Yellow Tang question

lumpy

Reefing newb
I bought a yellow tang from my local fish store. He's been in my tank for about two days (buying another tank for quarenteening but dont have one yet). He's been doing a great job putting a serious dent in my hair algae. However; I noticed that on the lower part of his body he has an area that appears to be a little bumpy. I've read that these fish can have a lot of health issues. Are these raised areas something I should worry about? I've attached a couple of pictures that might help show what I mean but the images are a little more subtle than real life.
 

Attachments

  • 001.webp
    001.webp
    15 KB · Views: 1,294
  • 003.webp
    003.webp
    13.4 KB · Views: 1,572
He just looks like he needs to gain some weight. If he is eating well, then that will happen on its own. Be sure you are supplementing his diet with vegetable based foods like Emerald Entree and dried seaweed (nori) sheets.
 
+1 Biff

He just looks a bit underweight. Make sure there's some nori in his tank every day. Feed him enough and he'll plump up within a few weeks.

This is a picture of a larger tang from liveaquaria, but he should be filled out like this guy.

lg-74760-yellow-hawaii-tang.jpg
 
Last edited:
+1 everyone! My tang is still a juvenile and she shows similar bumps after she's had a big meal. Just tiny so you see every bump and bulge! On another note, you will need to quarantine and treat everyone in you tank if you are serious about getting a qt. Its not worth it if you are just planning to use it for observation.
 
yea he looks like he could use himself some food. I have been feeding mine rods food and nori sheets (mine like the purple stuff) and not to brag or anything but he won POTM so he must be doing well! In all seriousness though, you tang looks fine. Id see if he will eat some meaty food too and he should fatten right up. Also, Yellow tangs are NOTORIOUS for Ich so be careful. Mine got black ich and I got a skunk cleaner. That fixed the problem in like 2 days. Im sure that my tank still has some form of it but my fish are doing great and I really do think its because of that cleaner shrimp.
 
Feed that fish a sammich! Really, everyone else has you covered. I got my yellow tang from my LFS, and he was a bit on the skinny side too. I was a bit worried, although I did see him eat at the store before I brought him home. Now he's eating well and fattening up. I feed nori sheets daily and emerald entree and formula 2 frozen 5 times weekly, as well as other meaty bits and bites (plankton, marine cuisine, fish roe, etc.) and he scarfs it up along with the rest of the crew. It's taken him a while to come out of his shell and eat with the rest, but I just fed him separately for the first few weeks until he caught on.
 
Back
Top