Pistol shrimp and increasing temperature

[Deinonych]

I know there are some out there that believe an ich free tank is impossible, if you believe that having a tang is a guarantee of outbreaks then I guess you subscribe to this belief? I'd LIKE to lean the other way but I have nothing to base that on.

Tangs are more susceptible to ich, true. However, if they are quarantined properly (e.g. TTM), they are no more likely to create outbreaks than any other fish. Key is to provide the appropriate tank size and diet for long-term success.

 

[ThRoewer]

The fact that tangs are ich prone is in my opinion only a symptom of them usually being kept under insufficient conditions - most notably too small tanks. I'm sure tangs kept under sufficient condition in large enough tanks can be as hardy as your average damsel fish.

Yes, you can rid your system and your fish of ich, but that doesn't change that the fish are going to be constantly stressed out if kept under insufficient conditions. A blue tang in a 100 gallon tank will be stressed and go nuts sooner rather than later. Also a constantly stressed out fish will find other diseases to come down with - bacteria are always present and always ready to take advantage of a weak fish.

 

[snorvich]

The fact that tangs are ich prone is in my opinion only a symptom of them usually being kept under insufficient conditions - most notably too small tanks. I'm sure tangs kept under sufficient condition in large enough tanks can be as hardy as your average damsel fish.

Yes, you can rid your system and your fish of ich, but that doesn't change that the fish are going to be constantly stressed out if kept under insufficient conditions. A blue tang in a 100 gallon tank will be stressed and go nuts sooner rather than later. Also a constantly stressed out fish will find other diseases to come down with - bacteria are always present and always ready to take advantage of a weak fish.

A very valid position.

 

[duanegraham]

Success, all have been transferred to their new tank without issue, but unfortunately my goby, of all fish jumped out over night, I need to find a cover.

That makes sense. I guess I'll will hold onto my blue tang for the time being, and when he gets healthier and a little bigger I will trade him off for a smaller one. For the time being he seems happy just sticking in the one corne following a pair of clowns when he was in the dt

 

[ThRoewer]

Most of the small blue tangs you see in stores are maybe a year old, at max two. These fish grow fast and there is no social barrier that keeps them from growing to full size like it is with clownfish or other fish that live in pairs or harem groups.

I don't keep tangs anymore for a reason - I simply don't have tanks of appropriate size for them. Under appropriate size I understand 500 gallons and up for the smaller species. For some larger or more aggressive tangs you actually may need tanks in the several thousand gallon size range.

 

[ThRoewer]

BTW: one store here has one exception from the rule: a blue tang with a missing tail fin. He must have survived an attack as a little baby and learned to live with it. But due to this disability he is calmer and quite happy in a 200 gallon tank. But that's an exception.

 

[duanegraham]

I don't keep tangs anymore for a reason - I simply don't have tanks of appropriate size for them. Under appropriate size I understand 500 gallons and up for the smaller species. For some larger or more aggressive tangs you actually may need tanks in the several thousand gallon size range.

Yes I have seen them grow quite big, mine at the moment is probably about the size of a toonie,..Um not sure what to say for the Americans, but he is very young and small. I was unaware that the growth would be so quick though. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

In the meantime I'm running my hospital tank, a 20 gallon, plus another 20 gallon waiting for the switch, with a heater, low current powerhead, and a cheapo hob water filter as my water seemed very murky for some reason even though it was fresh saltwater, is that a result of having no sand bed? Also how can I sanitize my heater, power head, and filter? The filter pad I planned on dipping in boiling water, it's just a filter pouch with carbon inside, and cleaning the rest with vinegar. Is that sufficient to destroy everything?