Blue Tang Is Looking Bad

He is hiding in the corner when the light is on and when I turned it off after an hour of him being in the tank (because it is the night cycle now) I just checked (after about 2 hours in the dark) and I found him laying semi side-ways on the bottom of the tank. I netted him and left him in a net so he was off of the bottom. I let him out after I noticed he started swiming around......but I am still concerned. The lights are on and all he seems to do is stay in the back corner of the tank (by the heater) I am not sure what I can do and am afraid he will die while I sleep.....any help on this? (I am currentally doing water tests and nitrate is low.....checking ph now)
Oh and salanity is 1.022 and temp 77F
I also have a pepermint shrimp that is fine, mushroom coral, and a molly so I don't understand =(

 

Nothing in ther that I know of that would affect it. Is it a Powder Blue or Atlantic blue tang?
It may be sick fro the pet shop or something happend in the transition and acclimation process. Keep an eye on him, it may be that he is stress due to the new environment>
Keep us posted!

 

obviously it would be better if he was out swimming and happy but i wouldn't write him off as dead yet. although blue tangs can just die unexpectedly as mine did. they do have some strange habits like laying on their sides and hiding a lot. mine would often be found laying on its between rocks while the light was on. good luck

 

Oh yeah I forgot to say I did acclimate him =( I would sure feel so bad if he died moreso because it is a young one.. 2inches or so.
It is a Blue Hippo tang.
Btw my ph is about 8.0-8.1
I wasn't about to write it off yet, it just seems that it laying sideways = dying fish =(

 

Is it a new addition?Blue Tangs are notorious for not handling change.They are beautiful fish but sometimes the slightest upset can bring on a dose of whitespot and send everything bellyup.I hope all turns out well.

 

Yes it is my first saltwater fish addition to the tank.....I paid 54$ for it.
Btw it says hepatus on the recipt.......are hippo and hepatus the same? or did I mix the names up?

 

+1

They are one of the more delicate members of the tang family, this I've been told by several people in the hobby. I hope things turn out OK with him.

Good luck!

 

hepatus is part of the scientific name wich is Paracanthurus hepatus for the blue tang or hippo tang.

good luck with your fish!

 

Does your tang show ant signs of ICH?

 

No ich, I try my best to inspect any fish I buy for ich or diseases I know of.
Update on tang:
Turns out it was just "playing dead" I suppose. This morning it was hiding in the corner and when I came home from work it was swiming around and HUNGRY =D ate EVERYTHING I put in there. Only problem I can see is it may have a moderate nutrient deficency. It was only fed mitis shrimp and anything that may have grown on the live rock. I am going to try to encourage it to eat nori. Wish me luck and thanks to those that told me it does lay on it's side.