish and has been established for 3 months. I use natural seawater (live on an island)<would use pre-mixed salt-such as instant ocean.. etc> and maintain gravity at 1.022. I regularly change 10% water and add stress Zyme in proportion to these changes. Temperature is about 79 deg. I also did a copper test today, which reported nothing present.<well look over WWM and make sure to quarantine all fish before introduction to your main aquarium, I have enclosed a link for you to look over...should help http://www.wetwebmedia.com/naso.htm> Many thanks<IanB> Brendan Bougourd. Sick Naso Hello, I couldn't find anything particular to these symptoms so any advice as to how to treat this guy would be much appreciated. 5" Naso tang, had him for 5-6mo, very happy usually - suddenly stopped eating & swimming around everywhere. I can't see a thing wrong with him other than his stomach is thin now from not eating I guess. All other fish in tank are perfectly healthy. He looks kind of dazed, scared. I do have a quarantine area if needed, should I move him and what could it be, what medication would help do you think? Thanks a lot... <I wouldn't move him as it would stress him out more. Check your water parameters, one of these are likely amiss. What size is the tank he is in? You could try feeding him some dried Nori on a clip and see if he will eat that. Cody> Naso tang in shock I acclimated my new Naso tang this morning. Since he has been released into my system he has remained in shock (lying on the bottom, breathing rapidly, moving his side fins and keeping his dorsal fin erect). <Signs of anoxia, a lack of oxygen> He has moved a few inches here and there but is otherwise looking pretty pathetic. Is there anything that I can do to help? Does his actions mean inevitable death? <Add aeration ASAP. An airstone/mechanical diffuser, air intakes on your powerheads...> The other fish that were acclimated were 2 Heniochus, flame hawk, anemone and a coral banded shrimp...all are doing extremely well. Lights are still off. Any suggestions or valuable insights? Carrie <Naso genus tangs are active, large animals that require high, consistent levels of dissolved oxygen... and as part of this, plenty of room to swim, have for gaseous exchange. And yes, best to leave the lights off for now. Bob Fenner> Naso Nasties.. (Injury or Illness?) Ok- finally about 3 days ago some signs showed up on my Naso... I've never seen this before but I'm sure you all have. It looks like someone just got a knife and scrapped off some of his skin like where his Gills open and close. On both sides. Its weird, kind of brownish blackish but you have to look closely to see this. From far it just looks grey like the rest of his body. He still eats and nips at the rocks. Oh- and He finally is not at the top of the water surface in a corner. He came down about 6 days ago and hasn't gone back since. Now his behavior is a little more normal, except that he scratches his gills a lot on the live rock now. <Well, it sounds like there may have been some kind of traumatic injury, which perhaps became infected?> I must also tell you that I added CopperSafe last Saturday. I'm pretty sure this is the cause for getting rid of whatever he had they kept him in that corner but I don't know what this stuff around the gills is? IT LOOKS LIKE A BURN? Like if the CopperSafe burned his gills ( I know that's prob. stupid) but that what it looks like. <Well, that's not that far fetched, actually...Improperly administered, copper can actually cause damage to fishes...Important to test regularly when you're using copper...I guess that you'll really just have to keep an eye on this fish, to make sure that he appears to be healing properly. Hard to say exactly what happened, so just observe and be prepared to take action if things take a turn for the worse.> I took your advice and ordered an AquaC Remora and had it overnighted to me. YOU WONT BELIEVE WHAT THAT THING DID FOR ME. In less the 24 hours the collection cup was full with DISGUSTING brown and green gunk and my water was like 75% clearer. <That's what I'm Talkin' about, man! Not bad, those Aqua C skimmers, huh? Jason Kim (Aqua C owner) knows his stuff! That's why we consistently recommend this brand...> I have never seen a skimmer do what this one does. Well please advise me on what action I can take to help my Naso, if any. Thanks again for all your help. <Again, the best course of action I can offer at this point is to keep a close eye on this guy...Keep the water extremely clean, and the environment stable, and feed the fish high quality food often...Hang in there. Regards, Scott F> Removing the tangs from a Tang I've heard that this is sometimes done by collectors seeking to make the Tangs easier to handle. <Yes, especially larger specimens... on collecting are "clipped" to reduce/eliminate chance of injury to diver, other specimens> I just received a Naso from Saltwaterfish.com whose tangs are not there. What is the long-term impact of this? I'm really disappointed! It seems wrong to take away their primary form of defense. It's akin to declawing a cat and then expecting it to acclimate well to an environment in which it will have to engage in the process of establishing a pecking order. <No long-term problem should arise from this practice. The "tangs" do grow back... in a few months time> This fish does not seem terribly healthy, either. He's not eating at all despite being offered many tempting treats. (Lettuce, Nori, brine shrimp, formula one) Any recommendations? <To refer to the family coverage on WWM re the feeding of Acanthurids, the genus Naso in general. Bob Fenner> Ana M. Saavedra - Problems with New Naso Arrival - Hi WWM Crew, Two days ago
I received a 2.5" Blonde Naso Tang along with a few other fish
from an online fish store. All fish are doing very well in
my quarantine tank -- except for the Naso. The first day in
the QT it lightly picked at a piece of live rock but there is really
not much life on this rock to sustain it. Since the first
day, I have not noticed this fish eating anything. It
appears thin to me, except for a slight bulge in its stomach. I had a
similar problem with my last Naso Tang so I might just be
overly-sensitive this time. My last Naso was about the same
size and I watched it waste away without eating for nearly three weeks
before it finally died. From what I have read on WWM and
elsewhere, my best guess is that it possibly had some type of
worms. This Naso is presenting nearly identical to the last
one; it has no signs of external parasites, no wounds, clear eyes and
appears completely well in every way except for not eating (and
sometimes being dark brown / gray in color). I tried using
Cravex (vitamin B12), a variety of foods, regular water changes and
Paragon II with the last Naso. None of this had any
effect. I am using Cravex with the current Naso and trying
Formula 1 pellets, self-made food with Selcon (my other fish devour),
Nori, Zooplankton and even brine shrimp (anything just to get it
started eating). So far, I have not seen this fish eat. What
do you suggest to entice this fish to eat? <You might try a trick
taught to me by Anthony Calfo... seems to work pretty well with fish
that pick. Take small pieces of live rock, preferably something that
has some surface texture but not sharp. Using the Formula 2, thaw it
out and press the food into the surface of the rock and then refreeze.
