Naso Tang with Ich?

[av209]

I recently purchased a Naso Tang from my LFS. He has been in quarantine for two weeks now. The tank is treated with Copper Power. He has small white spots on his fins and body. I also have 3 yellow tangs and a blue tang in the same tank. I read that these other Tangs are good indicators whether or not there is Ich in the tank. The Yellow tangs and blue tang all had Ich and the medication seemed to cure them completely within a 2 week period. When I added my Naso there was no trace of Ich for a few weeks. Is it possible my Naso has Ich while none of the other fish have it and that the copper in the tank is not affecting the Ich on his body?? I want to add all these fish to my main display but i'm hesitant because of the Naso! He seems happy and eats well. What should I do??

[berkdog]

Ich has a lifecycle... that lasts up to 8 weeks, meaning it can live without fish in any tank for up to 8 weeks.

[leebca]

Thanks for posting. Sorry you're having problems.

Is it possible my Naso has Ich while none of the other fish have it and that the copper in the tank is not affecting the Ich on his body??

No to first part, Yes to second part. That isn't how copper medication kills Marine Ich.

If there is Marine Ich in the tank, all fish have it. You need to learn more about the parasite, as does berkdog (the life cycle is not 8 weeks long). I suggest reading this: Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

The quarantine process you're using doesn't sound very good. You're putting at risk healthy fish to see if the new fish is sick? Not good.

Your choice of copper medication is also not the best. You should read this post: Copper - Treatment, Use, Problems

What I would recommend is that you treat the sick fish you have with the better copper medication, Cupramine, using a Salifert Copper Test Kit to control the copper content. Provide excellent water quality.

After the treatment is finished, hold the fish in quarantine another 4 weeks minimum to verify they are totally cured.

Since there are so many Tangs, it sounds like you should have a tank that is no less than 180 gallons, although a 240 would be advisable. Even with that size, the fish should be introduced one at a time to allow the biological filtration and other bacteria time to adjust to the bioload. Don't try to put all those fishes into the tank at the same time.

Good luck!