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[rocko918]

Also i am sure the 20g is stressing him out as well. He needs some swimming room. Pick up a 55 long or something and set that up for a q-tank.

 

just suggestion.

[tygger]

If he doesn't have any diseases, maybe putting him in a more natural environment (your display) will encourage him to eat. He may follow the example of your other fish... just a thought. But definately keep an eye on him...

[davelin315]

I was reading over Jason the Filter Freak's thread on a refugium/DSB and in reading over a thread that was referenced on RC by Anthony Calfo on a DSB in a bucket, I came across this tidbit that might explain the purple tang's behavior:

 

...As for the fishes not eating from high nitrates... it is documented over and over again, yes One of the more extreme expressions of it is Thyroid Hyperplasia (do some keyword searches for this). It can be caused by iodine deficiencies in the diet and/or high nitrtates (which inhibit the uptake of otherwise available iodine). A goiter is formed in the throat region which is generally not obvious until it is too late.

 

still... it is reversible slowly over time (months). Force feeding willl be necessary after 3-4 weeks without feeding (PM me if needed). Reduce nitrates to near zero and provide an iodine rich diet (fresh/thawed shellfish ala shrimp, crabs, etc) and Lugols iodine supplemented to the water in small daily doses faithfully (follow the reef supplement mfg dose recommendations here to start with safely).

 

best of luck,

 

Anthony

 

Maybe this will help out with getting it to eat again. Can't imagine how you would be able to force feed a fish that can swat it's tail at you and open up a sizable (and very painful) gash, but Calfo offered to help the other guy, so maybe he'd help you out, too.

 

OK, kept on reading and here's how to do it:

 

Pufferqueen (LMAS' Ms Kelly Jedlicki) has shown me techniques for using soft airline tubing and a syringe (no needle... the tubing hooks up to the nozzle) for injecting a high protein mash (slurry with cyclop-eeze, Selcon, etc... whatever is needed for the species/specimen). It takes some basic thought and consideration for the anatomy of the creature. Yet with slow insertion of the soft feeding tube.. you can proceed slowly until you reach the gut and feel a slight resistence. (a transverse piece of rigid airline tubing can be used as a bite stick to prevent small toothy fishes from closing down on the soft tubing).

 

It's quite easy after you have been shown in person.l It at all possible, do see if a local very works with aquatics. The office visit fee will be well worth the lesson.

 

Professionals (and folks with access to hospital supplies ) often use a tiny catheter made for infants to force feed small fishes - same principal of soft tubing for gavage feeding.

 

If there are further questions on forced/gavage feeding, let's please make a new thread for the benefit of others and folks that search the archives in the future.

[Ne0eN]

Hmmm... any volunteers?

 

-- Rob

[Ne0eN]

Something I found on Wetwebmedia...

 

A note regarding "feeding strikes", where for no apparent reason(s), a fish will forego feeding. This happens quite a bit with Zebrasoma. If yours seems to have "given up the ghost" and stopped eating, don't you give up. Very often, just as quickly, these surgeons will resume feeding, regaining their girth. Check `your water chemistry, try a water change, an offering of a new green food... this often stirs resumption of feeding. Understand that these fishes go through periods of non-feeding naturally in the wild, storing fat in their body cavities.

 

-- Rob

[davelin315]

I think that your feeding strike is probably a lot longer than they are referring to. Call up a vet and see if they can give you any advice, or, post here and on CMAS or see if John at BRK has any experience with force feeding fish. I know that koi are such an investment I imagine that at some point in time he has tried his hand at it (granted, the koi are just a tad bit bigger and have a tiny bit bigger mouth!). Maybe he's even got the supplies to anesthetize your fish while you do it.

[Ne0eN]

Well,

 

Believe it or not... Purple Tang is still alive, still not eating. Tried a different type of green macro algae (thanks Johnny at BRK) didn't work.

 

At this point, I'm gonna ask if anyone has a large Q tank or display tank with no other fish, since perhaps he's stressing out in my small QT. I actually tried putting him in my 60 gal reef. That didnt work too well... He started freaking out, swimming rapidly back and worth, knocking things around, and getting himself quite beat up. Then my Kole Tang and the Majestic Angel started messing with him, so I deceided to scoop him out and back in the QT.

 

Any other ideas? I'm really at wits ends what to do with this fish. I was thinking giving him to Johnny(BRK) for his nice display reef, but the Sohal and Kolel Tang would probably tear him apart.

 

-- Rob

[Armson]

Well,

 

Believe it or not... Purple Tang is still alive, still not eating. Tried a different type of green macro algae (thanks Johnny at BRK) didn't work.

 

At this point, I'm gonna ask if anyone has a large Q tank or display tank with no other fish, since perhaps he's stressing out in my small QT. I actually tried putting him in my 60 gal reef. That didnt work too well... He started freaking out, swimming rapidly back and worth, knocking things around, and getting himself quite beat up. Then my Kole Tang and the Majestic Angel started messing with him, so I deceided to scoop him out and back in the QT.

 

Any other ideas? I'm really at wits ends what to do with this fish. I was thinking giving him to Johnny(BRK) for his nice display reef, but the Sohal and Kolel Tang would probably tear him apart.

 

-- Rob

 

 

Rob, I would love to take him off your hands. I would be more than happy to return him once I have gotten him eating and healthy.

 

 

 

Byron

[davelin315]

I have a lovely 300 gallon reef that has no inhabitants... unfortunately, it also currently has no water either... I could put it into a 58 if you want where the only other large fish is a sebae clown (female). Let me know if you want to take me up on it. The other inhabitants are all small fish (6 line, royal gramma, single quarter sized 3 stripe damsel).

[Ne0eN]

Rob, I would love to take him off your hands. I would be more than happy to return him once I have gotten him eating and healthy.

Byron

 

Thanks, where can you put him?

 

-- Rob

 

I have a lovely 300 gallon reef that has no inhabitants... unfortunately, it also currently has no water either... I could put it into a 58 if you want where the only other large fish is a sebae clown (female). Let me know if you want to take me up on it. The other inhabitants are all small fish (6 line, royal gramma, single quarter sized 3 stripe damsel).

 

Thanks Dave,

 

300 gal would have been perfect, but he does like water. How agressive is the clown fish?

 

-- Rob

[davelin315]

The clown has not shown aggression in the past, but Byron was first in line. Let me know what you decide, though. The tank will eventually come down I think when I set up the 300. He's more than welcome to be a guinea pig in there but will also probably have to come out at some point if he's healthy enough as I don't want to start off with such an aggressive fish to begin with (he'd be fine in there once I get it set up for at least a few months after it's cycled).