Powder blue tang?
- Thread starter elvictre
- Start date
bean 1
Member
The rule is to add tangs of different genus' to the same tank. The three tangs you want all belong to different genus (powderblue - acanthurus), (bluehippo - paracanthurus), and (yellow - zebrasoma) which would be a good thing if your system was large enough to accomodate. In a 75g they would most likely fight and chase each other, become stressed and die of disease. Powderblues are notorious for contracting disease like ich as are all the tangs, but powderblues even more so. Not the most durable fish but very beautiful nonetheless. Usually recommended to keep powderblues and blue hippos in larger tanks (100g +) but they can do well in smaller aquariums when they are smaller. They require alot of open swimming space otherwise they are prone to get stressed and sick. Hope this helps.
Bean
Bean
elvictre
Member
Thanks, my fish are all pretty small right now. I will be getting a larger tank in the future as soon as the room I want to put it in is renovated. I was planning to have both tanks and just mainly my smaller fish in this tank that I have now. I have seen small powder blues at a LFS but they were out of them yesterday when I went by.
Vic
Vic
scubadoo
Active Member
How to select a Powder Blue...a tough fish to keep. Make sure you follow this as outlined in selecting your Powder Blue...cut and paste..
Selection:
Bad specimens of A. leucosternon are easy to spot. Most have darkened blue body areas, perhaps with a white "stress" bar, torn fins, and other evidence of accrued shipping and handling damage. Decent specimens are harder to assess. These all have the quality of "brightness", that is, clear eyes, constant movement and an awareness of your presence. "Spaced-out" specimens should be left.
Index of fitness is a fisheries term for the "fullness" of fish bodies. It’s quantified as the circumference of an animal divided into its length. Specimens with a higher value are obviously fatter than ones with lower indices. You want to select for a Powder Blue that is not too thin, particularly in the upper body area (the flank, up and behind the eyes). Skinny specimens rarely recover.
Some "flashing" or scratching is to be expected of all specimens, but this should not be excessive. Nor should respiration be labored or too frequent. About sixty gill movements per minute are what you are looking for.
Newly arrived specimens are better to sort amongst other than longer-on-hand ones. Like most marine livestock, and particularly Acanthuroids, Powder Blues are "starved out" for a few days ahead of shipping to reduce in-transit pollution in their shipping bags. Unfortunately this starvation can be persistent once the animals are received and shipped through wholesalers, jobbers to your LFS or retailing supplier.
Selection:
Bad specimens of A. leucosternon are easy to spot. Most have darkened blue body areas, perhaps with a white "stress" bar, torn fins, and other evidence of accrued shipping and handling damage. Decent specimens are harder to assess. These all have the quality of "brightness", that is, clear eyes, constant movement and an awareness of your presence. "Spaced-out" specimens should be left.
Index of fitness is a fisheries term for the "fullness" of fish bodies. It’s quantified as the circumference of an animal divided into its length. Specimens with a higher value are obviously fatter than ones with lower indices. You want to select for a Powder Blue that is not too thin, particularly in the upper body area (the flank, up and behind the eyes). Skinny specimens rarely recover.
Some "flashing" or scratching is to be expected of all specimens, but this should not be excessive. Nor should respiration be labored or too frequent. About sixty gill movements per minute are what you are looking for.
Newly arrived specimens are better to sort amongst other than longer-on-hand ones. Like most marine livestock, and particularly Acanthuroids, Powder Blues are "starved out" for a few days ahead of shipping to reduce in-transit pollution in their shipping bags. Unfortunately this starvation can be persistent once the animals are received and shipped through wholesalers, jobbers to your LFS or retailing supplier.
jjlittle
Member
I tried one he was a beatiful full of energy fish ( powder blue) my yellow tank which was much smaller showed lots of agression and the powder didn't eat he died 6 days later after getting ich too.My tank is a 150 with lots of LR to. I did how ever just add a naso and he is doing great with the yellow bugger.Best of luck but i wouldn't do it save you $$$ they are very hard to keep and to keep without them gettign ich.
marineman
Member
My powder blue shares a 175g tank with a yellow, a purple and a naso tang. I added the PB tang last and that was 1.5 yrs ago. I did lose a couple PB before finding this hardy specimen and I kept him isolated in a large breeder net for 10 days before letting him join the gang. I feel this was key in getting him acclimated before dealing with the initial aggression that lasts 3-7 days when adding a new fish. The naso and PB do some occasional light jousting but that about it. No ich problems as well! Good luck
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally Posted by teen
i would stay away from the powder blue tang because ive heard they get ick a lot, and ick really really sucks if uve never had it before. just to let u know.
I see these fish as intermediate level...So at this level you "should be Qting" everything before adding to your Large display.
At this level ICK shouldn't be a problem.
i would stay away from the powder blue tang because ive heard they get ick a lot, and ick really really sucks if uve never had it before. just to let u know.
I see these fish as intermediate level...So at this level you "should be Qting" everything before adding to your Large display.
At this level ICK shouldn't be a problem.
dogstar
Active Member
Originally Posted by sw65galma
At this level ICK shouldn't be a problem.
Not sure I under stand this statement. Could you please explain it.
IMO, even after " properly QTing " this fish to allow it to regain its health from any previous stress conditions, you still stand a good chance of it getting too stress again buy adding it in with those two established tangs. Especaily if its a somewhat smallish tank.
At this level ICK shouldn't be a problem.
Not sure I under stand this statement. Could you please explain it.
IMO, even after " properly QTing " this fish to allow it to regain its health from any previous stress conditions, you still stand a good chance of it getting too stress again buy adding it in with those two established tangs. Especaily if its a somewhat smallish tank.
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally Posted by Dogstar
Not sure I under stand this statement. Could you please explain it.
