FAQs about the Powder Brown and White Cheek
Tangs Disease/Health
Related Articles: Powder
Brown Surgeonfishes, Genus
Acanthurus, Naso,
Related FAQs: Powder Brown Tangs 1, Powder Brown Tangs 2, & FAQs on:
Powder Brown Tangs Identification,
Powder Brown Tangs Behavior,
Powder Brown Tangs Compatibility,
Powder Brown Tangs Selection,
Powder Brown Tangs Systems,
Powder Brown Tangs Feeding,
Powder Brown Tangs Reproduction,
& Acanthurus, Acanthurus Tangs 2, Acanthurus Tangs
3, Acanthurus ID, Acanthurus Behavior, Acanthurus Compatibility, Acanthurus Selection, Acanthurus Systems, Acanthurus Feeding, Acanthurus Disease, Acanthurus Reproduction, Surgeons In General, Tang
ID, Tang
Behavior, Compatibility, Systems, Feeding, Disease,
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Surgeonfishes: Tangs for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available
here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available
here
by Robert (Bob) Fenner |
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Vision issues with powder brown tang, not able to eat but still looks
healthy with a good coat and fins
4/22/18
I have a medium sized tang from Live Aquaria, got him along with 2 other fish
(quarantined them overnight and introduced all three of them at once into a 250
gallon tank.
<... quarantined (just) overnight? A good source, and know their supplier in
turn (that is excellent), but this Tang is a notorious "Ich/Crypt magnet".>
The two other medium sized fish (bi color angel and a yellow spotted rabbit
fish) are doing exceptionally well. This one was shy to begin with for a few
days because of a slightly larger and dominant sail fin tang that was one of the
original fish in tank. All are healthy after 4 weeks during which this one
darted in front of my gyre pump for the most part. But over the last 4 days, it
seemed to have lost its ability to see food and hence seems to stab at the food
which it seems to sense by fell mostly. No haze or swelling in the eyes, that I
can make out.
<Mmm>
I have taken him out to the quarantine/medical tank (20 gals) quite easily and
trying to feed different kinds of food (flakes, shrimp pellets, Mysis shrimp,
veggie rounds) but nothing interests him. He does not even pick food lying on
the floor of the tank. Water quality in both tanks is quite good, DT has
consistently had some nitrates (.5 ppm) and slight phosphates (0.25) ppm) but
correct ammonia. QT has a slight ammonia but right level of Nitrates. Water
changes in both tanks weekly but more often in the QT tank this week. 15% water
changes in DT weekly (30-35 gallons) and 30% water changes in QT (5 gallons). PH
is 8.2-8.4 in both tanks. Sp. Gravity is between 1.020-1.025 in both tanks.
<I'd maintain the main/display tank at natural seawater spg, and likely drop
that of the quarantine for now>
I have treated the PBTang with Mardel's antibiotic for the 2nd consecutive day,
changed water over the last 2 days and hoping he starts to see and feed better.
<Mmm; again... IF I suspected a gut/alimentary canal parasite/s I'd go ahead and
treat for such. Metronidazole and a vermifuge (maybe Praziquantel,
Levamisole...) and possibly an antibiotic (a furan cpd. likely...>
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My DT is just over 6 months old
and has 11 big and small fish and a cleaner shrimp and about 20 inverts. A few
corals and 2 anemones to aid a paired spotted wild clowns.
I have had a few algae outbreaks but went through some Chem clean sessions and
cleaning of most of the 80-100 lb rocks recently. All fish are still doing well
(knock on wood). Thanks in advance.
Srini K
<Do use the in-place Google search tool on WWM (on every page) to gain
background on the medicines mentioned, their use for lumenal issues; and write
back if all is not clear. Oh, and please, re your further actions and
observations. Bob Fenner>
Naso Tang not feeding... A. japonicus poisoned w/
phony med. 11/27/11
I have a 125 gallon reef tank. Water quality is within
parameters. I bought this Naso Tang
<I don't see a pic of a Naso sp. anywhere. You did send
along one of a very sick Acanthurus japonicus... is this what
you're referring to?>
healthy along with a Hawkfish and a yellow Sailfin that is still
very healthy.
<I take it these fishes were not quarantined, nor
prophylactically dipped/bathed before being placed>
At the time, I had two gobies, a watchmen and a sleeper banded
goby. All fish were eating well for several weeks. The Naso
eventually
came down with Ich. The banded goby got Ich. The banded goby died
soon after. I treated the tank with Ich attack.
<... please search, read on WWM before writing us... This is a
very poor choice of treatments>
It worked very well. I saw no outward appearances of Ich for a
week afterwards. Soon after the Ich cleared up on the Naso, my
watchmen showed signs of distress and eventually died.
Now my Naso is not eating and is sitting in the corner of the
tank. I've tried to hand feed it Nori to no avail. I've
soaked in garlic. I've tried a variety of frozen foods (I
have a variety pack of frozen items from my LFS.)
He doesn't touch it. He just sits there, in the corner,
swimming vertically in the same spot.
This fish was a voracious eater for weeks, even during the
Ich.
None of the other fish, including the tomato clown, Hawkfish,
damsels, hippo, Foxface or the yellow tang seem to be in any
visible sign of distress.
They are all eating well.
My corals have never looked better and the cleaner shrimp is
doing well.
The only thing that seemed unusual to me was the formation of
these white, tube like structures on one of my overflows. I
can't seem to explain it.
They are white, about 1.5-2 cm in length, semi translucent.
I've tried the best I could to photograph them.
<Can't make out what these are, but highly unlikely that
they are associated w/ Crypt, other parasitic disease>
Anything suggestions you may have would be much appreciated.
