Purple tang frustration

smm607 · 09/24/2007, 01:49 PM

So i got the purple tang about a month ago and it showed signs of ich so i placed him in QT. I have two QT tanks one for holding and one for meds if necessary, Well the tang ended up needing meds after about two weeks and has been fine ever since, he was placed back in the main display about Two days ago and now he is showing signs again, a small cluster of white spots on his flank and and some small specks in his eyes, through all of this he has never shown any sign of distress or behavioral change and i know tangs are ich magnets but seriously will i ever cure him of this or am i doing something wrong, Params are all where they should be and i have tried everything. Freshwater dips, time, a cleaner shrimp and last ditch effort was the meds which seemed to do the trick... Any ideas? or should i just take him back to the lfs and cut my losses(would rather not do if possible, i really like this one and we seem to have a bond)

rustybucket145 · 09/24/2007, 02:19 PM

did you try garlic? Some crush up cloves, I prefer busting gel tabs of garlic extract on nori and food. Feed it to him two or three times a day... Within a week everything should be back to normal. Keep feeding him the enriched nori once a day for a month and you should be in the clear.

I don't know the science behind this but I can attest to seeing it in action several times after chemicals, quarantine and meds had failed miserably. Hundreds of dollars spent, and all was solved with a $5 bottle of garlic from the grocery store.

stemonia · 09/24/2007, 04:21 PM

Agreed! I have a blue tang that recently had severe case if ich and I cleared it up by using garlic. I soak all my fish foods in garlic before feeding. Instead of crushing the cloves to make the garlic juince yourself, you should be able to find Garlic Guard at your LFS. If not, Marine Depot and many other online retailers sell it.

The garlic helps to strengthen the fishes immune system and allows for an easier fight against the parasite. I've used this method time and again with great success.

smm607 · 09/24/2007, 08:59 PM

unfortunately garlic is a regular for me so i didn't even think to put it down as something i've already tried, All my food is soaked in garlic for all my fish just as a defense, thanks for the response though, i feed a combination of mysis, brine, Cyclopeeze and chopped brine all of which is soaked in garlic guard..

bertoni · 09/24/2007, 09:03 PM

Are there any fish in the display tank except the tang? If so, they're probably contagious. How long was the display tank fish-free, if there aren't any other fish? The tank needs to be fish-free for 6-8 weeks to starve out the parasite.

marinelife · 09/24/2007, 09:13 PM

Just feed the fish good and if it is healthy it will make it , no need to worry

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 04:41 PM

the main display was fish free for about two months except for a green chromi that has been through everything including the cycling(stupid inpatient nubie mistake)...Other than that, the tang was in the display for two days and i have had two clowns and the chromi in there for months, Unfortunately i guess i have to wait it out and see if the fish get the bastard parasite as well, just went out and bought copper for the tang now that he is in QT again hopefully i will get rid of the ich once and for all

Shooter7 · 09/25/2007, 04:46 PM

Go to the Fish Disease Treatment forum here on RC and read the stickied threads and articles on what ich is and ways to treat it.

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 05:30 PM

already have, i have a pretty good knowledge from freshwater but i know marine ich is a bit different and i just like to put things out there for advice from everyone cause you never stop learning in this hobby

DrBegalke · 09/25/2007, 05:40 PM

my tangs went thru a couple of phases of some ich spots, but never went to full blown disease.

i think the key is providing them with a low stress (ie, not moving them back and forth between QT, DT, no harassment, etc.) environment and a high-quality diet (garlic, selcon, variety of foods, etc.)..

in other words, i wouldn't jump the gun at the first sign of ich as its possible the fish will build immunity on its own...

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 05:51 PM

i actually waited it out a while before getting into the meds, i did freshwater dips and even bought a cleaner shrimp in hopes it would help out a bit but after it started getting worse i ran out of choices

bertoni · 09/25/2007, 07:23 PM

I'd guess the Chromis is an ich carrier, although the tang might never have been completely ich-free.

