Anyone here kept blue tang successfully

[seamonkee]

Hey bros,

I need to ask if anyone has kept a blue tang successfully for a year or so and WITHOUT once getting ich?

Why did I ask? Cause I am doing a survey to determine the following:

Seems like there are two school of thought concerning ich infestation:

1) One group says that tank will always have ich... no matter what you do to nuke them... so even if you quarantine & copper treat your fish (as what I am starting to do now)... u still get it....

2) Another group believes that it is possible to have an ich free tank, since iches are essentially a form of invetebrates and they need to be INTRODUCED into the tank for it to multiply... so with proper quarantine and copper treatment established for new fishes, it is possible to have an ich free tank...

So guys please share with me ur experience on keeping blue tangs... if 1st theory one is true, then I will stay away from "ich king" fishes such as PBT, BT or PT.... If 2nd theory is right, then based on what I am doing now... setting up quarantine and copper treat, left my tank fallow for two months... Still possible to get a blue tang?

BTW, today, I went to one LFS (uncle ah pek neighbourhood one) who tried to sell me his blue tang for $4!!!! Best part if is totally covered in iches... he say that ich is part of the "ecosystem" and all blue tangs will definitely have them... He also advise me against copper treating fishes because the fish can go mental and die...

[Vinceire]

Hi Bro,

I have successfully kept a blue tang (now with damsel-in-distress) for about 3yrs+ without a single incident of itch. Have other tangs like sailfin and yellow about 1~1.5 years and also no itch problem.

Most of the fishes are from Mari***L**e.

I believe the source from where you buy them is important

[woverine]

my Blue tank wif me for almost 2 yrs. Apart from regular visit by dc-fish I feed my fishes with a mixture of garlic(frozen brimp shrimp) once a week. Personally a gd healthy diet and a "healthy water" will do the trick.

I agree some other blue tank as they grow bigger the appealing blue will fade.

well mine is a greedy buddy eat almost everything (the BT is my fav"s fish) maybe

I say maybe that is why she is strong and healthy , free from itch.

happy reefing !

[seamonkee]

my Blue tank wif me for almost 2 yrs. Apart from regular visit by dc-fish I feed my fishes with a mixture of garlic(frozen brimp shrimp) once a week. Personally a gd healthy diet and a "healthy water" will do the trick.

I agree some other blue tank as they grow bigger the appealing blue will fade.

well mine is a greedy buddy eat almost everything (the BT is my fav"s fish) maybe

I say maybe that is why she is strong and healthy , free from itch.

happy reefing !

No choice cause on my part, I dun wan any fishes that are prone to ich... but my wife so in love w blue tangs....

That's why I want to find out more first....

[hotlemond]

my Blue tank wif me for almost 2 yrs. Apart from regular visit by dc-fish I feed my fishes with a mixture of garlic(frozen brimp shrimp) once a week. Personally a gd healthy diet and a "healthy water" will do the trick.

I agree some other blue tank as they grow bigger the appealing blue will fade.

well mine is a greedy buddy eat almost everything (the BT is my fav"s fish) maybe

I say maybe that is why she is strong and healthy , free from itch.

happy reefing !

agreed with woverine here. good diet and healthy water.

I had them with me almost a year. When i got them they infected terrible ich that goes to the eyes and it swell. I got them to eat a variety of food that are soak in garlic and i keep the religious water change and run UV. They healed.

But for past weeks i didn't add enough veggie to thier diet and there is a slight sign of Lateral Line Disease. Time to pick up a veggie clip from my LFS liao

[aha8]

C,

my experience, if i buy more than 1 at a go, the survivability if almost gurranteed. 3 is good, 'cos there will be 1 bully to chase 2 around. However, mine alway got itch, but they eat well and within 2~3 weeks, the spots are gone....then they dun stop growing Dun ask me what if your tank cannt take 3... i leave that to you

just my 2cents or less...