Thaw slightly at feeding time and place in the tank. With some luck,
this will allow for something close to their natural feeding habits,
and it will clean off the rock. If the fish does start to eat this way,
do put other foods in through the top at the same time so it will
[hopefully] begin to associate the two.> It is currently in a 55 gal
QT with a 5" Powder Blue Tang (no aggression issues so far), 3
Ocellaris Clowns, a Royal Gramma, a Long-nose B/F and a Lawnmower
Blenny. All fish appear to be very mild
mannered. Ammonia and Nitrites are zero, Nitrates are 10
PPM, Salinity = 1.0235 SG, Temp = 77 Degrees F. I am now
considering moving this Naso to a 20 gallon QT and possibly trying to
medicate using Clout as a kind of catch-all. <Hmm...> I do not
want to just medicate indiscriminately but I also cannot stand to just
watch another Naso Tang waste away. <Understood.> Please provide
some suggestions. <I would hold off on treatments for the moment -
do understand your desire to help this fish turn the corner, but think
that the best way to do this 'right now' is to reduce stress as
much as possible, and I think removal to another tank, treatment, et
al. will exacerbate your problems. Try the feeding rock first... if
that doesn't work, you might try more drastic action but I
don't see a good end to it.> Now, following-up on a previous
question -- I had asked about using Cu as a standard practice in a QT
for all arrivals since I recently purchased a Purple Tang that showed
no signs of parasites for the first day in the QT but looked like it
had been sugar-coated on the second day. My concern is that
new fish could be carriers of Cryptocaryon and have no indication of
this for the entire quarantine period, only to bring the crypto into
the main tank once moved. <Nine times out of ten, they will present
these issues in quarantine. Most all parasitic issues are cyclic so
that at some point in the two to four weeks the problems, if there are
going to be any, will show up. Copper, especially with tangs can cause
more problems that it's worth, so it's my opinion that it's
better to hold off.> Again, I prefer to not medicate without a
specific reason for doing so but, since crypto can be so elusive, my
question is: "Are the potential risks associated with consistent
QT use of Cu outweighed by the benefits of (nearly) guaranteeing
parasite-free fish being introduced into the main aquarium?"
<Varies on a case by case basis methinks. Copper, formalin, all
these are toxic/poisonous in the right concentration so that you really
should avoid them unless symptoms dictate the need.> Thank you for
the help. I am looking forward to your response on the Naso
so I can hopefully begin to do something to turn-around its appetite
soon. --Greg <Cheers, J -- > Naso Tangs Hello Bob, <Hello Sanjay> I'm unsure if you remember, but approx 3 months ago I wrote to you regarding Naso tangs and intestinal worms. My plan was to investigate intestinal worms in Naso tangs as a reason for their decline in captivity. <Interesting possibility> I purchased a healthy six inch Naso and introduced it to my QT system. It settled in well and after a week or so I began my experiment. To half a cube of frozen food I added approx 20mg of an anti-thelmic preparation called Mebendazole. I obtained the liquid form which sticks to frozen food. I fed this twice a day for two days without any ill effects to the Naso. However I did not see any worms. <Have you taken a look to and through the scientific literature on issues involving such worms and Surgeonfishes?> On the third day, hey presto, hundreds of tiny round worms (confirmed by the local vet) about 1 cm in length. Nasty looking organisms might I add. <Have any pix?> The QT tank had a little live rock, which proved to be a great mistake. Many worms sought refuge in this rock. At the same time the anti-thelmic agent seemed to dislodge the worms, but did not kill them. I tried to remove as many as I could. The tang re-ingested the worms and began to decline in the same manner as my previous Naso did in my main system. The Naso became increasingly thin over a few days. Eventually the tang died from what I suspect to be an over load of worms. I decided to discard the live rock, but as I was about to do so, I spotted a very large round worm about half an inch thick and six inches in length. My conclusion from the above may provide a reason for why Naso tangs decline for no apparent reason in captivity. <One hypothesis... how will or might you go about devising experiments to prove, disprove it?> I am not repeating this exercise as I do not want to be responsible for another Naso death. However I believe that importers of these beautiful creatures may find my studies interesting and take on the responsibility of de-worming these fish before they are passed on to retailers, (in an Ideal world). <... better to have a larger sample size... and more "cures" folks can attempt> I also conclude that those who read this post and decide to de-worm a fish in QT, must do so with either a more effective anti-thelmic drug or a greater concentration of Mebendazole. Ensuring the tank is devoid of live rock is also essential. <Okay> Hope this has been of interest to you, thanks in advance for taking an interest. Regards Sanjay Patel <And thank you for writing. Bob Fenner> - White Spots on Naso Tang - Hi Crew, I have a 3"-4" Blonde Naso Tang with small white specks surrounding the perimeter of both pectoral fins and a white tuft (approx 3/16" long) attached to the lower, rear anal fin. I have tried to take pictures of this but I have been unable to produce any that show the problem. There is not a single (visible) spot of Cryptocaryon on the fish's body. It did have a mild case of crypto and refused to eat for the first four days after it arrived about 1 1/2 weeks ago so I began treating with CLOUT for two days, followed by CopperSafe since that time. The Royal Gramma that is in the QT with the Naso developed a case of fin and tail rot so I also treated the tank with Maracyn 2 and Melafix. All fins on both fish are completely clear and perfectly healed now. I gave the Naso an 8 minute freshwater dip four days ago, in an attempt to rid it of these few white specks, but this had no effect. The tang is eating very well now and, other than these few white specks on the fin