Tangs and quarantine tanks

[Spaced Cowboy]

So, I have had my 240-gallon tank (http://reefcentral.com/forums/blog.php?u=135169) set up cycling for about 2 months now, and all the parameters seem to be in order, so I'm starting to think about adding some fish.

First-in (of course :-) are going to be a couple of tangs and a pair of clowns. What I wanted to get is some feedback on how to go about adding them...

I've set up a quarantine tank in the garage - it's a 28G JBJ all-in-one thing that I originally bought for the office. I've filled it with the same water I use for the display, but it's a separate system. The JBJ is roughly a 24" cube, so it's space-constrained.

The issue is that I'm presented with conflicting "best practices" recommendations:

I want to use a quarantine tank because I don't want ich in my new tank
Using a quarantine tank, ideally you'd only have 1 organism in the tank at once
Adding tangs, you're supposed to try and add them together to minimize friction
The quarantine tank is not particularly large


So, the first fish on the "menu" are two tangs (yellow, blue or powder-blue) and (next) a couple of clownfish - I'll be buying the fish as small/young as I can, and I'll wait rather than buy larger fish. I'll be quarantining for 4 weeks, and I don't want the fish to be in distress in the quarantine tank, I know tangs need a lot of swimming room...

So, questions:


My assumption is that I'm better off doing a quarantine regime (even in a small tank, for tangs) than not. Am I correct in this ?
Is it ok to put the two tangs in the quarantine tank at once ? Would it be better to do them one-at-a-time ? If I were to get more-similar body-shapes, would that change things ?
Will the small tangs be ok for the 4 weeks or so (assuming there's no ich outbreak) that they'll be in the small tank ?


Any and all advice appreciated - I'm not exactly a newbie, but it's the first time I've set up a quarantine tank :)

Cheers
Simon

[robertcedgar]

Having two tangs in a qt tank that small is hit and miss. Also, I'd be very skeptical of putting any powder blue, powder brown, achilles type tangs into such a young system. Before you put such a sensitive and ich prone species into the tank, I'd let it mature and stabilize for at least one year. Stock with other fish first and put your most aggressive fish, probably your tangs in last.

[dlp211]

Yellow, blue(hippo), and powder blue tangs are all fairly aggressive and would probably be poor choices for your first fish.

I would make an entire stock list of what you want to keep. Then try and rank them in order of aggression. I would then put in the least aggressive and work my way to the most aggressive.

With such a large system, you will be able to fudge some of them, ie you will be able to put your clowns in first.

Also your QT is small for Tangs. I would look to at least get them in a 40 breeder.

Also with tangs you don't necessarily need or want to add them all at the same time, just those that are of the same genus, species or similar colors and shapes.

[Spaced Cowboy]

Yellow, blue(hippo), and powder blue tangs are all fairly aggressive and would probably be poor choices for your first fish.

I would make an entire stock list of what you want to keep. Then try and rank them in order of aggression. I would then put in the least aggressive and work my way to the most aggressive.

With such a large system, you will be able to fudge some of them, ie you will be able to put your clowns in first.



Ok, that makes sense. I'll re-schedule around that, then :)

Also your QT is small for Tangs. I would look to at least get them in a 40 breeder.

I actually have a 50G 4' tank I used to use for freshwater - I just don't have the space at the moment in the garage. I'll be buying a shed sometime in March, so at that point I'll probably switch them over.

I was planning on buying the fish at 1"->2.5" (max!) sized so I was hoping the smaller tank would do for the time being...

Cheers
Simon.

[dlp211]

As long as you are stocking smaller fish, ie clownfish, gobies, dartfish, etc. then you should be fine. You could probably even get away with a small Kole tang in that QT, but I think as you move up into the larger tang species, you are going to want a bigger QT tank.

The point of the QT is IMO a time where the fish can relax, get used to your feeding and lighting schedule and observation. If necessary then treatment of observed or suspected diseases etc.

HTH and GL

[Palting]

One more controversial topic for you :). If you like tangs, they are so Ich prone that I suggest you should not only QT but prophylactically treat them as well. I prefer hyposalinity, but there are other options, like copper or the tanktransfer method, that you can use. In fact, with your large tank and plan to keep multiple tangs, I would prophylactically treat ALL fish to protect the tangs. I have 4 tangs myself. GL!!

[MrTuskfish]

One more controversial topic for you :). If you like tangs, they are so Ich prone that I suggest you should not only QT but prophylactically treat them as well. I prefer hyposalinity, but there are other options, like copper or the tanktransfer method, that you can use. In fact, with your large tank and plan to keep multiple tangs, I would prophylactically treat ALL fish to protect the tangs. I have 4 tangs myself. GL!!

I agree, but I prophylactically treat with Cupramine. This is controversial area; but I think more and more hobbyists are prophylactically treating all new fish as the process gets easier and safer. I de-worm all new fish with Praizi-Pro too.

IMO, a tang is just fine for the QT period in a smallish tank. Not a 8" tang in a 10 gal, but you get the point. A healthy fish can go without the ideal space, short-term. I've heard a lot of folks say something like: "I didn't QT the tang because he needs an 8' tank" Just another excuse not to use a QT, IMO.

Also, IMO & IME; tangs really need a lot of MATURE LR to thrive; as others have mentioned, I'd wait a bit with them. I single species of one of the easier tangs would be OK though. Multiple tangs are not that hard to keep; as long as you avoid certain combinations; like 2 (3 is often OK) Zebrasoma genus.

[adeebm]

What is Praizi-Pro? Strangely, google doesn't seem to be turing up much.

--Adeeb

[JER-Z]

What is Praizi-Pro? Strangely, google doesn't seem to be turing up much.

--Adeeb

A brand name Praziquantel

[adeebm]

Ahh okay. "PraziPro" seems to be turing up stuff, the other term came up empty. Is a standard 55g a good size for QTing tangs? Also, what are the disadvantages of treating with cupramine or whatever?

--Adeeb

[worm5406]

You can use a tank divider to segregate them so they dont fight too. This way you can have the two of them in there at once.. they will still see each other through the screen but will limit their actual contact. And if put in at the same time they will both think that the other already existed and they will not become the ALPHA. (maybe)

[Mavrk]

One thing I didn't see mentioned (forgive me if I missed it) is the size of the tangs in question. I would also plan on a longer QT time than you mentioned (6 to 9 weeks). If you are going to do that short of a QT, then I would definitely at the very least utilize the two week tank transfer method to make sure there is no ich (or treat a different way, but that is my treatment of choice if I had a fish with ich).