5th times the charm for blue tang?

[D70Challenger]

Hello all,
I have had plenty of reef tanks over the years. In the past 3 years I have had 4 Blue hippo tangs. I have a 90 gallon tank so although it is not ample size for an adult, it is sufficient for a young one. EVERY blue hippo I have got has contracted ick within the first few days and died within the next week. I have had success with plenty of other difficult fish to keep, but there is just something about these guys. I don't want to throw another $40 down the drain.

Does anybody have some advanced acclimation tips or ways to keep stress down for the first week especially?

 

[Ostara]

The best method for keeping any tang healthy effortlessly long term is to run a completely parasite-free system. Strict quarantine procedures for all incoming fish are a must. If a tank already has parasites, removing all current fish to treat and allowing the tank to run fallow for 10-12 weeks will eradicate them.

It's not fun or easy (and probably not what you were hoping to hear), but it makes keeping marine fish a heck of a lot easier and less stressful. Tangs of all sorts are easy to keep if you can make sure they're going into a clean environment without parasites attacking them from the start.

 

[downbeach]

the best method for keeping any tang healthy effortlessly long term is to run a completely parasite-free system. Strict quarantine procedures for all incoming fish are a must. If a tank already has parasites, removing all current fish to treat and allowing the tank to run fallow for 10-12 weeks will eradicate them.

It's not fun or easy (and probably not what you were hoping to hear), but it makes keeping marine fish a heck of a lot easier and less stressful. Tangs of all sorts are easy to keep if you can make sure they're going into a clean environment without parasites attacking them from the start.

+1

 

[HaleMoana]

Exactly what was said above. Quarantine quarantine quarantine.
Ad be prepared to run hypo for 6 to 8 weeks if you have to.

Best to start trying to get current inhabitants out first. Run fallow as stated above for 10 weeks minimum (I'd go 12). Reintroduce fish slowly. Spread them out over a few days each so you don't shock the bio load. Then set up a healthy effective QT system for the tang you want. Tangs need to be quarantined amd its a practice you need to be familiar with if you want to be serious about this hobby.

 

[symon_say]

I the fish is eating feed it like you wanna eat it, I QT all new fish not because of disease, just to make sure they are eating what i serve, so they know what's food before going into DT.

IMHO the biggest killer in the hobby are no diseases, is stressed and underfeed fish that goes right to your tank.

If the disease is not in a terminal stage the fish immune system should care of it, and this helps the fish in future disease it might get, but all the history i have read about disease wiping tank have to do with QT all fish before putting then into tank, most of then have never deal with any kind of disease and when something sneak into the tank they don't anything to fight and died.

 

[footballdude2k3]

A little surprised this has not come up yet, but what else do you have in the tank? If you are adding a fish that prefers tanks twice your size and already have too many inhabitants, it is a recipe for disaster.

 

[MrTuskfish]

A little surprised this has not come up yet, but what else do you have in the tank? If you are adding a fish that prefers tanks twice your size and already have too many inhabitants, it is a recipe for disaster.

I agree; but that's not what's killing the tangs.

If you don't rid your DT of ich once and for all; you'll lose all of your fish sooner or later. Ich is easy to cure in a QT/HT. If you won't use one, this may not be the right hobby for you.

 

[symon_say]

I agree; but that's not what's killing the tangs.

If you don't rid your DT of ich once and for all; you'll lose all of your fish sooner or later. Ich is easy to cure in a QT/HT. If you won't use one, this may not be the right hobby for you.

I think this is a really big wrong affirmation, you won't lose your fish because of ich, you have a change of loosing some fish, but fish that have been expose to ich a survive it is really hard for then to died because of it.

Ich is a deadly disease, but it probably won't kill a healthy fish, i have lose more fish under my clarkii aggression than ich (only the one that introduced died), and yes my tank have ich and yes i don't QT for it, just for food.

I have blue, yellow, desjardini and kole tang in tank, i had a powder brown and a tomini but it was a fight club, so i sold then, all this fish get ich when introduce to the tank, but i was sure they were all eating before going into DT.

As i said try to avoid getting ich to your tank, but once you have it, don't worry about it, just make sure your fish are eating good, and feed then a lot, their immune system will make the rest, and add some garlic extract to food it is suppose to boost the immune system.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Ich can stay in small numbers for years. Sooner or later though, the ich always wins.

I don't know why; but posts that try to justify allowing ich to remain in their systems always have the word "garlic'' somewhere in the post.

 

[enjetek]

Just let it run fallow or if its a fowlr and youre gonna be running carbon then go ahead and cupramine it. Might as well fix your parasite problem before subjecting anymore fish to dooooooooom....