<See above... quarantine, reading...>
It has been about 3 days since he last ate something and I'd
hate to lose him. The fish itself is looking very gaunt, with
some caudal fin damage and some scarring throughout the body, I
assume from the Ich.
<Can't tell; but likely... The BGA evident is also a
probable cause/influence>
I appreciate the time you guys have invested in this. On an
related note, I am a web developer, and would be happy to assist
you free of charge in making your site more easily updateable,
indexable and searchable through a dynamic database-driven
solution.
<Aye yah! Did DarrelB send you?!>
It has been an invaluable resource and I am happy to contribute
my time as my way of saying thank you.
Regards,
Jeffrey
<Thank you for your offer. Bob Fenner>
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Help Powder Brown 7/4.5/11
Hi WWM,
<Tracey>
I have what I think is a powder brown tang, this guy
<Proprietary image, deleted. This is one common name applied to
this, Acanthurus japonicus>
I can't seem to find a picture of mine but looks like the guy
above.
<See here: http://wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm
and the linked files above>
I have had him for over 2 years in a 150g, he has always been fat and
healthy and eats out of my hand, the boss of the tank. I had an
incident recently where a timer turned my lights on at midnight until
6am when I shut them off, I only mention this because it's the only
thing that changed in my tank.
The next day I noticed my pb had a white lump on his eye, <Almost
certainly from a mechanical injury>
much bigger than Ich unless Ich clusters?
<Not really, no>
Anyway, he went into hiding behind a rock, pacing back and forth and
not eating, I left him that way for 3 weeks and while I never saw him
eat he remained healthy looking and the thing on his eye disappeared,
finally I decided to pull him from the tank which was too easy, it was
like he couldn't see me coming with the net. Now he has been in my
QT tank for 3-4 weeks, I treated him with a low dose of Cupramine
<... Don't do this... see WWM re Acanthuroids and copper
compounds>
the first week. He eats NLS pellets off the bottom of the tank which he
seems to have a hard time finding, he swims up to them and then misses,
also he would never eat these before in the DT. He will not touch any
Nori/seaweed of any kind which was always his favourite before, his
eyes now look normal. He is a bit thinner than before but still very
healthy looking but still not acting himself, he won't come near my
hand now and just lacks his usual friendliness. Do you have any idea
what could be wrong? Have you seen the
white clump on the eye before? Thank You for the great site and
knowledgeable advice.
<Read where you were referred. Bob Fenner>
Re Help Powder Brown 7/4.5/11
Thank you for your help. I should have mentioned, about 8 months ago I
had a butterfly fish in this tank that also developed a clump of white
on her eye, this never went away and eventually this fish died. Also,
my dose of Cupramine was low, I don't think it helped or
hindered.
<Any hurts, only a physiological dose helps>
I guess I will put him back in the display and hope it was an injury
that has healed. I don't see anything to treat him for but still do
not understand the change in appetite and behaviour, I hope he returns
to himself soon.
<Me too. BobF>
Powder brown tang (Acanthurus Japonicus), hlth.
12/29/10
Hi crew.
<Hello Jase>
I have a difficult question for you guys/gals. I had my 3" pb tang
in qt for over a month which I just transferred to the main display
tonight. Within the month of qt I treated with Prazi pro and
quinine
sulfate (separately) for sunken belly and Ich. The tang was mostly full
bodied and now, a month later, you can see the bones on top of his head
and spine.
<Mmm, worrying, and also common for Tangs coming out of quarantine..
one of the dangers>
Throughout this month I fed frequently with Spirulina sheets, new life
spectrum, Mysis, and bloodworms soaked in a multivitamin/Selcon. Can I
nurse him back to good health (appearance wise)
<Oh yes>
or is there less of a chance of that happening?
<If feeding and not being hassled, then there is a good
chance>
I am just concerned that the meds damaged him
<Yes, particularly his 'gut fauna'>
but I am hoping its just from being in a small tank for such a long
time with mediocre water quality. He is eating an unbelievable amount
and his color is slightly faded but gets better each day. Is there hope
here or is he more likely going to remain thin and slightly faded? Any
suggestions /input would be of importance/appreciation.
<I would just keep doing what you are doing Jase, particularly with
the NLS pellets. Make sure he is not being bullied by others. These
animals can recover to full health, even from the sunken area above the
eyes>
Thanks much everyone,
<No problem>
Jase
<Simon>
Re: re: Powder brown tang (Acanthurus Japonicus), hlth.
12/29/10
<Hello Jase>
Well this is good to hear....thank you and Happy New Year!
<And to you too! Simon;)>
Powder brown tang w/ black spots 11/4/10
Hi Crew,
<Hi Donald>
I currently have a powder brown tang that I put through QT for a
month with Cupramine. It has black spots on it but I noticed that
it didn't seem to affect him at all other than the fact he
seems pale. No scratching, rapid breathing, or loss of appetite,
so I added it to my display. I'm just curious as to what
these black spots are. Is it black ich? If so, can I just leave
him be because he's eating well and has put on substantial
weight? I have 3 cleaner shrimp in my tank.
<This does look like it to me.. have you read here?
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/paravortexfaqs.htm. You should have
freshwater dipped this fish before introduction to the display,
might be worth doing this now... and seeing if you can control
it, otherwise it's removal to QT while your system goes
fallow for a month or more I'm afraid>
Here is a picture, it's not mine but the spots are
similar:
[cid:image001.png@01CB7C24.4155F3D0]
<Good picture>
Thanks,
Donald
<Simon>
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Brown powder tang 3/2/10
Hi Guys,
<Gilberto>
I wanted to thank you guys for the wonderful information provided
by the web page. I wanted to buy a brown powder tang and I did
some research about it before the actual buy. I bought the fish
and everything seemed fine. but now he seemed to have a disease
or something else. Can you please help me identify? thank you in
advance.
