Smallest QT tank ok for a 5-6" Powder Blue Tang...

[joefitz]

My PBT can't seem to kick this latest bout of ich and I'm considering taking him out and treating him in a quarantine tank (hyposalinity for 6 weeks). What do you think the smallest reasonable size tank would be for him? Maybe a 55? (48" x 13" x 20") I just don't want to take him out of the tank and put him in something that will just increase his stress.

He's had ich a few times before but has always managed to kick it (as in for 3 or 4 months and then something stresses him out and he gets it for a few weeks and then he'll go another 3-4 months without it). I know ich is in my tank and will still be in my tank when I put him back in...but I just don't have any way to QT all of my fish and he's the only one that seems to be problematic... I think maybe if I get him past this recent outbreak and healthy again maybe he'll be able to fight off the parasite when I reintroduce him.

Suggestions?

Joe

 

[marco67]

I likethe 33 long,
same foot print as a 55 but less water volume to deal with. I think the 4' length will help reduce the stress level too.

 

[gordonzoo]

Joe, A year ago I introduced a Flame Angel into my 90.g. Who gets Ich right? 4 days later, ICH. Took me a while to catch but I got him out and treated him with copper. It died in two days. Probably due to stress of the chase and the 20-gallon smaller tank I put him in. I was careful I didn't over medicate. My Butterfly and Hippo ended up getting it the next week. I didn't want to do the same mistakes so I tried Garlic for a month, It still it came back. I went bought 55-gallon teardown off e-bay and a fish trap and caught my butterfly to try the hypo. I dropped the salinity 1 point a day. He got worse and also died around day 25. More research done and I went a bought a 25w UV and installed on my 90.g. From then on each time the Ich came back it was less and less severe and it was only on my Hippo. After two months it was totally eradicated. It could have been the garlic, UV, or his immune system building tolerance, I'm not sure, I think it was the combination. I still have the UV on and will probably turn it off this summer. Everyone's been healthy for 7 months now. Some people do not like UV as it kills the good bacteria along with the bad, but if you want to treat for Ich, I think it helped in my case.
Rich

 

[clamm]

marco recommendation sounds like a great solution its really lenght we needed.

 

[NateHanson]

Joe, have you thought about using KickIch? It might help reduce if not eliminate the presence of Ich in your entire tank.

It wouldn't be cheap to treat a tank your size, but then I don't suppose anything is cheap at that size.

 

[joefitz]

I'm nervous about KickIch and that ilk of product...I don't know what is in it or how it works (or doesn't). Everything I have read has told me that the only two proven ways to kill ich are hyposalinity and copper...

 

[NateHanson]

I understand your uneasyness. I can't tell you what's in it, but I do believe it quickly halted a very heavy ich infection of a tang I was keeping. And there were no collateral losses.

 

[Richard]

Cleaner shirmp helped my hippo abou 4 yrs ago and he's still with us(hippo).

 

[ScottM]

you have an empty 90 in the same room....