# Tangs and vulnerability to ich



## Michael

Hi, a LFS told me that tangs are especially vulnerable to ich and other problems. Is that true? Would I endanger the other occupants of my tank if I added a tang?


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## Lupin

As far as I know, tangs are more prone to ich than other diseases thus endangering other occupants, of course.:wink2:
But ich will be present only when tangs are exposed to fish with ich. They may not show symptoms for awhile but if they get stressed, you know what's next.:dunno:


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## Michael

Nothing manages to avoid stress in my tank  How do I ensure that a tang I purchase does not have ich?


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## joeshmoe

well ich looks like this


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## Lupin

Michael said:


> Nothing manages to avoid stress in my tank  How do I ensure that a tang I purchase does not have ich?


Have a check up on other fish in the same as the tangs, of course. Are they ill or stressed?
Don't buy tangs in lfs you aren't sure of. You'll only increase the possibility that ich will invade your other fish.


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## Michael

My experience so far has taught me to be unsure of every LFS... they are all in the business of selling fish and I think they would tell me a fish's entire head would grow back if I inquired about purchasing one that was laying at the bottom of the tank half eaten.

Anyhow, I know what ich looks like but subtle ich can be difficult to spot. The best way to guard against it is to simply make sure the other tank occupants seem healthy? I don't feel confident because I know that I have no idea to really know how long any of the occupants have been in the tank at the LFS. Also, can't ich be dormant in the tang?

Somebody told me something about a freshwater treatment - you put a saltwater fish in a bucked of freshwater for just a second or two and all of the ich jumps off because they can't live in it for that moment or something... has anyone heard of this? Or what about preventative treatment of the tang in a bucket with ich medicine before it goes into the tank...

Would either of these preventative measures be okay? We have had a bunch of losses and we are thinking of adding a tang - I don't know if I could continue on if after everything else our remaining fish got ich because of a new occupant...


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## joeshmoe

one person was going to sell me a one eyed kissing gourami. :crazy: i should fo said ill take it for 50 cents


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## caferacermike

Tangs are beautiful, tangs are trouble. I've quit buying them. They are indeed very prone to ich and treating ich in a reef tank isn't worth the headache. When my tangs came down with it I'd try feeding better and just wait and see. Can't get em out cause of the rockwork. Can't medicate as most meds contain copper and will kill all of your inverts and micro orgainsms that make your reef tick. Can't raise temps (raising to above 86F helps speed up the life cycle and subsequently kill of the parasite). When they came down with it I just hoped for the best. If you have a fish only tank this is a simpler task.

They also seem to prefer eating fish food to algae. It's easy, has high proteins, and gives a satisfaction of being full picking at algae all day long cannot give. Many of them will die from eating a prepared meal each day. They will eat and eat yet waste away. They are mainly herbivores and their innards have adjusted to a select diet over a millenia. 

I'd highly suggest, as in with any new fish purchase, a Q tank. Quarantine them in a bare 10g tank to watch their behavior for about 3 weeks. If you have any algae encrusted LR you can switch out pieces for feedings. Supplement with Nori or other dried seaweed. 

I know many people that keep them with much succes and they are beautiful, just be prepared.


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## Lupin

joeshmoe said:


> one person was going to sell me a one eyed kissing gourami. :crazy: i should fo said ill take it for 50 cents


:bluelaugh:
And this is marine but I know you're citing it as an example for lfs' stupidity.:wink2:

There goes Mike's post.:thumbsup:

It's a PITA when one lfs tried to sell me 20 neon tetras showing signs of NTD.:frustrated:


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## Michael

Can anyone reccommend a fish that is similarly as beautiful but does not have the attendant risks of ich?


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## usmc121581

Angel fish are also beautiful.


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## Michael

I don't know... I think I prefer tangs... I think I will have to go for it, but I am very nervous. I guess we've exhausted every way to prevent problems with tangs in this topic?


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## usmc121581

I love tangs, but 1 thing whatever people say about not mixing different tangs, you can as long as there body shape isn't the same and they are added at the same time.


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## caferacermike

Michael if you are keeping a reef tank Angels are not advisable as they nip at corals. Not at all like tangs but equally as beautiful, wrasses. Some like Lunar and elegant wrasses are drop dead gorgeous. If you ever wish to try a tang again I have a bit of touchy advice if you have a quality LFS, not petco. This will start a flame but at least I'll detail it out.

Order what it is that you want from the lfs. Arrange to be at the shop when it arrives. Take the fish home in the shipping bag and acclimate very slowly. Mike how do you normally acclimate? I'd recommend you spend a few hours drip acclimating. Basically all that is needed is a few feet of airline. Put one end in the tank and start a suction. let it flow into a bucket. Tie a knot in the end of the line and pull it until the water just drips about once a second. Pour the water in the bucket back into the tank and release the fish into an appropriate sized bucket and let it drip for a few hours. keep an eye that you don't over flow. About twice an hour you can remove a cup of water from the bucket and toss it. This will allow your tank water to over take the bag water.

The reason I recommend this is that the fish are under loads of stress at the time of shipping. Your LFS is probably not going to do an outstanding job of acclimating, fish loss is a part of the business, so why let them just dump it in a tank and stress even further. Then you come along 4 days later and decide to take it home and toss it in your tank. Cut out one of those stressors.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide.


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## Ramirezi160

I'd say do a freshwater dip if your tang has ich. Just let it sit in the bucket for a few minutes, then throw him back in the tank.

A medication you could use in a reef tank is Rally. Supposed to cover parasites, fungus, and bacteria. Supposed to be pretty effective too.

Your best bet would be to set up a quarantine tank, slowly acclimate the fish, and just watch over him for a few weeks. Tangs are really prone to ich, but they're just too cool. Especially the Achilles tang.


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## caferacermike

I've never heard of Rally. Do you have any information on the product? Most ich medications contain CU which will devastate your inver population.


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## Pasfur

I have no idea why i'm reading threads from 2 years ago, but i thought it might be interesting to see what the state of the hobby was then, compared to now.

For the record, Tangs do not have a slime coat. Hence, they are more ich-prone.


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## Kellsindell

lol. nice.


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