IMO, even after " properly QTing " this fish to allow it to regain its health from any previous stress conditions, you still stand a good chance of it getting too stress again buy adding it in with those two established tangs. Especaily if its a somewhat smallish tank.
What i'm saying is...if you have an established ICK free tank for a few months...Chances are, No Ick Exists in the tank...or very little traces....
Now after QT a fish I'd do a tang for a little longer than normal more than the ick Cycle, You still should have an ICK Free environment.
Hence even if the Tang gets stressed in the new tank, it shouldn't be able to get ick if no ick exists...Assuming you agree that there isn't always ick present...which some people believe there is always ick present.
Not sure I under stand this statement. Could you please explain it.
IMO, even after " properly QTing " this fish to allow it to regain its health from any previous stress conditions, you still stand a good chance of it getting too stress again buy adding it in with those two established tangs. Especaily if its a somewhat smallish tank.
What i'm saying is...if you have an established ICK free tank for a few months...Chances are, No Ick Exists in the tank...or very little traces....
Now after QT a fish I'd do a tang for a little longer than normal more than the ick Cycle, You still should have an ICK Free environment.
Hence even if the Tang gets stressed in the new tank, it shouldn't be able to get ick if no ick exists...Assuming you agree that there isn't always ick present...which some people believe there is always ick present.
ophiura
Active Member
If you haven't properly QTd every fish in your system, then I think you could always run the risk of having it pop up. I am just not sure in most cases how many people have done this for every fish. :thinking:
Wouldn't you have to QT with hypo to really guarantee that you've gotten rid of the bug? Otherwise you could have that "very low grade" spot here and there (infecting the gills for example), and still get it in that way?
Ah, fish disease has never been a big strong point for me.
But as for the QT every fish, every time? I know I'm out :nope:
Wouldn't you have to QT with hypo to really guarantee that you've gotten rid of the bug? Otherwise you could have that "very low grade" spot here and there (infecting the gills for example), and still get it in that way?
Ah, fish disease has never been a big strong point for me.
But as for the QT every fish, every time? I know I'm out :nope:
dogstar
Active Member
Originally Posted by sw65galma
What i'm saying is...if you have an established ICK free tank for a few months...Chances are, No Ick Exists in the tank...or very little traces....
Now after QT a fish I'd do a tang for a little longer than normal more than the ick Cycle, You still should have an ICK Free environment.
Hence even if the Tang gets stressed in the new tank, it shouldn't be able to get ick if no ick exists...Assuming you agree that there isn't always ick present...which some people believe there is always ick present.
Ok, I understand if your useing that line of thought and beleive that you can have a totally Ick free tank. I dont. I think it can live in sand on bio life or even dorment on or in fish and when a fishes imune system gets weak then it will thrive but I dont know if totally free has been scientificly proven or not.
What i'm saying is...if you have an established ICK free tank for a few months...Chances are, No Ick Exists in the tank...or very little traces....
Now after QT a fish I'd do a tang for a little longer than normal more than the ick Cycle, You still should have an ICK Free environment.
Hence even if the Tang gets stressed in the new tank, it shouldn't be able to get ick if no ick exists...Assuming you agree that there isn't always ick present...which some people believe there is always ick present.
Ok, I understand if your useing that line of thought and beleive that you can have a totally Ick free tank. I dont. I think it can live in sand on bio life or even dorment on or in fish and when a fishes imune system gets weak then it will thrive but I dont know if totally free has been scientificly proven or not.
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally Posted by ophiura
If you haven't properly QTd every fish in your system, then I think you could always run the risk of having it pop up. I am just not sure in most cases how many people have done this for every fish. :thinking:
Wouldn't you have to QT with hypo to really guarantee that you've gotten rid of the bug? Otherwise you could have that "very low grade" spot here and there (infecting the gills for example), and still get it in that way?
Ah, fish disease has never been a big strong point for me.
But as for the QT every fish, every time? I know I'm out :nope:
Well i think if you have a huge tank with $1,000's worth of fish you CAN'T NOT QT every fish. Think of how much it would cost you to loose a tank to ICH.
I know myself I'm not even totally stocked, i'd stand to loose a lot of money to ICH. So that's why Each and every fish have been QT'ed for 5weeks in hypo....
The Idol i had my LFS do it for me.. They keep thier fish in hypo anyways.
If you haven't properly QTd every fish in your system, then I think you could always run the risk of having it pop up. I am just not sure in most cases how many people have done this for every fish. :thinking:
Wouldn't you have to QT with hypo to really guarantee that you've gotten rid of the bug? Otherwise you could have that "very low grade" spot here and there (infecting the gills for example), and still get it in that way?
Ah, fish disease has never been a big strong point for me.
But as for the QT every fish, every time? I know I'm out :nope:
Well i think if you have a huge tank with $1,000's worth of fish you CAN'T NOT QT every fish. Think of how much it would cost you to loose a tank to ICH.
I know myself I'm not even totally stocked, i'd stand to loose a lot of money to ICH. So that's why Each and every fish have been QT'ed for 5weeks in hypo....
The Idol i had my LFS do it for me.. They keep thier fish in hypo anyways.
sw65galma
Active Member
Originally Posted by Jam1e
Hey, does anyone think I can put a juvenile Blue Hippo Tang in My 65 Gallon tank? Experience is not a problem since I've managed a 90 gallon tank with many fish including a purple, yellow, and Achilles Tangs. -Jamie
I would say no, Blue hippos tend to grow pretty fast.
Hey, does anyone think I can put a juvenile Blue Hippo Tang in My 65 Gallon tank? Experience is not a problem since I've managed a 90 gallon tank with many fish including a purple, yellow, and Achilles Tangs. -Jamie
I would say no, Blue hippos tend to grow pretty fast.