Yellow tang turning white  10/1/06
Hiya
I have a new 125 gal. set up for about 8 weeks now. all the numbers are right on. I have added a yellow tang to my tank with my other fish, which are 2 blue damsels 1 tomato clown and 2 small blue damsels with yellow tails. All the small fish seem to be doing good. My questions is about the yellow tang he is turning white at the end of the day. I have increase feeding to 3 times a day and have also purchased green algae sheets and add them. Is this something to be concerned about? What is causing this? If this is a problem what can I do to prevent this?
<Tangs along with many other fish can change colors/intensity for many reasons, but often it’s due to mood. Stress may be the reason so be sure to double check all your parameters. Make sure you’re tank is not seeing large swings in temp and ph over a 24 hour period etc. Have you observed any aggression, hiding, sulking etc etc etc. Keep your water quality up and observe your fish...be prepared to take action if things get worse.>
Also need to tell you I had a Naso tang he lasted only 6 days.
<Yipes! Are you quarantining these new arrivals?
http://wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm>
Please help me
Thanks
Ron
<Best of luck. Emerson>

Tang back from the dead!  9/5/06 Not a sci-fi thriller!  9/6/06
Woke up yesterday and found my 3-year-old yellow tang lying motionless on his side at the base of the rocks.
<Early in the AM? As in before it was very bright in/outdoors?>
He was barely breathing. I left him alone hoping for the best. Two hours later, still no movement and now no breathing.
<... still dark?>
I reached in the tank, poked his lifeless body out into the open, and pulled him out by the tail. I placed him into a plastic container and prepared for the funeral.
<...'begins singing dirge'...>
A minute or so later, I went to flip him over to examine his other side for damage or possible cause of death. I noticed his fins stiffening when I touched him. I also noticed his gills had opened up, as if taking a deep breath (container had no water). Then the gills moved. He was actually still alive.
<"It's alive!">
He looked clean otherwise, so I placed him back in the tank. I expected him to sink to the bottom, but he actually started swimming slowly.
After a few minutes, I put some flake in the tank and he ate. Then I added a piece of Nori on a clip, and within few minutes he was eating that. It's now over 24 hours since his "resurrection" and he is looking and acting perfectly normal. Only thing I notice is a small scuff on one side, otherwise he looks perfect.
Did this fish die and come back to life? Anyone experience anything like this before?
<Bizarre! Me neither... Yellows (Tangs) do "sleep" on the bottom, motionless during the night... in the wild and captivity. I suspect their lack of motion aids in disguising them to predators. Bob Fenner>

Aloha yellow tang fins turning red/orange  8/30/06
Aloha My yellow tang is turning red/orange color on it's fins he is active and eats fine maybe a little shy it looks like it is on the inside bleeding maybe it's fins are healthy other than the discoloring do you know what this could be and how do I treat it my other tang is fine water quality is A Ok Mahalo for your time Ruth
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangdisfaqs.htm
and the linked files above... Likely environmental first, bacterial secondarily. Your answers are posted. A hu'i ho! Bob Fenner>

Brown? Yellow Tang? - 03/28/2006
I just purchased an exquisite looking Yellow Tang.  All water params. are in line.
<Actual measures would be better.>
Other fish are doing well. I turned the light on to find that he was a reddish brown color and then slowly turned yellow again.
<I believe you were simply observing the natural, night time coloration.>
Is this cause for concern?
<No.>
I read about the diet suggestions for other issues I will do those, as they seem a good suggestion regardless.
<Very good. Will avoid the situations in which they were suggested.>
This is the 2nd tang. First one died in 4 days. What to do?
<Take good care of this one, remain observant. - Josh>

