Tangs

[mbu man]

i bought a scopas tang on sunday morning.
he hid up for about haslf hour then went around the tank as fish do eating algae.
but it seams that the longer it has been in the tank the more it is hiding up,it pops up from behind his hiding rock swims the smallest bit around the hiding area then darts back away again?
is this normal??
all my other fish are fine swimming around.

 

[shibby]

yes its probably just getting used to its new surroundings, exploring a little it should come out more given time.

 

[hubbard_shark]

shouldnt worry yet. typical behavior of new fish. at my work we just added a yellow tang into a 150gallon reef tank, and he only will come out for like a few hrs a day. so give it a good week, and he should be more use to the tank, and all shadows/objects/noises associated in and around the tank

 

[mbu man]

came home from work to find the tang stuck to my filter but still moving,turned off filter and it swam away a bit.
but now it is barley moving and just sitting on the bottom of the tank,in fact now its wedged itself between a rock and the side of the tank just breathing very slowley?? seamed to of lost the colouring at the front and looks all black??
very strange??? all other fish are fine.

 

[Tommy Gun]

What types of other fish do you have? Perhaps one or more are bullying the tang.

I agree with the notion that tangs are often very skittish fish....even long after they have been placed in a tank....and this is nothing to be overly concerned about.

While I would think it to be very disheartening to find your tank stuck to the filter intake, the color change in tangs can be somewhat the opposite of other fish in that tangs can take on a darker (almost black) color when stressed where as other fish would become more pale. I once had a lieutenant tang that would change from the very pale blue/grey color to nearly being completely black.

Don't be fooled though, most tangs are more challenging to keep to some degree....for some reason, they seem to be a bit more sensitive to water chemistry and since they do not produce as much of a slime/stress coat as other fish, they have the distinct reputation of being more prone to Ich and other illnesses. Granted, many hobbyists do keep some tangs for a very long time with a very high success rate, but to be honest, I have often seen some very 'sketchy' looking specimins in my LFS tanks which leads me to believe that they may not be given the very best care by those who are hoping to sell them as soon as possible; which only compounds the problem.

 

[mbu man]

What types of other fish do you have? Perhaps one or more are bullying the tang.

I agree with the notion that tangs are often very skittish fish....even long after they have been placed in a tank....and this is nothing to be overly concerned about.

While I would think it to be very disheartening to find your tank stuck to the filter intake, the color change in tangs can be somewhat the opposite of other fish in that tangs can take on a darker (almost black) color when stressed where as other fish would become more pale. I once had a lieutenant tang that would change from the very pale blue/grey color to nearly being completely black.

Don't be fooled though, most tangs are more challenging to keep to some degree....for some reason, they seem to be a bit more sensitive to water chemistry and since they do not produce as much of a slime/stress coat as other fish, they have the distinct reputation of being more prone to Ich and other illnesses. Granted, many hobbyists do keep some tangs for a very long time with a very high success rate, but to be honest, I have often seen some very 'sketchy' looking specimins in my LFS tanks which leads me to believe that they may not be given the very best care by those who are hoping to sell them as soon as possible; which only compounds the problem.

i have 2 clowns, 4 chromis and a blennie. the clowns tend to warn anything off that comes near their anemone, but the tang never comes out of the hiding spot at the back of the tank. tang is still in the same place not moving and breathing very slowley?

 

[AK77]

They do hide if they feel threatened. I know mine did. It can take a few weeks for a fish to really settle in. Once it gets used to its other inhabitants (provided they aren't bullying the fish) it will become more confident and swim around more freely.

One of my fireshrimps for example, would run off and hide all the time and wouldn't take food from my fingers. Now if I put my hand in the tank, he jumps all over it and starts cleaning my skin. Just give it some time to adjust and it should be fine.

You could try coaxing it out a little more by adding garlic soaked seaweed treats!

 

[Tommy Gun]

What size tank do you have? (sorry if you already mentioned that)

I agree with AK77 in that the providing seaweed/algae sheets (or paper as some may call it) is not only great for your tang's diet and health, but also becuase, if you place it in a veggie clip in an area opposite of the most current hiding spot, can prove to make your tang more visible and perhaps more confident since it would soon realize that there is little to no threat with being in open water. These fish do need to swim a LOT, so their tank requirements are usually much larger than their total size would suggest (another reason why any 'inch per gallon' rule is faulty at best). I think that, in time, you will see more of this tang...although, as I may have mentioned already, mine will quickly run and hide if any sudden movements occur outside of the tank, including when someone approaches the tank.

As I am sure you have heard/already know, clownfish are just as territorial as the damsels (which they are themselves) so I don't think it is too far fetched to believe that they could be bullying your tang enough that it feels as though it must stay in one area of the tank...heck, mine are bold enough to attack my hand when I put it in the tank...but again, it may be too early to tell at this point since the tang is new and probably still acclimating to its surroundings and new tank mates.