edges, it appears to be perfectly healthy. The white spots are very pronounced though. They are approximately the size of a grain of salt (except for the white mass / tuft on the anal fin) and they appear to be lightly sitting on top of the fin edge. I know the white salt grain-sized specs sounds like Cryptocaryon but I have maintained a constant 2.0 PPM level of Cu++ (chelated CopperSafe) in this QT for nearly 1 1/2 weeks now, followed by freshwater dips. I have also examined this fish very closely and there are absolutely no other white spots except for these isolated few at the very outer edges of the pectoral fins so this is making me think this fish has something other than crypto. Any ideas? <It's probably just residual marking from the Cryptocaryon. Given the level of copper and the fact that the fish is otherwise eating and doing well, I'd let it continue in quarantine... always keeping an eye on things, make sure those spots don't turn into something else, get infected, etc.> Water parameters: Salinity = 1.022, Temp = 82 Deg. F, Ammonia = 0 PPM, Nitrites = 0 PPM, Nitrates = 20 PPM, 2.0 PPM Cu++, weekly 25% water changes. Your help is greatly appreciated! --Greg <Cheers, J -- > - Shoe-horn Quarantine - Greetings Crew, I really hope you can help me to keep a Naso Tang alive. I currently have a 3.5" (mouth to tail) Blonde Naso Tang that is frightened of absolutely everything. His gills and fins begin to flap like a hummingbird's wings any time I get near his tank, turn the lights on or off or anything inside or near his tank moves. He turns nearly black in color, with white spots. There are times when gilling is normal and he regains normal coloration but I must remain completely still for several minutes to see this. What really has me concerned is his lack of appetite. I have had this Naso for three days now and I have still not seen it eat. This is my third Naso and all three have suffered the same symptom of not eating. Although the first two Naso Tangs died, I have had very good success with all my other fish so I had hoped I just happened upon two unhealthy fish previously and this one would live a long life. The only difference with this fish is that it does appear to have eaten at some point before I received it. The previous two Nasos were very thin (concave, in fact) but this one is more rounded - "full-bodied". This Naso is currently in a 20 gallon QT with a 2" Purple Tang. <You should separate these fish - not a good size for two tangs.> I have not noticed any aggression (they were added at the same time). <Still... to close a quarters.> For the first day I also had a flame angel and a tiny clown goby in this tank as well but I have since moved them to my 55 gallon QT. <I would do this the other way around with the clown and goby in the smaller quarantine and the larger fish in the 55 - even better would be to have the Naso in there by itself.> Ammonia and Nitrite is at 0 PPM, Nitrate = 20 PPM, salinity = 1.023 SG and temp = 79 Degrees F. I perform ~20% water changes every third day (using water from my 180 gallon main tank). The tangs showed signs of Cryptocaryon so I medicated with CLOUT for three days, until all white spots were gone. I am not using copper at this time because I used this on the previous Nasos and thought this might have played a part in their lack of appetite as I have read that some tangs are sensitive to copper. <Perhaps.> I have tried feeding Formula 2, Nori, Spectrum pellets, flake food, chopped silversides (Selcon-soaked), Zooplankton and even brine shrimp (Selcon soaked) but the Naso has shown no interest in any of these. The purple tang seems to like all of these. What else could I try? <I'd stick with the algae and other green foods - what you might want to try is thaw out some frozen formula two and then press that into a chunk of live rock and re-freeze. When it's feeding time, thaw out a little bit and place in the tank. This should allow the fish to duplicate its natural feeding behaviour which is picking at algae on rocks. Again, I'd remove the second tang from this tank so there is no competition for this food.> Is there any "irresistible" fish food? <Not that I can think of other than live algae growing on live rock - this is what they eat in the wild.> I QT all new fish for 4 weeks (or 4 weeks after the last signs of ich). I use the drip method to acclimate fish over about a 45 minute period. I feed any existing fish in the tank before adding new fish and I leave the lights off for at least four hours after adding new fish to the QT. There are two cave-shaped pieces of live rock in the QT for hiding. I try to remain out of sight of the tank except for feeding for the first day or two, until the fish get accustomed to their new surroundings. What else could I do to make the transition easier for this fish? <Remove that second tang.> What could I possibly do to get the Naso to eat? <Have detailed my ideas... can't think of much else.> Are Naso Tangs of this size just not hardy, do you see any issues with my husbandry or do you think I just had a very bad coincidence (3 very sick Nasos - 1 from my LFS and two from an online store)? <Combination of factors - capture and transport is very stressful, and this usually takes weeks to come down from.> I have considered moving the Purple Tang to the 55 gallon QT but this larger QT contains a 6" Powder Blue Tang, a porcupine puffer, a flame angel, 3 ocellaris clowns, a Longnose B/F, a Royal Gramma, a Lawnmower Blenny and a Clown Goby. <My friend, you have too many fish in this quarantine. You really need to be dealing with and then placing one fish at a time. Additionally, you have too many tangs... you're going to have problems in the long run with this mix.> I think the Purple Tang would probably hold its own with the Powder Blue but the 55 gallon QT is already a bit crowded and I also thought the Naso might be encouraged to eat by watching the Purple Tang. <I think you're overcrowding your quarantine.> What are your thoughts regarding what I should do - move fish? <Slow down - one fish at a time.> different foods? medication? fish shiatsu? buy a larger Naso Tang that is eating at the LFS instead of taking the risk on smaller fish? <None of the above - you need to adjust your behaviours. The fish are just reacting to the situations you are putting them into.> Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, as I do not want to be unintentionally harming this fish or wasting money on a type of fish that is "impossible" to keep. I did not think Naso Tangs were supposed to be delicate fish. <They typically aren't.> Are Blonde Nasos more/less hardy than those that are not from the Red Sea? <Not that I'm aware of.> -- Greg <Cheers, J -- > Naso Not so Good Hello <Hi, Ryan here> I have a Naso tang (lituratus) with streamers and he is not eating since a couple of days, I have checked water parameters and they are all fine (still did a water change) except the ph that was about 7.8 I raise it to 8.1over a two day period ,the thing is yesterday the fish had ate a little bit not as mush that normally eat!!!!( had not eat for two, tree days before that )and now today he stopped again and I notice that is lips are white (like a fungus or something covering the lips ) and he is staying on the top part of the tank all he other fish are fine and healthy and eating fine .????????? <Hi. A change in pH from 7.8 to 8.1 can have negative effects on sensitive livestock. I recommend you start to buffer your pH (sounds like you already are), and add something to stabilize your calcium and alkalinity. B-Ionic is simple as pie. As for feeding, I would try and offer some frozen Formula 2 and Nori. The white lips you are describing is probably a sign of a bacterial infection. Is this a new fish? I would take him out, isolate him and treat with a Furazolidone and Nitrofurazone medication, and follow the directions to the T. Good luck, Ryan> I am starting to freak out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don't want to loose that fish !!! how many time can they stay without eating ? Would like to have any help or advice you think might help Thanks Naso In Trouble? Hi, <Hello there! Scott F. at your
service> I am quarantining my first Naso Tang. I've had
him over a month and he seems to be doing OK. Likes to eat
Sargassum and spaghetti algae but hasn't really gotten into flake
food or brine shrimp yet. Very aware and curious of my presence,
relaxed breathing and a decent belly. <All good signs>
I'd like to put him in the aquarium but I wanted to check with you
first. My only concern are these light blotches or patches
on its skin. To me the blotches seem to have always been
there, not getting worse or better. They aren't
raised or fuzzy either. I've attached a photo. Is this a
normal discoloration related to the confines of a QT. Thanks, Justin
<Well Justin- first off, I commend you on your use of quarantine! An
excellent practice that will benefit you and your fishes for years to
come! As far as the blotches, it's hard to say what they might be.
If the fish appears otherwise healthy, eats well, and is not in any
apparent discomfort, then I'd be inclined to release the fish on
schedule. Could be anything from a genetic fault to a light trauma
incurred by scraping himself against aquarium decor. If you maintain
excellent water quality, and keep feeding this guy carefully, he should
be just fine. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Tang In Trouble? (Naso Tang Not Eating) Hi! <Hey there!
Scott F. here today!> First would like to thank you all for the
great site! I found answers to all of my questions there!
<Glad to hear that! We have a LOT of good information on this
site...Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to research stuff...>
But now I got one question I didn't find. <Sure> I have a 230
gallon reef tank with 2 clowns, 1 wrasse, 1 damsel, 1 Bicolor
Pseudochromis, 1 Bicolor Blenny, 1 Firefish, 1 Orange Shoulder Tang
juvenile, 1 quite big Moorish Idol and 1 Naso Elegance tang (juvenile)
Some hardy soft and hard corals along with some disk anemones and
mushrooms. There is 130 lbs live rock in the tank (planning to get more
next month). Tunze Turbelle Stream 8000 l/h powerhead (with air), Tunze
3130/2 skimmer, 36W UVC. I have this tank for 4 month now. I
had much smaller fish only tank before (for 1 year). SG
1.023, temp 26C, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates about 10, PH 8.3, KH
11.3, Ca 480 - all parameters seems to be fine. There is no
"electricity" in the tank since I bought "grounded"
pump and skimmer. The problem is with my Naso Tang. I've got him 4
days ago, along with Orange Shoulder tang (I waited 4 mount for the
tank stabilizes). I did a 1,5 hour acclimatization for the new arrival
with lights off until next morning and the next day both fishes was
extremely happy with no signs of stress at all! They eat everything I
gave to them - frozen brine shrimp, Mysis, Spirulina, sushi Nori, even
broccoli! <Always a great sign! But I didn't see the word
"quarantine" mentioned there...You really should quarantine
all new arrivals- particularly tangs.> So I relaxed a little bit,
thinking I gave them a good start in the new tank. Other
fishes were very interested but not aggressive to the new tangs. Both
new tangs were very active, they swam along together, picking food and
rocks. However the day after my Naso tang showed completely different
behavior. First it was hiding then later it came out and I noticed that
he swims very strange - like he continues sleeping! He was swimming
very "passive" like fish do in the night in the stream,
"freezing" in one point. He showed absolutely no signs of
interest to food the hole day - it was very strange to me because the
other tang was even more happy and hungry than the day before! <Not
a good sign...> My Naso didn't eat for 2 days now and became
very thin. He is doing this strange swimming the hole day and
that's all! He ignores food and other fishes. I'm really
concerned about him because it looks not good and I just can not lose
him! I noticed that the same day he change his behavior one of my two
starfishes (Linckia sp.) seems to be bitten. May be he tried it and
poisoned himself with it's tissue? <Unlikely, but I suppose that
it's within the realm of possibility...> There is now signs of
internal/external infection or parasites... The other fish are fine and
doesn't show any signs of aggression to him die to his size. I did
read FAQ about Naso tangs found they can refuse food and so on. But I
didn't found anything about this strange "sleeping"
during the day. Is it en internal infection symptom or something else?