Shooter7 · 09/25/2007, 07:37 PM

Exactly. You need a fallow tank for at least 6 - 8 weeks, according to the reading I've seen, to have the display considered probably ich free. If there is one fish, the tank's not fallow. Meanwhile, the fish that were in the display should be treated in a hospital tank. My preferred method of treatment is hyposalinity. It has worked well for me on many fish. For those reading this thread, there is more reading here:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

and here:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

and these:

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...osalinity.html

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 09:07 PM

i am not bebating that my fish in the display are in definate risk but my problem is that i don't have a tank big enough to keep all the fish in to medicate, it would be too crowded and i would be doing water changes most likely every day....one thought i had is that the two clowns and cromi all sleep togeather in a group at the very top of the tank behind my overflow box and from what i have read most ich attaches to the fish while they sleep at the bottom, would my fish in the display right now be at a bit less risk in their desired sleeping space right now? giving me enough time to treat the tang for a week and move him to my other QT tank then move the smaller fish into the hospital tank?

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 09:09 PM

oh yeah the only reason i jump right to the meds as of now is that i have tried the hyposalinity and did not work with the tang, so i have moved on to copper as the tang has gotten pretty bad but hasn't stopped eating at all

bertoni · 09/25/2007, 09:18 PM

What was the SG kept at, and for how long. Most often, but not always, 8 weeks at 1.009 is good enough to kill all the marine ich parasites.

smm607 · 09/25/2007, 09:24 PM

Well i did it for a total of about a month probably a little more then raised the salinity slowly to a low sg of 1.017 and maintained it there.... When i first put him in he didn't have much just a couple smaller spots on his flank and some on his pectoral fins and none around the gills so it wasn't an extreme case to begin with but like i said it is back with a vengence, I am happy to say since i got him into the hospital tank and treated him with copper earlier today his eye is no longer clouded over and i see very little white spotting anymore, so hopefully things have started moving out of him and into the water so the copper can start working

09/24/2007, 01:49 PM	#1
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	Purple tang frustration So i got the purple tang about a month ago and it showed signs of ich so i placed him in QT. I have two QT tanks one for holding and one for meds if necessary, Well the tang ended up needing meds after about two weeks and has been fine ever since, he was placed back in the main display about Two days ago and now he is showing signs again, a small cluster of white spots on his flank and and some small specks in his eyes, through all of this he has never shown any sign of distress or behavioral change and i know tangs are ich magnets but seriously will i ever cure him of this or am i doing something wrong, Params are all where they should be and i have tried everything. Freshwater dips, time, a cleaner shrimp and last ditch effort was the meds which seemed to do the trick... Any ideas? or should i just take him back to the lfs and cut my losses(would rather not do if possible, i really like this one and we seem to have a bond)

09/24/2007, 02:19 PM	#2
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	did you try garlic? Some crush up cloves, I prefer busting gel tabs of garlic extract on nori and food. Feed it to him two or three times a day... Within a week everything should be back to normal. Keep feeding him the enriched nori once a day for a month and you should be in the clear. I don't know the science behind this but I can attest to seeing it in action several times after chemicals, quarantine and meds had failed miserably. Hundreds of dollars spent, and all was solved with a $5 bottle of garlic from the grocery store. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

09/24/2007, 04:21 PM	#3
stemonia Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Covington, LA Posts: 86	Agreed! I have a blue tang that recently had severe case if ich and I cleared it up by using garlic. I soak all my fish foods in garlic before feeding. Instead of crushing the cloves to make the garlic juince yourself, you should be able to find Garlic Guard at your LFS. If not, Marine Depot and many other online retailers sell it. The garlic helps to strengthen the fishes immune system and allows for an easier fight against the parasite. I've used this method time and again with great success. __________________ If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching TV by candlelight. Current Tank Info: 120 Show

09/24/2007, 09:03 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Are there any fish in the display tank except the tang? If so, they're probably contagious. How long was the display tank fish-free, if there aren't any other fish? The tank needs to be fish-free for 6-8 weeks to starve out the parasite. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/24/2007, 09:13 PM	#6
marinelife Registered Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Union, Ohio, USA Posts: 6,590	Just feed the fish good and if it is healthy it will make it , no need to worry __________________ I'm a SaltGeek are You? All LED since 2010. Current Tank Info: 375 Gallon Reef with siporax, all LED lighting, and Red Dragon 3 and Abyzz A200 on 2 closed loops.