<Does look to be a protozoan infestation... You can/could
discern by the behavior of the host... Read, and I mean quickly,
on WWM re Cryptocaryon and Amyloodinium. This fish needs to be
treated NOW to save it... Hopefully
it is alone or separated in a quarantine system. What it has is
very contagious and fatal. Bob Fenner>
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Re: Brown powder tang,
dis. 3/3/10
yes I recently separated the fish from the main system, can you
please tell me how to cure him? thank you.
<... Please read here (and now):
http://wetwebmedia.com/crypttangs.htm
and the Related FAQs linked in the series, and here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/quinmedfaqs.htm
BobF>
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White-faced tang Hi, I recently asked you about adding a
powder blue tang to my 55 gal tank. You suggested another type of fish.
Well , I decided on adding a white-faced tang A. japonicus). I've
had him since 1-30-00. My problem is he seems to have a small section
of white fungus looking stuff on his left side below the lateral line.
Also in front of his eyes are little holes, I don't recall these
being here before. I set up a hospital tank and purchased some meds
(Hex-a-mit active ingredient Metronidazole). Is there something better
to use? I do monthly 25% H2O changes, last one 1-23. The set up is as
follows: 20# live rock, H.O.T pro canister and BioWheel, Skilter
filter, small power head, 2 cinnamon clowns, 1 blenny, 1 banded coral
shrimp, 1 yellow tail damsel, some macroalgae. Also the Skilter filter
isn't producing any scum. The last H2O test showed about 1.5 on the
scale. I know there's a lot of questions here, so any suggestions
would be helpful. Nicole' <<Hmm, well I wish I could see this
animal close up... Don't know if I'd move and treat it... the
pits may be just natural openings of the Lateral line system... and not
necessarily infected... Do consider moving the fish back to the main
tank and trying feeding it foods soaked in vitamin and iodine
preparation (the Nori sheet algae from oriental food sections is great
for this)... and maybe add a biological cleaner (like a Lysmata shrimp)
to help clean up the damage on the side... likely not an infection, but
a sign of mechanical injury. Bob Fenner>>
Blotchy Powder Brown Tang Bob, or anyone else who can help
me. My Powder Brown Tang has started showing some skin coloration
blotches along its gray body. They are not spots and no other fish
seems to be affected. All readings are okay except that the alkalinity
is way down less than 1.0 The fish only tank is 75 gallons with a UV
sterilizer, a protein skimmer and trickle filter. The fish appears to
be fine, eating, etc. but I am worried. What should I do? Thanks.
Howard Cushnir <<Hmm, how long have you had this animal? What do
you feed it? What temperature is your water? I would raise the temp (to
low eighties) and raise the alkalinity (add a teaspoon of sodium
bicarbonate, yes baking soda, per ten gallons for the next few days
till the alkalinity is above 3.0), and check for low oxygen tension...
and/or just add a mechanical aerator (airstone, powerhead with venturi
intake)... lower your specific gravity to about 1.021... This is a
touchy species that requires high water quality, lots of oxygen...Bob
Fenner>>
Black spot Hi, I have recently acquired a power brown tang.
It's eating and swimming normally. However, yesterday I noticed it
rubbing one side of its body along the substrate and today I there is a
black/dark-ish spot close to its scalpel spine. Do you know what this
is and what should I do to correct it? <Mmm... "this"
might well be just being new as a cause... but this species is one of
the more difficult to keep Surgeonfishes. Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm and the accompanying FAQs...
on to the nutritional, environmental disease sections on the Marine
Index... Bob Fenner> Thanks. Geoff
Powder brown dis. Hi, I put a small powder brown with a small
purple tang they are doing fine but my powder brown have some white
spots but they are like really hard to see. am I okay ??? the powder
brown was 15 days in quarantine tank and now he is in a 45g reef with
cleaner shrimp and a cleaner wrasse! is they ick the result of the
initial stress of the fist day? will it go away? -Miguel <Oh where
to start. Hopefully, you have the good Powder Brown Tang, A. japonicas.
You can read more about their care and determining which you have here
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm Also, your cleaner wrasse has
a terrible history of dying in captivity. You can find out more about
them here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/labroide.htm Now, what to do about
your sick fish. Move back to quarantine and treat separately. You may
have to quarantine the Purple Tang and allow the tank to go fallow for
up to one month. -Steven Pro>
Wrong Kind of Powder-Brown Tang I tried to do everything the
correct way this time around. After eight years away from marine
fishkeeping, I got back into it here recently and decided this time I
was going to take my time and do things properly to avoid the heartache
of losing livestock. I was making good progress on your book, but I now
know I should have been more conscientious! I purchased a 55 gallon,
dug back up my old wet/dry, added 70 lbs of live rock, bought 4-96 watt
subcompacts, a Fluval 404, a couple of powerheads, undergravel, added
live rock to the wet/dry and lit it... and waited two weeks for the
nitrogen cycle before I decided I'd add my first fish. I got
excited and went to the retailer to see if I could find a fish I'd
fall in love with. I have not yet set up a quarantine tank, so my new
fish was slowly acclimated and released. Some of the retailer's
water escaped into my system via a bag puncture. The new guy is what I
now know to be the "bad" Powder Brown Tang nigricans. He was
vigorously healthy at the retailer, eating algae like it was his job
and very happy. He's about four inches in length. He's now
rubbing pretty constantly on the live rock and shows tiny white spots
on his body and fins. <Sounds like Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon.> I
also brought home five turbo snails and two tiny blue hermit crabs that
were recommended for my planned reef setup. My pH is about 8.2, nitrite
1 ppm, nitrate 20 ppm. <Both ammonia and nitrite should be zero and
20 ppm for nitrate is about as high as I like to see.> What should I
do with this guy? <Do read through WWM concerning treatment of
parasitic diseases and Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon.> He's eating
algae still but is rubbing very frequently. What's the best
treatment for him and for my tank Bob? <Educate yourself and
formulate a plan of attack.> Thanks, Marc White <You are welcome.
