Tang buddy (Muso) has ICK.. 10 4 Tang buddy

Discussion in 'Diseases' started by pavelow360, Aug 20, 2010.

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  1. pavelow360

    pavelow360 Feather Duster

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    So my tang has all the classic signs of ICK...from what I see in a local store and what I read about... I noticed the appearance of salt on the tail fin as well as dorsal fin the other evening. The next day, it was not so evident... but I could still see where I thought it was the day prior on his tail fin... tonight I noticed him glancing the the tank glass repeatedly and I could see the signs on his fins... I removed him and put him in a small container with about a 2.5 gallon capacity with an air stone and power head...(no filters available at the moment) I had mixed the water the other day for a water change and had not checked the SG... I checked it this evening and it was low... about 1019... I mixed some salt into it to get it up(but not enough) and acclimated the tang into it... it is now around 1020... the temperature is about 75 degrees F. I plan on getting some medication tomorrow and a filter for the containment tank. I know the SG is very low I will probably get flamed for this but it is what it is. All I can do is damage control. sigh...:-/
     
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  3. pavelow360

    pavelow360 Feather Duster

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    I have been drinking! and just had an Epiphany!

    I was at my "not so LFS" the other day and noticed that they had cleaner gobies or wrasses in almost every tank...these fish were hard at work, cleaning the other fish in the tank... instead of buying some medicine that will possibly kill my tang...I may just go there and buy one of these fish, I may do this on top of the medication...I have read about the cleaners and see that they survive exclusively on eating parasites... and for the fish store this is a viable option and the high turn around keeps the cleaner fish alive, but for my case, it might be almost certain death for the cleaner once he cleans the tang and then is acclimated to the main tank and possible cleans all the other fish, if they were infected, may die... any opinions on this? is a cleaner's life worth a tangs? personally, i think the cleaner will eat fish food and live as part of my eco system...
     
  4. blackraven1425

    blackraven1425 Giant Squid

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    Cleaner gobies tend not to be obligatory cleaners, meaning they also eat normal food. I used to have a pair, and they would eat mysis along with the other fish.

    Cleaner wrasses, OTOH, tend to be obligatory.
     
  5. pavelow360

    pavelow360 Feather Duster

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    I am not sure which cleaner the store has... I only say that they are gobies from what I was told from another guy that sold me my LR... I was only able to see a picture of a cleaner wrasse on liveaquaria...

    UPDATE: just googled images of gobie cleaners... the store has wrasses... no gobies that I saw
     
    Last edited: Aug 20, 2010
  6. jkat21

    jkat21 Bangghai Cardinal

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    I would get that tang eating different vegs added with garlic to help with the immune system..almost all fish/systems carry ick.its a matter of keeping the fish healthy enough through good water params and diet..so the fish can battle through it..it will prob happen from time to time if they get stressed...hth..this just my 02 as I had done this with mine and now all seems ok..
     
  7. SAY

    SAY Ocellaris Clown

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    i would definitely get the fish back in your tank. Where you have it now is probably more likely to kill it than the ich. Like jkat said, the fish should be able to beat the ich on its own with proper food and water quality. Plus, even if you kill the ich on the fish, it is still in your tank. it will just get ich again when you put it back in.
     
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  9. pavelow360

    pavelow360 Feather Duster

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    took your advice, got em back into the main tank...I have tried to feed him as much veggie and sea weed food as possible and I dose garlic (into the water mostly) periodically through the week... he doesn't seem to eat the veggie food very much... likes the small pellets best... he ate alot of the green hair algae that I had...i have seaweed on order and a veggie clip that I hope he will eat...I still may get the cleaner wrasse tomorrow...
     
  10. SAY

    SAY Ocellaris Clown

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    yes, my tangs love the seaweed. if you can't get them to eat off the clip, try attaching it to a rock by rubberband or some other method. My tangs eat fine off the clip but i have heard of some that were not willing. i would consider a cleaner shrimp instead of the wrasse. They will pick parasites off fish and you don't have to worry about them starving to death. Of course, i don't know what else you have in your tank. As far as the ich goes, i would just give the fish time to beat it. i have ich in my tank that never shows up until i add a new fish. the new fish show the spots every time. so far, they have always been able to beat it (knock on wood). i will add that i have a uv sterilizer that although won't completely get rid of the ich, may keep the parasites down to a manageable number. opinions vary in that area and every other area in this hobby.
     
  11. Dredfish

    Dredfish Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    I have a Cleaner Wrasses in my tank and let me tell you he is a pig. He eats everything I put in the tank pellets, seaweed and brine shrimp just to name a few. I was amazed when I saw him eating the seaweed off the clip I use to hold it. The other fish are always bothering for a cleaning. It is cool to watch. I may have gotten lucky with what he eats but glad I added him to my collection. My Coral Beauty had a slight case of ick and he bothered the wrasses until it was gone. I would suggest getting the wrasses from my experience. I believe everyone has to fight ick at some point. If not they are really lucky.
     
  12. pavelow360

    pavelow360 Feather Duster

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    well... don't know if I did the tang in by stressing him out more in catching him and putting him in the QT and then catching him again and putting him back in the tank... I will do what I can to keep him healthy and reduce his stress... I removed him and prepared to treat him because I have read on many occasions that fish don't just get over these things, they need treatment. I have a maroon clown and two chromis that are in the same tank... those 3 have been through a lot of stress and are still kicking... I hope my tang can pull through the stress and beat this