Is it wrong to say that tangs are ich magnets?

[inachu]

I don't think thats right.

[kau_cinta_ku]

the reason ppl say that is because tangs seem to be more likely to get ich over most other fish.

[inachu]

To me that is a code word that LFS sellers say their tank is sick.

I do not know if I want to buy from them now.

[inachu]

Would my baby clowns be ok with a baby tang?
http://www.seatrademarine.com/Mercha.../BlueTang2.jpg

[kau_cinta_ku]

not in a 55 gal. tank. IMO no tang would be able to live it's full life in a 55 gal.

[kau_cinta_ku]

also am I reading this correct, you have 9 clowns in a 55 gal. tank?

[rkelman]

inachu: My Blue Tang that was only 1 1/4 or so long a year ago is now almost 5". No it won't be good in a 55g tank. Neither will your 9 clowns but that's another story all together. If you get a bigger tank they would get along just fine.

[MinnFish]

Magnet, no. Great candidate, yes. I really would like to see some studies on this subject.

[Michael]

Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
also am I reading this correct, you have 9 clowns in a 55 gal. tank?

yep sam your reading it right, apparently its inachus landlords tank, there are other fish in there as well

[Sk8r]

Check out the bonaire.com reef camera site and just watch on 3 min refresh for a day or 3.
You'll find that everybody lives on a cliff, far from the sand. Most fish have homes in the rock and don't travel far from them.
And then there are the traveling fish: you'll occasionally (outside of the occasional oblivous skinnydipping people---this has happened. ) see big groups of tangs going ninety per straight up, or straight down, midwater, never-ever near the sand or the rock except to nip a bit of algae.
These fish are evolved to midwater, long-distance traveling. They have extremely thin, scaleless skin and no slime coat to speak of.

That renders them tremendously vulnerable to the ich parasite nature never designed them to meet: ich lives in sand and rock, between fish, and like ticks or fleas, looks for a ride. On fish blood-fluids, it multiplies, and on tang blood, it probably gets a high quality dose, because tangs are hyped on oxygen: they take it in like a ram jet. So they multiply like crazy. The tang has no protective slime coat. And the tang may die, but the ich will just drift down to sand and rock again and wait for the next victim.

You quarantine to protect your rock and sand. Once it becomes a launch pad for ich, you've got a problem.

Sanddwelling fish usually don't get ich: handle them and you'll think you have a handful of jello--the slime coat is that thick. Water conditions that erode the slime coat can cause them to get ich, but usually, ich can't attack them successfully.

That's the difference.
HTH.

[aprosody]

Originally posted by Sk8r
Check out the bonaire.com reef camera site and just watch on 3 min refresh for a day or 3.
You'll find that everybody lives on a cliff, far from the sand. Most fish have homes in the rock and don't travel far from them.
And then there are the traveling fish: you'll occasionally (outside of the occasional oblivous skinnydipping people---this has happened. ) see big groups of tangs going ninety per straight up, or straight down, midwater, never-ever near the sand or the rock except to nip a bit of algae.
These fish are evolved to midwater, long-distance traveling. They have extremely thin, scaleless skin and no slime coat to speak of.

That renders them tremendously vulnerable to the ich parasite nature never designed them to meet: ich lives in sand and rock, between fish, and like ticks or fleas, looks for a ride. On fish blood-fluids, it multiplies, and on tang blood, it probably gets a high quality dose, because tangs are hyped on oxygen: they take it in like a ram jet. So they multiply like crazy. The tang has no protective slime coat. And the tang may die, but the ich will just drift down to sand and rock again and wait for the next victim.

You quarantine to protect your rock and sand. Once it becomes a launch pad for ich, you've got a problem.

Sanddwelling fish usually don't get ich: handle them and you'll think you have a handful of jello--the slime coat is that thick. Water conditions that erode the slime coat can cause them to get ich, but usually, ich can't attack them successfully.

That's the difference.
HTH.

You got my vote for most informative post of the day!

[aprosody]

oh, BTW here is the link to the Bonaire Reef Cams

[Sk8r]

Thanks, Aprosody. I love watching that site: you can learn more in 3 days of tuning it in intermittently and id'ing the species than you can gather from watching fish in a tank.