I just have no idea what's wrong with him! What I suppose to do
with my tang before it's too late? What else should I check?
Please, help! Hope for a quick answer Mikael from Sweden <Well,
Mikael- I agree that this is not normal behavior for this fish.
It's never good to see a fish refuse food or act listlessly. The
absence of external symptoms does not mean that the fish isn't ill,
but it is something to be concerned about. These fishes do have
difficulty adapting to new environments, although your tank sounds like
the parameters are pretty good. If the fish continues to refuse food
and continues to act listlessly, then you may want to consider removing
the fish to a separate tank for further observation. If other symptoms
manifest themselves (like obvious spots or sores on his body), then
appropriate medical intervention is warranted. On the other hand, if
the fish is simply listless and refusing to eat, then I'd do what I
could to tempt him to eat again. Fresh macroalgae, such as Gracilaria,
is an excellent supplemental food. In the confines of a separate
aquarium, you could also administer some aquarium vitamins directly to
the water (remember- marine fishes do drink) in the hope that he will
obtain some nutrition in that manner. Provide a stable, clean
environment and a large variety of nutritious food items, and hopefully
he will come around and eat again. Don't give up on this fish. With
a little extra care and attention, he can pull through this difficult
time and thrive. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.> Re: Naso Tang Ok, I will get a bigger tank, but how do I try to save him in between time. The yellow Naso tang is not eating. What other types of food should I consider feeding him... any suggestions.<Nori, Lifeline, Caulerpa, other macro algae> And are you saying I should only house 1 tang with a tank of the size I have?<probably yes> Oh I have a rock and fish only tank sorry for the confusion. If I get a bigger tank will this prevent disease outbreaks in the future...any suggestions<possibly if you Qt before hand> Janeiro <good luck, IanB> Black Spot on Fin (NASO TANG) Hello, You have a great web
site!! I have a 130 gal. salt water with a few damsels and a large
puffer and a 11" Naso tang. I noticed yesterday a black spot on
one fin. I have had him about a month and he came from a friends tank.
He shutters a lot , but no signs of anything! <Mmm, could be
"nothing"... the shuddering is natural... some melanistic
spots on Naso lituratus come and go...> I keep a low dose of copper
in the tank, however recently I removed all of it with a carbon pad.
<I would not keep copper constantly in a main/display tank>
Should I retreat with copper or formalin? <No> He eats and looks
great! Nitrates have been a little high but I do weekly water changes
and everything else looks good! He constantly shakes a lot.
It this <This animal does shake naturally as stated (even in the
ocean), but it may be shaking more due to being in small confines... I
would look into ultimately trading it in for a smaller specimen (like
half this length) in your 130... or getting a much larger, longer
system for it. Bob Fenner> New Naso Good to write you again which must mean I have a problem. Actually it is more of asking a question to prevent the spread of a problem, if it is a problem that is. Anyway, the problem is that I have just purchased a Naso tang 3 days ago, and up to 2 days he looked great and acted great. He eats like a pig and enjoys swimming and looking the whole tank over, normal stuff ya know. Anyway, last night I noticed that around the inside of his orange lips it looked like he had a layer of white mucus like crap. Like someone had stuck a white rubber ring on the inside of his lips. As the day went on and the fish went picking and eating algae off the rocks he just generally rubbed the white filmy crap off. So I thought that was the end of it, since it has not stopping his eating. I forgot to mention, when I first received the fish it looked like it had some slight pickings at its fins that are on its sides next to it's gills, sorry I can't remember the fin name <pectorals>. I didn't think anything of it, I have had fish come in like that before, I just figured he was getting a little bit of bothering, but what fish doesn't every now and then, and I figured it would heal up in a week or so. Anyway, come this morning the film was back around the mouth and now the picked edges of his fins had some white film on them too. I thought maybe his eye looked like it was starting to cloud a bit but I could be wrong so disregard that statement. Anyway, do you have any ideas what this could be, if it is anything? I was thinking maybe a bacterial parasite of some sort. The only reason I hope it is this is because the only other disease that I have seen that looks like this is a Microsporidean infection, and if it is that I am a goner, or at least the fish is. But I really don't think it is that. if it is a parasitical infection how should I treat it? I have been told different ways. Some people tell me that a fresh water dip will cure it, bad thing is I don't know how long to dip them, you could help me with that. The other is a long bath in Methylene blue. So your help is greatly appreciated and needed, thank you. John Moyer <<I don't think there is actually anything wrong with your Naso (lituratus) Tang... what you describe is likely "just" some sort of mucus that the animal is producing in reaction to being handled, and healing... And I would not net and dip it... not worth the stress and damage from the dip procedure itself... Keep feeding and enjoying the animal...Bob Fenner>> Sick Naso Hey Bob, This is a new one to me. I have had him for almost 4 years. Has had symptoms for about 6 days. Symptoms: not feeding partial cloudy eye (getting a little better) color changes from very dark to normal listless (except for occasional swim) when swimming, bumps into rocks and corals seems like he is blind. possible poisoning? some kind of internal parasite? <Maybe... but more likely a bad "bump" in the night... the tank top or side... do try a water change, offering some Nori sheet algae on a plastic clip...> This fish stresses real bad when moved so I have not moved him yet. Not sure what to treat for so nothing drastic right now. Any help would be appreciated . Thanks <Agreed re the moving... don't. Do try to be patient, and offer the algae, do the water change... Bob Fenner> Sick Tang? Hey, My Naso Tang is a little red around the