 

[rssjsb]

Ich can stay in small numbers for years. Sooner or later though, the ich always wins.

I don't know why; but posts that try to justify allowing ich to remain in their systems always have the word "garlic'' somewhere in the post.

Yep. Fish may coexist with it for a while, but then when some otherwise non-fatal glitch occurs (heater fails, new fish disrupts the existing hierarchy, etc.), ich rips through your tank so fast you won't believe it.

 

[CHSUB]

to answer the OP question: " i would say don't get anymore hippo tangs"

 

[Ambition]

Fish are not adapted in the wild to survive an ich infestation. The number of fish compared to the volume is so low that a serious infection is extremely rare. They will get a few spots at most which they should be able to love through in the wild. In the home aquarium the whole idea of them living long term is out the window. Ich will have to do very little work to get a host, and when some human/mechanical error happens your fish will be covered. Chances are you will lose a good chunk of fish to it.

Garlic does nothing for ich, and if anything, it's long term use may cause harm to the fish.

 

[symon_say]

Ich can stay in small numbers for years. Sooner or later though, the ich always wins.

I don't know why; but posts that try to justify allowing ich to remain in their systems always have the word "garlic'' somewhere in the post.

That's what people always advise, garlic is like the vitamin C of the fish, so it should do something to the then.

Garlic won't cure ich, only thing to cure ich is treat livestock and tank, if you wan't to get rid of ich, you have to QT your fish and treat with HYPO, cooper or tank transfer method and leave your main display without fish for at least 10 weeks to be sure all ich is gone.

But, the thing is this can be done if you have few/small fish, otherwise you probably don't have were to put all your fish comfortably, and here is were the hypothesis of my theory begins, people with big tank don't QT after they get ich because they simply can't, and after a while nothing happens.

If you keep good husbandry and your parameters are in check, your fish are healthy and fat, you probably won't have any problems with ich, i don't know anybody with this conditions that have lost any fish to ich, and i have a lot of friends with SW tanks here, not online guys, real long term tanks.

I have 2 friends that have 15+ and 12+ years and the hobby, those are the most experienced reef keepers i know, have always told me, don't worry about ich, just check your parameters and keep your fish well feed and everything will do the rest by it's own.

 

[rssjsb]

If you keep good husbandry and your parameters are in check, your fish are healthy and fat, you probably won't have any problems with ich, i don't know anybody with this conditions that have lost any fish to ich, and i have a lot of friends with SW tanks here, not online guys, real long term tanks.

It may work out for some, but most people eventually experience some instability in their tanks due to a heat wave or equipment failure or other change that upsets the balance. That is all it takes. It truly is Russian roulette. Believe me, I've been there and it's pretty awful. Having to start over and keep the tank fishless for months is the least of it. Watching your fish die, and knowing it's your fault, really really bites. Not worth the risk to me.

 

[MrTuskfish]

There are recent studies that link long-term use of garlic to liver problems.

Folks who live by the "you can manage ich" theory provide a couple of valuable resources for new hobbyists. First, they read forums like this and see the endless parade of hobbyists who have lost all of their fish to ich (post this theory on the disease forum and watch the replies) and they supply lots of cheap equipment on Craigslist after they give up. I've been in this hobby for over 35 years and know only one hobbyist who has "managed" ich long term. Giving this advice to noobs is doing them a terrible disservice. Trying to keep ich "under control", even for a short term, is very difficult for anyone. For a noob, its a certain death sentence for all of his fish, at least 99% of the time.

 

[CHSUB]

"There are recent studies that link long-term use of garlic to liver problems"

LOL, come on pal!!!

 

[MrTuskfish]

"There are recent studies that link long-term use of garlic to liver problems"

LOL, come on pal!!!

Just a 5 second Google:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-222535.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/fish-food/garlic-bad-fish-liver-126031.html

http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showpost.php?p=2406525&postcount=13

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/garlicfaqs.htm

This isn't new, nor is it purely anecdotal ; there are experts on this forum who have said this for years. Let me know if its still funny, I love a good joke!

 

[jaa1456]

I have seen that NEW food by DR. G. I am curious if it really works or what. I know it says it will cure ICH, but im thinking it will just help the fish fight it off and have very little affect on ICH in the system as a whole.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I have seen that NEW food by DR. G. I am curious if it really works or what. I know it says it will cure ICH, but im thinking it will just help the fish fight it off and have very little affect on ICH in the system as a whole.

I'd post this in the disease forum. I've never heard of Dr.G's working at all. I have read that several folks haven't been able to get their fish to eat it.