New Blue Tang has Ich, how to Treat?

[Eb0la11]

Hey guys,

I got a blue tang this last weekend. He's pretty young and small, likely only 1.5-2" and he has slowly been developing white specks on him the last two days.

I've removed him from the DT and have him in a 10G QT. I am now ready to medicate or whatever I need to do.

What methods/products would you recommend that could help this little guy.

Other than the white specks hes doing great. Eating, swimming freely, looks lively, but I have heard these fish in particular are susceptible to this disease.

My tank parameters are very good, no other fish show symptoms. Hopefully that remains the case.

[globaldesigns]

I myself tend to leave things and if the tank is in good shape, parameters are GREAT the fish usually fight it off... I have had ICH outbreaks, but never lost a fish to it, and I have never treated them.

Others will most likely say, since you have it in QT that you should Hypo Salinity it... and even use copper... Research these methods as they do work well if you do treat.

[Eb0la11]

Ok, I think Im going to raise the temp of the tank and then feed him some food that was soaked in garlic. Think this will do the trick?

Usually I am of the ilk that believes a fish will overcome sickness with a healthy tank too, but this guy seems to be getting more white spots so thought Id step in.

[nanmer]

I feed my hippo tang food soaked in garlic for about 2 weeks and it takes care of the ich. Ich is usually gone in a couple of days and I want to make sure it does not come back. I have 4 tangs and they only get ich when they are stressed. I do not raise the tank temp, this can be hard on my corals and other fish.

[Eb0la11]

I feed my hippo tang food soaked in garlic for about 2 weeks and it takes care of the ich. Ich is usually gone in a couple of days and I want to make sure it does not come back. I have 4 tangs and they only get ich when they are stressed. I do not raise the tank temp, this can be hard on my corals and other fish.

Thanks for the help. Raising the temp for me wont be bad since I have him quarantined right now. Hopefully hes only in there for a few days if the ich does slowly go away.

[Eb0la11]

So I fed the little guy and he wouldnt eat the garlic soaked shrimp. He was eating the regular stuff in the DT before all of this. Thoughts?

[e46er]

I would keep him in qt atleast 6 weeks to make sure the parasite is dead or else it will just come back and couple possibly infect your entire tank.....
I used copper in my qt when my hippo had ich just test constantly and it worked for me

[naesco]

So I fed the little guy and he wouldnt eat the garlic soaked shrimp. He was eating the regular stuff in the DT before all of this. Thoughts?

What type of garlic are you using? Garlic Extreme?
Try feeding him soaked nori, dry food or spirulina as well.

[Eb0la11]

I just bought grocery store minced garlic. I put it in a coffee filter after I rinsed the filter and dropped it into a small glass of his food in the tank water I removed from his tank. I sort of used the garlic as tea leaves towards his food.

Hmmm, he seems almost worse since going into QT behaviour wise, but I think the white spots may have rescinded slightly.

Should I put a piece of LR in there for him and also for a bit of filtration?

I have a PVC pipe in there that he can hide in but he doesnt ever go in it, he tries to slide under it instead...

Right now all I have running on the QT is a weak light strip, maybe 15W. A Aquaclear 110 with just a filter sponge in it and a heater and also a small small powerhead. Should I have anything else?

[e46er]

A 10 gal is pretty small for a tang maybe try and find a 33 gal they are only 50 bux

[Eb0la11]

He's fine in the 10G QT for now. He's a juvenile. He wont be in there for more than a couple weeks and right now he just wants to hide so isnt swimming very much. He'll be back in the 165G soon. Eventually Id like to get my QT up to 20G, but as is right now 10 G is way easier to set up on a whim than a 33...

[naesco]

He's fine in the 10G QT for now. He's a juvenile. He wont be in there for more than a couple weeks and right now he just wants to hide so isnt swimming very much. He'll be back in the 165G soon. Eventually Id like to get my QT up to 20G, but as is right now 10 G is way easier to set up on a whim than a 33...

If he is eating the garlic soaked foods now, you can put him back in the main tank. Make sure you acclimatize him
Just continue with the regimen in the main tank

[aquajeep]

i oddly enugh bought a marine beta and got a deal on a yellow tang years ago that had ick in the store.i brought fish home and each time droped the salinity down to 0.018 even 0.017...it worked great.luckily i had no coral back then.ive never quarentined a fish.stresses em out more i think. guess i would have to now though..crap i should get a quarantine tank lol

[Carmen]

QT tank may really be more stressful for the fish than it's worth. Unless you plan to go fallow for 6-8 weeks in the display , then QT each and every addition to the display in the future then the QT is not helpful. Once you add him to the display the ich is already there...he will get it again.

My regal tang is very sensitive to ich spots as most are. Each time the tank is disturbed whether it be moving things around or a new addition she gets a few spots. But...she is a pig and eats anything. She just fights it off.

Your fish will have a much harder time recovering while under stress. A 10G QT is tough to keep stable and healthy. Not that the QT method is not effective but it must be used EVERY time, cinsistently, and for the full QT time (and now fallow time).
I personally find a healthy fish will fight the ich better in a healthy display tank. And yes, I did try a QT tank... Unsuccessfully. I have had a few losses of new fish but MOST have done very well. You do stand the risk of infecting the rest of the tank but for me, that is a risk I have chosen to take.
I hope your fish recovers well! I have become very attached to my Regal tang and know the feeling of wanting to do everything you can to keep them happy and healthy! Good Luck.

[aquajeep]

i agree. the ick will still be in the display tank.ive never had success with qt.