Quote Originally Posted by jasolynne
hi there we are having the same problem with our tang ,and also looking for answers . but would also like to know what others have told you to lowerer the salinity if it will stress out corals and starfish.
as far as tangs and ich go they really do seam to go hand and hand.tangs are ich magnets period! there are ways to combit this pest without going through the rituals of medication or hypo(which I will never use) or even removing the fish from the tank for treatment(this is for sever cases only IMO)
9 out of 10 cases of ich are not lethal if the fishes natural imune system is up.this is kept up by proper feeding.although in some cases even the most well fed fish have come to the demise of the paresite.but if the fish remain eating they have a very high chance of surviving. steps in prevention once the fish are introduced to your tank.feeding :tangs require multipul feedings per day in the numbers between 3-5 feeding depending on the diet given and the size of the fish itself. the feeding schedule I personally keep is 3 times per day which seems to work fof the most parts but if my fish happen to show any signs of ich what so ever i boost the feeding up to 4-5 times per day until all signs have dissapeared..severe case ot new arrivals are placed into a qt and coppersafed for 21 days minumun or longer if they show any signs of illness. as for the tangs dieary neds(i have done extencive research on this dept for all my fish) tangs require a 75% plant and algae based diet 25% of a meaty diet for protien. the use of nori(seaweed) can be utilized more as an addition to a prepaired food choice but not reccommended as a staple source of plant/algae foods the red variety being of the best choice as the green versions most poplular have been dry roasted(grocery store variety) and lose essential nutrients.
foods formulated for tropical fish are not suited for marine fish be sure sure if your using flaked or pelleted foods its meant and formulated for marine life.as the diet for fw and tropical fish differ highly.this also goes for frozen prepaired foods.I have found a large variety of frozn prepaired foods best suited for herbivores such as formula 2 by ocean nutrition prime reef herbivore diet is also a good food emerald entrse is a very good choise for herbivores and omnivores alike this is formulated with an algae base with mysis shrimp.
my choice diet is as followed: am; thera+A pellets large and small size to fit my fish sizes
midday; thera+ pellets large with veggie flakes by omega one
pm; a combination of formula 2 emerald entrese seaweed selects red brown or green(shredded) along wih a large variety of other frozen prepaired foods for all my fish species.thawed in a cup of warm fresh water(normally tap) with added supplimets of garlic extreme and selcon once thawed i mix thoroughly and smoosh and gelled cubes for easier sharing.pour into the tank. I have kept this diet and schedule for my fish for 4 1/2 yrs I have yet you have a single loss due to ich in this amount of time.garlic extreme and selcon both can be added directly to the tank to ensure all fish and inverts alike can get full benefits from them through absorbtions(of the gills which is direct link to the fishes bloodstream)I also do this for new fish or fish that are not eating yet.I hope this helps if you have any more question on this topic feel free to ask