Yellow tang ... what? Beh.  2/18/06
My fiancé set up a 75 gallon tank.  The water was fine, started with established bacteria and everything cycled through.  We added a 3.5 inch yellow
tang a few days ago.  Haven't changed anything about the water but the fish may not be eating.  He seems to hide when I put the food in, then after a few
minutes of undisturbed water, he comes into view. <Normal behavior.> He doesn't eat right away. After a few minutes, I walk away (call me crazy, but I feel like maybe he just
doesn't like eating in public). <You're crazy.> I come back after a few minutes and the food is gone, but for all I know, it sank.  It isn't flakes, its the dry pellets, looks
to me like Beta food.  I don't know much about fish, but my fiancé said all I would have to do is feed the fish. <Wish tangs were that easy to keep.  A difficult fish for a newbie to say the least.>  Anyway, the reason I am writing is just now I went to look at him.  It is night, so the light was off.  I turned it on to see if he was ok, <Not a good thing to do at night.> cause he was hiding. <Normal.> I noticed a white line all the way across both sides that matches the white spot near his tail.  It was surrounded by a brownish color.  After a few minutes of the light being on, the brown color went away but the white line stayed.  It just seemed to appear out of nowhere in the last few hours, cause he was ok when I went to bed a few hours ago.  Please tell me what to do and fast, I don't want to loose him. <Your tang is displaying typical nighttime coloration.  Do search the WWM, keyword, "Tangs".  Do read/learn about their requirements, food, water quality, etc.  Your finance should have gotten you something a little more easier to care for, especially someone just starting this hobby.  I'm guessing your finance is just as new at this as you.>  
Thanks for your help!!!<You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Becki

Yellow Tang Stressed Out - 02/14/2006
Greetings
<Hello. Sorry for your wait.>
I recently put a Yellow Tang in my 75 gal. tank which also has 3
Yellow Tail Damsels, 2 clowns, 1 Sleeper Goby, 1 Royal Gramma and several snails and crabs. All my water parameters are checking okay but the Yellow Tang is swimming quickly back and forth at the front of the tank. His coloring seems to be okay other than a white tint to his lower front and horizontally at the center of the body.
<Stress markings.>
I was wondering if this is just stress or if it is something setting in? Thanks for the information.
<Most likely just stress. Make sure it is feeding (on appropriate foods) and keep up on the water quality. The stress should pass as the tang settles in but keep an eye out for bullying. - Josh>

Yellow tang found "cuddling" with domino damsel   1/21/06
We have a 20 gallon tank with 5 pieces of live rock that we positioned to make cavities for the fish to swim under, etc.  We have a choc chip starfish, a blue fish--forget the name not very big, a b&w striped damsel (smallest), a yellow tang and a domino damsel., and then there are some snails too. <Too small a tank for that scenario>
Yesterday, we saw the yellow tang and the domino damsel appear to be cuddling and rubbing up gently against each other under the live rock...I have never seen that combo before...of course when I went to get my camera, then returned, my nosey tang had to swim over to see what I was doing outside its domain, so I guess I "ruined" the moment?  LOL!  Is this a normal thing between these two fish to do?  I found it an unlikely combo, or is this something I can expect to see often? <Believe me, they weren't cuddling.  The tang was showing dominance over an area in the tank he wants to call home.  The cuddling was the tang trying to give the damsel a shave with the very sharp scalpels present in their caudal fin.>
I couldn't find any info about this particular observation that is why I am writing. <Do search/read the Wet Web on tangs to learn more.>
Thank You, <You're welcome.  James (Salty Dog)>
Liz Danya

Zebrasoma Tang Antics. 12/1/2005
Thank you up-front for your service.
<You are welcome, hope I can help out.>
I've been a tank owner for 6 months and use your site frequently with questions. I have a 90 gallon vertical salt-water tank with a yellow tang, 6 line wrasse, Niger trigger,
<This one is a tank buster and can get quite aggressive. You will need to remove him eventually.>
<<Is among the least aggressive of the triggers, can be great big wussies!  MH>>
2 percula, and an anemone (along with the usual rock, etc). My water testing has always run excellent, and I haven't had any major changes in occupants for more than a month. Lately, my yellow tang swims forward rapidly, stops suddenly and flips tail-over-head in a vertical circle. He repeats it frequently, and while it greatly amuses me, it doesn't seem normal. He's eating well, swims normally for food, and I don't see any signs of external spotting or bleeding. Is this OK
or should I worry?
<Sounds as if he is just exercising. Tangs like swimming room and they will periodically show off their speed. You are at about the minimum tank size for this specimen, how large is it? Does the tank allow for ample swimming room? 
<<A 90 tall is not a lot of room for a tang (want to try 4' long?  Just like a 55-60), allows minimal room.  Marina>>
Are these flips fast or is he ever in a prolonged side-ways floating state (does he do this trick with ease or is it a struggle)…while it does not sounds like the latter I ask anyway because that could indicate a swim bladder problem. He is still eating and acting normal otherwise so I would not worry to much, Adam J.> 
<<This does not fall under the term "normal" behavior in any way whatsoever.  I would begin performing large water changes, and look to current to help solve this problem (assuming the fish really is just trying to stretch its fins).  Watch for color changes, ANY reddening at all is a bad sign, fish must be removed to hospital.  Marina>>

