# yellow tang dead after 2 days



## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

hi just abit curious as to why my yellow tang died after 2 days tested ph, nitrate, nitrite everything is fine to my readings,i took the fish back to the lfs as it was still alive and laying on its side,and a water sample,they say my nitrite is a little high,so i came back home tested again and my readings were fine again, so just incase i did a 25% water change cleaned the filter and the reads are the same as before, are they just trying to worm there way out of an exchange or refund??


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## Frase (Jul 13, 2009)

have you tried explaining you know your stuff and you've tested yours multiple times and its ok so it obviously isnt that?


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Were you using the same make test kit as the shop? Some test kits vary tremenously. 
There are many many things that could have caused the fish to die. From differences in ph and Sg of your tank compared to the lfs water. How was the fish acclimatised to your tank?
I believe some of the Tangs can be fairly delicate of their surroundings.

It could be just one of those unexplained things that happen in marine keeping? It could be the fish was wild caught with cyanide:devil: Yes that still goes on:whip: It could be the lfs is just trying to flannel over it?

What are all the readings of your water? And i presume everything else in there is fine.


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

ive only been into marines around 8 mths,neva had a problem like this i adviseded them about my tests but they would only accept what there tests were saying


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Yeh, but what tests do you do? And what test kits? Like i said some kits are rubbish. There could have been a slight nitrIte reading from the bag as the fish was dying?


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

the ph ntrate and nitrite kits are API
nitrite =0ppm
nitrate=40ppm
ph=8.2ppm
fish in tank are
common clown
regal tang
yellow tale blue damsel
sand sifting goby (purchased last week)
boxer shrimp
dancing shrimp
clean up crew


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Hi again

The nitrAtes could do with coming down really. Nothing too urgent, but a bit high non the less.
Are you using an external filter with filter sponges? If so, thats where the nitrAtes are building up. Better than sponges would be crushed up live rock and/or Seachem Matrix. That is, of course, if you dont have high nitrAtes in your tap water (if you're using tap water).

There's a lot more tests that should be done....Ammonia, Phoshates, calcium, Magnesium, SG.

I'm not saying they will be out as you have fish and inverts living in there anyway, but ammonia and phosphates are important tests.

With test kits, I splashed out and bought Salefert kits. They are more expensive, but more reliable.


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

t1lissa said:


> ive only been into marines around 8 mths,neva had a problem like this i adviseded them about my tests but they would only accept what there tests were saying


That's pretty standard for shop policy. they have to take their tests as the truth because anyone could claim that they tested it at home and it was fine. How old are you tests? Because they do go out of date


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

the tests are only a couple of months, im using a external fluval 204 filter so how would i use the seachem matrix as 1 half of the filter is sponge and the other half are trays


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## jamesh (Jul 3, 2009)

you have a powder blue in the tank so it could well have been him taking a swing for the new tang.

how exactly did you aclimatise the fish?


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

how yu introduce the fish is important... i go slow and use a 5 gallon bucket and some airline tubing...

osmotic shock is always my worry...

i had yellows in with a regal and they got along fine...

also i put some slime coat in the water... was it netted or bagged?

shame... it happens though... could have been an underlying problem...

it's very unlikely that you did anything wrong... was it in the shop for a while prior to you purchasing it?

also, what does a small yellow tang run for there across the pond?


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Agree with Habu.......acclimatisation is more important in marines.

You say the test results are a couple of months old? You really ought to be testing weekly as even small changes can affect marines. Test for Ammonia, nitrItes, nitrAtes, Ph, Calcium, Phosphates and Maagnesium. As well as these tests, you need to keep a check on the SG (specific gravity/salinity) of the water. As the water evaporates it increases the level of salinity as salt doesn't evaporate.

There's lots of people on here who can help you get it sorted, so dont feel you're alone in it all  Probably best to give a run down of the tank, i.e. size, Live rock, etc etc....

As for changing the filter media, dont change it all in one go. It needs to be done bit by bit, otherwise all the good bacteria will be gone.


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

HABU said:


> also, what does a small yellow tang run for there across the pond?


Your talking around £25 - £35 for a Yellow


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

it was my parent in laws that bought me the tang for crimbo from a lfs that i dnt use, so i have no idea of the tangs background the mother inlaw did say he chased it around the tank with a net, i slowy introduced custard by the same way u do


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

£40 he cost


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

ive been doing the tests every 2 weeks but will start and do it everyweek i also have refractometer for the salinity 
its a fluval vicenza 180ltr with 2 t5`s
20kg coral sand, 
approx 30Kg of live rock 
it took 120ltr of salt water to fill 
protein skimmer 
fluval 204 external filter with sponge and looks like white hoola hoops inside, 
regal tang
clown fish
damsel
boxer shrimp 
dancing shrimp
zoa`s
clean up crew


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## mikef (Sep 3, 2009)

Got to say a couple of things

your tank is really on the small side for tangs, especially 2.
It could be that the yellow has taken a beating from the regal

If the lfs had any oil in thier can, and wanted to keep your custom, they should have at least met you half way on another one, they still would not be out of pocket in doing so, and would have kept you as a customer, and you a lot happier.

as already said, test your water and slowly introduce your new fish to the tank, ph and salinity are the main things to watch, along with temp.

If the shop wont do anything, and your happy your system is okay, then put it down to experience, and move on, if this is your first loss then you have be doing something right.

mike


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Agree with Mike^^

These things do happen. Had a total wipe out overnight a few years back everything gone, no apparent cause.

I would steer clear of tangs, due to the tank size. Although some Tangs are not that big, they do have a long swim pattern that requires space. The Regal should be ok. 

The ceramic ring things in the the filter should be fine. If you have a thin sponge at the top too, I would take it out once every couple of weeks and wash it under the tap. Yes it will kill bacteria, but the rings and Live rock are your filter. The sponge can be used as a purely mechanical filter i.e. collecting larger debris from the tank. Its in these sponges that the nitrAtes and phosphates will grow.


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## Andy (Jul 27, 2005)

andy007 said:


> I would steer clear of tangs, due to the tank size. Although some Tangs are not that big, they do have a long swim pattern that requires space. The Regal should be ok..


I would of thought a Regal would get bigger than a Yellow Tang.


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Andy said:


> I would of thought a Regal would get bigger than a Yellow Tang.



Length wise yeh Its more to do with swim patterns and characteristics of the fish.

Personally i wouldn't have a regal in anything less than a 4ft/60gallon tank, but i know a lot of people keep them in less.


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## t1lissa (Sep 3, 2008)

hopefully il have a bigger tank before he gets too big hes only 1 1/2" at the min,and thanks for all the help and advice everyone :notworthy:


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