Sailfin tang died of loneliness

daddy'sgirl · 11/05/2009, 05:48 PM

Okay, so my Dad bought a sailfin tang when he was out shopping. He brought it home and when I looked at it, I noticed that it had white spots. So I put it in the QT. I put garlic Xtreme in the water and fed him a variety of foods, not that he ate much. Anyways my dad kept asking me why I wasn't treating him. My answer was that it would stress the fish out and I hadn't watched him long enough.Three days later it died. My dad keeps saying it died of loneliness, he even called somone at Petco who told him that it stresses the fish out more to be lonely then it does to put medication in the water. Would someone please tell me that my fish did not die of loneliness just so I can tell him someone on RC said so. Thankx

Evil Nemo · 11/05/2009, 05:56 PM

Sailfins don't ship well. Sounds like Ick and shows up under stress. I think you did the right thing. I would never buy a Tang from a dealer until after it had been there for a month and showed health. And the treatment is often worse than the cure. A sailfin by itself is fine (and many times better).

seapug · 11/05/2009, 05:58 PM

It didn't die of lonliness, but being in a bare QT tank could contribute to stress that makes pre-existing infections harder to fight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying QT is a bad thing, but most QT tanks aren't the most familiar, "homey" environments for a reef fish to feel comfortable and safe.

arredondojason · 11/05/2009, 06:12 PM

it was more than likley the ick as well as the stress from petco i advoid buying from there always i drive almost 125 miles one way to go to a good fish shop we have a petco in town but their fish always seem stressed and i have seen alot of them that have ick.

Jaycen B. · 11/05/2009, 06:14 PM

Petco is not the place to buy any marine life.......

Gary Majchrzak · 11/05/2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaycen B.

Petco is not the place to buy any marine life.......

what are the other options in Fairbanks?

I don't know how much your Dad would value hearing someone on RC saying the Sailfin didn't die of lonliness but he sounds like a nice Dad

drywallninja · 11/05/2009, 07:42 PM

Petco killed that fish not loneliness

Jaycen B. · 11/05/2009, 07:44 PM

[QUOTE=Gary Majchrzak;15976003]what are the other options in Fairbanks?

How about this.

Fishtopia Inc. (907) 455-8265

1317 Wembly AV
Fairbanks AK
99701.

Google!!!

Jaycen B. · 11/05/2009, 07:45 PM

+1 on that DRY

iceman79 · 11/05/2009, 07:46 PM

+ 1 never buy any marine animal from petco their tanks are the worst i only buy salt and fish food from them

Jaycen B. · 11/05/2009, 07:47 PM

sorry DP

alaska clowns · 11/05/2009, 09:08 PM

[QUOTE=Jaycen B.;15976212]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Majchrzak

what are the other options in Fairbanks?

How about this.

Fishtopia Inc. (907) 455-8265

1317 Wembly AV
Fairbanks AK
99701.

Google!!!

Fishtopia......If you live in Fairbanks I know you've been there!!!! They've got some hippo tangs there that don't look like tangs anymore. I'd rather buy from them than Petco, but honestly I've had better success ordering from various online vendors. Maybe one of these days I'll just get in my car and drive to Anchorage to see what they've got

iceman79 · 11/05/2009, 11:50 PM

Well if thats the only place to get your fish just make sure you have a pretreated QT tank ready to go

daddy'sgirl · 11/06/2009, 01:01 AM

Thankx for all the help guys. You made me not feel like a murderer anymore. And my dad believes me now

And if you've got room in your car ,alaska clowns, I'll join you for that trip to Anchorage

PRDubois · 11/06/2009, 01:32 AM

Dad bought a sick fish. Where ever you buy fish from you need to examine the fish and the store water quality. If you buy from petco if is probally best to get it when the shipment comes in before they take it out of the bag.

Our petco always has one set of tanks that looks good. Where they keep thier clowns and most fish.

The other set of tanks where they keep thier rock and higher end fish always looks like heck. Probally due to them putting in uncured rock.

lordofthereef · 11/06/2009, 03:33 AM

Loneliness? Doubt it. I don't doubt that someone from Petco told you that was the case though... If you bought the fish from Petco, hopefully you have learned your lesson... That said, I too am guilty of having bought some livestock from Petco, but it was always the more hearty stuff.

Felix T Cat · 11/06/2009, 06:05 AM

FWIW I have 2 firefish goby's in my 40B bought from Petco doing fine. I'll admit, most of their tanks look like hell but it's not always a bad thing.

Juruense · 11/06/2009, 06:08 AM

lol!

lordofthereef · 11/06/2009, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felix T Cat

FWIW I have 2 firefish goby's in my 40B bought from Petco doing fine. I'll admit, most of their tanks look like hell but it's not always a bad thing.

Of course EVERYTHING you get from Petco isn't going to die much like a poorly shipped fish or coral isn't always going to die either. Still doesn't make it a wise choice IMO. My blenny is from Petco as well. I would consider that and firefish fairly hearty

Toly · 11/06/2009, 11:09 AM

The two fish I bought from Petco are doing great... altho I've seen some dead / dying fish over time in their tanks. OTOH the only sick fish I got was from a well-reputed private-held LFS with sparkling tanks (and BS salesmen).

droberts · 11/06/2009, 02:01 PM

white spots = ick doesn't mater where they came from

daddy'sgirl · 11/06/2009, 06:06 PM

White spots don't always mean ich. I had a tang get ich and i treated it w/binox(a treatment for bacterial infections). Two days later she was just fine.