-Steven Pro>
Powder Brown follow-up Greetings, <<Hello to you,
Marc.>> I recently wrote to describe my mistake purchase of a
Powder Brown (nigricans) and the marine ich that followed. I am sad to
say the lowered salinity, increased temperature and copper treatment
did not work and I lost him. <<am sorry to hear of this loss.
>> I am now left with a livestock-less 55g tank and don't
know which direction to proceed. I now know I want to have a solid
quarantine tank up and running (ahh, here's to learning the hard
way). What will it take to rid the main tank of the ich? <<Let it
run fallow for five to six weeks, then quarantine anything you plan to
add.>> I am considering making it a q tank and starting a larger
system. <<Also a possibility.>> Would I be able to use the
70 lbs of LR from the 55 in the larger system, or is my assumption
correct that the LR would infect the new system? <<No worries.
Live rock doesn't 'catch' parasites.>> Also, I have
an undergravel filter with reverse powerheads as described in Bob's
book, but I have been told by others this may cause problems with
nitrates. Should I remove it? <<You could. There really isn't
anything wrong with this system per se... and normal levels of nitrates
can be addressed with regular water changes. Are your nitrates high? If
not, I wouldn't be concerned. If you do build the larger system,
you could easily forego the undergravel filter and add more live
rock.>> Also, the turbo snails and blue hermit crabs almost
immediately died when I introduced them to the new tank along with the
nigricans. Was this likely from the nitrite at 1ppm? <<Ahh -
perhaps. If you have/had any nitrite at all, then the possibility
exists that your tank had not completed the nitrogen cycle. In any
case, it's never wise to add many things at once to a system...
much better to add one thing a month and let things settle in
between.>> Thanks for your time and understanding! Warm regards,
Marc White, Greenville, SC <<Cheers, J -- >>
Powder Brown Problem? Hi, <Hi there- Scott F. here
today> I'm hoping you can help me diagnose what is
affecting a new fish of mine. I've begun the process of
carefully adding livestock now using your advice. I added a
powder brown tang to my main tank about a week ago after
quarantining him for two weeks. Very good, but I recommend a full
30 day quarantine procedure> He appeared very healthy up until
a day or two ago. The symptoms he's showing are pale
coloration on top of the head and towards the dorsal area and a
more slight paleness overall. He darts about and thrashes around
a bit. There are no visible spots of any kind on his exterior and
I haven't really seen him scratch, so I don't think
it's ich or velvet. I've tried to see if there is rapid
gilling, but it's hard to tell with him. <That's
somewhat encouraging. If he's eating well, that's a good
sign, too.> I have a Picasso trigger in there too and he seems
fine right now, but then again that fish is seemingly
bullet-proof. Do you know what this might be or what else I
should look for? < Well, hard to say without a picture, but it
could be anything from acclimation/collection trauma, water
quality or dietary issue to a disease. In the absence of poor
water quality parameters (i.e.; detectible ammonia, nitrite,
etc.), I'd suspect that this may be the beginnings of a more
serious parasitic illness...I still would not rule out
Cryptocaryon or Amyloodinium here.> And what treatment should
I use? I have the QT ready to go. Is there anything I should do
immediately, like a freshwater dip? Thanks so much for any help.
Tim <Well, Tim- I'm inclined to recommend removing the
fish to the treatment tank (I commend you on the preparation of
the "hospital facility") for further observation. Yes,
I do like the idea of a freshwater dip here as an initial start.
If other symptoms indicative of a parasitic illness manifest,
I'd begin a treatment regimen utilizing a formalin-based
product. I'm a big copper sulphate fan for many fishes, but
you do need to be careful with tangs and copper, as this
medication can damage the fish's digestive system and cause
other difficulties for the fish. If this does prove to be one of
the aforementioned parasitic illnesses, I'd consider removing
all of the fishes for observation and/or treatment. Meanwhile,
you may want the main tank to go "fallow", without
fishes for about a month, to allow the parasitic population time
to "crash" for lack of hosts. Quick action is vital
here...Regards, Scott F>
A Cure For The Powder Brown Blues? Scott, thanks for
the reply. Well I took him out and placed him in the QT and he
was just fine, no signs of irritation or anything. <Excellent!
Glad to hear that!> I left him there for a few days, and in
the mean time I thought maybe an old power head that I had in
there that quit working might have something to do with it since
it was still plugged in but had quit running properly. So I
unplugged it and put him in a few days later. <I wonder if
"stray voltage" or some other unusual phenomenon caused
this problem? Hard to say what it was...> He seemed ok but I
noticed he gets real frisky and aggressive along the glass. I
think he's seeing his reflection and it's driving him
nuts. <Definitely a possibility> Or maybe I'm nuts, but
I don't know what else it might be. <Well, that's an
entirely different matter, LOL!> He started this when I first
put him in there initially, but now I he just acts kinda crazy.