The site is www.breathebonaire.com ---and wouldn't you know it, today they're having cam problems and it's frozen: but bookmark it and check it out.

one of the most interesting things was watching a hurricane sweep through it last year. And people wonder if corals can survive a 3-day darkness. Yep.

world's biggest fish tank when the camera's online.

PS: if it's black, it's either after sundown there or the camera's offline.

[inachu]

Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
also am I reading this correct, you have 9 clowns in a 55 gal. tank?

If you read that other thread a tank owner has 27 clowns in his tank and they all get along in harmony.

[inachu]

Originally posted by Sk8r
Check out the bonaire.com reef camera site and just watch on 3 min refresh for a day or 3.
You'll find that everybody lives on a cliff, far from the sand. Most fish have homes in the rock and don't travel far from them.
And then there are the traveling fish: you'll occasionally (outside of the occasional oblivous skinnydipping people---this has happened. ) see big groups of tangs going ninety per straight up, or straight down, midwater, never-ever near the sand or the rock except to nip a bit of algae.
These fish are evolved to midwater, long-distance traveling. They have extremely thin, scaleless skin and no slime coat to speak of.

That renders them tremendously vulnerable to the ich parasite nature never designed them to meet: ich lives in sand and rock, between fish, and like ticks or fleas, looks for a ride. On fish blood-fluids, it multiplies, and on tang blood, it probably gets a high quality dose, because tangs are hyped on oxygen: they take it in like a ram jet. So they multiply like crazy. The tang has no protective slime coat. And the tang may die, but the ich will just drift down to sand and rock again and wait for the next victim.

You quarantine to protect your rock and sand. Once it becomes a launch pad for ich, you've got a problem.

Sanddwelling fish usually don't get ich: handle them and you'll think you have a handful of jello--the slime coat is that thick. Water conditions that erode the slime coat can cause them to get ich, but usually, ich can't attack them successfully.

That's the difference.
HTH.

AWSOME INFO thanks!

[kar93]

Originally posted by inachu
If you read that other thread a tank owner has 27 clowns in his tank!

Still rather irrelevant. In a 55g only 1 pair of clowns could get along happily. Eventually the clowns will all be bullied and if not badly torn up dead. 2 wrongs dont make a right. I would suggest finding them a new home.

[kau_cinta_ku]

Originally posted by inachu
If you read that other thread a tank owner has 27 clowns in his tank and they all get along in harmony.

not to start an arguement, but those clowns I beleive were all juvies just born (not sure if by the owner or another) but very soon they will start killing them off 1x1. just because someone else does it still don't mean that it is the right way.

again not tring to sound mean or start an arguement.

[rkelman]

Actually they are almost 3. I wonder if it has to do with the amount of BTA's she has... Either way its not recommended especially for a beginning reefer. She is very experienced and raised those clowns herself. That is also a 210g tank. Time will tell when they start breeding if they will start to fight bad.

[singold]

Great info as usual Sk8r!

[singold]

BTW, I think that's why its good to have a cleaner shrimp in tank to help keep tang free of parasites. My cleaner shrimp seems intent on constantly cleaning my tang and the tang stays in one place to allow it. Another good symbiotic relationship that can be duplicated in a home aquarium.

[rkelman]

Don't even talk to me about cleaner shrimp lol. I bought one 3 weeks ago and haven't seen it since I put it in the tank. That's the second time that's happened.

[crvz]

Originally posted by singold
BTW, I think that's why its good to have a cleaner shrimp in tank to help keep tang free of parasites. My cleaner shrimp seems intent on constantly cleaning my tang and the tang stays in one place to allow it. Another good symbiotic relationship that can be duplicated in a home aquarium.

I read the other day that it's not accurate that they eat parasites, more so just dead skin/mucous on the fish, but I can't fine the reference. I don't think they're the solution to fish parasites, but cool all the same.

And to emphasize the clown point, 9 of them in a 55 is a recipe for disaster. Whether or not it turns out as everyone expects, it's probably safe to say that the majority of people would not find it to be a wise decision.