Blue Tang turned pale! Help!

[ming69]

Bought a tiny Blue Tang about a week ago. 2 days later saw white spots on its body & it keeps rubbing itself against the LR. Figured that it's sick so added some medication for ich.

It's been about 5 days the spots are gone but it's very pale.

Don't think it'll survive much longer. Had a clown which died about 3 days later after turning pale.

To add to the problem, there's one other clown in the tank who likes to headbutt the tang. Weird thing is the tang don't avoid the clown and still hangs around it.

The bully did the same thing to the previous clown too.

So, is the tang sick or injured or stressed? All of the above? Please advise.

Guess I'll have to stick to having only 1 fish in the tank. The shrimp & snails seems to be ok with the bully.

[zephyros]

hiya, maybe u wanna provide more info of ur tank for the bros to help

u. how big is ur tank and how long had it been running? Wat is the

medication u add for the ich?

[Qxnviolet]

Maybe you could just remove and quarrantine the blue tang as an interim measure till some more experienced reefers help you out? Guess seperating your tang and the clown would at least help abit? Gd luck. I love blue tangs.....cute fellas....

Btw, did you dose the medication into your main tank? Thats pretty unadviceable. Hope your tang recovers soon!

[Panzz]

has the blue tang started eating?

[PerculaClownfish]

yupss eating already?? Also, is it active or just hides in a corner!!

[PerculaClownfish]

Is the medication you use copper free???If not it will kill all your corals..Thus, really not advisable to treat in main tank..Also, in your QT tank, you can do hypo on it!!

[ming69]

Thanks everyone for your concern. My tang has passed on this morning.

I have been running this 1 ft tank since Oct, and it's my first attempt in marine. So I'm still very green. Guess a blue tang is not an easy fish to keep especially a tiny 1 inch one.

When I first added the tang, it was very active and doesn't avoid the bully clown. The only time it's on its own is first thing in the morning, I find it in some corner of the tank, pretty much motionless. Thought it died at first, but a couple minutes later, it's all over the tank again.

As for the medication, think it's coral safe so far, cos I did treat in the main tank, & the zoos & mushrooms are still ok.

But I did remove the tang from the main tank after noticing that it's condition is not improving. Was thinking of using garlic juice which I read that it treat ich. But fish died b4 I got round to doing it.

I think for the time being it'll be a one fish tank, not sure if I want to try adding another fish, and see if my silly clown will knock it down again.

Once again, thanks everyone for the advise & concern.

[PerculaClownfish]

real sad to hear...

[Qxnviolet]

Hiya Ming, sorry for your lost. its normal for blue tangs to look "dead" in the norming. Haha, you should see how it looks at night. Anyway, losing fishes is just part of the reefing experienc, dun be too disheartened. I've lost quite a few, some due to incorrect application of medication, some to inexperience and some for no reason at all. Shrugz, maybe you could give/sell way your clown to make sure your new arrivals dun get bullied. How big is your tank anyway? Cheers

[zorden]

my blue tang like to play dead..and SLEEP ON LR...

[ming69]

My tank is 12 x 9 x 12 inches. Kinda of small, probably enough room for 2 or 3 small fishes only. So far, can only managed to have 1 only, the bully clown made sure of that.

Wonder if can put a small firefish. Better not try so soon. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

[zephyros]

ur tank is a big no-no for any tang

a good fish to add would be cardinal or even a damsel