Chevron tang and ich

[Jan]

Lee

Do you know how prone chevron tangs are to contracting ich? There is one at a LFS here that is a nice looking fish, but I don't want to introduce any tang that is an "ich magnet" (such as the powder blue). My Marine Fishes book describes the Chevron as being "prone to ich." My LFS didn't tell me this.

What is your opinion and experience with this species?

Thankyou

By the way, I have a 120 gallon tank (5 ft long) with a Hawaiian Sailfin tang in there already (plus other fishes).

 

[Holygral]

All Tangs are prone to Ick, quarantine 6-8 wks is the only way to be sure. Most lfs are there to make money, they are not going to tell you anything to discourge you from parting with you money

 

[Jan]

yeah, I guess that's true about LFS...but I thought that some tangs were more susceptible to getting ich than others.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Holygral speaks the Gospel truth. Though some such as hippos are the worst, all tangs are ich magnets and need QT.

 

[Jan]

Yep, QT'ing is fine, but is it true or not true that some tangs get ich more often/easily than others? Powder blues, for example? (The reason I'm not interested in a powder blue is this tendency.)

As for QTing, for a 3" juvie tang is a 10 gallon QT big enough or would it need to be kept in a 20 gallon long for the QT period?

Mike, I think I missed some of your post or you were writing when I was typing. So hippos are a bit worse than others, I'd heard that about them as well as powder blues.

 

[Jan]

one more question....for the QT period do I need to do hypo or is normal salinity okay unless I see signs of illness?

 

[LakeEd]

Personally, I would go with a 20 long minimum for QTing tangs... just because they are "swimmers", and what as much length as possible.

As for any one Tang being more of an "Ich-Magnet" than another... I do feel those like what you have mentioned (power blue, Hippo... and yes, my Achilles) are more prone to come in with Ich.

That being said... I wouldn't hesitate to get any of those fishes, IF you have the system to support them, AND you QT them properly when you aquire them. The QT is really the key, to keeping your system running smoothly!!!!

 

[edwing206]

Is it by any chance the chevron that is at BR?

 

[NC2WA]

Does QTing apply to a Hawaiian Naso Tang?

 

[Jan]

Is it by any chance the chevron that is at BR?

yessirree, Bob (umm...Louis)

 

[edwing206]

Cool, I saw it was sold when I went there yesterday.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

QT, and then only hypo if disease appears.

 

[barrierreefcf]

Agree with most of the above. I can't wait to see if Lee can give us a pysiological or biological reason why Tangs seem more prone to Ich. I'm guessing it has to do with their high oxygen requirements and stresses induced in lower oxygen levels. Or maybe they frequent cleaners more often in the wild. Not sure though.

Here's a different perspective that might be given consideration when talking about LFS's. We can't always guess how much each customer knows. Sometimes we will launch into long explanations about how to care for this or that and customers get offended because they feel like we are talking down to them or taking too much of their time. They often cut us off and say, "I already know that...just give it to me." For others with less experience we could spend hours informing them of every little thing regarding reefkeeping. Where do we draw the line? How much info does each individual need? Its a very difficult thing to gauge. The number one thing you, as a customer, can do is ask the question if you have one. If you don't ask how can we give you information to help you make decisions on what to take home? I'm not arguing that some LFS give bad information. Jan did the right thing in researching her purchase and posing the question here, before the fish went home.

Back to the original question...in my experience a Chevron is no more prone to Ich than any other tang. All fish should be QT'd and tangs would be at the top of the "to be quarentined" list. One last thing since info is being sought...this tang is going to outgrow a 120 gallon tank within a few years. It may not be a good long term match for a five foot reeftank.

Jan...please keep us posted as to your intentions

 

[tamarindthai]

i saw the chevron tang to day she looks real healthy,and so pretty.

 

[Damsel13]

I hope all goes well. Wow a Chevron Tang....dreaming.....maybe a 500 gal. tank? still dreaming

 

[leebca]

Thanks for posting, Jan.

Unfortunately, most Tangs are more susceptible to parasite attack than the average marine fish. This is because they have a reduced mucous coating that doesn't defend well against parasites. Your LFS may not be aware of this or is playing opossum.

I don't think of any marine fish as a 'Marine Ich magnet' since any fish is quite able to contract this parasite.

In the wild, Tangs swim long distances. Maybe this is why Mother Nature never gave them a good defense against parasites -- they don't stay in one place long enough to get re-infected, so their energy is devoted to swimming rather than immune response.

I love Tangs, but they take a little special treatment. I hope or assume that your marine system is disease-free. Once the Tan is acclimated using my recommended FW dip and QT procedures, I also treat it for Marine Ich and Marine Velvet as a prophylactic treatment. I use Cupramine with a Salifert Test kit to do this.

You can find details of the above in different posts in this Forum. This index will point you to the ones you may want to read: Table of Contents and Link List.

Keep in mind that these Tangs, though very attractive when young, loose most of their markings as an adult. Some people don't care for their adult appearance.

 

[Skimmy]

personally i dont think a fish that swims 20 miles a day belongs in a 4 ft tank, yet everyone must put a tang in their 55-100g tanks...grrrr!
5' is a little better, but i really think they need 6-8' to be really comfortable.

i hate selling tangs to people who just dont care about if the fish will be happy... (not you jan, i know you care mucho)

 

[Damsel13]

My Yellow Tang is happy. I know because she tells me so.

 

[Jan]

My Yellow Tang is happy. I know because she tells me so.

LOL! Thanks for the smile in this serious thread.

First of all, I want to say that I really respect all of the staff at Barrier Reef for being the most helpful and honest that I have met. I never have felt "talked into" something inappropriate for my setup at that store. Sometimes I don't know enough and they will tell me not to do something--this is good and welcome information. In this case, I was focused on getting a tang that was not in the same family as my sailfin--true in this instance, and not an "ich magnet." Which turns out to be not a cut and dried thing at all. There's the need to QT of course, and then there are still other risks of the new tang being stressed by aggression by the sailfin and getting sick or being injured. Chevrons are not very "scrappy" and can get picked on from what I've read.

After doing this additional research I think I don't want to take the gamble of having an interaction problem and then needing to get the fish out of my tank. As it is, every time I perform simple maintenance I knock 3-4 corals off and need to reglue them...quarters are too cramped. Maybe when and if I upgrade to a roomier tank, that would be a good time to add a tang or two because everyone would go into the new tank simultaneously.

I will call you about a store credit, Barrier Reef.

Jan