Petco Fish?

[ajremington68]

Tangs take copper well. The problems are if they are already sick before you get them. It's not the copper that's killing them it's what ever issue they are fighting at the same time as the heavy stress from transportation has already weakened them. If you skip it and they do have something, next time they get stressed it more than likely will return and could spread to other fish at that point and you get an outbreak.

It's better to take the risk now and treat them for at minimum 14 days and then into an observation tank for another 14 days. Better off doing 30 days at 2.3ppm coppwe power. Start at 2.0 and ramp up to 2.3-2.5.

I use sandbeds in my qts now. After I found it does not absorb copper well but will still give bio filtration benefits. Sandbeds also help the fish feel more comfortable it seems. The bio filtration helps them a lot. Get pool filter sand from Ace or Home Depot and use that for your sand. It's real cheap and makes it affordable to toss at the end of the 30 day qt. Or you can sterilize the sand in between qt tanks which is what I do.

But for Tangs, if you don't prophalticly treat any other meds like prazi for flukes do the copper for the 14 days. They cary these parasites so easily and can have them and not be symptomatic until they get stressed.

Okay, And you said to have the tank have 2.0ppm of Copper before adding him or ramp it up to that after adding it, and then start the day once it passes 2.0?

 

[cdnco2004]

It can be at 2.0 when you add him, then ramp to 2.3.

 

[ajremington68]

It can be at 2.0 when you add him, then ramp to 2.3.

Alrighty, thank you for your help getting up. Hopefully, it gets shipped soon!

 

[ajremington68]

One more question for anyone. In my tank, I have a pair of clowns, a yellow Watchmen goby, melanarus wrasse, yellow wrasse, and coral beauty. Now, I added the yellow and the coral beauty a week and a half ago and I have seen the yellow out twice and both times it got chased and hid for days due to the melanarus. The coral beauty got added same time as yellow but is bigger and does not get bullied and just cruises the tank like he's always been there. Do you think after QT the tang that I should do an acclimation box, or do you think with it being 2.5-3.5 it'll hold its own and be fine? Willing to take lots of precautions as it is an expensive fish, just not sure if I need to or if the wrasse is just a dick to the yellow cuz its also a wrasse and way smalled than him. (melanarus is 3.5-4, yellow is 1.5)

 

[mbaird]

I had almost this exact scenario just happen except with an existing melanarus and a new mcCosker's. I printed out a picture of a large male melanarus and put it on the tank and the mcCosker's was out and had no aggression between the two the next day. Prior to that the melanarus wouldn't let it out of the rock work. So I would think that yes the acclimation box would be a good idea if you can keep the yellow from jumping out.

 

[cdnco2004]

One more question for anyone. In my tank, I have a pair of clowns, a yellow Watchmen goby, melanarus wrasse, yellow wrasse, and coral beauty. Now, I added the yellow and the coral beauty a week and a half ago and I have seen the yellow out twice and both times it got chased and hid for days due to the melanarus. The coral beauty got added same time as yellow but is bigger and does not get bullied and just cruises the tank like he's always been there. Do you think after QT the tang that I should do an acclimation box, or do you think with it being 2.5-3.5 it'll hold its own and be fine? Willing to take lots of precautions as it is an expensive fish, just not sure if I need to or if the wrasse is just a dick to the yellow cuz its also a wrasse and way smalled than him. (melanarus is 3.5-4, yellow is 1.5)

I'm not surprised he would react to the yellow wrasse but not the Coral Beauty. They are different body types and also feed differently. The yellow and the melanarus are both the same sub family of wrasse, Halichoeres. They eat the same food and have same body style so it causes conflicts. Good news is you can have multiple Halichoeres wrasse in the same tank. A double chamber acclimation box with each Halichoeres in a different chamber would help. Mirror trick or a picture of another Halichoeres could also distract.

 

[ajremington68]

I'm not surprised he would react to the yellow wrasse but not the Coral Beauty. They are different body types and also feed differently. The yellow and the melanarus are both the same sub family of wrasse, Halichoeres. They eat the same food and have same body style so it causes conflicts. Good news is you can have multiple Halichoeres wrasse in the same tank. A double chamber acclimation box with each Halichoeres in a different chamber would help. Mirror trick or a picture of another Halichoeres could also distract.

