Yellow Scopas update

[fittiger]

Picked up this specimen from DD this week. I love the cool looking cat-eyes he has and the blue outline on his back fins! Just wanted to say thanks and let you know he seems to have acclimated well so far. Eating mysis and loves picking at the red hair algae that seems to grow all too well in my system.

This specimen was listed as a scopas tang. Is it actually a scopas/yellow hybrid or just a yellow scopas variant and how would you differentiate?

Order Number: A2607713

Thanks again,

Dustin

 

[dfs/la2]

Fittiger,

Thank you for sending the magnificent picture of the Diver's Den item you purchased from us. We are thrilled to hear your new addition is thriving in its new home.

We are submitting your picture and questions about the Scopas Tang to our Aquatic Management and will be happy to post you with a response.

Pat S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[dfs/la2]

fittiger,

Thank you for your patience. We have checked with our Aquaculture Coral and Marine Life Facility and their identification of this specimen is a Yellow Scopas Variant. The Scopas and Hybrid are so closely related that it is often difficult to identify them. The spots on the lower half and the brown coloration on the rear half of the fish are the determining factors for our decision.

Please let us know if you have more questions.

Pat S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[fittiger]

Unfortunately my scopas has come down with ich. What is the best way to treat this in a reef tank. I would normally use a qt tank but it is in use for my sps corals that were infected with AEFW's.

Suggestions?

 

[dfs/la2]

fittiger,

Ich typically results from stress the fish endures when being added to an aquarium or sudden changes in the environment. The best way to rid the fish of this is to raise the temperature slowly to about 80º-81ºF. We recommend that the temperature be elevated for approximately 10 days and supplement with Garlic Xtreme, Marine-C, or any other type of immune building supplements. Raising the temperature in the aquarium will help speed up the gestation of the ich, causing it to leave the body of the fish faster. Adding supplements to the aquarium will help to build the immune system of the fish so it is able to fight off any infestations of the ich in the future.

Keeping the water quality ideal will also help to avoid any illness in the future as well.

If you have further questions please feel free to contact us.

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

 

[fittiger]

I use Selcon & Vita-Chem with food twice a week. I also have Guarlic Guard if you think that would help. Would I also need to add a vitamin C supplement or does Vita-Chem have enough of this?

I currently have a majority of my corals in QT. I could transfer my remaining few, 2 LPS, an unknown freebie, and a yuma rock there as well if there are other ways to treat the tank, i.e. hyposalinity. Would this affect any of the fauna of the tank (copepods/amphipods/mini stars/snails/cleaner shrimp)? I could even further get a tank from a friend and setup a hospital tank if really necessary.

I'm really concerned because my reef-friendly potters angel, which I've had over a year has developed a few spots as well.

Thanks for any advice.

- Dustin

 

[dfs/la2]

Double post

 

[maxxII]

Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

HTH,

Nick

 

[dfs/la2]

Dustin,

The supplements you are currently dosing your aquarium are sufficient to help boost the immune system of the specimen. Once the fish are fully acclimated to the aquarium and other tank mates the stress level will eventually declined and the fish should begin to heal. The ich will disappear from the body of the fish within a few days, as the ich gestates off of the body of the fish.

We do not recommend a hypo salinity treatment in the aquarium, as any specimens living in the aquarium during the treatment will be directly affected and further stressed by the change in water chemistry.

If you find you have more questions please contact us.

Joyce F.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

 

[fittiger]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12326487#post12326487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maxxII
Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

HTH,

Nick

Thanks Nick, nice passage and links


Joyce-

So you don't recommend extracting the fish and treating with copper in a separate hosiptal tank?

 

[dfs/la2]

Fittiger,

Thank you for your return post. Yes, we recommend a hospital tank and using copper for ich treatment. However, at times it may be difficult to capture the sick fish for treatment and a quarantine tank set up is not always available. We have found elevating the temperature and utilizing garlic to be a very effective alternative method of treatment.

Please let us know if you have further questions.

Pat S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[maxxII]

Joyce,

I was not in anyway suggesting that an in reef tank hypo treatment be attempted. Hypo treatments should always be done in a dedicated QT tank, preferably prior to introducing the fish to the tank.

Dustin,
Glad to be able to help out. Hope the tang and your Potters get healthy quickly. LA sells quality livestock, I've purchased from them several times in the past, and wont hesitate to do so again.

If you're going to remove the fish and treat them, you'll need to remove all fish in the tank, and leave it fallow for 8 weeks before re introducing them. Otherwise you run the risk of the ich reinfesting the fish. I've used both Hypo and copper treatments in the past. IMO/IME, hypo is easier on the fish. All the fish I've placed in hyposalinity have survived and are still with me, (an Indo-pacific Regal angel and Tomini Tang that I got from Live Aquaria, a purple tang and a juvenile Asfur angel that I purchased locally.) I cant say the same for the copper treated fish. Theses are of course my experiances....other folks experiances might be different.

Nick