Tangs for dummies

Ru_dark

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Hello all,

I recently got a 120gallon aquarium, a big step up from my 65gallon reef. I'm looking for advice on how to introduce tangs into my new tank. I am not familiar with the tang world at all given that I've never had a tank large enough to house them. My understanding is that they are very sensitive and susceptible to getting ich or velvet. Be it from moving them from tank to tank or from re arranging rock scapes, any stressful situation etc. So, how do I safely introduce tangs to my system? Right now I have in mind a powder brown tang and yellow tan.
 

VelasCorals

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In a nutshell... the best thing to do is to quarantine the tangs that you would like and add them at the same time. However, I would post more details about your setup first, including parameter, flow, etc. A 120 gallon tank is an excellent start. But a 120 gallon with a single HOB filter and no powerheads would be a terrible place for a tang of any size. There are lots of variable to your questions and I would provide as many details as possible so we can help guide you in the correct direction.
 

LBehr

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Yellow tangs are pretty easy. Main thing on them is to make sure they have some sort of algae (Nori or live macro) to eat or they will lose color and fins won't be as strong. Powders are real susceptible to disease and can be tricky to get eating. I would definitely qt a powder brown and treat with copper before adding to display. I've had best luck buying tangs from a local hobbyist who is tearing down tank or they outgrew one they were in. We have a local store that does 2 week guarantee (but most livestock costs 30% more) so I would definitely do that on powder blue or brown if it's an option.
 
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Ru_dark

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In a nutshell... the best thing to do is to quarantine the tangs that you would like and add them at the same time. However, I would post more details about your setup first, including parameter, flow, etc. A 120 gallon tank is an excellent start. But a 120 gallon with a single HOB filter and no powerheads would be a terrible place for a tang of any size. There are lots of variable to your questions and I would provide as many details as possible so we can help guide you in the correct direction.
120gallon 4x2x2
1 jebao rw8
2 tunze 6055
sump approximately 30gal
rio 3100 return pump
reef octopus classic 150int skimmer
2x xr30 g3s
at least 80 lbs of live rock
 

LBehr

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That should be cool for both of those. I do agree that best bet is to add any tangs you want to get at same time.
 

Maritimer

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Quarantine and introduction order are key. Ich is a parasite, a living creature. If you don't add it to your tank (and that can be done!) it won't _be_ in your tank, no matter how stressed your fish get. Quarantine all your fish, and treat with copper (I prefer chelated, such as Coppersafe) or Chloroquine Phosphate (which requires a Veterinarian's prescription, apparently...). Quarantine the fish from your 65, before you transfer them over, and hold them under observation in your QT for 76 days, until any ich parasites in your liverock have died of starvation. Quarantine all your inverts and corals, keeping them in a fish-free environment for 76 days. (Or until shrimp and non-hermit crabs moult.) You _can_ have an ich-free tank, even with tangs - but it's likely to take some doing.

If you're thinking about having more than one tang ... choose carefully. A bristletooth tang such as Kole, maybe a yellow . . . a 120 is a big tank, but tangs like a lot of space - and some will want a _lot_ of room to move. If they don't get their exercise, they can become ... cranky. One tang would probably be best, but if you decide to add two, add them together if you think that your biofilter can handle the jump in load, or add them in such an order that your mellowest tang goes in first and any more aggressive choices go in later. (And be prepared to deal with aggression from the resident...) Take a look at some of 4FordFamily's articles here on R2R. The man is a tang whisperer.

Tangs are gorgeous, spectacular fish with billboard bodies and fins, and can be a lot of fun!

~Bruce
 
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Ru_dark

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The lfs here runs copper in there tanks and has a yellow and brown in the same tank. The powder brown has been in there tank sense Jan 24th and shows no signs of illness. The yellow sense feb 10th. Neither show any signs of illness. I haven't any means of setting up a qt so I always buy fish from this store when I do. I've read though just the stress of moving the fish can bring on ich, so how can I insure that I prevent it from appearing in my tank? Are there any other precautions I can take once there in the tank to help prevent or combat ich?
 

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LBehr

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Maritimer is going to disagree with this but if it were me I would just buy them and throw them in. I would watch them eat at lfs before I picked up. If I'm ever worried about ich I just dose ich attack.
 

Maritimer

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The stress of moving a fish doesn't cause ich, but can lower the fish's immune system enough for the parasite to gain the upper hand (fin?). People used to think that salamanders were born in fire, and that baby mice would magically appear in a box full of rags. If ich shows up on a fish, it's because that fish and the ich parasite were placed into the same water together. Kind of like catching pneumonia - you didn't get it from the cold air, it's a bacteria that has to be present to catch the disease.

See that woman in red above this post? _Listen_ to her. She's very, very good at keeping fish healthy!

