please help my poor sick blue hippo tang!!

Hi I am fairly new to this sw set up, i have had a 10 gallon I bought off craigs list after reading up on several books for care of a reef and fish saltwater tank this tank is doing awsome except the awful anenomes aptesia or what ever you call those blasted things can't quite remember. to the point i REALLY WANTED a tank I could add a little to and the 10 g. i couldn't so I bought a 50 g. from craigslist as well and it had a blue hippo tang,a tomatoe clown, and a blue damsel w/yellow tail and maybe 75 lbs. LR which had some die off I believe in transit place to place, anyhow the tank was horrifically dirty and you could barely see through the water and the women said she never did anything w/ the tank, no testing,water changes no nothing for 8 months!!! I can't see how I have to do stuff to my 10 gallon everyday w/out fail 2 least check up on the norm!! so- The blue hippo tang for one the poor guy is in a small tank as it is, he's pretty large 2 least 3.5 inches long and real thick, he's got a white 1 forth of a dime size perfect circle on his tail and the black top and bottoms of his tail are fraid not whole as they should be and he looks to be loosing patches of his blue color under his eyes and above his mouth, also it looks like a few of his black scales are peeled part way off and hanging off him. He while swimming will glide himself against the rocks sideways I don't know if he's playing or if he is itching him self? He is certainly eating well so well he usually eats everyones share of food along w/his own. Oh there is also a black long spined urchin in the tank too he too seems to have an issue w/loosing several spines though he nonstop travels all over and eats the seaweed on the veggie clips just fine-he also has some white spines too so i don't know why that is cause I have'nt seen any white and black long spined urchins on any sites for sale anywhere?? Anyone have some input for me on hippo tang or urchin?? I'd love to get the tang in a tank he deserves to be in and should be but i can't at this time afford it and I don't know how else to help him nor do i know anyone w/ a sw tank hope to hear from someone soon I have an order of over $300 comeing in to add additions to this tank on its way as I type.Don't know if I should add it no fish just cleaners,corals ,polyps,mushrooms though does that matter since they aren't fish fish???

 

Well Mandi, you have many issues to deal with. I certainly wouldn't add these fish with others as they may be carrying parasites or diseases that would spread to the other fish. Regal tangs will scratch themselves on the sand and rocks as to why I have no idea. Hopefully someone else on this website will have the kind of experience you're dealing with that can give you some answers. Good luck!

 

hey thanks for the advice I certainly won't add any fish until however long it takes to see whats up w/ this poor fish if its not just a space issue for him??anyone else w/any ideas???

 

Do not add anything to the tank. I would actually take everything to your LFS and try to see if they would take them for you until you can get that tank stable.
If Im not mistaking you just set up a 10gal and a dirty 55 gal? The 10 has not cycled and cannot house a tang at all, even a 55 gal is too small for it. All its doing is endangering the tang and causing it more stress. The tang is extremely ill and the urchin is dying. You need to take them to a fish store asap.

 

WOW, +1 on the LFS, the issues are huge, and your lose may end up being costly. You do not have the quality of water you need yet to add fish, let alone corals, shrooms, cleaner crew might be ok. take everything to the LFS and see if they can help you until you get cycled. This may take a couple of months...It is actually more important to check the 10g more often than a 55g, the small volume of water can change so quickly, and be costly. Less water means MORE work. Please get a test kit too....and Pics please thanks

 

Hi Mandi,your biggest problem seems to be the tang,scratching on rocks and sand could be a symptom of a parasitic infection.Blue tangs are very prone to thisand anything that causes stress such as moving the tank and/or poor water quality can bring it on.Though he will outgrow the 50gal. tank I dont think its the problem at the moment.He could also be in bad shape from poor diet...no veggies!! If the lady you bought the tank from wasnt taking good care of it I doubt she was feeding him properly either and tangs need veggies in their diet to be healthy.Taking all three fish to a LFS would be good ...IF, its possible.If not and you have to try and care for him yourself,feeding seaweed sheets soaked in garlic juice and vitamins may help.As for your corals,parasites that effect the fish will have no effect on them,but poor water quality will.You should test your water for ammonia,nitrites and nitrates as well as specific gravity for starters.Your corals will have to be unpacked and acclimated if the order is in transit and cant be cancelled.So...you could try housing them at a LFS also.If you cant and have nowhere else to put them they will have to go in your tank.If ammonia and nitrites are at or near zero and s/g and temp are good they might be okay.If not I would try to correct this with water changes,preferably before they arrive.Hope this helps and good luck,Dave