I had almost this exact scenario just happen except with an existing melanarus and a new mcCosker's. I printed out a picture of a large male melanarus and put it on the tank and the mcCosker's was out and had no aggression between the two the next day. Prior to that the melanarus wouldn't let it out of the rock work. So I would think that yes the acclimation box would be a good idea if you can keep the yellow from jumping out.

So you guys say to print an in-color picture of a melanarus wrasse of the internet and put it on the side of the tank, and he will be distracted by that and it could give my yellow a chance to come out and them to settle? As is from what others have said its A) impossible to get the yellow out B) the melanarus won't give in on the little guy, which from those has given the yellow a death sentence so if this might give him a shot I'm going to go print a picture right now!

 

[cdnco2004]

So you guys say to print an in-color picture of a melanarus wrasse of the internet and put it on the side of the tank, and he will be distracted by that and it could give my yellow a chance to come out and them to settle? As is from what others have said its A) impossible to get the yellow out B) the melanarus won't give in on the little guy, which from those has given the yellow a death sentence so if this might give him a shot I'm going to go print a picture right now!

I prefer to use mirrors like hand held cosmetic mirror and secure it to the tank, like this one: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Med-Hand-Face-Mirror-Black/480863733?athbdg=L1100&from=/search
I know for a fact it works to curb Tang aggression and I know others have said they had success with it with some Thalassoma wrasse.

 

[ajremington68]

Gotcha, I think I have one laying around let me go snoop around

 

[ajremington68]

Have a 4-foot standing mirror that fits perfectly next to the tank and the melanarus has not left it alone yet! good signs

 

[Scottiemac]

I ordered during the sale: Long tentacle anemone, tomini tang, naso tang, some crabs.
The naso tang was DOA. I thought the anemone was also DOA as it wouldn't plant its foot for a couple of days. I wedged it between a couple of rocks and eventually assumed it was dead. Informed Petco and they are sending me a new one along with the previously reported naso. Then just as I was getting the anemone out of the tank I noticed it had retracted itself. Figure, you can't retract if you're not alive, right? So the only fail was the Naso tang. I'll give them a break on that as it was delivered really late in the day and was very cold out. More a UPS problem than a Petco problem.

I ordered the day before Thanksgiving and they said it would be there the next day. Logically I assumed they meant they'd ship it on Friday for Saturday. Ultimately it went out on Monday. Would have been nice if they'd clarified when it was going to be shipped, but I work from home so no biggie.

 

[ajremington68]

I ordered during the sale: Long tentacle anemone, tomini tang, naso tang, some crabs.
The naso tang was DOA. I thought the anemone was also DOA as it wouldn't plant its foot for a couple of days. I wedged it between a couple of rocks and eventually assumed it was dead. Informed Petco and they are sending me a new one along with the previously reported naso. Then just as I was getting the anemone out of the tank I noticed it had retracted itself. Figure, you can't retract if you're not alive, right? So the only fail was the Naso tang. I'll give them a break on that as it was delivered really late in the day and was very cold out. More a UPS problem than a Petco problem.

I ordered the day before Thanksgiving and they said it would be there the next day. Logically I assumed they meant they'd ship it on Friday for Saturday. Ultimately it went out on Monday. Would have been nice if they'd clarified when it was going to be shipped, but I work from home so no biggie.

Gotcha, So you get a free nem now! witch is a blessing and a curse all in one. Did you track your order from the email they sent you, or were there no updates and it just came to your door one day?

 

[rstaten11]

Thats a great deal. I have always felt Petco charged way to much for Hippo's in store.

I ordered it all online everything is fine an everything is still alive !!an doing good !!

 

[ajremington68]

The Petco Purple Tang came in and is very much alive! The updates through Petco and the shippers (UPS) were very active from it getting packaged, shipped, and out for delivery. The package did come on its side due to the UPS people not reading "LIVE FISH" or "THIS SIDE UP" with the biggest boldest arrows, but I got home just shortly after it got dropped off.

With the unboxing it was very secured inside and had two heat packs (one cold, one warm) which did their job, the bag was around 70 degrees I would say, and the styrofoam cooler it came in was filled to the brim with packing peanuts to keep the fish as secure as it could.

