Powder Tang Owners...

[spoonman1979]

This is my first experience with a PBT. Ever since I got him about three month ago he has what looks like ich in the morning and looks great by afternoon and evening. I have read many accounts where PBT will have a break out if you look at them wrong, so keeping this in mind I have been feeding him tons of high quality food. I have two other tangs with him and he definitely rules the tank. I have noticed in the past couple of days he is scratching more and the bristle tooth has started to as well. I am now starting to think that the spots were in fact ich and has spread to the bristle tooth. I am picking up a 55 gallon to use as a QT. What is the best treatment for tangs with ich? I have not had good luck with copper in the past and a bit hesitant to try again. Does Seachem's Cupramine make that much of a difference over copper? Any luck with non-copper treatments? Thanks!

[jda]

Copper is fine as long as you keep it in the tank (no aragonite sand, rock or copper to soak it up). Read up on the treatments. You will need to let your tank go fishless for 6-8 weeks and then qt all of your new additions, including coral and inverts, for all time to keep ich out 100% forever. I don't even try, rather use QT to get the fish off to a good start so that they can fight the stuff off on their own.

Add some garlic to the food - it can help. It will not kill ich, but I do believe that it gives the fish some relief.

[Dmorty217]

Cupramine is safer to use than copper because it is less toxic to fish, if you use it be sure and get seachems copper test (ATI copper test doesn't work with cupramine) I have used cupramine but never copper

[knight2255]

Personally I would skip copper and use chloriquine phosphate, 10g bags being sold on ebay now. I also noticed my pbt constantly saddles up to my neon cleaner gobies....probably every 5 mins or so. I would not have a pbt without one.

[MrTuskfish]

Cupramine is safer to use than copper because it is less toxic to fish, if you use it be sure and get seachems copper test (ATI copper test doesn't work with cupramine) I have used cupramine but never copper

Cupramine IS copper just in a different form than its competitors.

[MrTuskfish]

Personally I would skip copper and use chloriquine phosphate, 10g bags being sold on ebay now. I also noticed my pbt constantly saddles up to my neon cleaner gobies....probably every 5 mins or so. I would not have a pbt without one.

Several studies examining the stomach contents show that cleaner fish or shrimp do not eat ich. I'm glad you like yours; I just hope other hobbyists don't think cleaners are going to eliminate or prevent ich. They will eat the dead tissue, which compries most of the white spots. They can't reach the actual feeding ich parasite.

[humaguy]

...and careful with tangs and copper, I have seen some ugly reactions...go slow with the dosing...good luck...

[johnwick]

Cupramine IS copper just in a different form than its competitors.

Exactly. Cupramine is a brand of copper treatment people.