In qt now, love this fish!

M

mhayes462

Guest
Got this Atlantic Blue Tang or Blue Caribbean Tang and its in qt now. Doing a copper treatment, but its doing great and eating a lot. The little lights on this tank don't do it justice. These fish really stand out under reef lights. It was a toss up between this and a powder blue (which I've always wanted), but went with this. Can't wait to get it in the dt.
 
M

mhayes462

Guest
Thanks. Hopefully I'll have some pics in the dt in about 2 wks
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Take your time with tangs. Give them the full qt. Does it have ich right now? Give it a full 4 weeks in qt after the last ich spot disappears.
 
M

mhayes462

Guest
I've had it in qt for a 8 days now. After 4 days it had white spots all over, so I started Cupramine treatment. I'll wait it out and make sure he's 100%. He's doing really well and eating a lot. I make sure he gets lots of greens, about 85% of his diet.
Mike Hayes
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
From what I remember of my info on Atlantic Blues, they're typically pretty hardy....but they're tangs, so of course they will be ich magnets. I think you're on the right track with the cupramine treatment. Just make sure you start the 4-week clock AFTER the last white spot falls off. Make sure you've broken that life cycle completely.
Take it from me...I rushed a tang once, and ALL my fish paid for it dearly. It's a hard lesson to learn, and not one I would wish on anyone.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
I have a tang question. Due to the ich factor I've held off getting one. But I do like them my question is this. After there time in qt is moving them to the dt enough stress to bring on ich again?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by jay0705 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3514768
I have a tang question. Due to the ich factor I've held off getting one. But I do like them my question is this. After there time in qt is moving them to the dt enough stress to bring on ich again?
Ich is a parasite. The reason Tangs are called ich magnets is because they stress so easy. If your fish is not exposed to the parasite, it won't get it, no matter how stressed it is. Quarantine all new fish so that IF the parasite is there, you can treat the fish, and not contaminate the display tank. If you get the parasite in the display, the healthy fish can fight off the parasite, and not die, but any stressed fish (ALL new fish are stressed from the move) will succumb to it. If a stressed fish gets it, the parasite can really breed, then by sheer numbers they can overcome even the healthy fish, and wipe out the entire tank of fish.
If you do get the parasite in the display, you have to remove all fish, and leave the tank fish free for 6 to 8 weeks. It's much easier to just quarantine one new fish and prevent an outbreak in the first place.
LOL...This concludes your lesson for the day.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
That about sums it up!

Also, tangs have a thinner skin and very small scales, so the parasite has NO problem burrowing in and latching on. Other fish (Mandarins, some gobys, and a few others) are considered ich-resistant** because they have a thick slime coat which makes it hard for the parasite to get in there.
**ich-resistant does NOT mean impossible to get it.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Ah very good. Ok I knew ich was a bitch to get rid of in a dt so qt is the way to go. Once I up grade my 75 gal. I may just have to get a tang
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515070
I don't "whole heartedly" believe just because he shows no sign after QT that ich can't reappear......
I don't understand why you would say that. If Ich is not in the display, and the new fish is treated and ich has been killed off by hypo or medicine, how can it can reappear?
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515199
I don't understand why you would say that. If Ich is not in the display, and the new fish is treated and ich has been killed off by hypo or medicine, how can it can reappear?
Flower I really can't explain it, but I had a PB in QT almost a year......The right after Christmas he mysteriously came down with ich......He hadn't had ich the entire time.....So yes I do believe ich is present all the time.....The funny thing is nothing changed within the QT system.......So you explain it to me.......
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515266
Flower I really can't explain it, but I had a PB in QT almost a year......The right after Christmas he mysteriously came down with ich......He hadn't had ich the entire time.....So yes I do believe ich is present all the time.....The funny thing is nothing changed within the QT system.......So you explain it to me.......

Hi,
If you just put the fish in a QT, and it was healthy and not showing any signs, somehow the parasite was introduced or was there all along...LOL, but why keep a fish quarantined for a year?. Anyway, maybe it was a strong healthy fish, and then it got stressed...the ich showed up then.
However if you treat the fish in the QT with ich meds, or hypo..no way could it get ich unless the parasite was introduced after the meds or hypo.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515266
Flower I really can't explain it, but I had a PB in QT almost a year......The right after Christmas he mysteriously came down with ich......He hadn't had ich the entire time.....So yes I do believe ich is present all the time.....The funny thing is nothing changed within the QT system.......So you explain it to me.......

