Yellow Tang turning red

[kreblak]

Wow, you learn something new everyday. Looks like the tang is bloodshot. Maybe some Cleareyes in the water might clear it up.

In all seriousness, does this always show red? I had a fish some months back that exhibited some of this when he was placed in the tank. It was a yellowtail damsel, and the blue part of his body got all funny looking and streaky, but it wasn't red. He recovered a week later.

 

[scooterB]

It is 55 gallons and maybe my water has a lot of phophates. i'll have to check that. I am at work, i will have to check the levels at home. my PH is 8.2 i know that. my gravity is 1.017 is that way too low, i heard before it should over 1.022 is that true?

 

[Boogiechillin]

LOL, oh yeah, that's a problem. Specific gravity should be between 1.021 and 1.025 - your tang is currently in strong brackish water. To raise this, you will need to do water changes by mixing in more saline water - do NOT just add salt to the tank!

What were the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels?

 

[kreblak]

How long has the tang been living in water with SG that low?

 

[scooterB]

jeez!

Oh jeez.... I took advice from a guy that suposedly had about 20 SW fishtanks in his house......boy that was a mistake! It has been this way for about 4 months! Ammonia is about 0.1 Nitrite is really low and I really did not understand how to read the nitrate levels. Theres a low range and high range, The color is more green, which i believe is quite low. Arg... strong brackish water.....poor fish, they sure are tough. I just bought a large hermit crab, a peppermint shrimp and camel back shrimp, are they vulnerable to low salt? and i will add more today and not just strait, i know that.
THanks again

 

[OrionGirl]

Yeah--inverts are very sensitive to low SG. Low SG is used to treat parasites, because many of them have little defense against osmotic pressure. Fish have more control, but not much.

 

[scooterB]

could this be why i have lots of algae?

 

[Boogiechillin]

Algae is a separate (and much less urgent) problem - we'll tackle that one once we get your livestock out of danger.

The fact that you have found ANY registerable ammonia and nitrite is a HUGE problem. We need a complete description of your tank - how big is it, how is it filtered, and what do you have in it?

How did you cycle your tank? How long did you wait before adding livestock?

What is the pH reading on your tank?

 

[scooterB]

ok i am heading home for lunch, i am going to add SW to bring the level higher and then bring back all the readings. thanks

 

[scooterB]

my saltwater level is now 1.023, my fish actually seem a little more active. I am going to have to run the tests again. and i will post the results once i get them.
thanks again