Reef Friendly Fish

[fshie]

I have had a 55 gallon reef tank for many years. I have cleaner shrimp, snails galore, a serpent star and various corals. The tank has thrived over the years with only an 8 yr old tomato clown and anemone. I have a wet/dry, a canister and UV filter.

I recently purchased a blue hippo tang. A few days after introducing him to my tank, he got ich. I've been feeding him garlic infused frozen fish food with a few drops of Selcon for about 7 days. The ich doesn't fall off, and I see no difference other than the fact that his appetite has improved. The white spots are still there (argh!).

Do I have to wait before I introduce any new fish? Is he the only one who is affected? My tomato clown is still happily swimming around w/o a trace of ich. I finally wanted a few fish to put in there and now I have the tang dilema.

How long do I have to keep feeding him garlic? How long do I have to wait before I introduce any other new fish into the tank?

Any help or advice would be great!

 

[Nano Chris]

You have to move all your fish to QT to successfully treat ICH even though you are feeding him garlic infused frozen fish, that only helps him fight it, which he will get it back, to truly remove it from they system the display must remain fallow (fish less) for 6 weeks.

I wouldn't introduce any more fish till you get the fish back to their healthy conditions again.

 

[happyhourhero]

You will need to set up a QT tank and treat both the clown and the tang. The ich can live in your tank without fish for over a month so you will have to have it empty for that long to ensure all the ich dies off.

For what its worth, a 55 gal is too small for a blue tang and you may want to consider taking it back after treatment. Look up hyposalinity for ich treatment and good luck.

 

[kuoka]

If your LFS isn't using UV on their tanks, you might suggest it. Mine started using UV and their fish are much healthier.

Note: Some people don't subscribe to the benefits of UV.

My $.02 worth anywho.

 

[currentking]

the ich spots will go away then appear again. My powder blue just died. I tried kick ich and it did not work. I dont have a quarntine tank. If the tangs get any stress, they tend to get ich.

 

[Sk8r]

Tangs are incredibly ich-prone. Angels and clowns are close behind, with rabbitfish. Steer away from these and you will have less trouble.