3 dead naso tangs

[BigJim]

For the past couple of months I've been trying to add a Naso Tang to my 150g setup. I've tried 3 times and all 3 have died and can't figure why I am having such bad luck. All 3 were active in QT and eating fine and one day stopped eating then died a few days later.

Tang 1: eating and healthy for 3 weeks. I put him in my main tank and it died the next day

Tang 2: eating and active the entire time in QT, died after 1 week.

Tang 3: eating and active in QT for two weeks. Stopped eating and died 2 days later. I treated the QT with coppersafe as a preventative measure even though it looked fine.

None of the tangs showed any signs of parasites or infection. I also added a kardinal, clown, and goby in between and they have been doing fine so I don't know why I am having such bad luck with the tangs. Any ideas?

[widmer]

Maybe they are admitting defeat early because your tank's only 55g?

[newguy1983]

Widmer, he says he is using a 150g....

[Patroklos]

150g setup, a 55g gallon tank. Which is odd, why is your sump/refugium twice the size of your display.

Anyway, it isn't the size of the tank, a tang can live quite relatively happy for a long period of time in that size, as our LFSs show daily with non selling livestock. When they get full grown, another matter. How big were these particular individuals when introduced?

I have no idea though, what are your parameters?

[BigJim]

The main tank is 150g. That other info is on my old tank and needs to be updated. It is a mute point, they never make it to the main tank. The QT is a 10 gallon, the last tang was in a 5 gallon.
The first tang was 6 in long, the second about 5 in, the third just under 4 in.
Parameters are normal. I'm high in phosphates but am working on them.

[mcrist]

My naso would not eat at all for about a week after I purchased it. I finally got it to eat with some caulerpa.

I would try a different pet store.

[mcrist]

Get a bigger quarantine tank. A six inch tang is way too big for 10 gallon.

[BigJim]

oh yeah,

tang 1 came from reefhotspot.com

tang 2 came from that pet place (lancaster PA)

tang 3 came from liveaquaria.com

[TheORKINMan]

Just IMO you'd be better off just putting them in the main display tank then QTing in a 5-10 gallon tank.

[otrlynn]

Well, perhaps better for the tang, but since tangs are often afflicted with ich, you would be putting the rest of the DT at risk. And it will be no fun catching all the f ish in the 150 and taking them out to treat them. If you really want a Tang, it sounds like you need a bigger QT, and make sure that you are monitoring the water very closely (daily) for ammonia. Were you checking water parameters on the other 3 tangs? A tang in a 5 or 10 gallon tank could produce a lot of ammonia in a short amount of time.

[Mr. Brooks]

QT is way too small. I also wouldn't medicate unless needed. Copper irritates Tangs.

[Alaskan Reefer]

Upgrade your QT to a massive rubbermaid or something if you want to do it cheap. I would guess the stress of living in a 5-10 gallon QT is to blame.

[BigJim]

Thanks. I think you're right about the QT being too small. I never realized that and I should have changed more water more often.

There is no way I'd put a fish into the display tank without QT. I've been through that when I was in my first year of this hobby and the tank was only a 55g. It was horrible and I don't like to admit the rookie mistake so we don't talk about it at my house.

[justinl]

Originally posted by otrlynn
And it will be no fun catching all the f ish

lol, cheater.

[snorvich]

f.ish Computer nerd.

[Patroklos]

I quarantined my 3" PBT for four weeks in a 10g with no problems, but when you are talking about 6" thats a whole different matter.

You live in Maryland, why all the online fish buys. The stress of a FedEx trip plus a 10g quarantine might be the problem. Surely a 1 hour drive will get you to a dozen LFSs if you are in Maryland, and Nasos are not rare.

[luther1200]

I am almost positive the water in that small of a QT tank would get fouled with a Tang that big in it. They probably got sick from the ammonia. How often did you do WC on the QT? I would say at least 1g a day would be required, if not 2g.

[carlso63]

If your display tank is full of healthy fish, then adding a new Tang directly to the display w/o QT is not putting the rest of the tank "at risk for Ich" because healthy fish DO NOT get Ich. Sick or stressed-out fish do.

I think you have 3 issues here:

- Too small a QT tank leading to stress / possible water quality issues

- Too long a quarrantine period

- Buying fish online


I do not QT and never have. And although throught the years I have (of course) lost individual fish in the days / weeks following their introduction, from stress or disease or they stopped eating, got bullied by other fish, etc. I have never had a tank "wipeout" or "epidemic" due to lack of a QT. Now I know many hobbysists do QT; however, I would think a 30g tank would be better for the types of fish you are talking about. I also think that, if after 1 week the fish looks happy and healthy and is eating in the QT then it can go into the main tank. 3 weeks is way too long IMO...

I also never buy fish online. NEVER. Why not? Because you have no way of knowing if they are healthy or not before it gets to your home. I don't care about any "arrive alive" online guarantees, either. When I chose a fish for my tanks I want to examine it, inspect it, look for cuts, scrapes, parasites, fungus, torn finnage, etc., see how it feeds, IF it feeds, its overall mannerisms and behavior in the LFs tank... before I will commit to bringing it home.

You just can't do that online. Period.