[strat]

I have a Blue tang that's with me for almost a year.

Did not suffer from any itch problems.

Feed only pellets every 3 days....

Super bully which killed my sailfin tang...

[Kelmen]

I read that its possible to have an ich-free tank. Just need to ensure you don't introduce those ich bug through new stock or live food.

[hotlemond]

I read that its possible to have an ich-free tank. Just need to ensure you don't introduce those ich bug through new stock or live food.

you are saying quarantine rite?

Not just for fish, Q all corals, inverts as well. Some hardcores even Q thier LR. No joke

[ozy]

I have 2 blue tangs which have never go white spots before. Maybe my tank temp too high ich cannot survive. So far they are fantastic. Always eating, but not growing very fast.

[Happy Reefer]

From Hotlemond:

But for past weeks i didn't add enough veggie to thier diet and there is a slight sign of Lateral Line Disease. Time to pick up a veggie clip from my LFS liao

I did placed a piece of cooled boil vege in my tank, I don't think my Blue Tang even touch it. In fact, that vege was meant for my Flame Angel, also did not think the Angel ate it.

Instead of "fresh" vege, is Ocean Nutrition Formula 2 good enough? or can anyone recommend Marine veges (easy to feed form"?

Thanks.

[XPeriment 626]

i've had three juvenile blue tangs with me for about six months now. No ich. I use a coralife UV all the time, and no seawater - salt mix only. Also be careful when introducing new fish to quarantine properly.

Also, I use Ocean Nutrition formula 2 pellets, which contain garlic.

[Happy Reefer]

Thank you Xperiment.

Do you switch on yr UV light the whole day?

[REEFSHARK]

i've had three juvenile blue tangs with me for about six months now. No ich. I use a coralife UV all the time, and no seawater - salt mix only. Also be careful when introducing new fish to quarantine properly.

Also, I use Ocean Nutrition formula 2 pellets, which contain garlic.

i'm also using an uv sterilizer...NO SIGN OF ITCH/WHITE SPOTS on my tangs which include...bt/yt/pt/naso/ut....my uv is running 24/7....even i add in fresh water for top up i see no problem....

[chrislwp]

Couple of blue tangs died because of ich, until Henry(ML) gave 1 to me, which I am still keeping, strong and fat, and has never seen a single ich.

[mantis]

Hey bros,

I need to ask if anyone has kept a blue tang successfully for a year or so and WITHOUT once getting ich?

Why did I ask? Cause I am doing a survey to determine the following:

Seems like there are two school of thought concerning ich infestation:

1) One group says that tank will always have ich... no matter what you do to nuke them... so even if you quarantine & copper treat your fish (as what I am starting to do now)... u still get it....

2) Another group believes that it is possible to have an ich free tank, since iches are essentially a form of invetebrates and they need to be INTRODUCED into the tank for it to multiply... so with proper quarantine and copper treatment established for new fishes, it is possible to have an ich free tank...

So guys please share with me ur experience on keeping blue tangs... if 1st theory one is true, then I will stay away from "ich king" fishes such as PBT, BT or PT.... If 2nd theory is right, then based on what I am doing now... setting up quarantine and copper treat, left my tank fallow for two months... Still possible to get a blue tang?

BTW, today, I went to one LFS (uncle ah pek neighbourhood one) who tried to sell me his blue tang for $4!!!! Best part if is totally covered in iches... he say that ich is part of the "ecosystem" and all blue tangs will definitely have them... He also advise me against copper treating fishes because the fish can go mental and die...

The following link might serve to answer your questions. The link was posted by one of the bros here. I find it very informative on ICK and it also tackles the question - Is ICK always present in our aquaria?

MarineICK

On keeping the Blue Tang, I had one for awhile and it developed ICK and died shortly after........that was before I read the above link

[calvinci]

I bought 5 1" baby blue tang one yr ago. 4 died the next day, 1 survived, recover from ich, and still kicking now, and it's 4" now.