gills. He is eating well and acting normal. The water is at about 1.023
but I changed my water yesterday and before then it was at 1.018. The
ammonia is at 0 and there are slight traces of nitrites. Is this a
natural thing or is he sick. Also, I lost 2 turbo snail this week. I
think it was do to my salinity being low but I'm not sure because
I'm new at the invertebrate game. Thank You, Jonathan Pac
<Yowzah... this specific gravity change is way too fast... about one
thousandth a day is maximum... Be careful that you haven't
depopulated your beneficial nitrifying bacteria here... and take things
much slower henceforth... otherwise you'll have more than a Nasos
red gill covers. Naso Tangs have a couple of fish that have white spots on there body. I have a 110 gal reef tank. I set up a 6 gal hospital tank to treat the 2 fish that showed signs of these spots "Ick" 1 Blue Hippo Tang and 1 Naso Tang. The Naso Tang didn't have as many spots as the Blue Hippo but when I put them both in the tank after about 1 hour the Naso started to fling everywhere in the tank and just croaked. This was very upsetting. My Local fish store told me to set up the hospital tank and treat it with copper and place the fish in the hospital tank. They told me to do the follow. 1/Take water out of main tank to fill the hospital tank 2/Add copper to hospital tank and bring to level .20 ppm (after some reading I was a little unsure about the ppm level so I put it at .10-.13 ppm just to be safe) The blue hippo has been in the hospital tank for 24 hours now and doing ok. I also have 3 Percula true clowns now showing the white spots on there body as well as gasping very quickly for air. I am unsure whether I am missing something here as to I am very new to Marine Aquariums and never dealt with any diseases. I am afraid to put these little guys in the hospital tank because I don't want them to die just like the Naso did. I know that Ick is 2-3 week moving parasite on the host so I wanted to wait and get a response from you on how to proceed, or what I need to change. These guys normal diet is frozen-live brine shrimp, romaine lettuce (for tangs) and Marine Flake Food. My system uses a Wet/Dry Trickle filtration system and as a SeaClone Skimmer also. Any help as soon as possible would be appreciated, as to I don't like to see these poor things pass away. Its just really sad. <<Who can say why the Naso reacted so negatively to the procedure... these species do not enjoy small systems... a six gallon is very tiny to them... I would have suggested a higher initial concentration of free copper... more like .35ppm and never letting the residual drop below .20... I would move the damsels, all other fishes and treat them together... Do read over the "ich" pieces on the site: Home Page regarding what to do with your main system going forward... And do develop and adhere to an acclimation protocol going forward to prevent having these problems. Bob Fenner>> Re: confused-urgent ich problem Dear Bob, When we put the little Naso back in his home tank, he continued to look better and the next morning his dark spots were barely there. He still looks good. We called all over town and found a few cleaner shrimps. I wanted them anyway and I hope they can avoid becoming an expensive lunch for the hermits. <Yes, they should be able to co-exist... unless you have "mean" species of Hermits... and/or both are hungry...> I love that little Naso (not so little). He's amazingly intelligent. I hand fed him Sunday as much as he would not spit out while he was in the copper tank. Now he eats out of my hand reliably. After yesterday, though, he turns distress colors when he sees the net. I hope I can win his trust back. <You will> Thanks for all the replies. People tell us getting a UV filter will prevent this. <No... a myth> Now I'm just hoping the shrimp and fish "bond". By the way, your web site is an excellent source of info. (I would expect nothing less given that your book was so wonderful). <Ahh, thank you> I can't help it. I love this fish. Thanks again, Allyson <Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner> Naso Troubles Thanks for the quick response! I apologize for asking another (unrelated) question, so soon on the heels of the last one, but I forgot to ask it last time. I have a Naso tang who seems to be wasting away. A friend took care of all of my fish for a few months, while I was in between tanks. When I got them back a month ago, they all seemed to be a bit on the thin side, but most have come back nicely. The Naso, however, seems to look worse. He seems interested in food, and vigorously attacks the sushi Nori that I feed every day, but he spits out whatever he chews. He does seem to keep all of the frozen and flake foods down. Is this something that you're familiar with? Can you suggest anything? Thanks again, Dan <Yes. Do try other "human intended" (especially Rhodophyte, Red Algae (though they'll likely look green...) species like Rhodymenia, Gracilaria... and soak all in Selcon (or other vitamin prep.s like Zoecon, Microvit...) a good fifteen minutes before offering them to your Naso... and some meaty foods you can suspend on a "feeding spoon" near the surface... Bob Fenner> Ich, another parasite, or stress??? I recently purchased a
Naso tang that appears to Ich, but I'm not sure (I'm new to
this). The Tang had a few white spots which now only really appear when
the fish turns a darker shade of grey. What concerns me is that it now
has some white patches on it, as if it has been scratching. I have
started to treat it in a separate tank with Melafix and CopperSafe, I
have also given it a fresh water dip. I have noticed that it has not
eaten anything in several days. Is there anything else I can do?
