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Bruce Spiegelman

Bruce Spiegelman

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A month ago while cleanig the tank -- rocks and sane, etc -- my Yellow Tang went into extreme distress. Not swimming, laying on her side, and distressed breathing. This lasted hours, but finally the next morning she seemed to have recovered. Since that time the tanks been cleaned normally, and Mike even came down to help me with the some major equipment cleaning, large water change, etc. That was about two weeks ago and again everything was fine with all the fish. I did start to get some Red Slime which I attributed to the water change and phosphates going low, but it wasn't effecting fish or corals. I decided to brush it off in preparation for a normal weekend cleaning, but thought I'd do it in parts. Two days ago I brushed off a third of the tank getting the slime and rocks/sand. No issues.

Then this morning I did another third, and immediately the Yellow tang went into distress again. The other fish seem fine.
No indication of a rise in ammonia based in testing (it shows zero). Phosphates at .03. Nitrates at 20.

Any ideas?
 
My best guess is that is caused by a local rise in ammonia. When you stir up the sand bed, it likely released something in the water. My guess is that you tested either too far from where the ammonia was getting stirred up from, or by the time you tested, it was diluted and went through your biological filtration.
 
Ibn said:
How deep is your sand bed? Do you have any sand sifters that normally goes through and mixes it up?
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Between 1" and 2". It's not a deep sane bed and when I cleaned it today I brushed off the top layer only. I did check ammonia to see even though it's not deep enough for an ammonia pocket. I have nassarius snails and a goatfish that is always digging in the sand.
 
H2OPlayar said:
My best guess is that is caused by a local rise in ammonia. When you stir up the sand bed, it likely released something in the water. My guess is that you tested either too far from where the ammonia was getting stirred up from, or by the time you tested, it was diluted and went through your biological filtration.
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And I considered that, but it only effects the one fish it seems. I also tested on both ends of the tank just in case, but it was about 10 min later.
 
Any chance your yellow tang normally sees you coming, and has a chance to hide, and the times it was in distress you caught it off guard and it was "stuck" in the open?
 
Meshmez said:
Any chance your yellow tang normally sees you coming, and has a chance to hide, and the times it was in distress you caught it off guard and it was "stuck" in the open?
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Almost none. I've had him for years, and he's used to me cleaning, feeding, watching, etc. Weird thing is the Clowns are usually attacking me when I clean anything, and the goatfish stays where ever sand stirring is happening to jump on an exposed meal. Nothing happens to them.
 
JVU said:
Maybe something on your hands/arms he is sensitive to? Grasping at straws.
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I doubt it. I'm in the tank every few days taking care of corals that have been knocked over, etc. That never bothers him. The two times this has happened it was after a rock and sand cleaning, but it's only him and there's no sign of ammonia at all.
 
Maybe he wants to make sure when you put the rocks back they are flat on the sand so he’s showing you
 
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