He zooms around and gets all twitchy and stuff. <Not a totally
unusual behavior for a tang...> I tested it by turning out the
overhead lights so there is no reflection on the glass and he
calms down. It probably sounds strange, but I think he's just
a little too high strung. <Again, not out of character for
tangs..> Anyway, he seems totally healthy other than that. His
coloration is beautiful as it was when I got him and he's
definitely full of energy. Having so many problems with parasites
in the past, I thought for sure he had something. It's good
that he doesn't, because I'd be ready to pull my hair
out. The tank sat fallow for 6 weeks and I'm taking a lot of
precaution now. All seems to be well for now, thanks for your
help. Tim <Well, Tim, even though your procedures were
conservative, I think that they were the way to go...The
potential risk of skipping this process is not worth it, IMO. I
hope that things continue to go well for you and the fish! It was
a little "touch and go" there for a while, but I'm
glad to see things are looking up! Regards, Scott F.>
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Acanthurus japonicus 26 Mar 2005 Hello Crew, <Hi there
Brad, MacL here with you tonight.> I have been looking for a white
cheek for a while now and came across on in a LFS. It was housed in a
tank with another white cheek of the same size. They were having a
fierce battle. Both fish were beaten up one way worse than the other.
<Such a shame, those guys don't import well to begin with then
to put them in a tank together is tough.> Feeling sorry for the fish
I purchased the better of the two for a good discount. <Please,
please please don't ever buy a fish you feel sorry for, it's
always fighting a tough battle.> He was placed in my 20 gal QT tank.
I then added Mela fix for 5 days and his torn fins and body gashes have
healed nicely. Thursday evening I noticed a few white spots on his
body, flashing, and rapid breathing out of one gill. <Stress from
the fighting.> I have started treatment in the QT tank with quick
cure but am confused about what is the better method of treatment. I
have read in your FAQs that copper is harmful to tangs as well as
formalin based meds. <They can indeed be, you need to use very low
doses with them and frequent water changes after treatment.> Which
is the better of the two evils to use? <Copper works faster in my
experience.> 30 minutes after adding the quick cure the tang started
using both gills but has resorted to one again this morning. <He
might have damage to his gills, often you have to treat with a follow
up antibiotic and not MelaFix to handle the results of the ich
damage.> Most of the ich spots have dropped off but is breathing is
still fast. Also his inner lips were reddish and are starting to return
back to a white color. <Since you have already begun with the
formalin I would continue with it but cut the dose. My problem with
both of them is that you really need to test the amounts in the
tank.> If I need to switch to copper should I put carbon in to
absorb quick cure before using the copper or can I just switch. <Big
huge water changes to get rid of something before you add something
else. Good luck Brad.>
Powder Brown Low-Down (Tang Quarantine)
7/14/05 I have a 75gal FOWLR, and I am thinking of adding a Powder
Brown (White Faced) Tang. <Just keep thinking, but please don't
add this fish to your tank, unless a much larger tank is in the very
near future. Your tank really is too small to support this fish for
anything close to a natural life span, IMO. You need a tank that is at
least 6 feet long, to provide "physical space" for the fish,
as well as large water capacity to help dilute metabolic waste...> I
have a 20gal hospital tank setup and I know how to perform a freshwater
dip. <A good practice> Should I run copper in the hospital for
the whole 21 days or just wait and see if anything pops up. <I would
not use copper, or any other medicine, on a prophylactic basis.>
I'm pretty sure with a Powder Brown it is going to have ich (even
if I don't see it) and I don't want to kill it the copper
treatment but I also don't want the ich in my main. What to do?
Thanks Daryl <Well, Daryl- if you were going to get this fish,
you'd be well advised to do a full 30 day quarantine, without
copper or other medication. Only medicate if the fish shows signs of
illness. Just make sure that you run the full 30 day quarantine.
Regards, Scott F.>
White-cheek tang, Acanthurus nigricans
9/17/05 I recently got one of these from Hawaii direct. It is
beautiful, very active and quite aggressive. It is 5" long. It
will chase my 5" saddle grouper, 8" niger trigger, 7"
Bluejaw trigger, and even make my new 12" red Coris watch it's
tail. It loves dried seaweed, Nori like the site suggested, and dried
brown algae. It has not eaten pellets or meat yet. I am curious about
the longevity claim on the site. This fish is aggressive, more than I
thought, and very healthy. Have you heard of this? <These tangs are
generally aggressive toward other tangs. This should simmer down.>
Could this fish still be in the die in 3 months or less category? If
so, what to look for. <Dan, Acanthurus tangs are not the easiest
tangs to keep. They are ich magnets so to speak. Your tank is MUCH too
small to keep the sizes of fish you are keeping. Most tangs from this
family are difficult to keep alive more than three months. Your
stocking level alone will more than likely shorten this time.> This
alone will add stress to the fish.> I have an Eheim wet/dry that
sprays in 2 gallons every minute creating a ton or air in the water,
and all together the water cycles 18 times an hour. I have 2 large
skimmers and 2 emperor 400's also, UV, and nitrate reducer by
Aquaripure that actually keeps them under 20 ppm. The tank is a 100
gallon with about 175 lbs of rockwork. <Good luck, James (Salty
Dog)> Thanks, Dan North.
Possible fish ick but not sure???
2/13/06 To All: <To James today.> I have a 90gal tank setup
with coral and fish. I believe I have two tangs with ick. It almost
looks like small air bubbles on the skin and front side fins. It also
looks like my powder tang's color maybe fading. I have two. Is this
what Ick looks like?? <Sure sounds like it.> I know you recommend
a tank for treating, but I don't have one setup at this time.
<Should have waited till you got one, especially with purchasing a
powder blue/brown tang. The quarantine tank would have been a much
better investment than the powder tang.> I was going to try
"Stop Parasites until I get a 2nd tank. If it doesn't cure the
problem hopefully it will save the fish <How can it save the fish if
it doesn't cure the problem?> until I get the 2nd tank setup.