Yellow Tang - strange behavior/sick? 11/4/05
This is my first time sending a message so I hope this works. (and Thank you in advance!)
<Welcome>
I've been reading all the comments on the website and some address a few of my concerns but no situation was quite the same so I thought I'd give this a shot.
<Okay>
I have a 90 gallon tank (90 pounds of live rock) and have had a yellow and purple tang for 3+ months. (also have 4 clowns, a lawnmower blenny, a goby and some snails... all seem "normal". All seems to be good but within the last 3 weeks, I've noticed my yellow tangs chest area seems to be a bit sunk in. I feed him flakes, frozen shrimp and algae sheets.
<Needs more nutrition>
His appetite was good until the last day or so. He is not eaten and seems to be struggling even to swim. He does more floating on his side and seems to be using all his energy. I thought I was going to lose him last night since he was laying on his side at the bottom of the tank all night but this morning he is again trying to swim. I can't stand to watch him suffer. I checked all water levels and even took a sample to the store and everything was good. He doesn't have any spots but his one side does seem to be a little more orange (like more red from the inside) than his other side.
<Likely directly related to a lack of nutrition>
Is there anything I can do to help this little fellow? Any assistance would be MOST appreciated.
Thank you!
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ytangfdgfaqs.htm - Bob Fenner>

Yellow Tang Tango! (Startled Tang!)
Your advice has been terrific. Your team does a great service for all of us.
<Glad to hear that! We're happy to bring the site to you every day! Scott F. here today!>
My Yellow Tang started acting strange when I polished my acrylic tank. As soon as the lights come on he starts a dance.  Twitching, fanning the sand and making himself look big.  From reading the FAQ I believe that this is caused by seeing his reflection in the polished acrylic and acting aggressive towards himself.  He eats great. I understand the problem but not the solution. Any ideas?
<Well, there really isn't a great solution here, unfortunately. The fish is in a container with some degree of reflectivity. I think that best advise is to bring up the lights slowly, perhaps in a sequence if you have a timer. This will help to avoid startling the fish with a sudden burst of light. The fish still may want to "dance" with its reflection despite your careful lighting application...Hopefully, in time, the fish will "outgrow" this behavior and spend more time looking for algae instead of doing the "Tang Tango" with his reflection! Regards, Scott F.>

Yellow Tang Behavior
Dear Sirs, Good day to you or maybe goodnight.....
I have a question regarding the behaviour of my yellow tang. A quick run down on my system (running for 1 year) before I pose the problem or question. I have a 280 gallon reef tank, 180Kg + of live rock, yellow tang, 2 x regal or Hippo tangs, blue jawfish, yellow watchman goby, flashback wrasse, fairy wrasse, 2 x clown fish, purple firefish, red hawkfish, water changes 8% every 2-3 weeks. 
<Nice setup> 
I wont run into any more detail as my whole system is thriving, lovely SPS corals, LPS corals all growing and doing great sorry to go on.....
<No Problem but it helps to get your salinity, temperature, ammonia nitrites and nitrates so we have the most accurate picture possible.> 
All of the fish are fine except the yellow tang who has for a very long time (6 months at least, had him 1 year) exhibited twitchy behaviour.
<Hmm that is a while> 
He or She does not spend time grazing on the rocks as I would have expected, he is mostly at the front glass looking stressed 90% of the time. Breathing looks a little fast. He will swim away from the glass about several inches and then dart back towards the glass twitching. 
<It might see a reflection of itself and be trying to fight for its territory. Does this only happen when the lights are on?> 
All of my other fish are 100% healthy demonstrating normal behaviour. There are no fights and there is no bullying. I've been keeping Marine fish for 17 years but this has really got me confused mainly because of the length of time the Yellow Tang has acted this way. No external marks to the fish and appetite when fed is always there. Could stray voltage be a problem? Or have I got myself a mad fish? Your help would be most appreciated.
Kind regards Lee Cheesman.
<Well voltage is a possibility, however it being only one fish I would lean toward something else. A good test though for the electricity in the tank is to get a voltmeter and test with the two electrodes to see if it registers anything, and if it does try to figure out what is leaking electricity (check powerheads and heaters). Do you have anything reflective in or near the tank? If the tang sees its reflection anywhere it may be attempting to defend territory as I said above. A good test is to cover the sides of the tank with a non reflective single color cloth or paper etc. use either a blue or a black as they are closest to what the distant ocean looks like. Cover the area that the tang patrols and darts at and then watch from whatever angle you can and see if it calms down. I have personally had several fish that only would calm down if I used a background on the tank back. Hope that helps>
<Justin (Jager)> 

