Powder blue tang has ick

[reefrooster]

Bought a powder blue tang last week and put it in a quarantine tank. Well of course Justin's tank crashed and I had to throw all of his fish into my 55 gallon quarantine so the tank was very overloaded. So against my better judgement I moved my fish to my main tank. Now I'm worried about all my other fish getting ick. I know tangs get pick really easily. He hasn't been eating much since I got him. Today I going to try a different food and dip it in garlic to boost its immune system. Do you guys have any good ideas for this situation. I don't want to over or under react to this.

 

[acanaddict1]

Skunk cleaner shrimp stat!! It'll be the pb's best friend!!

 

[FishBeard]

Skunk cleaner shrimp stat!! It'll be the pb's best friend!!

That will do absolutely nothing to cure the fish of Ich. It's like someone playing touchy feely with you when your sick and irritable.

 

[reefrooster]

That's true. Plus I have a snowflake eel in the tank with him that shrimp would be some expensive fish food.

 

[revhtree]

While I don't think the shrimp is the solution it can do nothing but help in this case. (except for getting eaten by the eel) That being said with the situation you are in I would just make sure my water perimeters are in check and feed the fish well. Ich can be beat this way.

 

[fraggingfish]

Cleaner shrimps are used only to clean the fish not cure them of parasites.

Your best solution would be to pull that fish out and QT it, before it spreads to other inhabitants.
You can QT it without any chemicals, that way it doesn't stress out the tang.

 

[acanaddict1]

Apologies for not asking about tank inhabitants!!! However, to say a cleaner shrimp will not help I have a now huge mimic tang and raccoon bfly that would highly disagree! +1 with Rev have a buddy with an achilles that beat it exactly that way!

 

[gmoney243]

Omega one flake for marine fish with garlic has worked for me and I use it as a everyday staple

 

[reefrooster]

Got the tang in a 10 gallon quarantine tank and it's doing a lot better thanks for all the help.

 

[bct15]

Here is my experience with powder blues and ich, and what I think you will experience.

When first introduced to a display they almost always break out with ich, generally not very severe but noticeable. If your other fish are well fed and healthy they will be fine. When quarantining, the ich will appear to go away...when reintroduced he is most likely going to break out again. The best course of action (in my experience) is to leave the fish in the display and feed well. Soaking every other feeding in a garlic soak. The garlic does nothing for the fishes immune system but triggers a feeding response, with increased eating the fishes natural immune system will be boosted. To mich garlic can lead to problems as well. As the fish adjusts and eats well, it will fight the ich off itself. This is the case that I feel my uv sterilizer makes a big difference, all tanks that I have seen personally with large ich prone tangs have a uv sterilizer but that is a whole different discussion.

 

[EpicWin]

Focus and a little metronitozole and garlic in the food and you are set. Before I started doing this I feared ich. Now I don't. It will cure fish already with ich and keep all others from getting it.