Nervous about buying a PBT

E46Twist

E46Twist

New member
Okay so I have decided that I want a PBT in my new 125. I have a whole thread on the build and details so I'll save that. I am mainly worried because I have to buy one online :(. I have read PBT primer but would like you guys to answer some questions for me. There is no question I will be qting in a fully cycled ready to go tank. What additives if any should I use to treat the water? Is a month a good time to keep it in QT? What is the best way to combat ich if it comes up in my DT? I'll have cleaner shrimp and gobies. Tank mates will be a flame angel, fully grown fox face, then small stuff like clowns and gobies.

I just need some convincing that I can do this lol.
 
Nothing to treat the water. 6 weeks is the amount of time you want the fish in QT. Treating ich in your DT involved QTing all fish and making sure ich never makes it into the DT. If it does the DT will have to be fish less (fallow) for 72 days and the fish you had will need to be treated with cupramine,cp, or TTM
 
Well the PBT would be the only new addition to what I already have in my other system for now, They have all been without any sign of ich for almost a year.
 
I bought my PBT online from PetCo over a year ago, and it has been a great fish. Unfortunately, it contracts Ich all the time. Last week I had to tear down my 250 and put everything in temp tanks to treat another round of Ich. My DT will be fallow for another 10 weeks now.

I may not return the PBT to my DT.
 
If your display never has had ich and you Qt the new PBT for at least 8 weeks and use the Tank transfer on all new fish you will not have to deal with ich in your display. I believe the PBT should be the last fish added, I bought a small one 3 years ago from Divers Den and QT'd it for 8 weeks never had ich and the fish is going great. Just feed them plenty. Ich is not in all tanks. Qt anything wet for 8 weeks before adding to your display, best of luck!
 
Hi, to be honest, I think the fact that you have not seen itch in your tank for a year does not mean it is not there. Just in very small amounts.

I would definately have a very high power UV sterilizer as backup. At least 55 W for your size of tank.

For the rest, keep it happy, fat and stress free. So hands off approach :)

Other than that, maybe a bigger tank, hoe long is it? They get quite large and like to swim.
 
Have you ever seen swimming a powder blue tang in its natural environment? It swims huge distanced and really likes to explore a large part of the reef. I woul therefore not keep it in a 125 g tank.
 
Any of the 'ich magnet' tangs must be quarantined, and you may even want to prophylactically treat with tank transfer as the preferred mechanism. Just because you have had a symptom free tank for a year does not unfortunately mean that ich isn't in the system, particularly if the existing fish population was not also quarantined. I have seen a supposedly ich free tank develop active ich post introduction of a highly susceptible fish. No way to know of course, just fair warning.
 
kw22 said:
A 125 should be okay.Something a little bigger might be better.
Click to expand...

I agree with this... although obviously, a 180 would be better.

Everyone is always so focused on what an "'ich magnet" this fish is (and rightly so), but few mention how horrible their aggression can get over time (especially towards other tangs). So, the OP might want to consider a PBT as his last fish... especially if he's considering adding other tangs.
 
The PBT will be the last fish. Fish include: FoxFace, mocha clown pair, helfichi firefish, engineer goby, sixline, scooter blenny, and going to add a pair of neon cleaner gobies before the PBT. I would like to avoid copper so is there something that you guys recommend to treat the QT with?
 
If it is ich you are worried about do the tank transfer method. I would also treat with prazi pro twice. The fish you list long term my be a problem with the six line wrasse and the helfichi firefish.
 
Your saying the PBT would be a problem with those two? or a problem between those two? I know the sixline can be a problem with pretty much any smaller fish, I took the risk and it has been fine with everybody. In fact the only fish it ever get mad it is my scooter since they commonly go after the same stuff in my homemade food. My clowns are by far the most aggressive fish and that is probably because they have been around the longest.
 
So I am have decided go to ttm in 2 day intervals for 2 weeks, 7 transfers. It looks like the smallest I can get the fish is 3" and that raises the question of what size transfer containers should I use?
 
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