Any suggestions on this or help if this is really ick would be of great
help. Oh and this tank has only been setup for about 3 months. <Tank
really isn't "seasoned" enough to be adding difficult
species of fish such as the powder. Only in larger and well maintained
systems will you have a chance at keeping powders alive for any length
of time. Any effective ich treatment is going to contain copper which
cannot be used in a tank with corals. My only suggestion to you would
be to ask your dealer if he has a treatment tank you could put the fish
into. If not, then you will have to find a home for the corals so you
can treat with a copper base medication. A copper test kit will be
required to ensure effective levels without overdosing, which can be
fatal to the tangs.> Thanks, <You're welcome. James (Salty
Dog)> J.R.
Gold Rim Tang with Blue Bumps... learning not an easy
way 7/10/06 Hey guys. I have a gold rim tang and have had him for
about a week. I noticed this morning that he has a few blue bumps on
his face and about 6-8 blue bumps on his side. I noticed that he also
has 3 white bumps on his other side. I am unsure as how to diagnose
this and treat. If it was only white bumps that would be ich, but not
sure about the blue bumps. He is acting normal. The other 3 fish are
healthy and happy. We added some new Fiji live rock a couple days ago.
I have been testing the water every 3 days. Water parameters are:
salinity 1.021, <I'd raise and keep this up to NSW, 1.025...>
Ammonia 0, nitrite .05 (had a small spike), <Dangerous> nitrate 5
(again tied to that small spike when I added the live rock) and ph
seemed low this morning 8.1. I know the ph needs to be raised ASAP.
<Uh, no> I tested the water 3 days ago and the PH was fine. Not
sure what caused the drop. I read that you can dissolve a small amount
of baking soda in a cup with dechlorinated water and that will raise
the PH. How can I safely raise the PH? <Not with sodium bicarbonate
here: Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marphalk.htm and the linked files
above> Sorry, not to get off topic... but I did not heed your advice
about a QT tank, and am setting one up as we speak. How can I help this
little guy get better? <... now a treatment tank. Actually, this
fish likely "came in" with either a protozoan (likely, and
likely a Sporozoan of some sort) or Cercaria infestation... is
"under the skin"... not able to be treated easily... except
to treat the environment... That is, to optimize, stabilize the
habitat, deal with through reduced stress, good nutrition... Very
common for this species (Acanthurus nigricans, nee glaucopareius) to
have problems. Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm and the linked files
above. Bob Fenner>
- Help with Ick on a
Goldrim Achilles Tang - 6/14/06 I am interested in a Goldrim
achilles hybrid at the local LFS but he has bad ich. They don't
seem to know very much. I suggested vitamin C and algae to feed and
Kick Ick but they don't know about any of it. <I don't know
that the Kick Ich is a good idea.> Would I be better off to buy it
and treat it myself or let them teat it. <Your choice - one of the
two ways will cost you nothing.> I guess I should ask if the fish
would be better off. <Too late for that...> I think I know more
than them but do you have any tips as to aid in its survival. <You
can try but when these tangs get sick for real, they rarely make a
comeback. You'd have to have a large quarantine system with
excellent water quality to even begin to turn this fish around. Odds
are not in your favor.> Thanks, James G. PS. They are only asking 40
dollars so I wouldn't be out too much... <Or... you could save
your $40 for the next one that comes in healthy. Cheers, J --
>
Treating a Powder Brown Tang (A. nigricans) with Crypt.
9/27/06 Hello Crew, <Mark> First let me tell you what a
great service your website is to those of us who love the hobby.
It is simply the most accurate source of information I've
found. It has really helped me make better decisions at the LFS,
separating truth from fiction. <Ah, good> I'm treating
a powder brown (A. nigricans) for crypt that was in a 120 gal
reef tank. The tank is located at a business and is "taken
care of" by a local service. I have salt tanks at home and
have seen/treated crypt before but never on such a delicate
species as a powder brown. I was the first to notice the fish had
a slight case and suggested to the service that they remove all
the fish and treat in a separate tank. They obviously didn't
QT the tang before they brought it to us. We'll they
didn't listen and went to dipping and then to Kick Ich
and......you know the rest. <Oh yes> Yes they put Kick-Ich
in the main tank, soft corals, inverts, and all. I have nothing
good to say about Kick-Ich. I fell pray to it a long time ago.
It's worthless. <We are in agreement. Perhaps worse than
worthless... as folks actually believe they're doing
something of use> I do not have experience with this species.
I've now educated myself about the powder brown on your site
and realize I may not win this battle, but I have to try. I
brought my 10 gal H.T. in from home and set it up in my office. I
removed a small power filter I run on my 55 at home just for this
purpose. The fish had a fairly severe case when the "fish
service" finally cried uncle and let me try 3 weeks later.
I'm at day 5 of a 14 day copper treatment (Mardel, Copper
Safe) and the fish is doing very well now. I've got it eating
dried seaweed, it won't take dried foods and I haven't
tried frozen yet. <Very likely it won't feed till the
copper treatment ceases> Spots are gone, I'm doing daily 4
gal water changes using water from my 55 gal at home in attempt
to seed the tank. Copper is probably killing bacteria as quickly
as I put it in. <Likely so> I am fighting ammonia; it's
at a steady 0.5 ppm as long as I continue water changes, which
was predictable. Nitrite is 0, which may change next week.
