[triggerfred]

I have been watching this Powder Brown Tang at my local Petco for over a month. He is the prettiest and most striking PBT I have ever seen. While I currently do not have the ideal set up for a Tang, I still dreamed of having him. Last night I went to look at him again, and to my dismay...he was covered in ICK. All of their fish were covered, and some looked to be on the verge of giving up and the "fish specialist" said they were not even treating the ick. In an impulse move I asked if I could have him at 50% off because it looked like his chances were not good and in a few more days he would be dead. Somehow the guy said yes and I got him for twenty two bucks! So now he's home with me.

I always have a hospital tank ready for emergencies like these, so he in a tank with good water parameters, and I started treatment with Paraguard. I decided to hold off on a dip as I thought with all of the stress he was under, the dip could throw him over the top. He has some PVC piping to hide in. He's doing much better so far than I expected (I just brought him home last night about 8:30). While he didn't eat last night, I just saw him pick at some nori.

Any suggestions or comments about what to do to give this guy the best chance of survival? I know PBT tangs are extremely delicate, and i know being in a small tank is stressing him out...but its the best I can do right now...he would have surely died at PETCO I think.

I'm looking for any suggestions...foods, meds, conditions. Any tips or comments welcome.

Thanks!

 

[joeyman15]

If he's eating its a really good sign.

Good Luck

 

[Loverotties]

Put some garlic on the nori.

 

[Hop]

Read up on hyposalinity. It may be a good action at this point.

 

[triggerfred]

Thanks everyone. He's been picking at the nori soaked in garlic all day and his breathing has dramatically calmed down. Do you think I should get him a variety of nori? Green and purple? Right now all I have is green. I also have frozen marine combo fish, and some spirinella...and flakes.

 

[bcrum51]

put a cleaner shrimp in with him

 

[Mark_Winn]

I am not sure of what is in Paraguard, but I would not add a cleaner shrimp to the tank you are treating with Ich medication. You will kill the shrimp.

 

[berger9953]

After a few days, I would start doing a fw dip...

 

[Stingray4]

Lower the salinity in the QT tank 1.007-1.009 and that should reduce the stress of the parasites...10-15 days....avoid any copper use.
Great price on that fish they are beautiful....
Good Luck

 

[triggerfred]

Update: Powder Brown is doing almost too well! Two nights ago, the heater stopped working in the night and when I checked on him in the a.m. he was swimming in water that was 60 degrees (I try not to use the heat in the house if possible to keep costs down and sleep with an electric blanket). After having a mild heart attack, I threw in my back-up heater, and boiled a little R/O water that I added really slowly. I slowly raised the temp back to normal over the course of an hour because I didn't want to shock him. But ugh, what a close call. I cannot believe he didn't die. I have never heard of a fish surviving a temperature drop like that.

This morning he looks good. He is chowing down on tons of Nori but that is all he is willing to eat. He won't touch anything else I offer him, and I soak everything in garlic. Anyone have any suggestions on what or how to feed him different things. I have a variety of frozen foods as well as flakes and pellets.

Next question: After just two days of being home, all his ich spots are gone. I'm trying to figure out if I should stop using a chemical treatment, so I can resume the carbon filtration to get back really healthy water parameters. Or, if I should continue to treat with Paraguard. Should I still give him a freshwater dip if he has no visible symptoms?

After really pushing my luck with the cold water fiasco, I'm scared to do anything else to stress him out---but know that some version of stress is necessary...just unsure of the best one for him. By the way, I decided his name will be Andy after the Petco employee who figured out a way to give me a discount on him.

 

[triggerfred]

Oh and one more thing. I would like to try hyposalinity, but am hesitant because I do not have a refractometer, just the standard hydrometer. I've heard you shouldn't try this method unless you have a legit refractometer. Is this true?

 

[lagrew]

IMO you should not stop chemical treatment just because you don't see the parasites doesn't mean they aren't there. Ich has a life cycle that only part of it is on your fish the other stages it is in the water column. Thank is why you have to wait so long to introduce him back in your display, so you can be sure he is ich free. If you are worried about water parameters do a water change just match salinity and temp and off you go. As far as hypo, I would really only trust a refractometer as you need very specific parameters for true sucesss here is a link.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f1...ch-126949.html

 

[9erNation]

IMO you should not stop chemical treatment just because you don't see the parasites doesn't mean they aren't there. Ich has a life cycle that only part of it is on your fish the other stages it is in the water column. Thank is why you have to wait so long to introduce him back in your display, so you can be sure he is ich free. If you are worried about water parameters do a water change just match salinity and temp and off you go. As far as hypo, I would really only trust a refractometer as you need very specific parameters for true sucesss here is a link.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f1...ch-126949.html

+1

 

[Reeftanker3295]

If you stop treating the tank for ick when you don't see the parasite it will come back, you must go through the full reccomended dosage time to be sure that the parasite is gone. I'm glad that he is doing good, it would be a waste to have such a beautiful fish die. Maybe it's time for you to upgrade so you can fit him!

 

[triggerfred]

Upgrading is definitely the plan. Sooner than expected, but I have to provide Mr. Powder Brown with an appropriate home. I started looking for bigger tanks or systems on craigslist the night I got him

 

[Stingray4]

Glad to hear this are better with the PBT....becareful in adding freshly made salt- water..it is a stimulant to parasites.....I'm always afraid of overdosing when it comes to copper or any medicine...lower the salinity...anything lower will help rid the parasites...even to 1.011...so many tests have been done regarding low salinity resulting in NO reoccurence or outbreaks.
That is a beautiful fish..continued Good Luck

 

[bcrum51]

I am not sure of what is in Paraguard, but I would not add a cleaner shrimp to the tank you are treating with Ich medication. You will kill the shrimp.

:lol: bad day i guess wasnt thinkin about that

 

[triggerfred]

Update: It's been four days since I picked up the sick PBT. He looks great! No spots of ich, and his color is improving every day. He is eating mostly nori but has finally started to pick at other foods too. I've been putting garlic into the tank, and on his food. I've been treating him with Paraguard and will continue to treat for the duration of the ich life cycle. Ammonia levels are very high, despite daily water changes. That is really the only issue (not saying its not a serious issue). Is there anything else I can do to help with the ammonia besides daily water changes? He is in a 10 gallon tank which I know is really small, but is all I have while setting up the new suitable tank. I have two HOB filters on it (without carbon) and a K-Nano for water movement, a heater, and some PVC pipes for hiding places.

He tolerates the less than stellar water parameters so well...but I know that he could change his mind about that any second.

 

[Loverotties]

Ammonia is very serious(your burnning his lungs!Please find someone with a good tank to take him till you get your tank straighten out!