[sahmad43]

I can't seem to have any success with this fish, it always catches ich and dies. the rest of the fish are fine and there is no ich outbreak in my tank.
whats the secret of keeping this fish healthy ?

[Steven Pro]

Use a quarantine tank and clean the fish before adding it to your display. Also, many times these Acanthurus tangs are infected with both ich and velvet at the same time.

[Reefland]

What kind of tank, and current inhibitants, are we talking about? The Powder Blues are pretty delicate fish.

[rayjay]

Like many aspects of this hobby, my thoughts on the matter are perhaps just one of several that would apply, but if you had that fish in a tank and it had ick, then any other fish in that tank is carrying ick as well, even though it may not show at this point.
Different fish are able to tolerate the parasite at different levels and a powder blue is one that doesn't tolerate them well at all.
If it were my tank, I would remove all the fish to place them in a hospital tank for treatment with hypo-salinity or copper, leaving the main tank fishless for a minimum of six weeks, and treating the fish for a minimum of six weeks with hypo.
Any future fish added should be treated before being placed in that tank.
IMO, placing a fish in quarantine for any period, even two months, won't do any good if that fish is able to tolerate the level of the parasite that it has, and you don't realize its there, and then place that fish in your tank, infecting them as well. You then will seen it appear when again, a fish that doesn't tolerate ick well, has it multiply to the point you can't miss it anymore.

[dave00gt]

what are your acclimation procedures, my fish used to die because i didnt acclimate right.

How are your acclimation procedures?

[sahmad43]

i have a 90 gallon tank .
it cant be acclimation cuz both the fish died after a month.
but i accilmate according to standards . 15 mins temperatur. .then 20-30 mins drip

[FuzzButt]

How much time between purchase and death is there? I have a Powder Blue I finally purchased and would hate to have him die after a few weeks. I have no Ich outbreaks and he looks to be in great health.

[sahmad43]

both of my powerblue died after a month or so in tank

[hrdneglcry]

Purchase a Diatom filter. Diatom filters will filter Ich right out of the water. Any time your water is cloudy (like after feeding, or moving stuff around) run your diatom filter until the water is crystal clear. Also, include some garlic in this fish's diet. Sea weed as food is also very good for this fish's health. Water quality is pretty important, but with a diatom filter you will no longer fear Ich.

[sahmad43]

can you point me to a good Diatom filter and where I can buy it?

thanks

[leebca]

Follow Steven Pro's advice for improved success. Not only does using a quarantine tank improve the fish's health before entering the community/reef tank, but it gives the fish time to acclimate to captivity, start eating the right foods, and strengthen itself before it enters your display tank.

There are many advantages to using a quarantine process besides just making sure your fish is disease-free.

In the meantime, before you acquire another PBT, I'd suggest taking all the fish out of your display; treating them in a hospital tank; and letting your tank go fishless for 8 weeks to get rid of the Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans that is there now.

During this process review the optimal foods for this fish; see this post:
Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

I do the above with greater than a 90% success, after 23 PBTs.

[rayjay]

Before you buy anything, do some research first. The diatom only takes out parasites that pass through it. The parasites lucky enough to stay on the bottom or the ones on the fish won't be killed off, and when the parasite is in the free swimming stage, they won't all pass through so some will always be there.
Also, the diatom takes out particulate matter that I personally want for my corals/inverts to be feeding on. (zooplankton)
Leave the tank fishless for at least six weeks, and quarantine all new fish, treating them with hypo for at least six weeks, and if a parasite shows, continue six weeks of treatment after it disappears, before placing them in your main tank.
There are many successful reefers out there who never quarantine and get away with it just fine, and some feel that it's an added stress, but many more have found the hard way that quarantine can save inhabitants and $$$$$$.

[Steven Pro]

I am not sure that diatoms remove parasites like Ich in the first place. I have heard this claim repeated in the past, but have never seen proof of it.

[BubbaWPB]

I'd take and educated guess that the diatom filters would effectively filter out the free-swimming stage only. As effective (and ineffective) as a good UV sterilizer. It doesn't rid the tank of the parasite, but cuts down on the number of them.