help

My naso tang that i have had for 2 months is acting funny. i test for everything that is possible and all parameters are normal. all fish and coral are fine. here are his symptoms. he is sitting on substrate with his top fin sticking up. his color is dark and blotchy with pea size white spots (like right when the lights come on nasos display this color). From what ive researched thus far these can be signs of lack of oxygen but i dont think that can be the case although i dont have a dissolved oxygen meter.

 

Are you running an airstone or anything? How much and what type of food is it getting? Tank size and age? Other inhabitants? What exactly are the params?

 

fish naturally lose color at night. also fish dont have very fast pupils to adjust to the light. basically the fish go blind for several seconds when lights get turned on all at once.
if the fish only displays this at the turn on of the lights, i would say hes just stressed out because you blind him or isnt used to your lighting schedule. to reduce the strain turn the room lights on for a couple minutes before turning on the tank lights.

if it displays this continously he may be fighting with other fish, or some of your equipment may be releasing voltage in the water. several tangs change colors or go white when stressed.

 

ph=8.2
mag=1350 ppm
calcium=420
kh=11 degrees
temp=80
nitrites=0
nitrates=0
ammonia=0
phosphates=0
the ds meter on my rodi unit is still low
i have no airstone but am using a pmrl150 and a ssp 250 protein skimmers and have 3000 gph from sump to tank to sump

 

130 gallon tank 5 months old, he eats formula 2 flakes and green marine algea from ocean nutrition. he also eats the brime shrimp and mysis shrimp that i feed the other fish. they get 1 cube and 2 small pinch of food /day

 

hi is acting now like hes trying to hide his face in live rock cracks

 

do you have a ground probe?

does he only hide when your around?

 

This is going to sound like an odd question.

Does your tang have long stringy poo that hangs on for a bit before falling off?

 

Well, he is most likely being underfed They need veggies and lots of them. Nori and broccoli should be on a clip 24/7. I would also highly suggest running some air stones in your sump. A common misconception is that skimmers help aerate the water, which they don't, as the air they create is not being exposed to much water. And tangs suck up A LOT of oxygen. The only other thing I can think of is the tank is on the young side for a Naso. It's highly possible a short cycle sprung up that has already passed, but was enough to damage the fish.

 

I can verify that nasos eat a crap load and need to be feed nori almost every day or they get thin.

but i would like to point out skimmers do help gas exchange by removing the surface film that builds up in marine tanks. although im sure a surface skimmer will help alot with this too.