Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

After my previous thread below entitled "Frustrated", I figured I'd start a new one with an update on things and what I've done.

The last couple of days everything has improved. After losing my Atlantic Blue Tang, Blue Hippo Tang, and 2 clown fish, I was at my wits end. The existing fish, including the yellow tang, have cleared up from the ich and have no more spots (although I know ich is still in the tank). I've been doing water changes approx. every 2 weeks. I've added Kent Nitrate Sponge (in a mesh bag in the sump) without much of a difference. I tried a product called AZ-NO3 (absolute zero nitrate). I followed the directions and used it for about a week. The fish seemed to be ok except the vlamingi (read on), but it pissed my rose anemone off. He got up from his rock and kept moving under rocks to the back of the tank. The corals looked rather rough. The instructions said to continue dosage until nitrates were at 0, which I didn't do because everything looked rough.

I stopped using the AZ-NO3 a couple of days ago and have watched the tank recover nicely. It has made my skimmer more efficient, and my nitrates have dropped to 20ppm, far from where they need to be, but still an improvement. I put the anemone back on his rock and he has stayed put this time. My toadstool and duncans have perked up as well. I added 1 more powerhead to increase waterflow and change the socks at least weekly. The only issue now is that my vlamingi tang has "popeye", a protruding eye. Ever since I quit using the AZ-NO3, he's been happier and has been eating more and his eye is looking a little better. I wanted to treat it, but nothing seems to be reef safe.

I am just nervous about ever buying another fish again due to the ich problems I've been having. May give it a little more time.

Just keep improving conditions and leave the popeye alone. If it is one eye, it often goes away by itself. Do give it more time and don't try to add a lot at one time.

dont add anything! it sounds like youre actually being patient and working on fixing your problems and from what we can read, everything has improved which is great. keep up with the great work and progress and once everything looks like you would want (fat, healthy, and eating.. with no signs of ich) then you can add something. But only add one thing. give your tank plenty of time to adjust to the new addition (at least 3 weeks) before you add anything else and watch your fish and how they act when you add new additions. its normally a good indication of whats to come in the future.

Surprising that you had negative reactions to the AZ-NO3. I've used it for about a year now (off and on) and never once had any negative reaction with anything. I have two RBTA's and they could have cared less and all of my corals and fish didn't care either. My tank had NO3 at 20ppm and I was at 0 by the 6th day. Did you notice any extra gunk coming from your skimmer? Mine doubled the skimate that was being produced.

Best of luck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4427gPhXaFE&feature=g-u
just for you lol

lol

jt3069 wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4427gPhXaFE&feature=g-u
just for you lol

LOL, that's a good one and about right. If I can ever get my tank stabilized, I'd love nothing more than to be able to keep about 6 tangs in a 100 gal. successfully, that way I can prove to those morons on other forms (which I won't name specifically), that it can be done. What works for one may/may not work for another. Right now, my tank is only allowing me to keep my yellow tang and my vlamingi. I bought a clown to replace the one that died, and he's ok I suppose. I lost a small lavender tang I picked up for their "supposed easy care". All my other "non-tang" fish are doing wonderful. Pretty much done buying fish for awhile; might pick up some inverts.

Not to burst your bubble jeremy but no matter how stable your aquarium gets, you wont be able to house 6 tangs successfully especially if you have other fish in the tank as well . They simply will kill each other off. If you want that many tangs; youre going to have to bite the bullet and break out the credit card to upgrade to a larger tank. You can try but you're only setting yourself up for failure.

agreed you would go nuts in a room full of people if you were keep there for your whole life

So you guys are saying you couldn't successfully keep a Vlemingi tang in a 100 gal tank. They only live for up to 45 yrs, grow roughly 3-4 inches a year the first couple of years and can get up to 2 ft. If they don't have a large enough tank they will get stressed because it will stunt their growth and limit their swimming area which will in the end cause them to stop swimming as much and ultimately die.

well said and that only covers one tang

Not to say set in stone that it cant be done but it would be more frustrartion and trouble than its worth. Ive seen some 75 gallon tanks with 3 tangs in it that looked healthy but there's a lot of variables in between. For one, the tanks were brand new, secondly all 3 tangs were bought as juveniles and introduced into the tank at the same time so the fish grew and adapted to each other. If that person added another tang to that tank, a massive ich outbreak would most likely take place and eventually one tang would die from stress or the other 3 killing it. If your tank is 72" long, you may be able to keep 4 providing you have plenty of live rock for places to hide but that number is limited to the total number of fish you have as they all put a strain on the bioload of your tank. If you want 6 tangs, the only way I see it working is to remove all of your current fish and sell them and start over with stocking. Add all of them at the same time as juveniles and pray that you're successful. I personally wouldn't try it, and if your tank is 48" or 60" inches and not 72", then you can cut that number to 3 as tangs need a lot of horizontal swimming room.