11/05/2009, 05:48 PM	#1
daddy'sgirl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fairbanks, Ak Posts: 44	Sailfin tang died of loneliness Okay, so my Dad bought a sailfin tang when he was out shopping. He brought it home and when I looked at it, I noticed that it had white spots. So I put it in the QT. I put garlic Xtreme in the water and fed him a variety of foods, not that he ate much. Anyways my dad kept asking me why I wasn't treating him. My answer was that it would stress the fish out and I hadn't watched him long enough.Three days later it died. My dad keeps saying it died of loneliness, he even called somone at Petco who told him that it stresses the fish out more to be lonely then it does to put medication in the water. Would someone please tell me that my fish did not die of loneliness just so I can tell him someone on RC said so. Thankx

11/05/2009, 07:46 PM	#10
iceman79 Registered Reefhead Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 572	+ 1 never buy any marine animal from petco their tanks are the worst i only buy salt and fish food from them __________________ Reef keeping gods favorite hobby Current Tank Info: 72 bowfront mixed reef >20 gallon softie tank

11/05/2009, 11:50 PM	#13
iceman79 Registered Reefhead Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 572	Well if thats the only place to get your fish just make sure you have a pretreated QT tank ready to go __________________ Reef keeping gods favorite hobby Current Tank Info: 72 bowfront mixed reef >20 gallon softie tank

11/06/2009, 01:32 AM	#15
PRDubois Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chester, VA Posts: 3,626	Dad bought a sick fish. Where ever you buy fish from you need to examine the fish and the store water quality. If you buy from petco if is probally best to get it when the shipment comes in before they take it out of the bag. Our petco always has one set of tanks that looks good. Where they keep thier clowns and most fish. The other set of tanks where they keep thier rock and higher end fish always looks like heck. Probally due to them putting in uncured rock. __________________ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2534403 Current Tank Info: 225 gal Reef, 60 gal reef & 40b frag tank

11/06/2009, 03:33 AM	#16
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Loneliness? Doubt it. I don't doubt that someone from Petco told you that was the case though... If you bought the fish from Petco, hopefully you have learned your lesson... That said, I too am guilty of having bought some livestock from Petco, but it was always the more hearty stuff. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

11/05/2009, 05:56 PM	#2
Evil Nemo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Northwest Posts: 84	Sailfins don't ship well. Sounds like Ick and shows up under stress. I think you did the right thing. I would never buy a Tang from a dealer until after it had been there for a month and showed health. And the treatment is often worse than the cure. A sailfin by itself is fine (and many times better).

11/05/2009, 05:58 PM	#3
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	It didn't die of lonliness, but being in a bare QT tank could contribute to stress that makes pre-existing infections harder to fight. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying QT is a bad thing, but most QT tanks aren't the most familiar, "homey" environments for a reef fish to feel comfortable and safe.

11/05/2009, 06:12 PM	#4
arredondojason Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 988	it was more than likley the ick as well as the stress from petco i advoid buying from there always i drive almost 125 miles one way to go to a good fish shop we have a petco in town but their fish always seem stressed and i have seen alot of them that have ick.

11/05/2009, 06:14 PM	#5
Jaycen B. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: GA Posts: 265	Petco is not the place to buy any marine life.......

11/05/2009, 07:42 PM	#7
drywallninja Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Rocklin CA Posts: 93	Petco killed that fish not loneliness

11/05/2009, 07:44 PM	#8
Jaycen B. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: GA Posts: 265	[QUOTE=Gary Majchrzak;15976003]what are the other options in Fairbanks? How about this. Fishtopia Inc. (907) 455-8265 1317 Wembly AV Fairbanks AK 99701. Google!!!

11/05/2009, 07:45 PM	#9
Jaycen B. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: GA Posts: 265	+1 on that DRY

11/05/2009, 07:47 PM	#11
Jaycen B. Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: GA Posts: 265	sorry DP

11/06/2009, 01:01 AM	#14
daddy'sgirl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fairbanks, Ak Posts: 44	Thankx for all the help guys. You made me not feel like a murderer anymore. And my dad believes me now And if you've got room in your car ,alaska clowns, I'll join you for that trip to Anchorage

11/06/2009, 06:05 AM	#17
Felix T Cat Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Honey Brook, PA Posts: 557	FWIW I have 2 firefish goby's in my 40B bought from Petco doing fine. I'll admit, most of their tanks look like hell but it's not always a bad thing.

11/06/2009, 06:08 AM	#18
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	lol!

11/06/2009, 11:09 AM	#20
Toly Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NY Posts: 85	The two fish I bought from Petco are doing great... altho I've seen some dead / dying fish over time in their tanks. OTOH the only sick fish I got was from a well-reputed private-held LFS with sparkling tanks (and BS salesmen).

11/06/2009, 02:01 PM	#21
droberts Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: stow ohio Posts: 1,277	white spots = ick doesn't mater where they came from

11/06/2009, 06:06 PM	#22
daddy'sgirl Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fairbanks, Ak Posts: 44	White spots don't always mean ich. I had a tang get ich and i treated it w/binox(a treatment for bacterial infections). Two days later she was just fine.