09/24/2007, 08:59 PM	#4
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	unfortunately garlic is a regular for me so i didn't even think to put it down as something i've already tried, All my food is soaked in garlic for all my fish just as a defense, thanks for the response though, i feed a combination of mysis, brine, Cyclopeeze and chopped brine all of which is soaked in garlic guard..

09/25/2007, 04:41 PM	#7
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	the main display was fish free for about two months except for a green chromi that has been through everything including the cycling(stupid inpatient nubie mistake)...Other than that, the tang was in the display for two days and i have had two clowns and the chromi in there for months, Unfortunately i guess i have to wait it out and see if the fish get the bastard parasite as well, just went out and bought copper for the tang now that he is in QT again hopefully i will get rid of the ich once and for all

09/25/2007, 04:46 PM	#8
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	Go to the Fish Disease Treatment forum here on RC and read the stickied threads and articles on what ich is and ways to treat it. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

09/25/2007, 05:30 PM	#9
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	already have, i have a pretty good knowledge from freshwater but i know marine ich is a bit different and i just like to put things out there for advice from everyone cause you never stop learning in this hobby

09/25/2007, 05:40 PM	#10
DrBegalke Go Buckeyes! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix area, AZ Posts: 2,599	my tangs went thru a couple of phases of some ich spots, but never went to full blown disease. i think the key is providing them with a low stress (ie, not moving them back and forth between QT, DT, no harassment, etc.) environment and a high-quality diet (garlic, selcon, variety of foods, etc.).. in other words, i wouldn't jump the gun at the first sign of ich as its possible the fish will build immunity on its own... __________________ ~Jason Begalke Current Tank Info: Latest project: JBJ Cubey

09/25/2007, 05:51 PM	#11
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	i actually waited it out a while before getting into the meds, i did freshwater dips and even bought a cleaner shrimp in hopes it would help out a bit but after it started getting worse i ran out of choices

09/25/2007, 07:23 PM	#12
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd guess the Chromis is an ich carrier, although the tang might never have been completely ich-free. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/25/2007, 07:37 PM	#13
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	Exactly. You need a fallow tank for at least 6 - 8 weeks, according to the reading I've seen, to have the display considered probably ich free. If there is one fish, the tank's not fallow. Meanwhile, the fish that were in the display should be treated in a hospital tank. My preferred method of treatment is hyposalinity. It has worked well for me on many fish. For those reading this thread, there is more reading here: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php and here: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php and these: http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...osalinity.html __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

09/25/2007, 09:07 PM	#14
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	i am not bebating that my fish in the display are in definate risk but my problem is that i don't have a tank big enough to keep all the fish in to medicate, it would be too crowded and i would be doing water changes most likely every day....one thought i had is that the two clowns and cromi all sleep togeather in a group at the very top of the tank behind my overflow box and from what i have read most ich attaches to the fish while they sleep at the bottom, would my fish in the display right now be at a bit less risk in their desired sleeping space right now? giving me enough time to treat the tang for a week and move him to my other QT tank then move the smaller fish into the hospital tank?

09/25/2007, 09:09 PM	#15
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	oh yeah the only reason i jump right to the meds as of now is that i have tried the hyposalinity and did not work with the tang, so i have moved on to copper as the tang has gotten pretty bad but hasn't stopped eating at all

09/25/2007, 09:18 PM	#16
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	What was the SG kept at, and for how long. Most often, but not always, 8 weeks at 1.009 is good enough to kill all the marine ich parasites. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/25/2007, 09:24 PM	#17
smm607 Moved On Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Buffalo Posts: 399	Well i did it for a total of about a month probably a little more then raised the salinity slowly to a low sg of 1.017 and maintained it there.... When i first put him in he didn't have much just a couple smaller spots on his flank and some on his pectoral fins and none around the gills so it wasn't an extreme case to begin with but like i said it is back with a vengence, I am happy to say since i got him into the hospital tank and treated him with copper earlier today his eye is no longer clouded over and i see very little white spotting anymore, so hopefully things have started moving out of him and into the water so the copper can start working