Powder Blue Tang? (1 Viewer)

[Guest]

I have 125G Reef tank for 3 weeks and I beleived that the tank cycle is done. Currently, I have Yellow tang, Perc. Clown and green damsel and they are very healthy. I am planning to buy a Powder Blue tang and I was wondering it is hard to keep Powder Blue Tang? How it is compare to yellow tang?

 

[Guest]

Powder Blues are gorgeous, and when healthy they are terrific additions to a tank. However, PBTs are exceedingly susceptible to ich infection and since you already have a tang in your tank I would probably not try one. Tangs are intolerant to most other tangs and therefore the yellow will probably bully and stress the new addition. Stress is a huge contributing factor in ich infestation.

Jim 8)

 

[Brad]

Thats a LOT of fish for the first 3 weeks of a tanks life. Generally, a tank would not even be cycled and ready for any fish in 3 weeks let alone 3 fish.

I agree with Jim that PBTs are very difficult fish and often get ich with the slightest bit of stress. Often just buying them and moving them to a new tank is enough to cause an ich breakout.

Tell us a little about your tank, method of cycling, filtration, water movement, reef or FO, water paramaters. This info will help us help you more effectively.

 

[Guest]

I have about 130 pounds of live Cured Rock (75lbs from Gene and 55lbs from Abran) and about 100lbs of Aragonite sand (About 10lbs Live) in the main tank and about 40LBS live in 30Gallon Refugium/sump. I have 2 maxi 1200 1 maxi 900 and Dolphin pump (main pump 2100 g/hrI have talked to Gene and Abran and they told me that I shouldn't have cycle or minimal cycled because of the Live curred rock and some of the live sand. I noticed the first week I have a little of ammonia but a week later I have no ammonia, Nitrite 0 and Nitrate 0. Just a couple of very small red algea. My fish are eating and very heathy for the 3 weeks. Also have added about 50 of blue legs hermit crabs and 5 turbo snails, 2 red leg hermit crab and 1 serpent 2 weeks ago and they all still live.

 

[Brad]

Sounds like everything is doing well. Personally, I'd let it settle info a few more weeks or more. If you wanted to try a PBT read everything you can on Reefcentral so you know what you are getting into.

 

[Guest]

Powder blue tangs are about the most incredible fish in saltwater I believe. They are also the most frustrating to try to keep as they are so easy to catch ich and then transfer it to everything already in the tank. I've seen so many big sps tanks and they all have beautiful bright powder blues but these are all well aged reef tanks.

Do the powder browns catch your eye??? They are IMO as beautiful, almost as the blues but so much easier to keep and keep healthy.

Yellow tangs are quite fussy and I'd bet would harrass a powder blue.