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Some fish agression and some white spots and some advice needed...

S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Hey guys,

Here's my deal:

I've a 55g tank stocked with a good amount of rock, softies, snails, a few cleaner shrimp, and the following fish:

Thompson Tang
Coral Beaut
2 Percs
2 Damsels

Now here's the problem:

My coral beauty pretty much relentlessly messes with my tang.

My tang has been showing white spots lately

Yesterday a white spot showed up on the tail section of the coral beauty



Now, all the fish look healthy, swim like crazy, and eat like horses. But, the tang really never has a moments peace unless he hides under the rock stack.

The cleaner shrimp seem more than happy to provide services, but whenever the tang stops by the cleaners (either of the cleaners, as they've taken up different locations), the coral beauty just keeps searching until he finds the tang and then chases him away.

Now, the tang does it back to the coral beauty sometimes, although I would guess it's not the majority of the time.

So, I'm kind of scared for my fish. And a little dissapointed that the tang hides so often now.

Out of the two fish, I like the tang quite a bit more than the angel. I like the angel, too, as it's very pretty, but it just doesn't do it for me like the tang.

I don't have an extra tank to put fish into to get them healthy, and if I try to stick a net in the tank, the fish hide until I remove it.

I've thought about just leaving the net in there overnight for them to get used to, but it still begs the question of what I would do with the fish if I got it out of the tank.

So, I'm not really sure what to do at this point:

Leave well enough alone and hope for the best.

Remove one fish or the other

Just not sure. I wouldn't be against getting rid of the coral beauty, but since I seem to have some white spots on those two fish, it seems like getting rid of them would be difficult, becuase who's going to want a sick fish...and couple that with the fact I'm not sure if that's the best course anyway...

Which brings me to my post. I like my little fishies, and don't want them to start dying on me.

Thanks,

damon
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Well the day I got the coral beauty they started it, and that was...I dunno 3 weeks ago.

The fish not getting along is kind of a bummer, but the white spots on the fish are the big issue, and I'm thinking (guessing) that the stress on the fish from constantly chasing each other is what is causing that.

Just don't really know the best course of action, so I'm taking no action instead...
 
H

Hitman

Are you using a garlic supplement in their food? It won't cure Ich, but it does help build their immune systems.
 
C

Candi

I'd soak some food in the garlic, you want them to eat it not just swim around in it.

Could you set up a small qt tank or maybe someone here could qt them, or one of them (the coral beauty if that's the one you want to part with, get it healthy and then sell it or give it away to whomever is willing to treat it maybe?)

You'll likely need to use a fish trap or pull your rocks to catch whomever.
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Yeah, that's what I meant, I'm pre-preparing their food in the following manner:

I fill a cup 1/2 way with tank water
Put in a pinch of flakes
Put in a cube of either frozen brine/mysis/formula1/formula2/triggerfood...
Press a few pieces of garlic so the juices go into the 6 or so oz of water
Put the squished garlic goo from the press in the cup

Let sit for an hour or two

Dump in tank.

Happy hungry fishies.

As to the quarantine thing...I guess I could do it, although it'd be a big pain in the rump.

But then would I need to remove ALL the fish or just the one's with spots?

And if I removed all of them, they'd have to go in a good sized tank with some hiding spots or there's be constant fighting, I'm sure...
 
J

jazzsam

The Garlic will help but you are fixing the issue and not the cause. You should look at a long term solution also. If you don't have anywere to keep the fish and they continue to not get along I would think about getting rid of one.

You are correct it would be hard to sell a sick fish but I would rather give a fish away that may live than see it sink to the bottom my tank. I have given fish back to the fish store sometimes when I know they could live but just not in my tank.
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Yeah, the money isn't the issue so much as who would take a coral beauty with a possible ick infection.

I'll swing by the place I got it this evening and see what the owner says. Maybe he'd take it back, but I wonder where he'd put it if he did, w/o infecting his other fish.
 
malulu

malulu

NJRC Member
i did the garlic treatment once with my fishes, they works (at that time...) ;D

- i squished about 3 piece of garlics in an empty small container
- put SOME flakes food and let them soak for 5 mins
- take small scope from it and feed them
- store the rest in the fridge... continue to feed them 2, 3 times a day for about 2 weeks.
 
C

Carlo

I'm not sure moving the rock around will work in this situation. Normally that works with a fish that has already been in the tank for a while and staked out his territory. But in this case it's the newcomer who is causing the problem.
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Yeah, rocks have been changed around to hold the frags i was putting in. The coral beauty pretty much swims the entire tank just looking for the other guy. In and out of the rocks, up to the top, over the back, thru a different hole.

I even tried to move one of the cleaner shrimp over to where the tang hides, but he kept jumping off my hand and I don't want him to get scared of me, because I kind of enjoy that lil fella jumping aboard everytime i stick my hand in the tank.

If it comes down to it, does anyone want a mildly aggressive, possible infected, reef safe coral beauty?

Looks a lot like this:

IMG_2628.jpg


::) cricket cricket ;D
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
I posted this same note on another forum, and someone replied with this:

Capn-H said:
B othare grazers and kept busy at that they will probably prefer food over fight. If they have been in the tank for a little time then they have probably clean most of the algae and macro off the rocks.
I use stickem tablets that you put on the side of the tank--fish shrimp etc love to pick at these and there is no messy.
The standard is clips of nori or kelp--a little bit messy but as long as you have a good skimmer you will be ok.
Click to expand...

Worth a try, eh?

Maybe food is the answer? Who knows!

Maybe I should try and rearrange my rocks so that there's a pile on each side of the tank and some open space? Stick a few clips of seaweed here and there?

I don't know...I have to do something!
 
J

JerseyWendy

Yowser! I'm WAY too much of a newb to offer any advice, but I certainly hope it'll work out for you. :)

So do you suspect you've got Ich in your tank now? :eek:

---
Wendy
 
C

Carlo

It sure sounds like ich. We were just chatting about this in another thread.

While it's pretty easy to get rid of the ich on the fish themselves, getting it out of the tank is a pain as the tank needs to stay fallow (without fish) for 45 to 60 days) otherwise if it's still in the tank the fish can get it again and again.
 
S

Subliminal

NJRC Member
Well, I might just be giving my cichlids and pleco away, so i might have a tank for qt for the short run and for the coral beauty to thrive in in the long run. 29g should do just fine for that lil bugger.

We'll see if the guy picks up the convicts and the pleco. They're nice looking fish that i've had for years, but...well, you know how it goes. ;)
 
J

JerseyWendy

I wish you the best of luck!

Just today I emptied 2 of my (former) spider tanks, and I am planning on using them in the future for possible quarantine tanks. They are small, 10 gallons, but at least I'll have "something" to fall back on.

---
Wendy
 
C

Carlo

10 gallon tanks are fine for many/most fish. Sometimes a 20g long would be a better choice if possible for something like tangs since they swim a lot and the 20 long gives them more swimming space.

Keep in mind to when doing QT you can put multiple fish in the same tanks. I've got 3 tangs in a 20 long right now. 3 PJ Cardinals, 6 clown and a domino damsel in a 10g and a coral beauty, flame angel and long nose hawk and 2 other fish I don't remember off the top of my head in another 10g at the moment. If you change out the water every couple of days (depending on what type of QT you do) you really don't have to worry about the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates as the water changes take care of that for you.

Carlo
 
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