Strange acting yellow tang
What a great site you have here! Keep up the good work. I am hoping you can help.
<Will try>
I have a friend with a yellow tang that had reddish areas on it, (LFS said was hematomas?).
<Interesting... more likely petecchia, bacterial septicemia would be better descriptive terms here... but these and hematoma are only that... descriptive... they tell nothing/little as to root causes of appearances>
Anyway she treated it as directed by LFS, including fresh water dips etc...
<Dipping? Not worth the added stress... what were you hoping to accomplish here?>
It seemed to be fine. Color was back to normal. When she was transferring it back to the main tank (with only 1 net, not good I now know) it freaked out! We quickly put it back into the quarantine tank, but it was now just laying on its side on the bottom of the tank gasping for breath. It then started turning upside down and couldn't keep itself upright at all. We held it upright for a good 30 minutes (not easy). It seemed to be doing better and within about 6 hours was swimming around close to normal. The next morning she found it on its side on the bottom again and decided to try one more time to "save" it. She again held it upright for about 20 minutes and it seemed to rebound again. Later that day she put it back into her main tank, and just hoped for the best. I personally would have waited...
<Me too>
...but, not my fish. Well it now acts like it is has [been] brain damaged. Doesn't act anything like it did before. Won't eat anything except brine shrimp, spends most of its time in a corner staring under a little opening under a boat and when it does swim around it is always rubbing (slamming) its sides into things, which has caused the reddish spots to return, nor is it aggressive toward the other fish any more.  Any clues? Some people have told us that it may be from an air bubble.
Is that possible? Thanks in advance. Nadine
<... Much important information needed... the size, gear of this system, history of livestock, including this fish... Please have your friend read here quickly: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm  AND the Related files (linked, in blue, above). Bob Fenner>

Re: Strange acting yellow tang
Like I explained earlier this isn't my tank, it's a friends but her PC is down and I really hate to see this fish acting (suffering?) the way it is. It's eating the algae food again but has more red blotches and is now swimming more often then not on its side. Ok here's all the info. I have, Tank 29 gal.
<This is too small a world for this species>
7 lbs. live rock, 1½" live sand w/ ½" live gravel over it, Skilter 250 protein skimmer, 17w lamp, 78 degrees, 4-5 hermit crabs, 5-6 snails, 1 clown fish, 1 damsel, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp, 1 yellow tang, 1 emerald crab that died today, and one "hairy" crab (came w/ rocks is going to be caught and removed). Fed flake food in A.M. frozen brine in P.M. and green marine algae daily. Tank has been up for approximately 6 months. Tang has been in tank for about 2 months.  As of tonight Salinity 30, SG 1,022, Nitrite <0.3mg/l, ph 8.0, KH 10 (?), ammonia 0.25mg/l (this was 0.mg/l 7days ago).
<... where did this ammonia come from?>
Co2 concentration 3,0 (don't know if this is important but I made her check it just the same). I don't know much but from what I've read the ammonia is too high and may explain the emerald crab's death.
<Yes>
I am relaying any and all info. to her.
Thanks again.  Nadine
<Have your friend read re Yellow Tangs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/YellowTang.htm  and the linked files: in blue, above. Bob Fenner> 

