Ich management with acanthurus tangs

[lucas-grimm]

Any advice on introducing powder blues and gold rims into ich management systems? I’m looking to add both and see plenty of successful people doing it, but I’m not sure how to go about it.

I have a 250 bare bottom sps dominated reef that I’ve been managing ich in for over a year. Haven’t had any losses except a wrasse and 3 anthias but I believe these yo be nutritional as it was before I started feeding better. When Introduce a new fish, it tends to get spots for a week or so but continues to eat then the spots disappear. My current fish are:
1xRed Sea Sailfin tang
1xHippo Tang
1xPurple Tang
1xScopas-Yellow tang hybrid
1xTomini Tang
1xOne spot foxface
1xPyramid butterfly
1xAustralian stripey
1xOrange spotted rabbitfish
5xYellowtail damsels
1xMalanrus wrasse
1xMarble Wrasse
1xDiamond goby
1xBanggai cardinal
1xYellow watchman goby
1xClownfish
4xFish in qt being added in a few weeks (Royal Gramma, Red Hawkfish, and 2 more clowns)

 

[o2manyfish]

Certain fish are just ich problems. But that isn't a death sentence.

In the past 30 years I have kept 3 or 4 different powder blues. They always have spots on them. But they eat, and they are fat and healthy. And they live happily. One I had for 9 years, just covered everyday - somedays white, somedays black spots - and I sold him with the tank.

I've been keeping Achilles for the past 10 years, and they don't always have white spots, but you never know when they will. Maybe today they are picture perfect, maybe they look like the rim of a margarita glass.

I keep the Achilles in 400g and now 750g with lots of other fish - 100+ other fish. Including lots of other tangs and angels. And these will be the only fish that show spots.

I run UV, I run ozone. The fish are fat and healthy. Nobody is beating up on the Achilles I have now, and 5 days a week it looks great. But those other 2 days, usually the weekends when people come to visit (just kidding) has spots randomly.

Keep the fish healthy and let AI software remove the white spots when you post photos.

Dave B

 

[lucas-grimm]

Certain fish are just ich problems. But that isn't a death sentence.

In the past 30 years I have kept 3 or 4 different powder blues. They always have spots on them. But they eat, and they are fat and healthy. And they live happily. One I had for 9 years, just covered everyday - somedays white, somedays black spots - and I sold him with the tank.

I've been keeping Achilles for the past 10 years, and they don't always have white spots, but you never know when they will. Maybe today they are picture perfect, maybe they look like the rim of a margarita glass.

I keep the Achilles in 400g and now 750g with lots of other fish - 100+ other fish. Including lots of other tangs and angels. And these will be the only fish that show spots.

I run UV, I run ozone. The fish are fat and healthy. Nobody is beating up on the Achilles I have now, and 5 days a week it looks great. But those other 2 days, usually the weekends when people come to visit (just kidding) has spots randomly.

Keep the fish healthy and let AI software remove the white spots when you post photos.

Dave B

Thank you for the insight. This gives me more confidence to try this

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any advice on introducing powder blues and gold rims into ich management systems? I’m looking to add both and see plenty of successful people doing it, but I’m not sure how to go about it.

I have a 250 bare bottom sps dominated reef that I’ve been managing ich in for over a year. Haven’t had any losses except a wrasse and 3 anthias but I believe these yo be nutritional as it was before I started feeding better. When Introduce a new fish, it tends to get spots for a week or so but continues to eat then the spots disappear. My current fish are:
1xRed Sea Sailfin tang
1xHippo Tang
1xPurple Tang
1xScopas-Yellow tang hybrid
1xTomini Tang
1xOne spot foxface
1xPyramid butterfly
1xAustralian stripey
1xOrange spotted rabbitfish
5xYellowtail damsels
1xMalanrus wrasse
1xMarble Wrasse
1xDiamond goby
1xBanggai cardinal
1xYellow watchman goby
1xClownfish
4xFish in qt being added in a few weeks (Royal Gramma, Red Hawkfish, and 2 more clowns)

When mine was introduced, I not only assured I had one that was eating and free of issues but also gave it a 60 minute bath in ruby rally pro and gave/give it a high quality diet with large mix variety

 

[Matt1997]

I have had almost every type of Acanthurus tang and hybrid combination without ever treating or performing QT. I have had great success by feeding heavily with vitamin enriched food. If the fish eats and is active it will overcome ich.

 

[Matt1997]

In my opinion, more tangs die from the stress of meds and QT systems than the parasite itself. For certain parasites by all means treat the fish but for ich just let it be and give it a stress free environment.

If you already have established tangs use the mirror method. Add the mirror after the new tang is put in the tank. Should help distract the other fish for a day or two until the new tang gets used to the environment.

 

[lucas-grimm]

When mine was introduced, I not only assured I had one that was eating and free of issues but also gave it a 60 minute bath in ruby rally pro and gave/give it a high quality diet with large mix variety

I love your tank and the fish you have. seeing your success keeping many types of tangs I wish to add to my system gives me more hope knowing you also manage ich! Most of the tanks I look up to that I’ve reached out to the reefers behind, have also told me they do manage ich with the occasional breakout on certain fish. The more I feed a variety of frozen foods + selcon enhanced Nori, the less I see spots on any fish and I wish I had payed more attention to diet sooner. Corals appreciate it too. (previously it was only the pyramid and hippo I ever saw any spots on and it was always 3/4 spots, never an infestation).

 

[lucas-grimm]

I have had almost every type of Acanthurus tang and hybrid combination without ever treating or performing QT. I have had great success by feeding heavily with vitamin enriched food. If the fish eats and is active it will overcome ich.

I always hear ich is a death sentence which is simply not true. Just look at the tank of Paul B. Same thing with “ich is in every tank”, also not true, but most tanks have a population of it much like the ocean but it’s simply not a problem. Thanks for the info.

 

[lucas-grimm]

In my opinion, more tangs die from the stress of meds and QT systems than the parasite itself. For certain parasites by all means treat the fish but for ich just let it be and give it a stress free environment.

If you already have established tangs use the mirror method. Add the mirror after the new tang is put in the tank. Should help distract the other fish for a day or two until the new tang gets used to the environment.

I think I’m going to go ahead with the Powder Blue and Gold rim in a month or two once the stripey gets settled in. Not super worried regarding ich anymore, and the aggression from any of my tangs is never more than minimal. Sailfin is a jerk sometimes, but he’s one of my favorites so I won’t remove him lol.

 

[Matt1997]

I think I’m going to go ahead with the Powder Blue and Gold rim in a month or two once the stripey gets settled in. Not super worried regarding ich anymore, and the aggression from any of my tangs is never more than minimal. Sailfin is a jerk sometimes, but he’s one of my favorites so I won’t remove him lol.

Try out the mirror. Gives the new fish a chance to find some hiding places