Interesting... Did you treat the PB while in QT?
I am pretty sure I have ich in my system, but not positive. I QT all fish (except my recent Mandarin purchase), but I don't QT corals, hermits, snails, so I would imagine that somewhere along the line the ich has gotten into the system. And while I QT all fish, I did not nessassarly treat all the QT'ed fish with copper or hypo during their stay in QT.
I kind of always thought like Flower on this. If you treated a fish in QT with copper or hypo successfully than unless you add something else that can introduce ich, you are good. Same thing with going fallow... If you go fishless in the DT for lets say 8 weeks, and add a fish that has been in QT and treated with copper or hypo then that DT should be ich free. Right??
BTW did the PB make it?? Such a beautiful fish!! I had one on hold at the LFS about a year ago, but decided against it because my tank size (only 125g). I still have a Powder Brown on my wish list for one of the last fish in my system.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
A quote from Wikipedia
"There is no dormant stage in the lifecycle. Ich does not lie in wait for a weakened fish to infect. However, any factor that reduces immunity like changes in water temperature and quality may, in a subclinically infected fish, accelerate an outbreak of Ich. The presence of ammonia, nitrite and high levels of nitrate in water does not in itself cause clinical cases of Ich. However, poor water quality will stress fish, allow an outbreak to spread rapidly and increase mortality rates in infected fish.
It has also been shown that other abiotic factors can increase both fish and tadpole susceptibility to ich. These factors include, decreased temperature, predatory cues and increased levels of UV-B radiation."
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515344
Interesting... Did you treat the PB while in QT?
I am pretty sure I have ich in my system, but not positive. I QT all fish (except my recent Mandarin purchase), but I don't QT corals, hermits, snails, so I would imagine that somewhere along the line the ich has gotten into the system. And while I QT all fish, I did not nessassarly treat all the QT'ed fish with copper or hypo during their stay in QT.
I kind of always thought like Flower on this. If you treated a fish in QT with copper or hypo successfully than unless you add something else that can introduce ich, you are good. Same thing with going fallow... If you go fishless in the DT for lets say 8 weeks, and add a fish that has been in QT and treated with copper or hypo then that DT should be ich free. Right??
BTW did the PB make it?? Such a beautiful fish!! I had one on hold at the LFS about a year ago, but decided against it because my tank size (only 125g). I still have a Powder Brown on my wish list for one of the last fish in my system.
Hypo........and there wasn't anything introduced with him.....Just him all that time by himself.....Water changes every other day........Just shy of a year.....Doesn't make sense at all and regretfully he didn't make it......He actually seemed to start perking up and eating like a pig as usually and BAM.....Dead!!!!!! There will be another at some point though......
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515336
Hi,
If you just put the fish in a QT, and it was healthy and not showing any signs, somehow the parasite was introduced or was there all along...LOL, but why keep a fish quarantined for a year?. Anyway, maybe it was a strong healthy fish, and then it got stressed...the ich showed up then.
However if you treat the fish in the QT with ich meds, or hypo..no way could it get ich unless the parasite was introduced after the meds or hypo.
He was bought at a frag swap unexpectantly.......Life throws us "curve balls" sometimes as you know, and I had moved out of the house for a bit and sold off most of the equipment and the build stopped......That's why he was in QT for so long.....
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515346
A quote from Wikipedia
"There is no dormant stage in the lifecycle. Ich does not lie in wait for a weakened fish to infect. However, any factor that reduces immunity like changes in water temperature and quality may, in a subclinically infected fish, accelerate an outbreak of Ich. The presence of ammonia, nitrite and high levels of nitrate in water does not in itself cause clinical cases of Ich. However, poor water quality will stress fish, allow an outbreak to spread rapidly and increase mortality rates in infected fish.
It has also been shown that other abiotic factors can increase both fish and tadpole susceptibility to ich. These factors include, decreased temperature, predatory cues and increased levels of UV-B radiation."
Haha you quoted from Wikipedia? My professors would have a field day with you.
A great site for general information. NOT a great site for end-all and be-all of the facts. Besides, the article you're quoting here sounds like they're discussing freshwater ich, not C. irritans.
Be that as it may....there's something about my system I've always wondered about. Yes, I qt my fish. BUT I admit I don't QT corals...I simply dip 'em. Used to dip in FW and then Iodine, until Siptang gave me some of that Bayer plant stuff. And more worrisome than the corals....I use NSW for my water changes! Always have. Is it possible to have the parasite come in from the NSW?? Something to think about....
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/394862/in-qt-now-love-this-fish#post_3515395
Hypo........and there wasn't anything introduced with him.....Just him all that time by himself.....Water changes every other day........Just shy of a year.....Doesn't make sense at all and regretfully he didn't make it......He actually seemed to start perking up and eating like a pig as usually and BAM.....Dead!!!!!! There will be another at some point though......
Crazy... Sorry about him not making it. Glad to hear that there will be another one.
 
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