New Powder Bl. Tang, ICH???

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skiflyer

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May 27, 2004
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Hi,

I bought a powder blue tang yesterday, over night it developed white spots on its entire body and fins. He is not rubbing up against anything, and he is not eating. However, might this just be a sign of stress since i added him so recently???
My tank/ other fish have been and look fine. What should I do??? Return to the store? Treat? is it ich???

Here is my setup:

55 gal
magnum 350 canister, w/ phoszorb and surface skimmer attach.
2 powerheads
40 lbs of vanuatu live rock
220 watts power compact ligthing (helios)

Live stock:
1 yellow tang
2 percula clowns
1 regal (hippo) tang
1 Coral banded shrimp
1 fire shrimp (cleaner)
1 flame scallop
1 sebae anemone
1 rock anemone

Thanks in advance
 

Cearbhaill

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Mar 22, 2003
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Well- by not quaranting new arrivals you've bought yourself a ticket on the Ich Train. It always amazes me how much we invest in our reefs and then choke when it comes to spending $50 on a q-tank set up.

The life cycle of ich has several stages- many invisible. Unfortunately you have exposed all of your fish to this parasite.

You have two choices- remove all of your fish to a hospital tank and treat them for ich. You display tank will have to remain empty of fish for 4-6 weeks so all the ich in there will die. Hospital tank treatment would be hyposalinity (my choice) or carefully monitored copper treatments. Neither of these treatments can be carried out in a display tank with rock and inverts.

Second choice is to keep the fish in the display and use one of the "reef safe" products like Ruby Reefs Kick Ich, and feed crushed garlic in your foods. This is the less preferable choice.

At any rate you have some reading to do first This is a good place to start.
Until you understand a bit about the life cycle you won't understand the need for the extended treatment times.

Good luck- and start quarantining all fish!!


Edit:The topic of two tangs in a 55 gallon is a whole 'nother topic, but one that needs addressing.
Stress is a prime disease factor. Two tangs in a 55 is stress.
 
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jessie

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someone else correct me if im wrong, but if you keep those fish in that tank for long, all your gonna have is problems. thats 3 tangs in a 55 gallon tank. eventually it will cause problems. not to mention will these 3 different tangs get along even in a bigger tank. if the tangs keep each other stressed, your gonna have ich alot. my regal breaks out everytime he gets just a bit stresswed. if your gonna keep them though, i would invest in some cleaner shrimp. my 2 shrimp keep my regal tang looking pretty nice.
 

benjen

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Powder blues are one of the most difficult tangs to keep alive according the Robert Fenner, because they require very large tanks, are highly susceptible to diseases such as ich, and are highly, highly aggressive towards other tangs, especially those similar in color (regal tangs) or shape (yellow tangs). Their home territories in the wild are often dozens of square meters and they don't cope well with glass boxes. They are also very likely to be injured in transit as a part of the process where they go from the ocean to your tank.

On top of all that, these tangs are notoriously difficult to feed correctly in captivity because they are continuous and active algae grazers that require a huge variety of algaes and benthic infaunals to maintain their health in the wild.

You need a tank at least twice the size of your 55 to keep this fish healthy, and it will not cope well with either the close environs or the other tangs. A blue regal and a yellow can live together successfully in the longer term sometimes, but they almost always need a large tank for that, at least 100 gallons.

In the short term, I'd say to return the powder blue and start treating for ich. In the longer term, you will need a bigger tank for at least the blue regal tang. The bare minimum for a full grown regal is at least 75 gallons. To keep both tangs together, you really want at least 100 gallons long term. Also, pick up a second blood red fire shrimp, and the pair may do a lot to help control the ich problem that you now have. Either way, the first shrimp will do better with a second one around.


jessie,
Blood red fire shrimp are cleaner shrimp, but they have a tendency to hide if kept singly as skiflyer has his/hers.
 

skiflyer

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thanks for all the replies.

I have another question. When i came home today the white spots are gone....if this indeed is ich would it go away over night???
Will the powder blue tang get more aggresive towards the other tangs after it has been in the tank for a while??? I'm asking because it is calm around the other tangs as of now.

ANd finally, what is the best or recommended temperature for a reef system??
 

kikuchiyo

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May 9, 2004
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I'm no marine keeper, but if your tang is behaving now its probably because it is still adjusting to its environment. The tank isn't it's territory yet, it still feel like an interloper.

When it settles in, things will most likely change quickly.
 

mogurnda

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Apr 29, 2003
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Originally posted by skiflyer
thanks for all the replies.

I have another question. When i came home today the white spots are gone....if this indeed is ich would it go away over night???
Will the powder blue tang get more aggresive towards the other tangs after it has been in the tank for a while??? I'm asking because it is calm around the other tangs as of now.

ANd finally, what is the best or recommended temperature for a reef system??
First, the parasites will come and go from the fish, depending on the stage of the life cycle. Then they will swim around and infect all the fish they can find. Strong healthy fish may be able to fend off the parasites, but a stressed fish will probably need chemical help. As far as I know, there is not much evidence that cleaner shrimp will make much of a dent in cryptocaryon.

Here's a writeup by AC's FISH WHISPERER on cryptocaryon treatment: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11896&highlight=ich

Here's one from Advanced Aquarist: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2004/mini4.htm

In my reading and surfing, 76-80 degrees F is commonly given as a good temperature range.
 
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