I got home from work last night and was looking in my tank only to see my tang stuck to the power head. I grabbed a net and turned off the power heads to get him out and he swam away but I could see that he was really skinny and some flesh was missing from his fins. I got him out and put him in a 5 gallon bucket with a small heater and some leaf algae and hoped for the best but when I got up this morning he was laying side ways on the bottom not moving. I am not sure what happened ever thing else is doing fine. I check all my levels a couple days every thing looked good but my ph was a little lower then normal. I did a water change the same day to try and help with that. He was always picking at the rocks and glass so I dont think he was going hungry. He would even eat some of the brine shrimp I would put in there for the other fish.

I've lost some tangs in the same way. These tangs were being harrassed by other fish and were not eating much.

Yeah mine seemed to be doing fine, I only have a true perc and a purple fire fish I never saw ether one of them bothering the tang. I dont know what happened but It was prob my favorite so far.

How long had you had him? Ive lost a few that way as well, however that was the nail in the coffin from something else. They deal with ocean currents, the pull of a PH isnt going to be more than they can handle unless their swimming is already labored. Ive seen my tiny vlamingi swim head first into my K4 ph and eat algae off the center guard.

I have had him maybe 4-5 months. I dont think the power head killed him but Im not sure what got him so weak that it sucked him in and held him there. I did not notice him having any problems swimming the day before.

Kyle, I am so sorry to hear this. I agree with the others though; the tang had to be sickly already. PHs don't kill tangs; the tangs can actually eat algae off them without incident. Chances are he was sick from something else. I'm sorry for your loss, but there probably wasn't anything you could have done to prevent this. You did all you could and you need to rest assured in that knowledge.