powder blue or not to powder blue

[jjoos99]

Just after a few opinions on powder blues. I bought one several months ago and after a month of hit and miss with ick my tank had a heater fail and the temp dropped to about 72 degrees. By the next day the fish was completely covered with ick and that night it died. I loved the color of this fish but I dont want to take another fish from the ocean to have it die to ick again. What do you think?
thanks
jeff

 

[celamb89]

If you really like'em go get one! But I would quarantine it first in a tank that has some copper medicine for the ick and some medicine for parasites, do this for 4-6 weeks and if it is sick it will get treatment.. Also take care of your water params, temp etc... beacause if its sick it will get weak because of the changes and probably develop the ick faster..

good Luck

 

[Toddrtrex]

What size tank, and what else do you have in there?

 

[celamb89]

What size tank, and what else do you have in there?

Yeap, kinda forgot need a large tank for tangs

 

[Slim_jim989]

Re: powder blue or not to powder blue

I would make sure he's nice and fat meaning eating well before you treat him with Cooper or anything else. It makes for a better treatment overall.

 

[IFbettas]

If you get a powder blue make sure you quarantine. I kept my powder blue in a 55 gallon quarantine tank with two pyramid butterflies for about 6 weeks before he went into my display. He never exhibited any health problems during the entire time. A long, peaceful quarantine period is necessary to get this fish adjusted to captivity, IMO.

 

[jjoos99]

My tank is a 180 gallon but I would have to set up something for a quarantine tank. I just have a 10 gallon tank empty or I could place it in my 55 gallon sump that would be in the same tank water as the main tank and couldnt treat with anything other then garlic. The only other fish I have in the main tank that would be a problem would be a purple tang. It picked at the one I lost for a couple of days but adjusted to it pretty quickly. I would think that the fish in just a 10 gallon tank wouldnt do it any good over being in the main tank.
Jeff

 

[DJPB]

I had a Powder Blue in a 180, and I honestly felt that it was cruel. The PBT is a swimmer, and even though the 180 is 6 feet long, it seemed crammed. I've seen PBT's in nature while diving and these fish like to swim. I gave my PBT to someone with a much larger tank, and I'll prolly never take another off the natural reef. They are just about the most beautiful fish though. Food for thought...

 

[SDguy]

Definitely QT if you try again.

I love mine... he gets the most ooo's and ahhh's of any fish in the tank. He's been a slow grower, and is very mellow (I attribute this to the fact that almost all my other fish in the tank are planktivores, so there really isn't any territoriality issue).

 

[5h3rW1N]

Definitely QT if you try again.

I love mine... he gets the most ooo's and ahhh's of any fish in the tank. He's been a slow grower, and is very mellow (I attribute this to the fact that almost all my other fish in the tank are planktivores, so there really isn't any territoriality issue).

:inlove:your pwdr blue stunning!!!:inlove:

 

[Megatrev62]

To me its not worth the trouble. Imo this fish should not be sold.

 

[Amoore311]

To me its not worth the trouble. Imo this fish should not be sold.

Far from it.

If you are patient, and start with a healthy specimen, they are no more difficult than any other fish. I've had mine 2+ years now, never had more than 1 spot or 2 of ich on him. He will occasionally face off with my Yellow Tang, but that is more posturing than anything else. There are also 3 others in the same reef club as me who are keeping the same fish successfully. They are around the 1 year mark with their fish though.

I got mine from Diver's Den @ Live Aquaria. It cost me 1.5 - 2x the price I could have paid from Saltwaterfish.com, but I wanted my Powder Blue to be 100% healthy and disease free when he arrived. I also wanted a Maldive Island caught specimen, as they are the most healthy fish coming in to live stock distributors.

 

[Megatrev62]

Ofcourse Im referring to the average hobbyist who does not meet this fishes needs. Meaning lots of room to swim.I do not think most hobbyists who purchase this fish have a tank big enough for this fish to survive long term.

 

[Amoore311]

I agree.

That's up to the hobbyist to research and be responsible though. If the fish costed closer to what I paid($800-$100 v. the typical price of $40-$60) everywhere, that would be a great deterrent in keeping them out of the hands of most inexperienced hobbyists.

That's not going to happen though, unless collection of the fish slows down.