Buying a Tang with Ich?

[ImprezaSTi]

I have long planned to have a blue hippo tang in my tank, but I saw juvenile hippos at the LFS and they are already covered with ICH!! I know that they are ich magnets, but they had around 30 of them and they all had ich!!

I do not have a QT tank so I guess my only option is to feed it garlic. Is there a high possibility that the ich will get to my other fish? Anyone got experience in same situation as me?

 

[pescadero]

I have lots of experience in the situation: I have repeatedly made the decision not to buy a fish that is not healthy. Period. Wait for the LFS to take care of the problem or better yet, just look elsewhere.

If you don't have a QT system, then its a really, really BAD idea to introduce a fish that is known to have a communicable disease into your main system! :eek2:

 

[ImprezaSTi]

Well I was thinking since this type of fish is known to be an ich magnet, it will get ich either way, whether I buy it with ich or not.

Also, I don't come by them at the juvenile size very often.

 

[BIG-G]

If it has ich and you put it in your tank then its just about 100% chance the other fish will get it to. Why do you say if the fish doesnt have ich it will get it anyway? If you put a healthy fish (one that does not have ich) in a tank that does not have ich in it how will the fish get ich? Ich is a fish parasite without a fish it cant reproduce .Read this http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html

 

[mhltcob]

This is a bit like asking whether you should have unprotected sex with a prostitute that has aids First you should find a source of better quality specimens (be patient and more selective). Second you should take measures to protect yourself (quarantine). You can prevent cryptocaryon outbreaks in the display by following that advice. It is not a given that your fish in the display will get crypt and it is in fact very preventable. Outbreaks in the aquarium can be very hard to control without medication (and that doesn't mean being lazy and soaking food in garlic, im talking proven methods - hypo/copper) and most people lose fish if proper measures aren't taken.

 

[bsagecko]

dont do it i got a coral beauty that had ich without me knowing it biggest mistake ever............

if you want a good hypo wait............

if you are in canada i would recommend that you definately wait until you can get better choices

never buy a fish with ich and never buy a single fish from an LFS that has a fish with ich in a closed system......................(closed sytems meaning that all the tanks are ran off the same large sump and all interconnected as the ich will pass from tank to tank...........)

 

[JHemdal]

I agree with the group - Cryptocaryon reproduces exponentially - so buying a fish that is "covered" with ick could be one generation of parasites away from death.

You should assume that every fish you buy has a sub-clinical case of Cryptocaryon and quarantine appropriately. Curing a few spots of ich is worlds easier than treating an advanced case.


JHemdal

 

[ImprezaSTi]

I must have exaggerated the case. Its not exactly "covered" with ich, it was more like a dot or two.

 

[bsagecko]

even if the fish has one dot dont get it..........the tank conditions are not good as you have described; however, if you feel this maybe your only chance at getting a hippo like this (size) do it but with certain steps.........................

first you must realize that the fish could die
second you will spend more money to fix the fish but the fish will not be subsetible to ich for 6-9 months once it is cured.........

you need to get a 10-20g QT
if you dont have one get one now
you dont need a filter for it nor do you need a light
all you need is an air pump, PVC and meds

you should go with the hypo/transfer method since you have a tang i would not use copper or formalin

so this is what you will do

first buy 2 ten gallon aquariums
then buy 2 4" PVC T's
then buy a stress coat
then a reef buffer
make sure you have a ph and alkanity tests
a refrotometer (spell check)
and lots of salt
6 ft air tubing
air pump (large)

ok you are going to hypo salinaty the water that means you want the water to be about 14 ppt or 1.010

you will fill one 10g aquarium with water with this i recommend only doing 8 gallons not the full 10

since you dont have a filter you need to feed sparily..........

anyways measure the ph and alk make sure they are where they are suppose to be 8.3 ph and alk should be 9-10 dkh
the temp can be anything bewteen 77-82 F

you will mix the stress coat into the water based on directions make sure it works on saltwater fish.....

after that take the PVC T's and put one in the the tank and secure the air lining into the tank so that it makes the water moving the tubing should be 3 ft in lenght

now drop the fish in.........this begins the QT

the Qt will last for 6-7 weeks no less no matter what anyone else tells you even your LFS...............

every 3 days you will switch aquariums this means...............

the unused PVC T gets placed in the
Unused 3ft tubing gets uses
all new water

basically nothing transfers but the fish

to transer the fish do not use a net but use a plastic ziploc make sure the fish never hits the air and is always in water...........

you will switch the fish for a total of 3-6 times every 3 days.....

after you switch the fish into the new clean aquarium

completely dispose of all the water in the old and let everything dry out in extreme heat and then rinse everything this will kill the ich and anything else like bacteria.............

the main problem with this method is it is a lil stressful but not deadly.....................


no matter what happens do not but the hippo into your DT until it has been 6 weeks with this method and you have had no signs of ich for at least 4 weeks (meaning no new spots)

even after the 6 weeks i would wait 2 more...................

this is alot of work and requires constant management and time but if you must have this fish this is the way i would do it best of luck if you have any questsions plz ask................if anyone with an actual degree in marine bio or similiar thinks this is a bad idea plz let us now.....but this is the best method i have found that doesnt invovle use of copper or formalin