just lost my yellow tang ...

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I just lost my yellow tang yesterday. I had been noticing it acting oddly for several days prior but really didn't see anything that would make me worry except that it was a bit on the thin side. I don't exactly know why it has been getting thinner either since I feed my fish 2-3 times a day with different foods so that everyone gets what they need. I feed frozen Mysis shrimp, frozen Brine shrimp, those Brown and Green algea sheets, and some kind of Formula food.
I wasn't having any problems until I ran out of the 1st formula food I was feeding (I think it was Formula II, it was green chunky algea and some other stuff in frozen cubes). Anyway, when I ran out of that I bought a different kind because they were out of the Formula II. This new stuff was still the green algea stuff but it wasn't in the frozen cubes and I don't know if it has anything eles in it. It came in a single brick which I chopped up so it would be easier to feed. When I started using that food I don't think the Tang was happy but it would still eat here and there and it still ate the Mysis and Algea sheets so I didn't worry.
I noticed the Tang not swimming around as much about a week ago but since it still looked ok (besides being a bit thin) I didn't think anything of it. Then yesterday afternoon I noticed it had squeezed itself into a small cave and wasn't swimming at all. It was still alive but looked really bad. At closer inspection I then noticed the Tang had some little red spots on both sides of it's body. I am thinking that because of the food change it was starving it's self and then being weaker due to that it got some kind of parasite (maybe something that came in with the live rock?) and that's what caused it to die. Being somewhat ne to this hobby I haven't seem too much so I'm unsure exactly what happened. If anyone could give me a bit of advice as to whether my suspicions are close here I would be greatful. I know yellow Tangs are fairly hardy but do have problems with parasites like ich.
By the way, none of my other fish are thin or have any odd spots of fin problems at this time. Should I be concerned as to the health of my other fish?
 
tank

I have a 40 gal Long

Temp ~82 degrees

all tests normal except nitrates which were a bit high (~40) and so I did a 10% water change {that was about a week or so ago}

Sp Grav ~1.024/1.026

I have 1 aeration column from a stone in one corner and a powerhead in the other. I also use a power filter with charcole to help with my system. It works for me and I really haven't had any problems with it so I don't think it's the cause.

I have ~15-20 lbs of LR and 50 lbs of sand covered by 6 lbs of crushed coral to make up my substrate.

This tank is home to:

3 turbo snails
2 emerald crabs
at least 1 red legged hermit
at least a dozen blue legged hermits
2 percula clowns (the false kind)
1 pearlscale butterfly
2 black/white damsels
1 scooter blenny
2 serpant stars
and
2 tiny red stars

and of course the now deceases yellow tang

I hope this is a little more help, sorry I didn't include it in the first post.
 

MonoSebaelover

Anableps
Apr 20, 2001
1,410
0
0
Phoenix, AZ
www.shiredalefarm.com
I would say it was probably stressed for being in a small tank (I'm not saying it is your fault and my guess could be wrong) but Tangs generally require at least a 6 foot tank because they are such active swimmers and they panic in smaller tanks. Did you notice any aggression from any of the other fish like the Damsels? Also how long has the tank been going and how long had the yellow tang been in there. Anyway, sorry about your loss and hope this helps.
 
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