# Other Aquarium Forums > Marine Tanks >  Powder blue tang has ich

## nivlac

Found out that my powder blue tang (recent addition on Fri night) has developed ich. Should I try to net the fish out to treat it? Can't do in-tank treatment for sure due to the corals and inverts present.

Its other mates are:
Royal gramma
Maroon clown
Lyretail hogfish
2 x banggai cardinal

Should I try to net all out as a precaution?

Temp of water is set at 28 degrees. Am thinking of leaving the powder blue in the tank for a few days to see how it goes as I don't think I am able to net it, given the many hiding places available in the tank.

Anyone who's got experience in this area, please let me have your advice.

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## IcecruncherZ

Sigh... if one species of tangs wont recover from an ich breakout... it's the powder blue... 

I also dunno what to do... cos my archilles also died... =(

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## kelstorm

firstly, Nivlac, what does your powder blue eat? i treated my purple tang with garlic juices mixed with mysis shrimps.. whitespots cleared within 2 days.. 
the reason for whitespot to happen could be stress.. look at the factors lor..
If not, can consider using this brand of medication called Exodin.. cost abt $18 at petmart.. u can try other brands like from kent marine.. price wise.. i dun know..
anyway.. from experience, powder blue, black, brown, all have poor survivability rate.. they require high quality water parameters...[ :Grin: ]

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## nivlac

Thanks guys for the advice.

My powder blue is not eating yet, and with the stress, and my high nitrates at 80+ ppm, that could all be causing him the stress. Damn hard to catch the bugger out of the tank and I'm almost resigned that it will die from certain death. Just hoping the white spot won't spread to other fish in the tank.

Kel, what's this garlic juice thing you're talking about? How do I administer and prepare the thing? And I thought powder blue tangs are herbivores?

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## IcecruncherZ

Firstly... DONT BUY KENT MARINE RxP! NO GOOD!!!

2ndly Do try to net it out... cos it will REALLY cause an epidemic otherwise...

Lastly... Tangs eat almost everything...

Feeding them with a diet with vit C will so them good... I recommend this Tetra Flake food with Vit C... the fishes seem to like it a lot... so much so that they seem more voracious when snatching for flake than even mysis shrimp =)

I pray for your powder blue... but then again if he doesnt die, youre never gonna be able to put any other tangs... or blue fish... or similiarly sized angels into your tank ever again...

=P

The irony of marine...

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## kelstorm

Nivlac, (reverse for calvin?)

ok.. first of all... identify what cause your nitrate level to hit 80ppm.. it is VERY HIGH!!!.. dangerously high.. consider doing water changes.. has your tank matured already b4 u dump the fish in? how big is your tank? the bio load might be another reason...that fish require high water quality of less than 15ppm NO3.. this could be the main reason.. coz i dun see the problem lying with your other fishes i.e bullying it coz it is very fierce.... anyway, try not to buy any more powder tangs, regardless powder black, blue, brown coz they have very poor survivability rate in the tank... learn from my experience...despite my NO3 being 5-10ppm.. my longest experience with one is abt 4-6 months...

Yes, just as Ice had mentioned, do try to catch it out...however, it also add to the stress level.. but i think u rather do that and isolate it then to have the entire tank kenna the disease...but i understand that it is very difficult to catch it out.. i have tried to catch some of my fishes [ :Grin: ] but to no avail...[ :Grin: ] 

The garlic juice thingie is, firstly, u extract the juice of garlic by pounding it and add a few drops of water to the garlic.. then collect the garlic juice and mix it with the food (brine shrimps or mysis) and let it soak up the garlic juices... for a couple of minute.. stir it ard and feed it to the fishes.. 

well.. Tangs do relish a bit of meaty stuff from time to time.. as least my tangs do.. i have a hippo tang(aka blue tang, eats everything i dump in..veggie, tetra bits, mysis etc..really a hippo.. hahaha), naso tang (dun eat tetra bits but mysis, brine shrimps and lettuce), purple tang (like hippo tang).. i have other fishes as well..

another thing.. once the occupants have accustomed to the water parameters, they will acclimatise themselves and have an immunity towards certain diseases.. as in the case of my tank.. hippo is prone to whitespots but in this case, only my purple tang got it... get the drift? :Smug:  can consider getting the tetra flakes with vitamin C.. though i never tried it b4... quite ex i think..

suddenly, me thinking of soaking my tetra bits or mysis with orange juice.. as in the same theory as garlic juices.. hahaha.. cheaper like that.. hahaha.. also have vitamin C.. hahaha

and as ice and i had mentioned, powder blue is very fierce and territorial and chances are if it survive, u will not be able to add much fishes already.. 

all the best to u.. any prob.. reflect again..