Upon flipping the monster bag I noticed my medium purple tang (2.25in-3.25in) was more on the sizing of a small tang(1.5in-2.25in). Which for me is not the end of the world, as I have a 20gal QT that I can keep in for a little while and I don't house any other tangs. But, for someone with a group of tangs already the sizing is very important to better the chances of the tang getting accepted. Also a little frustrating due to the medium being more expensive, but I plan to make a call out and see if it was a mix-up or if this is the size that was purposely shipped to me.

I am doing/did a 20min float acclimate, followed by a 2-hour drip acclimate as it is going into a 20 gal qt with perfect parameters but already has a measure of 1.5ppm of copper, and 1.026 salinity which it got shipped at (1.024) salinity. So just want to make sure everything matches to give the best possible chance to this little guy.

Overall, Happy with the shipping, condition of the fish, color of the fish, and price of the fish. The only downside is getting shipped a small instead of a medium. But will all the rumors that follow "Petco Fish" I will give this "Petco Fish" a +1 review for me.

Will continue updates throughout the week as the first week is the make or break of if it eats and survives or if it does not.

 

[Gtinnel]

I got my fish a few hours ago and all 5 fish were alive upon arrival. When I first got one of leopard wrasses in the tank he looked a little listless, and with them being bad shippers I hope that isn’t a bad sign, but I guess time will tell.
Overall pretty happy with the experience and I agree I got updates all through the process.

 

[ajremington68]

A little update I took pictures throughout it all and called the number on my packing slip to see if it was a mix-up of the size of my tang, even though it said it was supposed to be medium, however, they quoted the size small. After about 3 mins on the phone with a very nice lady, they are sending me a whole new purple tang of the right size and I guess I'm keeping the old one because they did not say anything about returning it or anything... Very good customer service, not sure what I am going to do with a extra purple tang but I will have to figure that out soon, as I am getting gifted a $250 fish!!

 

[Stang67]

I also got my delivery this afternoon. Male anthia, 2 female anthias and a bluesided wrasse. Agree with previous posts, communication was great and fish were shipped very well. Ups was orig sched from 12-4pm, then it switched to before 9pm, then switched again from 9am-12. Arrived at 11. Palpitations I tell you.
The fish were much larger then I expected and all were very healthy and active during acclimation. No signs of stress or damage. They are all in the 180g now after 2 hrs of acclimation. Very impressed and hope to use them again in the future.

Ps anyone else have Japanese newspaper on the heat packs?

 

[ajremington68]

I also got my delivery this afternoon. Male anthia, 2 female anthias and a bluesided wrasse. Agree with previous posts, communication was great and fish were shipped very well. Ups was orig sched from 12-4pm, then it switched to before 9pm, then switched again from 9am-12. Arrived at 11. Palpitations I tell you.
The fish were much larger then I expected and all were very healthy and active during acclimation. No signs of stress or damage. They are all in the 180g now after 2 hrs of acclimation. Very impressed and hope to use them again in the future.

Ps anyone else have Japanese newspaper on the heat packs?

I had it too, was going to google translate it lol

 

[Gtinnel]

I just got home from work and looked and mine was wrapped in Japanese newspaper also.

 

[ajremington68]

Hey, to continue to this thread I have a what would you do? Petco is shipping me out a medium purple tang on Monday I believe to get here Tuesday. Now, I have the 1.5in small purple tang in the 20 gal qt with copper in it and it is eating frozen, flake, nori, and trying to eat pellets that are just a little too big, and active once you don't stand in front of the tank and doing great! But, with the other purple tang coming in on Tuesday and the only tanks I have is my QT and the display would you

A) Add the new purple tang to the qt with the current purple tang see how they get along, and have a divider ready.
B) Add the new purple tang to the qt with the current purple tang and divide them immediately.

The thing is I didn't plan to have two purple tangs and I am still in a toss-up to get rid of one after I QT the full 30 days just because I get too attached to fish. If they don't seem aggressive towards each other after 15 days I pull the divider and see how they interact with each other and maybe add both of them to my 55-gallon display. With the plan already to upgrade tanks as I have very little new coral room already. Is that a bad idea? Would it be smarter to give them the full 30 days with a divider and add them to the tank together to introduce them? Or should I just only add one to the display as one purple tang is already pushing it for my current tank size? What would you do, with Petco just practically gifting you a free purple tang and you already have one?