This purple tang is a nightmare... just about ready to give up on it

[One Day Lsx]

I got this PT from petco with velvet and ich. Not my first quarentine saved fish, but maybe my last. Sit down and listen to my store as it's a long one

Three weeks ago we saved a purple tang, brought it home and put it in quarentine. Ramped up copper in a 3 day span and held it at 2.32-2.53. Seen the velvet and ich fall right off. Seen spots where the velvet was hooked and big white spots everywhere. Those white spots went away a couple days after the white dots disappeared. Fast forward a few more days, everything was fine until I noticed the PT lost its appetite. Followed Humblefish's salvage protocol on the fish as it started to get very very weak and couldn't move very well. Had the fish in a methylene blue bath and hyposalinity of 1.011 because I assumed flukes maybe a part of the fishes loss of appetite as I was dosing metroplex, kanaplex every other day. Eight days go by and I notice the tang had a very bad pinched stomach, but was very active until day 8 it started to swim sideways. I took it out to go through the hybrid TTM quarentine as I have a leopard wrasse we has just picked up.. Started to eat very well and swimming around, looked like a complete turnaround. I started setting up our new sumps and a few hours go by, I notice the PT had a clamped right fin I'm seriously like what the #^$$!!! It wont move it at all, if it does it just twitches it. What's going on with this thing??? I need help asap please

 

[KrisReef]

Did the wrasse take a bite? Hopefully the PT will move forward and heal from this most recent injury. If you save a fish from Petco another angel gets their wings!

 

[One Day Lsx]

Nah the wrasse is very mellow. The fish is very weak as it is, now it is hurt

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

I think it’s a bad idea to buy obviously infected/sick fish from any LFS or Petco. You’re just reinforcing their bad husbandry practices and ensuring that another fish will take its place next week. Best thing to do is let them take the loss on it and contact them to let them know they need to improve their practices. And look how much stress its caused you.

 

[Steph72]

Nah the wrasse is very mellow. The fish is very weak as it is, now it is hurt

Oh no, poor baby! I would do a water change and put some air stones with him to get more oxygen moving through the water. Is he in respiratory distress or just not moving? You may need to back off the copper and any other medications. The swimming sideways and twitching sounds neurologic but I’d have to see it to be able to tell more. I’m going to tag some folks who know more than I do. I commend you for trying to help him and hope he’s able to bounce back.
@Jay Hemdal
@vetteguy53081

 

[Goaway]

I really hope you get advice on this. Any fish I had that swam sideways, didn't live long after.
Pinched fin, I added selcon to the food and garlic to entice eating while medicating.
Gl, don't give up

 

[vetteguy53081]

Generally, the twitching is a sign of something irritating the fish and it’s trying to shake it off . This is also a sign of flukes and copper will not do anything for the fish. Rather without prazipro , copper would have no effect on flukes. Its most likely flukes - treat with Prazi for a few weeks and all should be good assuming flukes.
The other issue I see is the level of copper is at or past limits and if you are getting false results from your test kit, it could be an overdose causing such behavior.
on the fin issue, I know of two cases where this happened and a week of Melafix helped it

 

[One Day Lsx]

I think I got everyone confused. The tank he is in now, is copper free. Well actually free of any medication. My copper tests we're spot on, checked with Hanna. I'm concerned about the overall health of the fish as its poor to good. Good enough to swim in high current. Bad enough to get picked on by other fish I'm assuming. The fish doesn't twitch, just that right fin does and that one is the one that is held to its body, not being used AT ALL. He has been treated for flukes and velvet/ich. Should I get him in a little hospital box so he doesn't have alot of other variables to deal with? How do you dose melafix?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I think I got everyone confused. The tank he is in now, is copper free. Well actually free of any medication. My copper tests we're spot on, checked with Hanna. I'm concerned about the overall health of the fish as its poor to good. Good enough to swim in high current. Bad enough to get picked on by other fish I'm assuming. The fish doesn't twitch, just that right fin does and that one is the one that is held to its body, not being used AT ALL. He has been treated for flukes and velvet/ich. Should I get him in a little hospital box so he doesn't have alot of other variables to deal with? How do you dose melafix?