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## nivlac

kel, thanks.
Yes, nivlac is reverse of calvin  :Smile: 

Got some Hikari mysis and trying to do the garlic thingy like you said. But will continue to try to catch the tang out. Don't want the whole tank to kena. Got my prized royal gramma and lyretail hawk inside.

Didn't know the tang was so territorial. I know it won't tolerate other tangs (that's why I bought the best looking type!) but didn't know it won't tahan any other types of fish of similar size. Was thinking of adding a couple of pygmy angels later as well.

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## IcecruncherZ

You so lucky lor, can keep royal gramma... =( I cant lor... cos everytime I add one it goes MIA... and I'll see empty crab shells (aka moulted) *sigh*
Guess the only safe place is the sump...

Hey Calvin, where did you get your lyretail hog? I cant seem to find one... and also, does it harm cleaner and blood shrimps? Cos I dont want to endanger my 2 beloved shrimps

Good luck =) 

ps: catching a fish takes lotsa patience... I took about 45 mins to wait for my purple tang to be in a corner and *swoop* hehez... 1 shot 1 kill hehez...

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## nivlac

ice, I kinda made sure the tank is as crab-free as possible by setting up many traps over the past months. Fished out a total of 10 stone crabs, and there are still about 2-3 left inside.

Got the lyretail hogfish from Marine Life at Hong Leong. $30. As of last Friday, there was one left. As I don't have any shrimp inside the tank, can't tell if it's ok with them but I believe this guy is from the wrasse family. the mouth is not too big but can tell the teeth are very sharp. Keeps blowing on my sandbed to see if there're critters I believe.

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## IcecruncherZ

So you're the bugger that bought the Lyretail... I asked Patrick to reserve one for me liao... cos when I went there was only this 2cm Tiny Lyretail left...

Ermz What crab traps? How they look like? You have Xtra? Can lend me?

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## kelstorm

Ice, i want that purple tang.. 

Calvin, for pygmy angels, wait for your tank to stablise first.. i.e. wait till the NO3 is lower.. coz most of them require NO3 levels to be no more than 15ppm.. and if your tank is small, u can try to keep 2 at most.. but must intro them at the same time.. dun get the same species..
watch your bio-load.. i might be wrong but i am afraid that ur tank might not be able to support the amount of NO3 now... just dun want u to waste $$$..

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## nivlac

Ice: Paiseh lah, left the small lytretail hog for you in the end. But mine was not much bigger lah. Did you get it in the end?

Re the crab traps, I got the idea from someone over the net in one of the reefcentral forums. You just need a small glass container (those used in Brand's essense of chicken or those where you get get containing baby food) which is quite deep. Put some bait in the glass container, position the 'trap' amongst some of your rockwork which the crab can access from. Come next day, just need to check if there're any crabs caught in there. The idea is to let them in but it will be impossible for them to come out. Unless your crab in the tank is so big that it can crawl straight out. Then you need a deeper glass container. Maybe a full sized vase!

Kel: thanks for the advice. Am definitely not adding anymore fish till my water quality improves. On my sight will be a flame angel and a potter's angel. But I understand some of them will peck at corals. So still thinking about it.

Anyway, just an update on the ich situation. Still had no luck in netting the tang, so prepared the mysis shrimp in the garlic juice, fed the fish, but the tang didn't eat any of it. However, the white spots on the tang seems to have eased off, and the ich doesn't seem to have spread to any of the other fishes, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

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## kelstorm

Cal, 
the white spots are still there..it could be that it rubbed itself against the rocks.. or some small fishes peck it off.. my doc fish did that.. how long u had the fish? have it been weaned to such food? if not, can be quite a long process provided that it is not starved.. but in order to wean it over.. u have to starve it.. so that if it is hungry.. it will learn to eat..