Thanks, Kyle <Maybe. I would lower the specific gravity and stop the
Melafix. Please read over the ich, treatment, tang, tank
troubleshooting... sections of our site: www.WetWebMedia.com, starting
here: http://wetwebmedia.com/tanktroubleshting.htm Bob Fenner> Re: pls tell me your are online... (Naso demise) So far he is
still alive.... 5 and a half hours after the move.... I also moved the
cleaner wrasse into the hospital with him. The cleaner has been picking
at Naso almost none stop. Naso even has ich inside his mouth.... He
opens his mouth really wide... I guess wanting wrasse to clean inside
there. <Hopefully> I am doing the SeaChem Cupramine treatment...
I did a test and it is at 0.15 for now.... I will continue to test and
adjust as needed (hopefully) <Good> THE PLAN: I will not buy more
fish for the rest of the year..... <Let's not go that far> I
will however get a Neon Goby and maybe a fourth cleaner shrimp. I am
considering dropping the Salinity if another fish shows symptoms. <I
would do this pre-emptively. Like starting NOW> If not should I drop
it anyway? <Yes> If I can afford it should I get another tank for
fish only and move all the fish over there for treatment or just to
simply let the tank fallow for a few months? <The former is
better> Would a 55 gallon be enough for a purple tang, yellow tang,
6 line wrasse, Percula clown, scooter blenny and a Naso I hope?
<Yes> Does a FO tank require more than natural light? <No, not
for treatment purposes. No photosynthetic life, no need for extra
lighting> Or is that not necessary if no other fish show symptoms?
<The system and its occupants do have the disease, whether they are
currently showing symptoms or no... your situation is "in-between
stages of infestation"... study the life history of
Cryptocaryon... as time goes by (just a few days) you will start to
evidence "multi-generational stages"...> The ich would
then be considered in check with the current cleaner crew?
<Possibly... but if/when "balance" shifts to the worsening
of conditions for your fish livestock/hosts... Bob Fenner> Ich Life Cycle,,, adventures of Naso Hey Bob, I read about
the Ich cycle a bit more and came across some info about the Cyst
encased in gelatin stage.... <Yes> I believe I saw one a long
time ago.... <Not visible to the "naked eye"> I thought
that it was just mucus released by one of the corals.... So could this
have been a Cyst at the bottom of my tank? It is/was about 1/2 an inch
in diameter max. Is it safe to suck it out during a water change every
time I see one? I have seen one on 2 separate occasions.... about 2
weeks ago and say 5 weeks ago....Knowledge.... there is no
substitute..... Again your guidance is very appreciated, Robert PS. Do
the cleaner shrimp eat ich in the Tomite stage or cyst stage? <They
consume the encysted stages (and necrotic tissue, mucus...) on the fish
hosts only. Bob Fenner> Ich cure??? or not?? What do you think about this product? I never heard of it.... found it by Google of course.... It would be a dream if it worked.... http://user.aol.com/pattiric/aquarium/fishvet3.htm <My opinions about this and other ich remedies are posted on our site. Bob Fenner> Re: Picture of Naso as promised Bad news my friend.... Naso passed away this morning... she will be missed by her human family.... <My heart has been heavy re this fish's plight. Did suspect as much> I will start the Salinity lowering tonight. It has to wait for enough tap water to get de-chlorinated... I let it sit until the chlorine evaporates... this a good technique? <Yes, actually a very good one... part of the best way to make up synthetic seawater. Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/water4maruse.htm> Is it ok if I lower the salinity less than .001 per day? <Less is fine> or will this take too long to get to 1.017 and stress the coral too much? Once I reach 1.017 how long should I hold it? <A month or so> Is this holding of 1.017 dependant on how long it took me to get to it? <Yes, to some extent... you don't want the Spg sub-NSW (Near Seawater) for too long period> The question just above is not really addressed on your site.... yet.... <It should and now will be> Thanks friend.... Feel free to publish that pic I sent you of Naso... it is really unique... <Thank you for this. Bob Fenner> Robert Naso Tang Hello, Recently got a Naso Tang.. it has white
spots on it.. person at LFS said it is because the tang is scared. Is
that something that really happens when they're just stressed, or
should I be worried? <Mmm... I would be concerned... the white
spots... are they "raised" in appearance? Transitional, or
are they on the fish all day? Any other fishes showing signs? Likely
the beginning of an ich infestation. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm going on to the links beyond
as your interest, need leads you. Bob Fenner> Lisa H. Black spot (markings on a Naso Tang) Bob, Just to confirm. I'm pasting your description below. Yesterday, we had what looked like tiny white spots that disappeared and moved around like bubbles just in front of the lower/ventral fin. Now it looks like a fine black powder on the ventral/bottom fin of our Naso tang. If this is "black spot" you suggest fresh water dip. It doesn't look like a worm (I think someone called it a small ciliated protozoan?) Dakin says it can spread to the gills and they can suffocate. How long do we have before this happens? <What? Do you have access to a microscope? I would scrape off some of these "black spots" and take a closer look... they are not ciliated Protozoans (e.g. ich)... these are too small to see with the "naked eye"... and moving about?> The fish is visiting the cleaner shrimp (they don't look too interested). Perhaps this will go away? It's weird because within the first hour the fish was awake, it looks like some of it has disappeared (not all of it). It always seems that diseases are worse in the morning...is that because the cleaner shrimp pick things off during the day? Treatment: Freshwater dip: adjust pH (w/baking soda), temp, truly FRESH water or should we just have a slightly lower specific gravity (e.g.1.019)? Additives to dip: Copper we've got Cupramine--what concentration?.2?)--perhaps some Methylene blue? Formalin? Do any of these things interact? If we have to choose, which is the most useful and least toxic to the fish? 2-10 minutes? Should the black spot disappear during this time? Should we just do it for 10 min or as long as the fish can tolerate? I suspect he'll freak out regardless.--some aeration Should 1 dip suffice? We've been getting Caulerpa and trying to grow it from a friend's tank. Do you think that might have transported it? He's got a yellow tang but it looked great. One notable exception is Para vortex, the causative agent of "black spot disease", notably of yellow tangs. This is easily eliminated via freshwater dipping, though other authors suggest formalin baths and organophosphate remedies. Turbellarians, a group in the flatworm Phylum Platyhelminthes are mostly "free-living" non-parasitic species. Thanks, Allyson <This is not Paravortex... on a Naso Tang... maybe a trematode/fluke... I wouldn't necessarily "treat it" unless symptomatically this condition seemed to be seriously negatively impacting this animals behavior. Bob Fenner> Re: Naso Tangs. . . (more to fish health, knowing and the nature
of the human experience) One more question if you don't mind. .
