I'm the craziest guy you know

[tjswanson]

I know this sounds crazy, but I think I'm going to try it anyway. Right now in my 125g. I have the following: sailfin, naso, orange-shoulder, tangs; emperor angel, and one KICK ASS cleaner wrasse. I think I'm going to try my luck and throw in a powder blue and sohol. I figure if anything "bad" starts to happen I can return the powder blue or sohol for a full money refund. Tank perimiture are excellent. Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, and nitrates I would say are under 20, but I'm not to worried about nitrates because most fish only tanks that have a lot of fish have pretty high nitrates. thoughts comments? TJ (ps-I told you I was CRAZY)

 

[mr . salty]

I say GO FOR IT. Then tell me how it works out. I also have a FORBIDDEN mix of tangs,and they all get along. I'd like to do the same. I got my eye on a nise Kole tang thats been at my lfs for a couple weeks.I'd also like a powder blue. TANGS RULE.STEVE

 

[tjswanson]

I agree tangs are the coolest fish group along w/ angelfish. I'm gonna try it as soon as the LFS "fattens" up the powder blue and he gets another sohol in. I went and looked at the powder blue yesterday and considering he had only been there a day, he was doing great. TJ

 

[jimi]

Hey TJ, how old is your tank and how long have you had the orange shoulder tang? (Achilles?)

 

[rickt4du]

Hey TJ I went to the lfs yesterday and they had a powder blue, beautiful fish, I asked him about getting it and he said. Good fish to get if you like ick. He talked me into a cheaper fish even. You know a lot about them. I really respect this guys opinion. If he says not to buy it, I usually wont. What do you think? Are they ick magnets?
...rick
[This message has been edited by rickt4du (edited 10-12-2000).]

 

[purplepuffer]

Most tangs are very susptible to ick, such as the purple or naso. I believe that TJ has quite a lot of experience in keeping tangs and each indivduals tangs different needs. TJ, do you feed your tangs algae sheets or people greens?
~~Megan

 

[tjswanson]

Powder blue need good husbandry. I had my 75 gal. since feb. but then upgraded at the end of august and used everything from the old tank on the 125g. The tank never cycled and had never shown signs it was going to. So the 125g is only about 2 months old, but I think it's a little bit more mature than you might think. I have had the orange-shoulder tang since last week, but I have no achilles tang. I do feel as though I know quite a bit about any fish and know how to take care of them. And if worse comes to worse I do have copper. As for algae, I usually just let them forage on the rock/glass. I use metal halide lights so I get quite a bit of algae, but the naso has picked my rocks CLEAN. They are white. I don't like to use the seaweed sheets because the emperor tears huge pieces off and then no one eats them. I just use brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, squid, blackworms, and plankton. I have never had a fish get HLLE on me. If I use a vitamin it's vita-chem. No one in my new tank has ever had ick, badly, like all over the body, so it's a clean tank. TJ

 

[tjswanson]

rick, how big is your tank, how much is your LFS selling the powder blue etc. Powder blue's reputation is often exaggurated. It should be quite interesting when I put those two in. It could end up being like WW3 and I'll have to take one back.

 

[corky]

Hey TJ, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what happens. I too have been looking at powder blue tangs for a while now and keep hearing opposing opinions on them. From what I've gathered smaller ones seem to do better overall than the larger ones(again only opinions). U.V. sterilizer a must for tangs.

 

[rickt4du]

This powder blue was 3 inches, looked nice and fat. A bit skiddish (kept hiding behind a piece of rock in the display tank).
$34.00 with a 6 day guarantee. has been eating in the store for 10 days. My tank is too small for a full grown tang I know but I am going to upgrade next year. How quick will a tang grow?
...rick

 

[tjswanson]

rick, I would buy him... If you don't you'll regret it. If your going to upgrade next year get him. He will get bigger, but I would say only and inch in a year. GO FOR IT. The one I'm looking at is like 5 inches and is eating like a pig. doing good since he only got him tuesday. I'm gonna try to get as small as sohol as possible like 3 inches. That will be the kicker, how the sohol and powder blue will tollerate each other. I do have a UV sterilizer, which needs a new bulb. Rick I would get that fish. If he is fat and eats, that is the best combination. I will wait untill mine fattens up and I have to wait for the sohol to come in.

 

[tjswanson]

another thing rick, that is a REALLY good price for a powder blue, I'm gonna pay 75 for the powder blue and 90 for the sohol. TJ

 

[corky]

$34.00! Wow! I can't find any powder blue for under $70. That price is as low if not lower than buying them online. I agree with TJ. I wouldn't pass that up.

 

[rickt4du]

he also had a big 4-5 inch sohol for $45
come to Alabama and buy your fish.
...rick

 

[jimi]

TJ the tang your lfs sounds good if he is fat thats great. Make sure his colors are not fadded. You may have gotten lucky not feeding greens to you other tangs but powder blues must have it. Even if its spirulina flakes.

 

[tjswanson]

I know you should feed them greens, but you don't understand how much algae is on my back wall. If I feel that he needs algae sheets I'll feed them to him. Hey rick, you want to ask your LFS if he'll ship it to me. I live in Illinois so I bet the reason the prices are different are the extra shipping costs, since you live closer to the ocean. Rick, when you upgrade your tank you should get a sohol. I love the way they look and swim, but can be a bit aggressive. The powder blue at the LFS is still thin, but he eats like a pig and I refuse to take him unless he's fat. TJ