I have a yellow tang that every once in a while will rub his sides on the rock for a couple minutes at a stretch. I dont see any spots on him that would suggest a parasite. So is this just removing dead scales or a sign something is wrong. thinking about getting a cleaner shrimp or wrasse.
Yellow Tang Scratching
- Thread starter primo21
- Start date
Sorry, but cleaner shrimp and cleaner wrasses have no effect on ich (which is below the skin)
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Cleaner shrimp or fish do absolutely nothing to cure or prevent ich, the most common parasite.
How long have you had this fish? Was it in a QT? Any new tankmates? Ich can easily be unseen, but still in the gills.
I agree with slee013 on the Prazi-Pro. IMO, all fish should be treated with it. its safe, even in a reef tank. Except for feather dusters.
EDIT: I still typle slower than Steve, and gab more.
How long have you had this fish? Was it in a QT? Any new tankmates? Ich can easily be unseen, but still in the gills.
I agree with slee013 on the Prazi-Pro. IMO, all fish should be treated with it. its safe, even in a reef tank. Except for feather dusters.
EDIT: I still typle slower than Steve, and gab more.
I my opinion cleaner shrimp can help prevent ich from forming and even help with mild cases.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/marineich.php
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/disease/marineich.php
You are entitled to your opinion and your citation to theirs. Assays of the stomach contents of cleaner shrimp and cleaner wrasses shows no evidence even when placed in tanks with cryptocaryon irritans. Also, an intimate understanding of the ich life cycle would indicate there is no possible way that cleaner wrasses or cleaner shrimp would have access to embedded (trophonts) cysts. It is also because the trophont embeds that fresh water dips have no effect on cryptocaryon irritans.
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MrTuskfish
Team RC
PP does not treat ich, it is a wormer. If you have ich: the only treatments are tank-transfer, copper, or hypo-salinity. All of your fish will need to be treated and your DT left fishless for 9+ weeks. If this is ich, and it sounds like it, spots will appear soon. Ich is not difficult to cure; but can't be done in the DT.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I've seen this article and it certainly isn't a ringing endorsement of the benefit of cleaners; it makes that quite clear. Mild cases of ich are only mild until the 2nd generation appears. IMO & IME; you either deal with ich by one of the 3 known methods.....or it gets you big-time. The only question is when. "Helping' just isn't good enough with contagious parasites and our forum has an endless stream of threads that show the consequences of failing to deal with ich. I've been there, never again.
00Warpig00
New member
Not yelling... but consider this... If by "the means" you are referring to financially... You should be buying a QT tank before you buy a single fish imo unless you will only have one fish. If you plan to keep more than one fish not having the financial means is just a BS excuse. In fact it's a BS excuse anyhow as this is not the cheapest hobby and we all know it. If you plan to have more than one fish and have spent hard earned money on those fish and you eventually spend that money on a fish with an issue like Crypto you can easily wipe out all your fish by not having a QT. You can heed people's advice that have been through the experience and save money in the long run by not having a tank full of dead expensive fish, that will likely FAR exceed the cost of a QT set up or you can learn this by your own experience. It sounds like you are about to learn this by your own experience.
Nick
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Triton_Z
Member
Without any clear indicators other than scratching or flashing, I also suggest a treatment of PraziPro for a possible case of flukes. There are methods to diagnose a fluke infestation, however require removal of the fish from your display tank.
I also agree cleaner shrimp and wrasses will not be effective on controlling these infestations (flukes, ich, etc.). Cleaner shrimp are interesting additions never the less if you stocking allows. I would leave the wrasses out of your tank given they need a few large fish to thrive and are better left in the ocean than in most people's tanks. Money is better spent on acquiring some QT methods and control it before.
I also agree cleaner shrimp and wrasses will not be effective on controlling these infestations (flukes, ich, etc.). Cleaner shrimp are interesting additions never the less if you stocking allows. I would leave the wrasses out of your tank given they need a few large fish to thrive and are better left in the ocean than in most people's tanks. Money is better spent on acquiring some QT methods and control it before.
What he said. QT is the key to success.
sandwi54
New member
+1 strongly. Many people refuse to set up a QT until they lose an entire tank of expensive fish by introducing one "seemly healthy" fish that carries one of the deadly parasites. It's the most common and deadly mistake in this hobby. Unfortunately, most people also have to go through that pain themselves before they would believe what experienced aquarists recommend... just human nature I guess.
gweston
New member
I've lost a number of animals in the past couple of months in QT. And I thoroughly QT. A lot of the fish we get in this hobby are infested with something. Whether they come in with it to begin with, or whether they get infested after being put into infested closed systems at fish stores. Sad really. I hate losing animals, and I put a lot of time, effort an money into medications so I give the animals the best chance possible. I can't say I'd place blame for losses anywhere specifically, it is just the way it is.
Rubbing on rocks might indicate the presence of a disease. But rubbing alone isn't enough to identify the cause.
Don't use prazi in a display tank, unless you want to kill off your beneficial worm and feather duster population. There is no 'reef safe' medication.
If you can... set up a QT. In the QT, do a 1-2 week prazipro treatment. See if the fish improves. Observe closely. If ich rears it's head, move up to cupramine.
If ich is in your display, then check for threads about the whole process for letting a tank go fallow... and cross fingers it works.
Rubbing on rocks might indicate the presence of a disease. But rubbing alone isn't enough to identify the cause.
Don't use prazi in a display tank, unless you want to kill off your beneficial worm and feather duster population. There is no 'reef safe' medication.
If you can... set up a QT. In the QT, do a 1-2 week prazipro treatment. See if the fish improves. Observe closely. If ich rears it's head, move up to cupramine.
If ich is in your display, then check for threads about the whole process for letting a tank go fallow... and cross fingers it works.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Well put, and not said often enough....IMO. Its seems common for folks to blame a fish loss on the QT process when these fish would have been lost anyhow. A good QT is a very healthy, comfortable place for a fish to acclimate. No bullies, competition, harassment, mayhem, etc. They don't need little fishie friends and don't care if its LR or PVC that gives them shelter. But most people still won't use a QT until they learn the hard way. I didn't.
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