 

[mbu man]

What size tank do you have? (sorry if you already mentioned that)

I agree with AK77 in that the providing seaweed/algae sheets (or paper as some may call it) is not only great for your tang's diet and health, but also becuase, if you place it in a veggie clip in an area opposite of the most current hiding spot, can prove to make your tang more visible and perhaps more confident since it would soon realize that there is little to no threat with being in open water. These fish do need to swim a LOT, so their tank requirements are usually much larger than their total size would suggest (another reason why any 'inch per gallon' rule is faulty at best). I think that, in time, you will see more of this tang...although, as I may have mentioned already, mine will quickly run and hide if any sudden movements occur outside of the tank, including when someone approaches the tank.

As I am sure you have heard/already know, clownfish are just as territorial as the damsels (which they are themselves) so I don't think it is too far fetched to believe that they could be bullying your tang enough that it feels as though it must stay in one area of the tank...heck, mine are bold enough to attack my hand when I put it in the tank...but again, it may be too early to tell at this point since the tang is new and probably still acclimating to its surroundings and new tank mates.

the tank is 300 litres about 4 and a half foot wide. tang definatly getting worse, stck to a rock now from the current from a tiny powerhead. turned the powerhead off just floated to the bottom of the tank?

 

[Lynden]

Some tangs do swim very quickly, but Zebrasoma are not amoung those. Inch per inch, even the fast swimming tangs don't need as much room as the largest angels and triggers.

As for them being prone to disease, I once had an ich outbreak that killed clowns and even triggers, but amoung the two survivors was a sailfin tang that still lives in my friend's tank.

 

[AK77]

It may be in poor health or extremely stressed out. I would get some nori and soak in a garlic treatment to improve its health if it is sick and entice it out. A lot of omnivorous/herbivorous fish go nuts for garlic soaked foods so it might help. Ideally though, the less interaction you have with it at the moment, the better, as its clearly stressed from what you have said.

 

[Tommy Gun]

Some tangs do swim very quickly, but Zebrasoma are not amoung those. Inch per inch, even the fast swimming tangs don't need as much room as the largest angels and triggers.

Ok, this time I do disagree with you (and would add that I hope you aren't just trying to disagree with me just for the sake of disagreeing).....not in your sentiments regarding the angels and triggers - but because tangs need more open water than most fish of the same size (whether or not that is for speed, I am not sure) in order to maintain their specific lifestyle. You can click HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE (although this one has a grossly under-estimated tank size...but look in the 'fast facts') and HERE (fifth paragraph) and HERE (second paragraph)....well, you get the idea, I am sure.

the tank is 300 litres about 4 and a half foot wide. tang definatly getting worse, stck to a rock now from the current from a tiny powerhead. turned the powerhead off just floated to the bottom of the tank?

Obviously I don't know you or anything, so please forgive me if I am insulting your intelligence by asking how you acclimated this tang to your tank? I agree that it is very stressful for a fish to be moved to a new tank, but IME it seems as though something larger is wrong with your fish right now (which, by the way, I am sorry to hear about).

Also, would you be willing to post your water parameters for your tank since that might give some more important clues as to what might be going on here?

 

[Lynden]

I need to learn how to be more clear, apparently.

I agree with those websites in that a fish that can potentially grow to one foot needs at least a 70 gallon tank (in fact I would say closer to one hundred gallons). Any fish that gets a foot long, except for perhaps eels and very slow moving fish, needs a big tank, not just tangs. The only reason that (excluding Naso, Prionurus and fast Acanthurus, that do truly swim quickly all the time) tangs need a big tank is that they are relatively big fish; in fact I would be hard pressed to come up with one that stays under seven inches.

 

[Tommy Gun]

in fact I would be hard pressed to come up with one that stays under seven inches

Kole Tang usually stays under, or up to seven inches (which, by most accounts, including mine, is a GREAT tang for at least a few reasons - stay small, eat tons of algae, very very active). Which, not to get too far off the origonal intent of this thread, also requires a tank in the 70 gallon range...because they need the room to swim. Convict tang, up to 8 inches, still needs 70+ gallons. Lieutenant tang, up to 10", needs 100+ gallons (all according to online LFS websites).

Anyways, I don't want to detract further from this thread....obviously a 300 liter tank (which is approx 80 US gal, I believe, and as already mentioned, over four feet long) is a decent size for a scopas tang, or would at least be ok for quite a while...and I feel there is another, much larger issue at play here.

 

[Lynden]

All big fish need room to swim. Not just tangs. I think I might have to start being an "everything-but-tang police"...

But anyways, retail sites I find are not incredibly reliable. Just think of everything else they say and how much of it is bull####.