What's the longest time anyone has ever kept a blue tang?

[JPloman]

Holy cow! I need your clean up crew!!! *grabs the credit card and starts ordering*

[electrikat]

Ebay is your friend.

[fishfirst]

I love my blue tang, I got her when she was the size of a dime and now shes the size of a fifty cent piece two months later. Right now she's in a twenty gallon qt but soon she will be added to my new 125 gallon tank. She has a lot of GREAT personality, and I did have a small ich outbreak but nothing bad, treated it with copper for two weeks and hypo for 3 and she was fine, she loves to hang out with my other qt'd fish right now, by true percula clown.

[X the Outsider]

[quote="sango"]HMMMMM I was thinking about getting one of these tangs but yall are making me a little scared about buying this fish...Where I am they run about $60 and I dont want to spend this on a fish that is going to die or not eat then die.[/quote

$60 dollars OMG! Most of the time around here they are around 35-40 dollars. But that's for the 1 inch to a few inch tangs.

[Peezy]

Doc, I had mine so long I forgot how long I had him. Had him long before Nemo came out. I think 3-4 years.
He was definitely tougher than the Powder Blue. I had an auto top-off that would occasionaly drop by s.g. down to 1.020. Bang! Powder Blue dead. Regal? Acted like he never noticed it. Grew huge in my 200g. Died when my tank developed a leak and I put him in a tub and the Airstone came out. All the fish dead!
Kids love them because of Nemo.
I've never had ich. Do you have a cleaner shrimp? THey keep stuff off the outside. Get a pair of cleaner shrimp. They are a low Biological load and they are super cool!
Feed a good variety of food too. Don't just feed brine shimp alone. They need their veggies!

[StripesTheEel]

i have a blue in my 75 gal. he is 6 inches long. no ich, the most hungriest fish in the tank. the only problem i have with mine is he tends to scrape his beautiful blue face on rocks.. he has a white line across he's nose.. looks like a bandaid.. haha.. otherwise blue tangs rock!! had mine for over a year!

[Pghjeff71]

According to the website of Bob Fenner at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/paracant.htm he quotes the following: This is one of those species that are better off not being purposely quarantined.

Does anyone else agree with this philosophy? It just seems like not quarantining is asking for trouble especially since they are ich prone. He also seems to think that this family of tang are easy to keep and long-lived, but the forum seems split on this.

[lando]

I have to disagree with this info. If any fish needs to be QT, the blue tang is the one. It is very suseptable to parasitic infestation and can often times bring home ick from the LFS. This is just a fish that does not have a good acclimation/survivalbility record when first introduced. I do not think it matters if it is in the main or QT, a large number do not survive. QT is still the best option. It is not worth risking the health of the entire tank for the benefit of one fish. FW dips, as suggested, really do nothing of benefit for the fish. It is very stressful on the fish and with the short contact time, does not kill parasites. I fear the info provided in the link above is a bit out-dated.

[StripesTheEel]

I also agree with lando.. the main reason that blue tangs are so susceptable to ich is that they dont have the fishy scales like most other fish, their smooth skin leaves them open to parasitic infection more so than other tangs. But i think once they survive ich they build up immunity, and once they are settled in for a year or so are a beautiful addition to any sw tank!

[IndyReefMan]

I've had my blue tang for about 7 months now. Initially had some persistent ich problems. Then I read about the benefits of garlic in boosting the immune system. I started soaking his nori in Kent's garlic extreme and have never seen a white spot on him since. He eats like a pig.

[pufferman]

I just got a regal tang and i m confident that it will do well as i have taken a number of measures to make sure that the fish does not have a breakout of ich. So far i saw him itch vigorously for a day and i put him in a qt for two weeks. I just put him back in and he is doing great!

Here are the ways that i m preventing ich in my seemingly inefficient 30g tank. Going to get a larger 125g tank once my finances get in check (i m only 14- cut me some slack)

1. UV1 Sterilizer
2. Nori soaked in Garlic Guard for 30 minutes
3. A pair of Cleaner Shrimp are on the Way
4. I have qted the fish for about two weeks now.

I hope that these strategies will end with flying colors.

P-MAN

Originally Posted by pufferman

4. I have qted the fish for about two weeks now.

Extend that to 4 weeks and your rock'in.

Cheers
Steve

[haus]

Isn't a 30 gal tank a little small for a blue tang?? I have a 55 gal and I am concerned about getting one, but the wife and kids keep pushing for that to be the next fish. I will not get one untill I get a pair of cleaner shrimp first. I have a yellow tang, and am concerned also that a blue tang and yellow tang will not agree with eachother, does anybody have experience with those two species cohabitating?

[pufferman]

Exactly,

That's why i m taking so many measures so that the tang is healthy, thriving, and doesnt catch any illness in my tank. Soon i will get a bigger tank, and it will get enough space.

[IndyReefMan]

I had a Yellow Tang in with a Regal Blue and the Yellow brutalized him. He also picked on my other inhabitants. But, the Yellow Tang was in the tank first. I ended up trading the Yellow in to my LFS. I was reluctant to put another Tang in with the Regal Blue after that experience but I finally bought a Sailfin Tang. They've been in together for several months now and are buddies. They even swim around together.

[haus]

I have just added a regal tang and a cleaner shrimp to go with it. I have noticed some white spots, but the cleaner shrimp seems to be cleaning him well. He is small, only about an inch, so I am very worried about him. He is eating well though, which I am excited about.

[revhtree]

Most fish will make it through qt if you keep a good check on the water parimeters. No offense to anyone, but I suspect that most fish that die in qt die because of high ammonia, or nitrites. Not all but most.