Flame is nice.. i have both of them but potter is the nicest.. my piece tail glows under white light.. but it never come out after it entered my tank... if u want.. i should be able to get both of them for u at low prices.. give me your number.. so that i can look out for u when i visit the place.. the fishes are big and nicer than what u can get from the farms.. but as it is importer, they dun keep stock.. come and go.. so, have to depend on the luck lor.. i might be going down next week.. so. if u want.. can let me know..  :Smug:  dun mind helping u to get them if they have..that is if u trust me and my taste... from what i know.. Potter can cost from 45 to 60 pending on its size.
as for whether it peck on the corals.. depends on individual character.. but generally, they are quite safe with reef.. can consider getting lemon peel and flame.. nice.. :Smug:  
U can ask spiff the size of the flame that i got for him.. very nice piece.. my friend bought it from that place but his tank cannot support it.. thus give it to me.. and i sold it to spiff..[ :Grin: ] 
if u want.. can sms me at 96520875

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## nivlac

Kel,

Will definitely call you when the time to add the angels to the tank come. Hope that time comes soon! Thinking of just adding a denitrator to speed up the process now.

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## kelstorm

cal,
personally, i dun use that gadget.. but i heard that it is quite good.. anyway.. my advice is to let the tank to stabilise so that it can cope with that amt of bio-load.. i have &amp;gt; 20 fishes and over 10 pieces of corals.. and my NO3 is no more than 10ppm... let nature take it course.. let your live rocks, sand bed and filter do the job for u.. if not, u will find it gonna be very expensive for this hobby.. i practise minimalistic tank..low cost.. student lah.. po pian.. still depending on finance minister of the house.. [ :Grin: ] 
Do let me know when u need to stock up.. so that when i go down, i can help u to keep a look out.. 
[ :Grin: ] 
Happy new year..

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## IcecruncherZ

Hrm... now we have Kel and Cal...

Cal&amp;gt; Do you live near Hong Leong? Maybe can go down together cos I go down rather regularly =)
I find it rather necessary to go down quite often cos all the good stuff (lyretail hog) are snapped up so quickly... Hahaz *hint hint* Hahaz... *joking*

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## kelstorm

let me know when u all go down.. i never been there b4..would like to take a look

Ice.. how is the purple tang? mind passing it to me?? hehehe

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## Spiff

me too :Smile:

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## kelstorm

u want to go or u wan the purple tang?? spiff?? hehehe

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## Spiff

me wanna go!

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## nivlac

Guys, I stay in Choa Chu Kang, but work in West Coast (Pandan area). So I'm at Hong Leong at least once a week. Sometimes even twice or three times a week, usually during lunch time.Let me know when you guys want to go down. It's easy for me. There's a good nasi padang stall at Hong Leong as well so we can chow down too.

Some good and sad news.
Good news is that it seems the ich outbreak on the tank seems over. Didn't see any more white spots appearing. The tang still doesn't take brine or mysis shrimp, but I put in a clump of fern calupera for it and it seems to have helped itself to that (stomach quite rounded).

Sad news is my lyretail hogfish jumped out of my tank. Didn't see it going around circles per its usual routine this morning and when I still didn't see it in the afternoon, I thought something was amiss. True enough, the bugger's body was all dried up behind the tank  :Sad: 

Kel: my tank's been around for 8 months liao. Started in June last year but nutrients level still seem very high. Maybe my DSB is not working too well (No. 1 sand too coarse?) as I can only see the bubbles from denitration in the gravel on the front side of the tank. The deep part in the back where it goes up to 5 inches deep has no bubbles under it at all.

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## IcecruncherZ

Wonderful! Have Hong Leong Kakis liao... =)

Ermz... darn... I feel so guilty now... I wanted to warn you before hand that Lyretail hogs are Gan Chiong spiders... they swim erratically and usually rather vertically... and are always harrassed cos of their tail...

Kel&amp;gt; Purple tang ahz... okae lor... I transferred hi to my sump liao =) I'm waiting for the bugger to recover fully, then intro him together with my yellow tang, also in sump but different compartment. From now on, I'll intro all fishies into sump to monitor just like MASTER Spiff... 

Ehz i thought you have purple tang... you want to watch killer movie ah... 2 purple tangs in a tank...

Cal&amp;gt; When you next going? *beam* Me want fishies!

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## kelstorm

what is wrong with your purple tang, ice?

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## IcecruncherZ

Ich and velvet lor... =(

But the bugger still eating so okae lahz...

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## nivlac

Ice: Will probably go tom'row lunchtime. Got a Seachem nitrate test kit from Pat that doesn't work (reagent all dried up). Give me a ring at 9688 0195 if you're going.

