Powder Blue Tang

[Fin-up reefing]

I just bought a 7" powder blue tang from my LFS at a really cheap price and I couldn't pass it up. He was being treated with copper for the past 2 months and was clean from ich so I figured not to QT him. I've heard they are challenging to keep but I like a good challenge. I'd like some stories on keeping these though just to get an idea of what I'm in for. Also he's super fat and loves nori.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Congrats on the new guy. PBT are awesome looking. I tried twice over the years to keep them with no luck. So to avoid continuing the path of carnage I was cutting thru the PBT community I stopped trying.

I am sure you will get people responding that have had success keeping them.

Just wanted to say again congrats.

 

[Fin-up reefing]

Congrats on the new guy. PBT are awesome looking. I tried twice over the years to keep them with no luck. So to avoid continuing the path of carnage I was cutting thru the PBT community I stopped trying.

I am sure you will get people responding that have had success keeping them.

Just wanted to say again congrats.

Thank you! I've always been sketchy about them but I mean I've never seen such a healthy one and I mean.. He was $70 and 7" that's just such a steal in my book especially if he survives

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Everyone tells me they are hard to keep but I’ve had two and the second one (my current PBT) is low maintenance all I do is feed seaweed or Nori daily with Frozen mysis and do my regular WC’s. I would however have recommended QT because that is their weakness, getting sick but that is really a Tang thing.

 

[jsvand5]

I don’t think they are hard to keep as long as you start with a reasonably healthy one And have an ich free tank. The only issue with them (especially at 7”) is their temperament. I would assume that fish came to the store from a customer return. Pretty rare to get them in from a wholesaler that large. My LFS gets them as returns pretty regularly because they are usually ***holes. Definitely one of the most beautiful fish in the sea though.

 

[OriginalUserName]

Gorgeous fish. Losing my PBT to velvet (and half of my existing stock) is what pushed me to QT all new fish now. That was really my first experience losing fish so now I'm super paranoid every time I see a fish acting goofy. I never read about them being hard to keep really, just aggressive and prone to ick.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

...

 

[wiselyy73]

The best successful way for PBT is with TTM.

 

[SplitBumper-70]

I may give another PBT a try in my 300. Had one in my old 180 he was aggressive and was an ich magnet. Now everything goes throguth QT prior to going into my DT

 

[kgk]

I had a smallish PBT in a 4' tank for a couple years. I must have been lucky, it was a very healthy & active fish the entire time. I did keep it fat with unlimited selcon/garlic soaked Nori and plenty of varied meaty foods.

She was the tank boss, though. I tried a small Naso in the tank with her once, and she literally chased it OUT of the tank. The Naso flew 10+ feet out the door of my office & into the dining room across the hall. I was sitting here watching when it happened. Never tried another Tang in that tank. I got rid of her when she got a bit big for the tank. The fish certainly was a crowd favorite - people used to come to my house and say "I've got to see your fish"... go figure.