. how will I know when it's time to move the Naso to a larger tank?
Will he start acting unhappy? Signs of limited swimming, loss of
appetite, etc.? <These behavioral changes are hard to discern, but
yes, all the above> Also, off the current subject, I am just very
frustrated and don't know where to turn. I love your website but
frankly, I'm very new to this hobby (only about 9 months) and I
don't know a lot about what I read. . .some of it is very confusing
and hard to understand. So, where can I go to get some basic knowledge
to help me understand and grow into learning this hobby? <Though it
is supposedly shame-faced to do so, I will plug a worthwhile general
(beginner-oriented) book on marine aquarium keeping of which I am the
author: The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Available from e-tailers,
the large book-sellers, fish shops. Very worthwhile> Frustration
also exists in the fact that there are so many conflicting opinions.
For instance, last night I noticed a small spot on my maroon
clown's fin that looked like fin rot. I went to your website and
found basically conflicting opinions (in the chat room) regarding
Melafix and Maracyn. These are the only two medicines that I know of at
all. I decided to use Melafix (because it seemed to be a safer, more
natural product and the fin rot is minimal) but then this morning
searched the WetWebMedia and found where you say you don't
recommend it so now I feel like I've done something horrible.
<Mmm, not horrible... Understand the nature of our sites as mere
extensions of related human experience... There are many (different)
humans, hence opinions... And that "Aquariology" is not
altogether a "science", but art and "voodoo" as
well... Embrace and revel in these differences (really).> What
should I have done for the maroon clown (have I hurt the other fish in
the tank that are not showing signs of fin rot?) <I would
likely have "done nothing" if just the one fish affected, one
spot...> and where can I go to get GOOD, solid information on
treatment of diseases? <There are books on the subject (see Ed
Noga's name on the Google Search), but with some general
understanding of what diseases are ("The Three Sets of
Factors..."), and good practice at picking out proper species,
good specimens, some simple dip/bath and quarantine procedures, decent
nutrition, regular aquarium maintenance, you are unlikely to need to
know much or anything about "disease"> I trust you, Mr.
Fenner, from all of the things I've heard and the books that
you've written you are one of the few that I would trust. I just
wish you could give out your phone number! :) When it's 10:00 p.m.
and you don't know what to do for your fish it's frustrating!
Please help and give me some guidance if possible. I apologize for
being so longwinded but I just am at my wit's end. I love my fish
and want to take the best care of them but I can't find a solid
guideline to help me. Is there a book that you've written
that's kind of a catch all for everything? <Ah, yes. TCMA>
Thanks for your help! I appreciate you so much. <Glad to help my
friend. Try to "step back" and enjoy your experience, even
the apparent frustration, un-knowing... all will become clearer with
time, experience, study, reflection, you'll see. Bob Fenner> Brown/Black spots on tang I have a problem with the tank and
am not sure what to do. My LFS recommends using Greenex but I have read
of awful "happenings" using this stuff on your website. It
doesn't sound like you recommend it. <cure or kill solution...
usually the latter> I went home for lunch today and my Naso Tang has
very light brown/black spots all over him. It does not resemble black
ich. They are not round spots. It's hard to explain. . . never seen
anything like it before. I tested the water and it is perfect. He is
acting fine -- eating well and swimming. What should I do? Do you
recommend anything to try or just watch it for a day or so? No other
fish show these signs. . . I'm at a loss. Please help. . . .
<sounds like Turbellid worms. Hard to cure but slow to kill fish. A
bare QT tank for 2-4 weeks with formalin and occasional freshwater dips
would be best for this before it spreads to other fish (mostly tangs,
butterflies and angels)> Thanks! <quite welcome. Anthony> Naso Tang Quick question. Today I noticed that my Naso tang was breathing really heavy and was not eating. The other fish look to be doing fine and so do the xenia, mushrooms, and buttons. Checked the water parameters and everything seems fine. I am running a skimmer in the sump and two power heads in the tank so they should be getting enough oxygen. Don't know what to do? Please give me some suggestions <the fish may be showing the early stages of a serious parasite infection that has started in the gills. Please consult our section on Wet Web Media on quarantine tanks for preparedness. If this fish needs medication it will need to be done in a QT tank to be effective and to spare poisoning your biological filter and calcareous media. Best regards, Anthony>
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