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## IcecruncherZ

Hrm... what a coincidence I need a Seachem Nitrate test too... Hahaz~

No... Definitely cant go down... I'm an NSF =(

97307409... Must inform me if got Zaistuff okae??? Hahaz... then I AWOL to buy... Hahahaz~ 

But actually... CNY period I dont think there'll be a lot of lifestock... =P

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## kelstorm

hey.. where is this hong leong place.. u sure that it is open?.. 
ice.. i heard that u had nice stuff in your tank.. also never tell me.. how much u paid for it?? u know what i mean..something that i wun like to have in my tank..
sms me tomolo at 96520875
try the garlic method.. it works..

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## IcecruncherZ

Kel&amp;gt; No lahz... me only going down like on Sat or Sun... Cos tomolo Valentine's day... then Friday I got overnight duty lor...

Hehehez Dare not tell you... =P What to do... captivated by the beauty of the somethings lor... 

Anyways also added an elephant ear coral... =P Very big and in the middle of my tank... damn waste space... Hahaz... but i like... 

Yes I'll try the garlic method, cos aniwae purple tang is eating. 

Anyone here knows how the garlic works? Is it cos it's spicy and causes the fish to ermz... salivate through it's skin? =P I mean like Humans will perspire and salivate when eating spicy stuff... so maby fish also...

I'm just crapping... dont bother about me =P

Btw... 

GUYS I'M LOOKING for the following fish real badly: Flamehawk, Lyretail Hog, Red Sea 4 line Wrasse, Yellow Headed Jawfish, Forktail Blenny 

So if any if you see these fish anywhere... do tell me... I'll AWOL to get it... and just help me reserve it pls... I'll like Kowtow to you for your help... =P

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## kelstorm

Ice, u lucky fella, got date on valentine day.. sigh.. me have to hit the books.. [ :Embarassed: ] 

just tell me what u got lor.. u know me.. i dun advocate it but i dun stop ppl from keeping them.. which one u bought?

hey.. i seen a purplish elephant ear.. at the importer place.. but it is extremely big.. at least have abt 1ft across..but u have to be careful.. coz it is predatory...

honestly, i wouldn't be able to tell coz me aint the fish.. but it adds flavour to the fish food.. hehehe[ :Grin: ] and it cause the white spot to fall off.. 

flamehawk is very nice.. but watch your shrimps... i learn it the hard way.. btw, what is your nitrate level.. still want to add so much fishes.. ???

i keep a look out for u when i visit the place ok? if i see it.. u want me to get it for u?[ :Grin: ]

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## IcecruncherZ

Who says I have a date on valentines day... cant be camp mates gathering mehz? Aiyah okae okae have lahz... you dun have meh~ Then who the girl I saw with you at Heeren that day HAR? *rolls eyes* Haha~ 

I bought bubble (cats eye) and frog spawn, both of which are still doing very nicely =) 

PURPLE ELEPHANT EAR!? Must have been DAMN ex... cos my normal one already set me back at 40 bucks! But they are pretty nice additions to the reef tank lor =) Looks real nice in mine =) 

What's this importer place? Which farm? 

Flamehawk eat shrimp I know... Hogfish also... I still thinking if I should keep Hog and Hawk or Shrimps... my shrimps very nice lehz... that day my cleaner moulted AGAIN... and left this complete exoskeleton with feelers! Hahaz~ very cute... wanted to keep but it crumbled at my touch =(

Actually I've seen pple keep flamehawk with shrimps... but the flame only about 2.5cm? See what I can find 1st

NITRATE LEVEL! I WANTED TO BUY THE SEACHEM KIT! THEN I WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN AFTER WORK! AND IT WAS SO CLOSED SO CLOSED... I will be getting a test kit very soon to check: and I hope it will be a PLEASANT surprise... HAHA... scarly 150ppm... 

Aiyoh... you think I can find all those fishies I want all at one go mehz... Hahahz... All VERY rare one lehz~ Hahaz... If you do see... yahz... pls do help me buy... I'll pay you back one... Dont worry~ Kekeke... =)

Aniwae my Gf leaving the country to study this Sunday, so I should have more $$ for myself from then on... wonder if I should be =) or =( *sigh*

What place you talking about? So secretive one har? Got a lot of Zai~ stuff zit... You raid the place b4 telling us where right Hahaz~ Jokin jokin... you very generous one I know... =) 

Thnx in advance =)

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## kelstorm



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## Spiff

kel....mine idea dude

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