Ich - Proofing a Tang

[black_majik]

I just lost my whole system due to ich. This happened two weeks after I brought my Tomini. I have no QT or anything like that. Is there anyway way to fight the chances of ich showing up in my tank if I add a tang. All Help is very apperciated

[SuAsati]

It is hard to argue against QT, so anytime you get new fish you are risking such disaster, so investing in a good UV unit would be a good patch to avoid major catastrophy..... but if you can afford, please do a QT tank. there is no substitute.

[Roger928]

Best bet is to let the system go fallow for 2 months minimum. 3 would be better.

Good reading: http://wetwebmedia.com/mardisindex.htm

[WuHT]

keeping your tank @ lower salinty... or if u like a copper-blast ( dunno how well tangs will fair in coppeR)

[itsthesong]

Don't use copper with tangs. Their systems are more sensitive and more easily hury by it. My two cents.

[jnc914]

The best way of ich proofing any fish is to aclimate slowly and boost their immune system by using supplements like selcon, vita-chem, etc. I tend to overfeed my tangs and supplement daily. They are definantly healthy and appear happy. I also dose Kent Vitamin C twice a week. I run UV and dose ozone to remove pathogens so that if there is ich in the system that attach to my fish, the specimens won't get secondary infections once the ich drops off them. You can do hyposalinity, but not as a long term way of battling ich(4-6 weeks/8 weeks tops). Also provide a variety of veggies on a daily basis.

[yoboyjdizz]

I agree with jnc..Feeding alot of greens and adding supplements to their food daily really helps. With no qt you even have to be more carefully about finding a healthy specimen first and only purchase your fish from a reliable source.

[xtm]

If you want to Ich-proof the next tang that you will buy, right now you need to remove all fish in your main display and put them to Hyposalinity treatment. (SG 1.009) Let the main display run fishless for the next 30 days. The next Tang that you will buy need to be in that same Hypo tank for a minimum of 30 days, to be monitored everyday.

After 30 days, slowly increase the salinity in the Hypo tank, then introduce them back to the display.

This sounds like a real hassle but would you rather catch an Ich-infested Tang in your display or safely QT them?

[xtm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10740951#post10740951 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WuHT
keeping your tank @ lower salinty... or if u like a copper-blast ( dunno how well tangs will fair in coppeR)

By "lower salinity" do you mean running your display at 1.009? The inverts and corals will not appreciate this. A salt level of 16 ppt or approximately 1.009-1.010 specific gravity at 78-80*F for 14 days was reported to kill the parasite.(Noga 2000)

You also cannot run your display at a lower salinity for an extended period of time. On the contrary, keeping fish in low salinity means that they don't "flush" their kidneys sufficiently. After long-term exposure, this can cause kidney failure and kill the fish (Shimek, pers. comm..)

There are so many methods to remove Ich - move method, malachite green, formaldehyde, copper, cupramine... however *in my experience* these treatments are stressful for the fish (esp Tangs in general) Treating them in a separate Hypo tank is the best, IME.

I don't believe in making the fish "immune" to Ich because the parasite is still IN your tank. The best eradication is to exhaust its life cycle.

sorry for the long post.

[wayne in norway]

If you're starting from scratch just leave the tank empty for two months, and in a months time start buying fish again, but QT them. I don't know how much a 2 foot setup costs at walmart, but it won't be much,and it's got to be less than what your wipeout jsut cost you.