Help with Powder Blue Tang

normano · 04-11-2002, 05:44 PM

Hi guys,

I just bought a PBT last night. I have been keeping my eye on him at the LFS for the last 3 weeks and he seems healthy, good colouration and I've never seen him break out in ich in that time. So I decided to buy him (I was so happy no one bought him while I was checking him out over those weeks).

Anyways I have been reading up on them for more than two months so I know the downfalls and i will pay extra special attention to his behaviour and requirements but there's one thing I can't find the answer to.

Upon very close inspection, he had a little tear on his tail (maybe from fighting?). He's still quite peaceful (since I just added him last night after acclimitisation) and isn't swimming in a "stressed" manner and he has a lot of hiding places in my rocks which he also began pecking 3 hours after I added him and I kept the lights low as soon as I started acclimitising him till lights out.

Before I start babbling any more, my question for all you experts out there would be, will his tail be ok? The only trouble he's had since last night is my female percula attacked (nipped at him) him once when he ventured near their anemone (a magnifica). She's left him alone since then.

Thanks guys,
Norm.

SteveNichols · 04-11-2002, 07:04 PM

Provided he is healthy as he seems to be it should be no problem and no concern. You can relax

normano · 04-11-2002, 07:14 PM

Thanks Steve. Any idea how the tail will heal? Will the bit that's torn fall off? I've bought him heaps of nori to supplement his algae and I'll be buying some selcon tomorrow to soak the nori in. Will that be sufficient to help him recover?

iceboxman · 04-11-2002, 07:33 PM

I think all you need is time. I know it isn't quite the same, but I have a goldfish that my son handled and damaged badly. His fins were ripped, many missing scales and very stressed. Anyhow, given time, he healed up very nicely. After that, my son hasn't touched any fish.

normano · 04-11-2002, 07:43 PM

Thanks Matt :-)

My PBT has found a little cave/ refuge inside my aquascaping and he slept and swam around there for a bit last night in between pecking on the rocks. I think he's still a little insecure around his new surroundings.

SteveNichols · 04-11-2002, 09:17 PM

It depends on how bad it is torn. It could fall off, but I would think it will just grow out with a tear look until it grows out. I think all he needs is a healthy diet and there will be no touble. It doesn't sound like a problem, but to be safe keep an eye on it to make sure a bacterial infection doesn't start. I doubt it will.

normano · 04-11-2002, 09:22 PM

Thanks Steve, I'll keep an eye and take good care of the little fella!!

JMOR · 04-11-2002, 10:58 PM

Make sure you are feeding him a variety of food to give him a good diet and keep him health and everything should be fine. Just give it some time...

normano · 04-11-2002, 11:04 PM

Thanks Jason

Brooke · 04-12-2002, 08:31 AM

Congrats on doing your homework and waiting till you found a healthy specimen. A little tail nip should heal just fine. Like JMOR said, feed a variety of foods. red, brown, green nori, mysis shrimp, etc. Do your best to keep your hands out of the tank the next few days to reduce stress. Don't worry too much if he doesn't eat much. Let him settle in. Depending on if the LFS fed him nori from a lettuce clip it may take him a little while to get used to eating from a clip.

HTH. good luck!!
Brooke

normano · 04-14-2002, 05:23 PM

Thanks Brooke :-)

He's settling in well. He still refuses to eat from the clip but I suppose that will come in time.

Actually I think he's settling in too well. Swimming around the whole tank like he owns the place and when I go to check up on my cucumber and hermits in the tank he swims up to me and give me attitude. Now I stare from a distance. Hope he cools down a bit. But when he doesn't see me there he swims around like he's really relaxed and owns the place.

He loves the frozen brine shrimp though but doesn't eat the spriulina discs (dried food) that I gave him. Hope he learns to like em cos I bought the most expensive packet!!!

tangirl · 04-14-2002, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by normano
He loves the frozen brine shrimp though but doesn't eat the spriulina discs (dried food) that I gave him. Hope he learns to like em cos I bought the most expensive packet!!!

Isn't that always the way? Kinda like when kids at Christmas play with the boxes and paper.

Good luck - beautiful fish and very hard to find a good specimen. Congrats.

SteveNichols · 04-14-2002, 06:46 PM

My PBT came "running" to the front of the tank every time I was near it

The guy was a pig and wanted food

When I tried to take pictures it was hard to get one cause he was right there. Really neat fish. I won't be able to get another one until I set up the next tank. Mine is full

normano · 04-14-2002, 07:29 PM

Hey tangirl,
Thanks :-) He's only a little fella at the moment but his colors are much richer now than when I first got him. I don't have any kids yet at the moment but I know what you mean! heh heh

Hey Steve,
Maybe that's it - he wants food. But I feed him regularly and he's got heaps of algae that he nips on all day. Maybe he's just angry at me for some reason... I can't take pictures either. He's in front of me one moment, then next he's out of focus. He swims so fast, but it's really graceful. Enough to put me asleep... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

SteveNichols · 04-14-2002, 07:32 PM

normano,
I had to feed a couple cubes of frozen mysis, homemade food, spirulina and a couple 2" squares of nori a day and he still wanted more. LOL