blue hippo tang

[hansmatt]

ok...enough of the sick fish!
I've not added a fish in over a year. Lost a sixline wrasse for unknown reasons about 2 months ago, and a PJ cardinal 3-4 months ago, again unknown reasons. Now my blue atlantic hippo is not looking good. He's been lodging himself against the glass, like he's stressed, and hiding behind my overflow & rocks. There are no obvious signs of trauma, spots, fungus, ich, or anything else I can discern abnormal. I noticed the odd behavior last night, and commented on it to my wife, who later noticed he was looking even more lethargic. Parasites of some sort? AAAAGGGG!
I know, I know, it's a part of the hobby, but like Nick's...this seems pretty odd, and unexplained. No temp variation, no recent water changes, no new fish/coral additions, nothing...
Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions to save my fish?
Thanks
Matt

[schneijt]

Unfortunately, I have no thoughts... But, the Naso tang I picked up at SWE that was slowly looking better and better, is now hiding in the corner laying sort of on his side today... So, it seems LARK is having a bad time with our tangs lately. (That's what she said. You know someone was thinking it....NICK EBNET...hehe)

I don't know what it is for me, but I've had two decent-looking Naso tangs that just didn't seem to acclimate well to my tank. I'm really hoping this new one pulls through, but I just don't know. What's going on with tangs lately?!?! I don't get it, and it's frustrating to think I might have to get a third one soon... Grrr..

Anyway, sorry to hear of the problems with your blue hippo. At least mine was a new addition--it's gotta really suck to have a treasured, established fish start getting sick out of the blue.

[pogodzib]

Are you sure your temp hasn't dropped with the weather change? This time of year has always been the time of year when I loose the most fish and I blame it on the temp change, although I haven't had nearly as many problems since I got my chiller a few years ago.

[schneijt]

The tank temp did go from 84-85 down to 80-81 over the course of several days, but it was very gradual, so I'm not sure if I can blame it on the temp change. I'm also questioning whether or not I acclimated him long enough, whether I turned the lights on too quickly, whether he was eating well when I bought him (I didn't ask SWE to feed him so I could watch, which I should have) etc..... The list of questions I'm asking myself is long. I'm going to go down and take a quick look at the tank with a flashlight and see if he's doing any better this morning.

YAY FOSTERS TOUR TODAY!!!!!!!

-Joe

[schneijt]

The Naso is still alive, and his gills are moving, but he's still in the corner and now he's laying almost vertical against the glass and sand... Unfortunately, I fear I'll come home from DFS and he'll have passed away. But, sometimes fish just don't make it, and I'm wondering if I didn't do my best with this one, and maybe I was doomed from day 1... Live and learn, and then get a third Naso--that's what I always say! lol

How is your Hippo doing, Matt? Hopefully better than my Naso...

-Joe

[tangmang23]

wow Matt, i had no idea you were running into similar issues. I havnt been on here as much as i should lol. I seriously doubt that my tank temps are the cause of this because my thermometer has been steady all year, unless its full of crap lol. Its hard to trust electronics these days. Joe, Matt, im crossing my fingures for you two, myself and anybody else having fish issues. Enough is enough lol. Good luck to the both of you, i hope our troubles are soon over.

[hansmatt]

I feel your pain...I lost my hippo last night. This was a very quick onset...noticed the behavior thursday night...It started to develop some white splotches saturday morning, and because it was also exhibiting the scratching/rubbing behavior, I think it might have been velvet. I'm now concerned about my other fish. I've never dealt with it, but read that the most common way to get rid of it is copper treatment, which means a dedicated copper treatment Quaren. tank, as it will kill inverts. I have not added fish in more than 8-9 months, but have added pieces of rock to the sump. If it is velvet, a flagellated parasite, it probably could have come in on the rock. I've read where others let fishless tanks lie fallow for a 4-6 weeks to ensure the parasite does not have any host, breaking the lifecycle & ridding the system. I'll keep a close eye on my remaining fish and keep my fingers crossed.

[schneijt]

Well, my Naso passed away overnight and was pulled out of the tank when I checked on it earlier today. I've got a third Naso being held and conditioned slowly for me by Peggy at All-Reef, that I'll pick up at the end of this coming week or the week after that. Peggy and I have been e-mailing a lot about Nasos and the two I've lost, and we're pretty sure that it's a matter of poor health in some regard to start with, and being rushed in regards to acclimation since they arrived in the US. She conditions and pampers hers for roughly two weeks before she sells them, so I'm confident that I'm going to get a really good one from her that, after I reallllllly slowly acclimate it to my tank, will last for a good long while in my tank.

I'm sorry you lost the Hippo last night, Matt. Last night was a bad night for our two tanks. I hope that it is just an isolated incident for you, and that no other fish come down with any symptoms like your Hippo did.

-Joe

[carym]

Sorry for your loses hopefully it isn't something major...

[hansmatt]

I wonder if this parasite has a time of the year where it is most active...temp related or something? Again, I'm not 100% convinced that was the issue, but the rest of my stock seems healthy and there have been no fish additions in around a year, maybe 18 months. That's the single thing that stumps me the most. I have had a 6line and pj cardinal die in the last 4-5 months, for uknown reasons. The fact that Nicktangman23 also had issues suggests something pathalogic, in a disease way I mean.

[carym]

You guys haven't been slamming nog shots have you?

[tangmang23]

id have to agree. Like i said about my naked clown which was moved from the 120, were all the deaths started, into the 55 for the hypo treatment is that he's covered in big white dots. They hypo seems to be working, the fish is still very active, eats on a regular basis, and the dots are getting less in numbers. But maybe during seasonal changes this disease comes out to play, as your suggesting. Its weird to think about but not impossible.

[Kyuss]

sorry about your losses guys That really sucks.

I am kinda on the same boat except mine just disappear.

My fat and very happy royal gramma has disappeared and I found the remains of my copperband in the sump. Everything else seems fine.

[tangmang23]

dang, i lost a copperband within the first few weeks of owning him. He ate mysis shrimp, but wouldnt eat anything else. kinda odd. I was just suggesting to Matt, may this is a case of H1F1 instead of H1N1 lol.

[cutietwo]

That is odd, aren't tangs in general really hardy? hopefuly your third one makes it ok would love to see pictures