tang death mystery help...

Murdoch98 · 02/03/2008, 01:42 PM

I have an 8 year old 75g tank with 80 pounds lr. I have been unsuccessful at keeping any tang over 3 months. My first two casualties were a kole tangs than a yellow tang. My most recent one today was a small 4 inch naso i had for 2 months. All appeared very healthy were eating mainly nori for there diet. Occasionally the naso would eat some brine or mysis when the others were fed. I feed once a day with dried nori, about a 1 by 2 inch piece, plus he grazes on the live rock. I went away for two nights this weekend and came back to find him dead at the bottom of the tank. There was plenty of algae on the live rock for him. He had never shown any type of disease and always ate very well. This has happened with all three or four tangs I have tried over the years, overnight they crash and die after being perfectly healthy. It always seems to happen between 2 and 3 months. All of my water tests were perfect. The only two things I can think of that may or may not have caused this are..... I have been dosing daily with Kent tech-m to raise my magnesium to battle bryopsis. Or my piece of *&#@ berlin skimmer is to blame. I am currently building a new sump and have a euro-reef waiting and ready. I do drip acclimations for 90 minutes for the newly added fish. Maybe he is underfed? What am I doing wrong? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Mark Metzel

usmcsgt · 02/03/2008, 02:12 PM

For one the tang may not have the taste for the certyain plenty algae on the rocks. the only way that it could even be the kent tsch m is if your way over dosing and not checking the magnesium level and I dont seeing it being a skimmers fault, so when your asking a question like this one please provide all of your water parameters and you do know that a Naso will way out grow a 75 gal tank.

Murdoch98 · 02/03/2008, 02:30 PM

i am aware that the tang would out grow the tank and have an upgrade (180 -220g) planned in a few years. I have green hair algae on the rocks that the tang constantly grazed on. I have a mag test kit and have been slowly dosing over the last three weeks.

my parameters are as stated...
ammonia 0.0
nitrite 0.0
nitrate 5-10 (salifert)
ph 8.0 lights off (salifert)
salinity 1.024 (refract)
calcium 300 am currently dosing up (elos)
alk 11dKH (elos)
mag. 1300 and rising (elos)

virginiadiver69 · 02/03/2008, 02:37 PM

Tangs are known for Ich. They really should be QT for a least 6 weeks.

Murdoch98 · 02/03/2008, 02:48 PM

no signs of ich at all

deklin · 02/03/2008, 03:28 PM

Every tang I've had has attacked mysis as well as nori. You state that your tang would only occasionally take some mysis or brine during feeding time. I would view this as a sign of a problem. Perhaps something was stressing the tang that prevented a healthy appetite and led to a slow decline. Maybe nitrate levels, lack of swimming room, lack of flow or another tank inhabitant. I'd recommend staying away from tangs for a while, obviously there is something in your system that's not working for them.

02/03/2008, 01:42 PM	#1
Murdoch98 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chicago Burbs' Posts: 24	tang death mystery help... I have an 8 year old 75g tank with 80 pounds lr. I have been unsuccessful at keeping any tang over 3 months. My first two casualties were a kole tangs than a yellow tang. My most recent one today was a small 4 inch naso i had for 2 months. All appeared very healthy were eating mainly nori for there diet. Occasionally the naso would eat some brine or mysis when the others were fed. I feed once a day with dried nori, about a 1 by 2 inch piece, plus he grazes on the live rock. I went away for two nights this weekend and came back to find him dead at the bottom of the tank. There was plenty of algae on the live rock for him. He had never shown any type of disease and always ate very well. This has happened with all three or four tangs I have tried over the years, overnight they crash and die after being perfectly healthy. It always seems to happen between 2 and 3 months. All of my water tests were perfect. The only two things I can think of that may or may not have caused this are..... I have been dosing daily with Kent tech-m to raise my magnesium to battle bryopsis. Or my piece of *&#@ berlin skimmer is to blame. I am currently building a new sump and have a euro-reef waiting and ready. I do drip acclimations for 90 minutes for the newly added fish. Maybe he is underfed? What am I doing wrong? Any help is greatly appreciated. Mark Metzel

02/03/2008, 02:12 PM	#2
usmcsgt Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pensacola Fl. Posts: 999	For one the tang may not have the taste for the certyain plenty algae on the rocks. the only way that it could even be the kent tsch m is if your way over dosing and not checking the magnesium level and I dont seeing it being a skimmers fault, so when your asking a question like this one please provide all of your water parameters and you do know that a Naso will way out grow a 75 gal tank. __________________ There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits on the human capacity for intelligence, imagination and wonder. -- Ronald Reagan Current Tank Info: 100 Gal Mixed reef Cube.

02/03/2008, 02:37 PM	#4
virginiadiver69 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Va. Posts: 4,400	Tangs are known for Ich. They really should be QT for a least 6 weeks. __________________ Semi-aggressive mixed reef w/ shallow sand bed 96x30x27 310gal custom acrylic w/ ext. "fail safe" overflow 125gal sump/cryptic fuge w/ 6" DSB 3 400w Plus Rite 20k MH in Lumembrights 2 250w Plus Rite 20k MH in spider reflectors VHO actinic supplementation 2 Tunze wave boxes 2 Tunze 6060 in Tunze Rocks 2 Tunze 6125 Reeflo 250 skimmer Hammerhead return on OM 4 way Aqua controller lll Leviton power panel Deltec Eco-Cooler Randy's Two part 6.5 kw generator

02/03/2008, 02:30 PM	#3
Murdoch98 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chicago Burbs' Posts: 24	i am aware that the tang would out grow the tank and have an upgrade (180 -220g) planned in a few years. I have green hair algae on the rocks that the tang constantly grazed on. I have a mag test kit and have been slowly dosing over the last three weeks. my parameters are as stated... ammonia 0.0 nitrite 0.0 nitrate 5-10 (salifert) ph 8.0 lights off (salifert) salinity 1.024 (refract) calcium 300 am currently dosing up (elos) alk 11dKH (elos) mag. 1300 and rising (elos)

02/03/2008, 02:48 PM	#5
Murdoch98 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Chicago Burbs' Posts: 24	no signs of ich at all

02/03/2008, 03:28 PM	#6
deklin Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Superior, Colorado Posts: 456	Every tang I've had has attacked mysis as well as nori. You state that your tang would only occasionally take some mysis or brine during feeding time. I would view this as a sign of a problem. Perhaps something was stressing the tang that prevented a healthy appetite and led to a slow decline. Maybe nitrate levels, lack of swimming room, lack of flow or another tank inhabitant. I'd recommend staying away from tangs for a while, obviously there is something in your system that's not working for them.