New Blue Tang Advice

[mclark452]

Well after quarantining and stewing in cupramine for 8wks I bit the bullet and added my "new" Blue Tang to my display. Fully expecting him to get ick. 14hrs later, I was not disappointed. He's not scratching or flashing, respiration seems normal, appetite may be a little off, but I'm not sure, I don't usually feed in the morning I just leave some nori in a clip to graze on till I get home from work. He's relatively active....named him "Spaz". He's been eating Spectrum Thera A soaked in Garlic Extreme for the better part of the last 2 months as his main diet....I even got him eating minced up fresh garlic. But, alas, he's dotted up pretty good. There are 3 cleaner shrimp and 1 cleaner wrasse in my display, none of which are paying much attention to him yet and he isn't seeking them out either. Wondering what anybody who has had success with this fish would do. Prior to adding him to the tank, I treated the DT every other day for a week with Kick Ick (probably just a waste of money). Should I just continue to feed heavy on the garlic as long as he is eating? As of right now, all the other fish in the tank are and have been healthy....I feed them basically the same diet.

125gal reef(just starting the reef part)
Naso Tang
Maroon Clown
Potter's Angel
Royal Gramma
2 Banggai Cardinals
Cleaner Wrasse
3 Cleaner Shrimp
3 Emerald Crabs
asst snails
couple of mushrooms, plate + colt corals and some yellow polyps

 

[Triton_Z]

Read the stickys on the forum about Ich, they are full of valuable information. It's no fun. Your tank has ich and sooner or later the fish will likely get infected.

It's great you did the proper QT, but its time to treat the rest of the gang and let the tank fallow for 8 weeks to get rid of it for good.

Or roll the dice...

 

[mclark452]

Thanks for your reply. I have read the stickies. My tank has just been fallow for 8 wks. I didn't mention that earlier. I had a flare up before Christmas due to an incorrectly adjusted heater and quarantined and treated everyone including the Potter's with cupramine. That's when I bought the blue tang. Figuring this would be a good opportunity to put one in an "ick free" tank. He was quarantined in a separate tank all by himself. Sometimes 8 wks isn't enough. Everybody has been "home" for about 10 days with no issues until I added Spazz (the BT) last night. He looks markedly better this evening but he could have been worked on by the shrimp or wrasse. I have yet to see him scratch. I watched him quite a bit today. Respiration still seems normal and his appetite is fine .....eating like a PIG. Maybe its not ick.....wishful thinking....

 

[Triton_Z]

Sounds like you have done the necessary steps, but perhaps one fish managed to remain infected after treatment or the fallow period just ran short to get all the ich to die.

Guess the best you can do is continue to watch the tang and treat as needed. You know the routine. Good Luck.