Itchy fishy or just a matter of self-reflection?
Hi guys! I am fairly new to this hobby. I had a 20 gal. for almost a year with 2 perc. I now have a 55 gallon with a magnum 350 pro system with the bio-wheels, a CPR BakPak protein skimmer[ with added airstone]
<Good addition>
a Hagen underwater filter. I have Coralife 50/50 lighting and I am waiting on my Coralife U.V sterilizer. [these are the best I could do for now, will upgrade as time goes on]
Anyway, I have in my tank:
1 perc. clown
1 lawnmower blenny
1 royal gamma
1 flame angel
1 small yellow tang [ I was told I could trade her in for a smaller fish if I thought she was getting too big, of course by then I will be so attached to her I'll probably get a larger tank!]
So here's my question, my yellow tang started hitting herself on the rocks, sometimes darting around, I noticed her doing this a couple of days after I got her [about 3 weeks ago] she sometimes twitches and my clown sometimes slam-dances with the glass.... they do not do this constantly They are eating great, I have lots of different kinds of seaweed salad, frozen Cyclop-eeze [ spelling?] frozen Mysis shrimp, zooplankton, frozen emerald entree, frozen pygmy angel formula, frozen brine shrimp plus various pellet, flake foods.
<Yummy! I want to be reincarnated as a fish in your tank!>
I do not see any spots of any kind on any of my fish but I freaked out went and bought 2 cleaner shrimp, I bought Quick Cure from one LFS and Marex from another I went and bought a 20 gallon beginners tank [has every thing , mechanical, I need]. So I have everything now I still do not see any spots. I am a little scared to use the formalin, malachite green combo..
<You should be... toxic>
.. and I cant find much info on the Marex...and I am wondering if I need to treat them if I am not seeing
anything on the fish My water quality is good-
0-ammonia
0- nitrites
20-nitrates[ I am working on that]
alkalinity- 300
pH 8.2
I was stupid and did not quarantine them first, my only tank at the time had my other perc clown... I regret not qt but its too late now.....what would you suggest I do?? I also have 65#of live rock.[ by the way] please advise as I am a worry wart.
Thanks Kim
<Likely the very simple explanation is most correct here... your fish/es are mal-affected by their own reflections... Try this: taping a piece of paper over the sides so that they will not "see themselves". Bob Fenner>

Yellow tang and bamboo shark
First of I would like to thank you for the info that you give on you web page.  My first ? is that my yellow tang develops  white strip when ever I turn the light off, from your web page I have noticed that this is a common thing, yet is there any way that I can make him feel  safer when the light is off so the strip will not appear. <Totally natural for him to do that. Generally considered sleeping colors.> My  second ? is I just hatched a bamboo shark about two weeks ago. He started  eating white clouds and rosy reds in the light about three days  later.  I wanna know if this is a good sign.  Plus I have noticed that  as I feed him more his breathing has increased and lead to a decrease in  activity. <Digestion but you might check your ph and nitrates both of which sharks are very sensitive to.>  I was wondering if I feed him to much will he become less active, and overall if he eats the food immediate as I put it in the tank is that a sign of good conditions. <Sharks are big eaters and therefore they put out a lot of waste.  So you will need to watch your tank conditions carefully, testing frequently. Good luck, MacL>

Odd yellow tang swimming behaviour
hi, I am very very new to this and we have a tank with a yellow tang who has recently started swimming horizontally and spending a lot of time at the top of the tank.  also,
his color changes from yellow to white through the day but he is mainly a very pale
color.  in himself he seems happy enough, eats well and is pretty settled with all the other fish.  can you shed any light on this?
thanks for your time
Karen
<Something seems awry with this specimen... perhaps there is a low oxygen situation in your system (the fish is stressed... therefore changing color, breathing at the surface...). Do you have the usual test kits? I would check your water chemistry... now. And at the very least execute a good sized water change (25% or so). Do look at the surface of your water. Maybe a film of some sort has collected there (from fatty foods, sprays in the house, cooking oils...). Please list the other fish livestock you have as this provides important clues, as well as the set-up gear, its history. Bob Fenner>