Salinity is at 1.023. that's where I keep my tanks. I am
testing for Copper and levels are where they're supposed to
be. Here are my questions: Assuming I can keep this delicate fish
alive through the copper treatment, should I return the fish to
the main display after two weeks or try to get the 10 gal to
cycle and keep the tang out of the "infested tank" for
a full 30 days? <The latter... the main tank has been left
sans fish hosts? Or "nuked" as in bleached?> I say
"infested" because none of the other fish are showing
signs of crypt. <It's there> I understand there is a
potential for the fish to become infested again <Almost a
surety> I just don't know if the extra time out of the
tank really means anything since we didn't let the system go
fallow. <A mistake> I'm conflicted between stressing
the fish by keeping it in the 10 gal longer than required and
potentially re-infesting it in the main tank. How much stress am
I putting the tang through keeping it in such a small tank? <A
bunch> I realize they like large spaces! Do you see any thing
wrong with my treatment method? Thanks for a wonderful site! Mark
Gustin <Mmm, nothing per se... but the "whole
picture" is incomplete w/o the "treatment" of the
main display... Bob Fenner>
Re: Treating a Powder Brown
Tang (A. nigricans) with Crypt. 9/27/06 Bob, <Mark...>
Thanks for your response. I know it's a mistake to not let
the main system go fallow. I couldn't get them (the
"service") to pull all the fish from the display. They
won't listen to me. They're the experts you see! Since
I'm not the owner of the tank I couldn't force the issue
although I tried. I thought it would be better to try to get the
tang healthy again than to just let it die, which was inevitable.
I had to try something. <Mmm, Mark... you're on the edge
of raising my blood pressure dangerously... I salute your
efforts/intervention in trying to cure this fish, re/solve the
overall situation, but don't give a damn re who
"owns" the rights to do/not do whatever here. SomeONE
must come forward and seize responsibility... I call on you to be
that person, really. Am only interested in facts, not who did or
did not do what here, anywhere... Show the "service
company" our site... I worked in this aspect of the trade
for nineteen years... > I don't have a big enough H.T.
(only 10 gal) to house all of the fish in the 120 gal display or
I would have. I normally use my 10 gal only as a quarantine tank.
<Who owns this livestock? It will be lost, the tank remain
infested if no action is taken. You understand this... make them
understand it as well> I really have no choice but to put the
tang back in the display (it's not my fish) and cross my
fingers it doesn't get re-infested. <...> Frustrating!
I know the odds are not in favor of this. Knowing that the main
system will always have some level of the parasite in it, will
keeping the tang out of the main system for the full 30 days
decrease the chance of re-infestation? <Very marginally>
This assumes none of the other fish becomes infested in the next
25 days! <They are my friend... just
"sub-clinically"> One thing that the
"expert" brought up was that the soft corals will help
reduce the numbers of the parasite. <... no> Is this true
to any extent? Nothing else this guy says has been correct so
I'm not holding my breath! Maybe I'll gain a little
credibility with the "service" and they'll at least
entertain the concept of quarantine. <Did this myself for many
years... only route to go is to provide as clean livestock as you
can...> These guys make pretty good money for stocking and
maintaining tanks. I'd think that they would take as many
precautions as possible to keep parasites from entering systems
they're responsible for. I'm dreaming... I know Thanks
again. Mark Gustin <Please put them in contact with me. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Treating a Powder Brown Tang (A. nigricans) with Crypt.
9/27/06 Bob, <Mark> I'll do my best. I've
already forwarded your responses. Don't hold your breath.
<Sometimes...> I get upset at ignorance too! The problem
here is we have someone who loves the fish tank but isn't
interested in learning about the creatures in it. I have to be
careful here. His secretary feeds them! He can afford to have
it...likes it...and can afford to pay someone to set it up and
care for it. <Is this then the/an end-all rationale in the
West?> When fish get sick it just becomes a decision of
economics. If it costs more to treat it than to kill it and
replace it...guess what the decision is? That's the attitude
of the tank owner...not the service. It boils down to money
because there's no respect for the creatures themselves. This
tang would have ended up in the garbage can if I hadn't
pulled it out! <My friend... there are many "things"
contained w/in a relationship that make it "work"...
concurrent goals, projects, paths... BUT most importantly
values... I call on you... to testify, witness on your own behalf
whether you can... in good faith... "work" with this
outfit, person> I'd just take it home if I had a large
enough tank to keep it. Unfortunately...I don't. I could
house it for a short time in a 29 I have but my 55 is fully
stocked and would not support the addition of this aggressive
fish. We'll figure something out! Mark Gustin <Yes... we
both will indeed. BobF> Re: Treating a Powder Brown Tang
(A. nigricans) with Crypt. 9/27/06 I understand.... no this
is not the prevailing rational in the west... just with some
individuals. You have to pick your battles and there isn't
anything that I'm going to say that's going to change
him. <Just be yourself> I don't/won't work for him
or with him...just in the same building. Since I love the tank I
occasionally stop by to see it...and dream of someday having one
like it. The Friday before Labor Day I noticed the Ich and
e-mailed the owner a proper course of action...and you know the
rest. <Ahhh> I may have some luck with the guy who services
the tank. He is a fellow diver and obviously respects the
creatures. He may never admit I was right but may react
differently in the future just for me having said something to
him. I don't think he's a bad guy... just misinformed
about dealing with Ich, and since he's in a business
relationship with the other... I've put him in an awkward
position. I think he truly believes I'm going to fail at
this. I may....but for now the fish is doing remarkably well. I
had to teach it how to eat the dried seaweed by sticking it to
the filter intake. It was picking at the tube like they do so I
stuck a piece on it the tang is now eating seaweed from a clip.
