Ich magnet

[Daddio]

of course my powder blue has ich... I recently upgraded tank size from 75 to 150 and moved all my rock and just a clown and 6-line wrasse. I waited about 7 weeks before adding anything new aside from snails, shrimp and crabs.

I bought a decent size powder blue (about 5 inches) hoping that his size and temperament would help. It is not horrible (yet) and the cleaner shrimp are working overtime. He is eating voraciously and seems as happy as a clam. I don't want to lose him and I believe that no matter what I do, my tank will never be entirely void of ich. Moving him to a QT with lower salinity and copper might fix it I'm sure but I'm afraid that doing that may cure him but then I'd have to reintroduce him to the tank anyway.

My water parameters have never been better and I do have corals so lowering my salinity is not really an option. I had a regal tang for many years and he would get small outbreaks every once in a while (probably when I got a little lazy with keeping my parameters constant). My water seems perfect and my salinity is 1.025, alk 10.3 and no real traces of ammonia or nitrates.

My question is, see if he can fight it off, keep him well fed or just come to realization that my tank will never be void of ich and return him to the store and try a less ich-prone tang.

He is so beautiful and a total beggar - he is already taking nori directly from my hand as I try to clip it.

 

[Tahoe61]

My vote is keep him and ride it out.

You'll take him back he'll go to a home where they have no experience with Tangs and ich, you already know that sometimes Tangs become symptomatic (white spots) and for whatever reason the Tangs are able to keep the parasite in check to some degree. Your tank already has the parasite so that horse is out of the barn. Lastly it's typical after a tank change, once your new tank settles down hopefully outbreaks will become less frequent.

Good luck, sounds like a nice fish.

 

[Daddio]

Thanks. Needed the validation to try and ride it out... but if he starts to labor, I am not going to wait to take him back I think. He is too friendly, fat and happy to let suffer. Just want to be good fish dad

 

[LegitFish]

+1 on riding it out. Soak his food in a garlic supplement, as this will boost its immune system, and hopefully aid in ridding the ich. Also, you can try to raise the temp a couple degrees to help, depending on what your current temp is.

 

[fishroomlady]

I'm in agreement to ride it out. He sounds like a very healthy specimen - good luck!

 

[Daddio]

Current temp is a steady 78 (so easy to keep the tank steady with LEDs vs MH). Tried to get him to eat raw garlic but he wasn't interested - but for some weird reason, the clown like it - totally weird. I thought he would just mouth it but he actually ate it!

I'll try finding garlic to soak the nori in. Is there a particular brand that you would recommend?

Never tried this before - Here is a quick movie: [video=youtube_share;ObXqT7uo0GE]http://youtu.be/ObXqT7uo0GE[/video]

 

[Tahoe61]

Pick up some Selcon.

 

[Daddio]

Got it... thanks!

 

[Daddio]

Wow, did I jump the gun. In just a couple of days he looks so much better. Still has some remaining sores from where the parasites were attached, but working extra hard to feed (over feed) and some industrious shrimp, the ich is most definetly in decline. I was so panicked as I lost fish to an outbreak over the extreme winter with a failed heater which stressed the whole tank.

Thanks all for the voice(s) of reason.

 

[ryanlotz5]

My powder blue seems to get ich every time i look at him lol healthy tank healthy coat and healthy good seems to do the trick I don't sweat if one but anymore when I see a spot on mine ! Had him two years now just moved him into a new tang he almost instantly had ich 5 days later now he looks better then ever just keep feeding him all the nori and mysis with garlic he wants keep the tank healthy and ride it out ! Good luck


Sleep eat reef repeat !!!

 

[flynhawaiianz28]

Yup try some selcon to soak the food in and maybe a touch of garlic here and there. But let him ride it out unless you have a suitable tank to move him to treat the ich.

 

[Daddio]

Thanks. I am going to try and pick up some selcon this weekend. The lfs near me doesn't carry it. My issue with moving them to another tank to treat is that they will need to go right back into the main tank eventually. I have done that in the past and it seems like they get stressed twice more and it just come back anyway. I think I am out of the woods!

 

[Nicktam]

Hello everyone,

I'm a totally SW novice and just joining the club figthing ich for my first bought powder blue tang.
Thank you guys here sharing your knowledge and experience! Appreciate.