~Bruce
 
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Ru_dark

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The stress of moving a fish doesn't cause ich, but can lower the fish's immune system enough for the parasite to gain the upper hand (fin?). People used to think that salamanders were born in fire, and that baby mice would magically appear in a box full of rags. If ich shows up on a fish, it's because that fish and the ich parasite were placed into the same water together. Kind of like catching pneumonia - you didn't get it from the cold air, it's a bacteria that has to be present to catch the disease.

See that woman in red above this post? _Listen_ to her. She's very, very good at keeping fish healthy!

~Bruce
Alright very cool, this raises the question though. keeping in mind that I bought this system used, rock/sans all alive, how do I know if the parasite is in my tank already? is there something I can do to treat my tank now?
 

melypr1985

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Alright very cool, this raises the question though. keeping in mind that I bought this system used, rock/sans all alive, how do I know if the parasite is in my tank already? is there something I can do to treat my tank now?

Yes. You can run the whole thing for 76 days without fish. Use that time to plan out your stock list, fine a healthy specimen, and quarantine said fish. It will give you plenty of time to make sure everything is working on it as planned and make any changes before adding fish to it. It's a win-win that forces you to take your time with it. That's key to this whole hobby - going slow, staying steady.
 

Maritimer

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There is - but only one thing that I'm aware of.

Set up a quarantine tank, put all of your fish into it, and run your display with no fish at all for 76 days. During that time, every ich tomont (the encysted phase during which they multiply into dozens or more little predators) will hatch, and being unable to find a fish to feed on, will starve and die.

During that time, the fish in the quarantine tank can be treated for the parasite, using the techniques in the links that Melypr1985 provided.

Did you ever watch the original "Karate Kid" movies? To paraphrase Mr. Miyagi, "Do right - ich no can defense."

~Bruce
 
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Ru_dark

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Yes. You can run the whole thing for 76 days without fish. Use that time to plan out your stock list, fine a healthy specimen, and quarantine said fish. It will give you plenty of time to make sure everything is working on it as planned and make any changes before adding fish to it. It's a win-win that forces you to take your time with it. That's key to this whole hobby - going slow, staying steady.
Alright, so does that mean up and running with no cuc or corals either??
 

melypr1985

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Alright, so does that mean up and running with no cuc or corals either??

Oh no. You can put any corals and inverts in there that you have, just no fish. If the system came with these things (and I agree with maritimer 100%) then they can go in and any fish that came with it should go straight into QT. Here is some light reading on what to do with the fish once you have them in QT and even how to set up a QT.
Copper
Prazipro
Chloroquine phosphate
Tank Transfer Method
How to Quarantine
Fallow periods: Going Fishless
 
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Ru_dark

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Oh no. You can put any corals and inverts in there that you have, just no fish. If the system came with these things (and I agree with maritimer 100%) then they can go in and any fish that came with it should go straight into QT. Here is some light reading on what to do with the fish once you have them in QT and even how to set up a QT.
Copper
Prazipro
Chloroquine phosphate
Tank Transfer Method
How to Quarantine
Fallow periods: Going Fishless
great info thank you very much! I've got a 125 and canister filter in the garage that's been broken down for awhile now. Think this would a good qt? or a little to big?
 

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I put a Achillies Tang in a tank that had been set up for well over a year. I quarantined him with copper, observed in qt afterwards. Appeared fine. Put him in my display with other fish that had not been properly quarantined but had never shown any sign of Ich. Sure enough, the Achillies came down with Ich. It must have been in the tank, but never took hold on the fish I had in there.
 

melypr1985

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great info thank you very much! I've got a 125 and canister filter in the garage that's been broken down for awhile now. Think this would a good qt? or a little to big?

Probably a little big for this purpose depending on how many fish you need to QT and their sizes. I've never needed more than a 40 breeder, but I know people who QT large amounts of large angels and tangs that use much larger tanks than that. @4FordFamily is one of those. What all will be coming with the tank fish-wise?
 
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Ru_dark

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Probably a little big for this purpose depending on how many fish you need to QT and their sizes. I've never needed more than a 40 breeder, but I know people who QT large amounts of large angels and tangs that use much larger tanks than that. @4FordFamily is one of those. What all will be coming with the tank fish-wise?
the tank as of right now has a hawk fish and diamond gobi, how ever the wife and I have plans for a powder brown, blue hippo and 4 yellow tangs. the brown and one yellow are at the lfs and the hippo and three other yellows will be coming from a fellow hobbyist
 

Maritimer

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great info thank you very much! I've got a 125 and canister filter in the garage that's been broken down for awhile now. Think this would a good qt? or a little to big?

The _fish_ would love a big, roomy quarantine tank like that ... Your bank account, maybe less so. Some of the medicines can get pricey if you're dosing 125 gallons of water. The canister should work for fish if cleaned regularly, so that nitrates don't build up too much.

@Danny N ... Ouch. That had to hurt. (-_-,)

~Bruce
 

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