How can I save my Tang / Tank set-up

[Lysa]

PLEASE HELP............I believe my yellow tang has tang disease / black ick.........I immediately moved him out of the tank to treat him (with dips / baths).

I have read on one site that you should remove all other fish from the tank, and on another it is ok to leave other fish in.

I am treating the tang, but how would you advise getting rid of it totally, as I believe it lives in the sand. (I have now emptied out my sand and just left rock)

I have a pink dottyback, a clark clown, a fiji devil, a cardinal emperor, 5 x shrimps, 3 x hermit craps and 3x snails....... think thats everyone left in the tank.......

...any advise would be appreciated....as I really want to look after them well. I only joined this forum so I could ask for advice.......



Lysa

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

I only know a little about black ich so I won't be able to provide all of the information need to beat it. Black ich is a type of flat worm that has a similar life cycle to marine ich. This meaning, the worms feed off of a host fish (invertebrates cannot be infected). A cyst is formed and falls off the fish into the aquarium where it later hatches into free swimming organisms. The organisms swim, in search for another host fish and the cycle repeats itself. Additionally, without a host fish, the organism will die off so having the display tank fallow (fishless) for 8 weeks will ensure the worms don't have a chance to infect the fish apoun reintroduction. The eggs aren't just in the sand. They are wherever they come to rest (rocks, decorations, etc) and in the water column so removing the sand won't do much. HTH.

[leebca]

lysa,

Unfortunately, this particular group of infecting parasites do not require a fish to live for quite some time. After you treat the infected fish as I PM'd to you, leaving the tank fish less for more than 10 months is what some say will rid the tank of these kinds of parasites, however I have found that they will still survive for more than a year in a tank. How long they will actually live without a fish is a bit of a guess. Not that much work has been done on these parasites.

If you want, you can try the fish less for 10-month recommendation, but frankly I don't have much faith in that. However, I have found that a top-notch diet seems to protect other species of fishes from this parasite. Tangs are at most risk and I believe that is because of their thin mucous coating. But other fishes, when fed properly and given vitamin and fat supplements, seem to not get infected.

[leebca]

I may have had a brainstorm. It is now more or less clear to me. . .

I have found living parasites in old fish less tanks but now I think why the 10 month fishless tank works. The parasite are there, like they would be for Marine Ich, except that at 10+ months they have lost their ability to infect (like Marine Ich). This makes sense and would explain why I may still find the parasites there, but others have had success with a 10+ month absence of fish. Always something to learn!

[Lysa]

Thanks for all the advice.........

.....I have also heard that coating my tangs food in garlic will help to strengthen his mucus? Could this be true? Has anyone ever tried it?
my worry is all the movement, baths etc will stress him, and leave him susceptible on his return to the main tank? any thoughts.....


....Lysa

[leebca]

There is some evidence to support that garlic will in fact improve a fish's innate immunity. But that won't help your fish at this stage. That will be to prevent infection, not to cure it.

I understand the problems with treatment, the fish may or may not make it through the treatment. I got the impession you wanted to help the fish and if so, try the treatments. Without them, the fish is ill and suffering -- a slow death unless you decide to intervene. You might consider euthanasia as a kind alternative. There is a sticky on how to do this.

Sorry I can't be of much more help.