Melafix is more of a tonic, and unlikely to help in this case. Your poor tang has really been through a lot, but I can’t figure out what this new fin issue is. Could you post a short video?
Jay

 

[One Day Lsx]

It's being used today. Still abnormal behavior though

 

[lagatbezan]

Is it currently in display tank or qt. Is it eating?
I feel like it’s probably over stressed with all the treatment. I would personally leave him alone and let him settle in and gain its strength. Feed small portions but often throughout the day to fatten up.

 

[Screwgunner]

On the weekends I open the north facing window blinds and let the morning light in and all my fish swim sideways to the light.

 

[Goaway]

I can't give recommendations on the PT . Does look like stress to me at this point. Even though Ick takes so long to treat/cure

 

[Goaway]

It's being used today. Still abnormal behavior though

Is there a reason you are using the egg crate? Looks like he feels cramped.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It's being used today. Still abnormal behavior though

Yeah - it's kind of paddling along with it, not sure what that could be, sorry.

jay

 

[BiggestE222]

I got this PT from petco with velvet and ich. Not my first quarentine saved fish, but maybe my last. Sit down and listen to my store as it's a long one

Three weeks ago we saved a purple tang, brought it home and put it in quarentine. Ramped up copper in a 3 day span and held it at 2.32-2.53. Seen the velvet and ich fall right off. Seen spots where the velvet was hooked and big white spots everywhere. Those white spots went away a couple days after the white dots disappeared. Fast forward a few more days, everything was fine until I noticed the PT lost its appetite. Followed Humblefish's salvage protocol on the fish as it started to get very very weak and couldn't move very well. Had the fish in a methylene blue bath and hyposalinity of 1.011 because I assumed flukes maybe a part of the fishes loss of appetite as I was dosing metroplex, kanaplex every other day. Eight days go by and I notice the tang had a very bad pinched stomach, but was very active until day 8 it started to swim sideways. I took it out to go through the hybrid TTM quarentine as I have a leopard wrasse we has just picked up.. Started to eat very well and swimming around, looked like a complete turnaround. I started setting up our new sumps and a few hours go by, I notice the PT had a clamped right fin I'm seriously like what the #^$$!!! It wont move it at all, if it does it just twitches it. What's going on with this thing??? I need help asap please

Petco is not a good source for delicate fish or any saltwater fish.

 

[Goaway]

Yeah - it's kind of paddling along with it, not sure what that could be, sorry.

jay

I have seen this before, at fish stores. A large 10 inch trigger in a 20gallon aquarium on hold for pickup. They don't know how to swim in what feels like a tight space. I don't know if the tang is going through the same stress.

So, I wonder if the egg crate cage is causing the issue.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have seen this before, at fish stores. A large 10 inch trigger in a 20gallon aquarium on hold for pickup. They don't know how to swim in what feels like a tight space. I don't know if the tang is going through the same stress.

So, I wonder if the egg crate cage is causing the issue.

Looks like it is outside the eggcrate? At any given wholesaler, they'll have PTs in tiny acrylic cubicles, and they don't paddle like that. Also, the OP said the fish wasn't using the fin at all yesterday...I think something else is going on here.

Jay

 

[One Day Lsx]

Today, it's missing part of said fin, like its deteriorating. I think it got hurt but I'm not sure. I moved in inside that "egg crate" for the first time just now to better observe the behavior. Girlfriend said it ate earlier but is showing severe signs of not eating. Not really interested in nori, or any food for that matter. Will eat pe mysis and flake food.

 

[Goaway]

Any chance you can get a picture of the fin? And can you tell us if it's getting worse by the hour?
Are the flakes he's eating a veggie blend? Nori can take awhile for some tangs to eat. So, I would just stick with what he's accepting. And not try anything else until he's better. But, that's me.

I can't say if it's fin and tail rot. Might be.