Begineer: My Blue Tang got ITCH & White spot !!!!

[jason]

I recently set up my 6ft tank. Last sunday brought 2 blue tang from farmart. Find the Tangs fishy as they have white scratches but the owner assure it is ok.

I realised my tangs start rubbying against rock. So afraid they will infect my flame angel, coral beauty, rock beauty and others !!!

Please kindly advise. HELP !! HELP !!

[Achilles Tang]

Freshly-squeezed garlic juice mixed with your fishfood like brine shrimp or mysis shrimp is an effective ich remover.

The garlic actually prevents the ich parasite from attaching to the skin of your fish.

Go try it!

[ong]

Blue tang usually get ick very easy. Stress is the main caused of ick. I think the fish is under stress as it still new in the tank. As what AT said try garlic treatment, it will work!

[Reefgang]

Garlic juice didn't help my purple tang. Anyway Jason try it before making your own assesment.

Reefgang

[ong]

Garlic Treatment (GT) is a long process treatment unlike other medication which you can see fast effect. In other words, GT is just like Chinese Med. lah. If the ick is serious, you can drop directly into the tank together with garlic mix food. Est. 2 to 3 drops for 55 US gal. every two other days untill the ick is reduce. If still don't work and half of your tank fishes got ick, I will think you will need to perform the following checks:

1. water condition,

2. change 50% water if require,

3. check water temp, try to reduce below 30oC,

4. Possible over load in LR, create stress for them

5. Re-cure your LR, usually, ick will 'live' in LR in the day time and 'pray' on fishes when light-out. To crue the 'roots', kill the ick in the LR. Seachem have this med. product for LR. Cure you LR in a hosp. tank not display tank.

Rgds

[hydra]

I have the same problem with my blue tang. It has white spots and

keep scratching itself. I bought a cleaner wrasse, and it nibbles

the white spot from the tang. The tang is really happy right now.

It will turn to it's side once in a while for the cleaner to work on.

Really interesting relationship.

[jason]

I have a doctor nibbling on my tangs but no effort.

Ong & AT : Thanks so much for the garlic medication I will try now. My flame angel and rock angel seems to start have little white spot of some areas.

So worry whole tank of fish die off !!!! Should be more careful next time when buying fish !

[Achilles Tang]

I would recommend not to buy doctor fish at all.

They don't last long in captivity. We are buying to kill them. Leave them in the sea. Don't fuel the demand.

Cleaner shrimp on the other hand can live for a very very long time and can spawn regularly in captivity.

Of course, good food also prevents ich infestation.

If you want to kill free-floating ich cysts... use an ozone generator for effective control plus get a lot of other benefits, its very expensive though and the wrong usage will hurt your tank inhabitants. U/V sterilizer is effective provided the bulb gets changed often.

[hydra]

I agree that most doctor fish will not survive long in captivity. This

is due to the fact that the parasites in the tank is not enough to sustain

them.

But there are some that will eat solid food. I was told, to watch

the feeding in LFS and pick the one that eats.

[Achilles Tang]

In all factual reports... even those who do eat brine shrimp will eventually succumb and die. Max I heard is a few weeks to one or two months.

What's the point?

[ong]

Yes, doctor fish can not survive long in captivity. I have these fishes before and all are healthy and eating forzen food but longest I kept is around 4mth. That it! Try no to buy these fishes for pets control, buy Cleaner shrimp instead. Rgds

[derf]

hi,

try freshwater dip. i did that once a day for a few days, nw my blue tang is free from ich. i did feed it with food soak in garlic juice oso.

[jason]

1 blue tang, 1 rock beauty angel pass away !!!

Maybe more to come !!

[Norvin Ng]

Many may not agree with me but I am using a sera medication for ich and using half the recommended dose in my fish and coral tank. So far all ok (as I've the hardier corals in my tank) and my flame angel, yellow tang and six line warasse have more or less recovered. I bought two skunk shrimps and they are a great help. This morning just saw my Flame Angel "parking" himself near the shrimp and it was busy picking away.

Lessons for me:

1. Never buy Blue Tang or powderblue tang- its a good source of the ich nightmare!

2. No doctor cleaners - they don't make it in any tank, no matter how good the condition. I totally agree with AT on this.

3. Garlic does help. But need to keep using it for a while even if the ich has cleared.

4. Water change may help as well.

[jason]

I have tried Ocean free herbal treatment, garlic treatment, seawater change and medication from hong leong but tang and angel pass away !!!

The root of CAUSE is the blue tang The owner at farmart assured me they are okay even after I mention to him there are some white patches on the tangs body

[seahorse]

My power blue and flame angel also passed away due to ich. I know how

you feel

Sometimes we have to learn from the hard way...... Anyway next time

trust your own instint. Dun buy if you are not confident with what the

seller telling you

[derf]

wow! so many unpleasant experience wif tangs??? i guess i must be the lucky ones... mine managed to survive... phew... i was oso panicking when i saw my blue tang covered with ich n slowly spreading it to my other fishes...

[Achilles Tang]

Maybe its time we all learn to practice quarantining our fishes to prevent ich from spreading to our main tank.

It will take a lot of patience and careful monitoring.

[jason]

My Blueface angel also pass away this morning. Now left with 1 blue tang, 1 flame angel, 1 coral beauty angel, damsels and clowns.

[Morgan]

Sorry to hear that

Check all your water parameter esp nitrite and PH since your is a new tank.

[kelstorm]

it could also be due to u overcrowding the tank? my blue tang was down with ick and spread to my purple tang.. but a cleaner shrimp and garlic food does the trick..

[kelstorm]

AT.. not everyone have a quarantine tank.. let alone a hospital tank.. <_

[jason]

NO2 less than 0.2

only have 2 small clown, 4 small damsel, 1 coral beauty, 1 angel beauty, 1 cleaner, 2 boxing shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, 1 big thorn clam & 1 small metalic clam in my 6 ft tank.

Did not check PH as I used seawater