New Blue Hippo Tang with ICH??

[Virginia Reef]

Just received a Blue Hippo from E-Tropicals on Tuesday. By Wednesday night, it had numerous small white spots on it (ich?). It has remained in hiding for the most part. It generally stays in and under the LR. Its color is excellent and it has not shown any scratching behavior that I have seen. The fish is in a 55g with 70lbs LR, Astrea Turbo snails, Blue Leg hermits, and assorted things growing on the LR such as a few zooanthid polyps and featherduster-type worms. Blue Hippo was placed in this tank (rather than q-tine) to help cure hair algae problem. I was planning to wait 30 days before moving the fish to my 90g display tank. The LR was going to eventually follow into the display when the hair algae problem is cured.

I have a 20g that I can set up to run hyposalinity at 1.009. Should I do this immediately or wait a few days to see if the “shipping stress” takes care of itself?

 

[Anonymous]

Tangs are prone to ich. Many people on the board swear by feeding garlic soaked food. Do a search on garlic and you should get quite a few threads.

Not to get lectury on you, but I doubt very much that the hippo will help with the hair algae problem. Most fish don't like it because it's too tough. Try a search on hair algae as well. I swear by dripping kalk, growing caulerpa (after the kalk raises the alkalinity) and my blue tuxedo urchin. I started dripping kalk and within days the hair algae was turning brown. Within a month it was gone. You'll want to search on kalk as well - actually, I think BreefCase's excellent thread on kalk is in the FAQ stick at the top of this forum list.

And again, I apologize, but a 55 is a bit too small for a hippo. I have a 75 and tried myself, but I will never do that again because it is just too small for them.

 

[Virginia Reef]

Thanks for your comments. The hippo is a fish that I was going to get anyway-not just for the algae. It is in the 55g only temporarily. It will be moved to the 90g after an appropriate quarantine. I have low light on the hair algae (couple of freshwater fluotescents), a bunch of turbos and blue leg hermits. There is also caulerpa growing on the LR. I will continue to add kalk (manually for another day or two then a drip system). The hair algae already appears to be in somewhat of a decline.

 

[naesco]

Virginia you should immediately call Etropicals and demand a credit for the fish. It will cost you money to treat it to health.
You have a right to a healthy fish. Complain.
A word of advice. Never never buy a tang online. You cannot see what you are buying and it is very important to choose a healthy one.
Do the garlic extract feeding regimen now for 30 days as per earlier posts.
Always use it as an ich preventative when you add a new fish.

 

[Pasquale]

First your hippo tank will eat your hair grass algae. My guy wipe it clean. So now to get those white spot off. No more stress for him now. Don't move him. Let him swim around and eat your hair algae from LR and add garlic to all his food. I would add a cleaner shrimp if you don't have one already. I would keep the temp. at 82% and keep a close eye on him. If spots get real bad set up a Q-tank and treat with copper.I was very lucky my hippo who never got ick. Good luck and keep us up dated. Also call the place where you brought it and see what their say.

 

[danmhippo]

How do you normally acclimate new fish, in this case, hippo tang? Do you just drop him in right away from unpacking?

Let's assume you acclimate him into the tank the proper way, then there must be something not right about your water. Yes, tangs are known to be ich magnet, but in absence of stress factors, ich should not have developed that quickly.

From your post, I assume you do not have any other fish other then the hippo itself in the 55G? How long has the 55G been setup? What's the water parameter in the 55G? Specifically the Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph temp and alk?

 

[naesco]

Damnhippo
I don't think it started in this reefers tank in 24 hours.
IMO this fish was sold with ich.

 

[danmhippo]

Naesco, I understand, but just judging from her post that the fish arrive on Tuesday, and observance of whitespots at Wednesday night, there is at least a 24hours windows. The hippo is likely already carrying ich at the point of packing, but if that's the case, ich should've been easily observed already at the time of unpacking due to the stress of shipment.

Again, this is all our assumption, pending Virginia's water paramenter statement.

My experiences with ich are if the environmental factors are optimal, tangs even if fully covered with ich can still recover quickly, in less than 48 hours. But still, I wouldn't buy tangs online.

-------------------------------------------------

Apologize for the rambling, but my point is even if the hippo arrived carrying ich, ich should not have developed so quickly if her tank condition is optimal.

 

[mrrrkva]

I bought a purple tang from etropicals too. It came out of the bag with ICH. They insisted this was normal and it didnt have ich when the bagged it. I find this impossible because ich takes several day to develop. It has been a 2 week battle and LOTS of nursing. I am making very little headway. No store credit. The guy made it sound like I should expect the tangs from etropicals to come with ich. I know tangs are more prone to ich, but never had a problem from other place I ordered like FFE. I feel that I have been screwed. PLUS i know I am running a healthy set up, none of the other fish have contracted it. The tang is eating and is plump. I am doing a garlic regimine and have regretfully started the UV steralizer (something I havent run or needed to for over 2 years)

My suggestion to anyone, dont buy the fish from etropicals, Snails and crabs seemed ok, but very dissapointed with fish AND response!!!!!

 

[naesco]

It is dead wrong if Etropicals tell you all tangs come with ich.
Continue feeding only garlic extract soaked food for 30 days even if you see the ich go away before.
a UV on the bottom will help as the tomonts drop there.
Consider also getting neon gobies if you like them and nothing in your tank will harm them, but obviously do not get a cleaner wrasse as they dont survive.
Good Luck in your fight with ich and E Tropicals.
Demand a refund and if they refuse post that on this and all other boards.

 

[Virginia Reef]

Thanks for all of the feedback. The tang is looking much better. The spots seem to have disappeared. This was underway before I got a cleaner shrimp on Saturday. It was cool to watch teh shrimp doing his job last night.

The tang is the only fish in the tank and was acclimated by a two hour drip when it arrived. The tank was only up for about two weeks. It was stocked with 70lbs of LR from another reefers tank. Lots of pods, blue hermits and astrea turbos. Both hair algae (in decline) and caulerpa growing on the rock. I have fed Formula One flake, frozen brine, and dried algae on a clip-all with garlic-but have not seen the tang eat. I hope that it is eating some of the algae. Its color looks very good but is is constantly hiding. I have to sneak up and hide to watch it. Any tips on feeding tricks would be appreciated.

Ammonia has never been above .25. There has been zero nitrites. Nitrates no more than 10. PH ranges between 7.90 and 8.00. Kalk and pH buffer don't have more than a temporary effect. Calcium is 350. Salinity was 1.0235. I have increased it 1.025 over the past few days. Temp at 81.