quarantine a sick blue tang

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xeanliao

Member
5 weeks ago, I picked up a sick little junior blue tang from LFS. He was really in bad shape. Ever since then, he has been in my 10-gallon hospital tank alone in the following order in time:
  1. first week in the hospital tank, no treatment, just clean water from my display tank. I wanted to see if he would eat before I started treatment. Eventually he started come out to eat.
  2. Started cupramine treatment. (i.e, day 1)
  3. Started to be free of white spots on his body after about 10 days of treatment. (i.e., day 10)
  4. By following the cupramine instruction, another 2-week continue treatment. (i.e., day 11-24), but I saw him rubbing pvc pipe on time, (i.e., day 18)
  5. Today is the 34th day since the treatment.
Now, I am not sure if I should move him to display tank today because I am concerned about the rubbing behavior I saw 7 days ago although he has been white spot free for 2 weeks.

I also concern about how much longer he can stay in cupramine treatment after already been 34 days. He is consider eating ok, but somehow I feel he ate more last week than this week.

Any advice?
 
lmforbis

lmforbis

Well-Known Member
I'd start removing the copper. Once it is gone then observe for 2-4 weeks to see if he stays healthy. Best to play it safe than introduce the parasite into your display tank.
 
X

xeanliao

Member
Thanks all! Now I know what to do now. All I need to pay is just a little more patients that is one of the most important keys to this habit
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Tangs are not the best candidates for copper treatment, not because the treatment isn't effective, but because copper often doesn't agree with them; particularly developing skin problems which is what you may be seeing with the rubbing. Follow the advice given here. Add zoecon or selcon to the fish's diet. How often and what are you feeding?
 
X

xeanliao

Member
beth said:
Tangs are not the best candidates for copper treatment, not because the treatment isn't effective, but because copper often doesn't agree with them; particularly developing skin problems which is what you may be seeing with the rubbing. Follow the advice given here. Add zoecon or selcon to the fish's diet. How often and what are you feeding?
Click to expand...
Primarily flake, 3 - 4 times a day, small pinch every time. He just cannot wait to finish these flake. Every other day, some nori for him to pick on. He doesn't seem liking that much but does pick on them once for a while. 2 piece of pellets everyday but never seen him eat but they disappear end of the day, so I continue to drop the pellets into the hospital tank. Tried chopped shrimp, but he is not interested at all.

Good to know the skim problem. He does look a little de-colored, and currently moved up my 29-gallon biocube observation tank without treatment now. I am planning to keep the 10-gallon hospital tank remain hosptial tank.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Flake foods are not going to be sufficient. Sorta like eating sugar cornflakes every meal. Add a variety of frozen food in to the diet. Also Nori is made for human consumption not fish consumption. Frequently salt is added, which is not desirable for SW fish. Switch to hobby algae sheets. Tangs are omnivorous so they need both vegetarian and meaty foods.

What are your water reading in the QT?
 
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