So... What now?

[Potatohead]

I purchased a yellow eyed Kole tang about 2.5 weeks ago. I observed this fish before purchasing for at least twenty minutes, as well as other fish in the tank, but you can probably see where this is going.

Long story short, the fish passed away yesterday from what I believe was ich. After a few days in the tank it developed a few spots but fought them off and was eating very well so I figured it would be ok. Then about a week later it was covered worse than before, although still eating and seemingly ok. It died 24 hours later.

So now, I don't really know what to do. I don't know if the ich was already in my tank or if it was on the kole. My other fish show no symptoms I had never seen any until the kole. He did have a golden sheen which could have been velvet I suppose but the only place was on his nose in a small spot. Tearing down the tank and going fallow for ten weeks just isn't going to happen. I don't know if I should just forget tangs altogether (which sucks), try another one, wait a while and try another one, try a different fish... I just don't know where to go from here. My bioload is pretty light and I was hoping to add a hawkfish and maybe an angel along with the kole until this recent development.

Thanks for any advice.

[Frogger]

Every time you add a new fish to your tank you risk losing everything. Sometimes ich can remain dormant in the tank especially if you have tangs only to surface its ugly head every time you add a new fish. I had a regal blue tank for 15 years and every time I added a new fish he would get ich. I would say at least a half dozen times in my fish keeping career I have lost every fish in the tank because I added new fish directly from the fish store. I have been keeping fish for over 30 years and at 1 time had close to a dozen tanks up and running.

The best option is to quarantine for as long as possible and then isolate your new addition within the tank for a while.

I now will not add a new fish to my main tank unless I have quarantined it for at least several months. I have 3 fish in my display tank that I have had for over 20years.

[Potatohead]

Yes I realize that. I have had a colony of Zaire Frontosa for many years and I have not added fish to that tank for several years for that very reason. That tank is nearly fully stocked however and this one is not.

I don't really have much option I suppose, now if I have ich in the tank I either have to risk everything when I add new fish (like a lot of people) or I have to take all my fish out for ten weeks, treat them all, hope my acros survive no fish, etc etc and I don't know if I'm willing to do that. I guess I answered my own question. There are many reports online of the fallow period not even working for some people, so I don't really know.

[DKoKoMan]

Trial and error (sucks I know) but I would monitor the tank. From the sound of it I think It was isolated to the new Kole Tang. I'm with you on not wanting to isolate the fish and begin treatment unless absolutely necessary.

[intarsiabox]

Unfortunately ich will remain in the tank forever as long as there are hosts. It doesn't effect most healthy fish that are established and you may never see the signs of ich again with your current occupants. It's a tough call but at this point I think you will be worrying every time you add a new fish to the tank. As a side note my shrimp always get just as much attention from people, if not more, than my fish and don't get ich. Good luck!