Alessa

Hello saltwater folks, for those of you that might not know me, Im currently a freshwater enthusiast and dream about, in the near future (as soon as I can afford it) get a saltwater reef

Anyways, I work at the museum of natural history in Chicago. I thought I knew every single spot in that museum and all the exhibits and its contents... but I was wrong!

Today, in one of those boring thursdays, I decided to take a walk in the exhibits I hadnt been to in a while... and decided to visit the one about "Pacific Islands". Everything was going great. Then, I saw something I hadnt seen before, a new thing... Like a 100gal saltwater tank! I quickly went to it and it had a couple cute clowns, a puffer, an "urchin-Looking-Thing", what seemed to be a goby, a pacific blue tang and what seemed to be a very bad looking yellow tang (Picture Below).

When I looked at it, it seemed as if all of fins had been completely nipped! I also saw it trying to eat crushed coral.... whats wrong with it? I know there is something wrong but I couldnt tell if it was other fish biting its fins or if it was a disease.

The tank didnt look that good at all. The powerheads were off, the tank looked dirty, the walls rusty,and most of the rocks and stuff there seemed to be fake... (I dont think there was enough live rock, and I also didnt see a mechanical filter so...)

Im sorry about the pic quality but I took it with my phone... I wanted to talk to the people In charge but there was no one around. I would be glad to give advice, or even help, but I didnt even know what was causing the fin loss... can anyone help me?

-Thanks!

Attached Images

Tang.jpg (40.2 KB, 48 views)

sgould

Hard to see much detail in the pic, but from what I can see it does not appear to be in good shape. As you mentioned, it looks like the fins have suffered...either rot from disease or damage from fighting. From the tank conditions you describe, it would not surprise me if it were fighting off disease. Tangs are kind of prone anyway, and poor water quality would make that tendancy worse.

As to it picking at the crushed coral, that is not necessarily a bad sign. Tangs graze for algae from rocks and substrate, so he may have just been looking for a snack.

Alessa

Do you think the tank mates could be causing this? Like the pacific blue tang?

Thanks for your reply!

Alessa

Great, I just checked out the blue tang and it has some suspicious pale white spots, as well as some shiny white spots that seem to be ICH any idea about the pale white spots?

The yellow tang also seems to have missing skin

Im trying to find out who is responsible for the tank (if there is anyone at all). If not, im going to ask for the position

The puffer seems letargic as well...

sgould

Several things it could be...we need better pictures, though!

Alessa

I'll get my cam with me tomorrow and pot pics

Mike

Wow, that tang looks really bad from your photo. Looks like it's missing 3/4 of it's dorsal fin.

Alessa

and the lower fin (cant remember the name now ) is in the same condition...

As I said, I am trying to get me the job as "tank keeper" if no one else has it, or I can prove my point that it is not well taken care of! (obviously).

(sigh)

Lucy

Alessa, I hope they let you take care of those poor fish. Even if they don't, you can find out who's in charge of the tank and help them along.

Martinismommy

That poor tang looks horrible! I hope someone will work on healing the poor guy.....

Alessa

Thanks Lucy! I hope they will...

MM, Im trying to get me that job/task (id do it for free if I have to) ! I am about to talk to someone (again) so that they let me be in charge because, obviously, whoever is supposed to, is not doing a good job at all!

Please send me good vibes this way so that they let me heal them, and take care of them like it should be...

Martinismommy

I sure hope they let you help the poor fish...That would be so rewarding to watch them heal and thrive......If you would like to use a photo of my extremely healthy tang to show them as an example of what a tang is supposed to look like let me know....

Lucy

Good vibes coming your way!

Alessa

Ok.. I just talked to "someone" and this is how it went:

This one guy is "in charge" over the weekend, and although he seemed to cooperate, he said "he could just let me take a look around". So I did and I noticed a couple of things:

They have a canister filter inside, although the powerheads are off.
they have some "cichlid buffering" thing in there (even though it is a marine tank). they told me it was for "the cichlid tank downstairs" (is there a cichlid tank too).
they use the "test strips" and they have one liquid test that looks like it has been there since the 60's
They have some plankton and frozen food, although it seems old too.
they have a gallon of "clorox" although they refused to tell me what it was used for.
the tank temp was in the lower 70s (73-74)
and what I was told when I asked about weekly maintenance is: "I dont do that, they Lady in charge the rest of the week does, and whenever a fish dies, she just replaces it with another one... we recently lost a puffer, and called over someone from the Shedd aquarium to take a look at it... I think they did a surgery or something on it because it died"
the excuse about the yellow tang was as follows:

"it has always been like that, i think because its old, I think we've had it for about 5 years or so...."

when I mentioned the "salt looking sprinkles" in the blue tang he said "oh...."


I will talk to the "person in charge" and hope they let me help. I also went and take a look at the cichlid tank and its overstocked. they are in a tall-ish 55 gal (or less) and its like 17 5-6 inch fishes there, with just a piece of driftwood and a bubble wand.

(sigh) i hope that person wont give me the attitude of "everything is perfectly fine with my fish, I know what I am doing"

Thanks for your vibes lucy

and MM, thank you, I'd love a pic of a healthy tang

Martinismommy

Here are some pics of my boy....This is a HEALTHY tang...

Attached Images

	Tangy 4 2008.jpg (333.6 KB, 11 views)
	tang black.jpg (123.5 KB, 10 views)
	Tangy 7 18.jpg (129.0 KB, 8 views)
	tangy 7 29.jpg (301.1 KB, 11 views)

Alessa

what a cute little tang MM
the excuse they gave me about the tang is that "it was old" :

Martinismommy

Their excuse is just that "An excuse" Tangs live a long time and what he has is not an age problem it appears to be a neglect issue....

Keep us posted on what happens....I'll be thinking about the little guy.....

Alessa

ok... talked to the one in charge, gave me the attitude. I dont know what's wrong with this people? she just wrote my number down and said "if we need any help we'll contact you" the blue tang is being treated for ich and the cichlids are out of control since they keep having babies..." (sigh) No response about the yellow tang.


Seriously, there are like 20 cichlids in a 30 gallon tall where they can barely move. and the salt water is not looking any better. Do they even know that simply by raising the temp from the low 70s where they have the marine tank will help with the ich? do they know about ich and fin rot being caused by bad water quality? do they know how miserable the lives of the cichlids in that tank must be? ARRRRGGHHHH!

twinston

is there someone else you can talk to like maybe the director of the musesum. maybe if you told them what you see as being wrong and how to treat it effectively without costing an arm and a leg they might let you take over. you could also remind them that you are willing to do it on your time without any expectation back from them. i don't know. all i know is that i'm pretty frustrated for you. it might not hurt to go in with pictures of what a healthy fish should look like.

Alessa

Thank you Twinston. I will keep trying to reach the "unreachable" people in charge in the museum. They've been looking at me lately like: "oh, the troublemaker again..."

twinston

i was just thinking about it too and it may not be a bad idea to try to kiss up and play nice. that may go over better. especially with the guy that actually takes care of the tank. ask him what he's tried and tell him what has also worked for you. good luck

Alessa

I already tried... the guy wont even let me sniff the tank water

I will keep trying... (Sigh)