Unusual Tang

[Wieselsport]

So I got a blue tang after my yellow tang of three years died in January. I've only had him since thursday but It keeps going into the long fingers of my blue ridge coral, he is actually resting on the coral. At first I thought, "oh he's a gonner" but everytime i throw some food in he pops out and swims normal and feeds. Is this normal behavior or it he on the way out???

 

[Almondsaz]

Tangs seem to like to wedge themselves into tight places, especially when they are new to the tank. Given time your new tang will be a little more outgoing but it will always be a bit on the seemingly timid side. My Atlantic Blue tang does this and when I had a hippo tang it did the same. Interested to see if others are experiencing the same. You should post a pic of your new blue tang.

 

[Wieselsport]

here's a quick pic. its focused on the clown but you can see him in the back ground

 

[Almondsaz]

Great pic. That is exactly like my first tang. Squeezed into rock crevices that I didn't know it could fit. Spent much more time hiding than out in the open water. I had her for several months and she never stayed out all the time, but then she was a baby and in a 70 gallon. Here is a pic of my Atlantic blue and he is great fun...hides if spooked but swims all over the 125.

 

[krisfal]

My hippo tang squeezes himself into a very small crevice between 2 rocks on his side whenever I mess around in the tank. I think this is very normal behavior for these fish.

I read on some on-line fish store a warning about these guys that if you bought one and it was shipped to you. The warning went something like "the fish may be laying on its side at the bottom of the bag and appear to be dead, please do not discard fish!" I thought it was funny at the time, but now that I have watched how they respond when frightened, I understand the warning. My husband has said more than once "is that fish dead"?

 

[Maxx]

You're fish is "normal". Juvenile tangs do that all the time. Its how they survive long enough to become adult tangs.

No worries,

Nick