If he makes it thru the copper treatment I may take him home and
put him in my 29 temporarily. It beats trying to make this small
tank cycle and wasting all the salt changing water everyday. One
last question and I'll get out you're hair...you've
got better things to do I'm sure. If I do convince them to
pull the other fish out...should they be treated with copper even
though they show no symptoms? <Yes> You say they are
infested "sub-clinically". To treat or not is the
question? <Treat> It seems that I've read in the
FAQ's that it would be ok to put them in quarantine and
observe while the display is left fallow for 30 days. If they
then develop symptoms while in QT then treat. <May not exhibit
symptoms, will be carriers...> Mark Gustin <Life to you my
friend. BobF> Re: Treating a Powder Brown Tang (A.
nigricans) with Crypt. 9/27/06 Good news! <Always
welcome> The tank owner has informed the service that he wants
the fish pulled and treated...will be meeting them tomorrow to
discuss the situation. <Ah, good> Looks like we did
it...all is going to work out! Thanks Bob! Mark Gustin <Thank
you Mark. BobF>
|
Powder Brown has ick... writer not reading...
proof or WWM 11/1/07 Hi, I picked up a Powder Brown tang at my
local FS and had him in my 20gal to QT for 30 days before putting him
in my 180 with 250 pounds of live rock. It's been running for 4
months. A week after we got him we notices spots of ick, so we moved
him to a 10 gal. <... Am a bit lost here... the fish was quarantined
for a month, THEN moved, THEN caught and placed in a treatment tank?
Your main system is now infested> QT and started Red SEA
non-chelated copper. <Not my choice...> The test says to keep it
at 0.3 ppm for ten days but everything I am reading says to treat for 2
weeks. Is ten days long enough? <Mmm, possibly, though I would run
chelated copper, if using it/this, and complete the two-week treatment
regimen> The test kit is very hard to read. Is there a good test kit
that is easy to read, like maybe a stick test you hold up to the chart?
<There are better test kits... Again, covered on WWM...> The tang
seems to be doing good except he's not eating much. I've been
trying to feed him seaweed salad and vitamin soaked brine shrimp. It is
now day 3 in his treatment. I also had a Green Mandarin Goby in the 20
gal. with him. I've been keeping him in the 20 gal. with 20 pounds
of live rock and feeding him baby brine shrimp that I hatch, so I can
get a good stock of food in the 180 for him. The mandarin hasn't
shown any signs of ick yet. I've heard that they aren't
susceptible to ick. Is this true? <Not as susceptible, but can/do
"get"> Do you think I have enough food in my 180 to move
him? Of course I would wait at least 30 days now that he has been
exposed to ick. Thanks in advance. <Again... am not following you
closely enough... I suspect you should read on WWM re these issues:
Crypt, Copper Use, Mandarin care... And write back with sensible
information and questions. Bob Fenner>
Loss of powder brown tang
12/26/07 Hello, First off I want to thank you for putting together
such an informative site. I have a 125 gallon tank with an attached 30
gallon refugium and a 20 gallon sump. I have about 175 lbs of LR
throughout. DSBs are utilized in the display tank and refugium.
Specific gravity kept at 1.024 <I would raise a bit.> and
temperature at 75 degrees. Inhabitants included: 1 Powder Brown Tang, 1
Tiger Wardii Goby, 1 Orange Spotted Goby, 1 Crocea Clam, 1 Skunk
Cleaner Shrimp, & 1 Peppermint Shrimp. My heater stopped operating
yesterday and being that it was Christmas, I was not able to purchase
another. <Yikes, a back up unit next time?> It was cold last
night for Arizona standards and the temperature in the tank must have
dropped into the sixties. I woke this morning and found the tang dead.
I checked the water parameters and everything checked out fine. Do you
think it was the drop in temp that killed him? <Sounds likely.> I
added the clam a few days ago and it has periodically excreted
something from its spout, but I was leaning more towards the temp drop.
Also I was wondering, I have two 6 ft blue actinic bulbs running off an
Ice Cap 660 ballast. Do you think this will be sufficient lighting for
a Crocea clam if I place it near the top of the tank? <No, not
enough light and wrong spectrum.> Would it make a difference if I
replaced one of the bulbs with a 50/50 daylight bulb? <Very little,
you simply will need more light for the clam. Read more on their needs,
start here and related FAQ's
http://wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Clam_care/Clam_care.htm Thank you for
your time <Welcome, good luck, Scott V.>
Need Help - Tang sick Jun 22, 2008 6/23/08
Attached is photo of powdered brown tang, <For clarification, an
Acanthurus japonicus... nee nigricans/glaucopareius> young, have
had him 4 months, very active, eating well, were gone to Coral
Conference and came home to find him, lethargic last night, today
he is on the bottom, breathing hard, we have him in 10 gal.
isolation tank with pump, heater, and treated the isolation tank
with Melafix. <... Worse than worthless IMO> He has darkened
area internal towards top front of his body. Lost a Chromis last
week that had darkening internal as if bleeding inside. Should we
do a freshwater dip, or antibiotics? <Mmmm> Please advise, we
call this morning and a technician is supposed to be calling us
back but has not yet. Our no. is XXXX, Keith and Lisa XXXX. We have
another Chromis inside the rocks that has left the school. <Good
descriptions, bad behaviors> We think maybe the Chromis brought
in disease as the water parameters have been zero for months, we
just retested ammonia and N2 both zero, PH is 8.2 as usual, temp is
78, we do 10% water changes every week. We did have a break out of
red slime <Uhhh> and tremendous brown/green hair algae in the
past week, also noticed a foul smell a few days ago, cleaned all
filters and it went away. Recently added alot <No such word>
of snails and hermits. <Something is amiss with the environment
here... that needs identifying and addressing. The BGA could be a
cause/effect... I would do a MASSIVE water change, return the Tang
to the main system (the small confines, tea juice will likely kill
it), keep a good quantity of pre-made/stored water on hand... And
read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm Bob
Fenner> |
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Surgeonfishes: Tangs for Marine Aquariums
Diversity, Selection & Care
New eBook on Amazon: Available
here
New Print Book on Create Space: Available
here
by Robert (Bob) Fenner |
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