jgr
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Over the last several months I've gone through setting up my 75g tank (w/40 gallon sump), adding LR and livesand, and cycling the tank. I added a variety of inverts (crabs and snails) on Wed and today (Thu), I added my first fish: two very small tangs (a yellow and a Kole yellow eye) after 2 hours of acclimation. I didn't use a QT b/c (1) they were my tank's first fish and (2) my wife and I live in a small apartment and she doesn't like seeing fish equipment and tanks everywhere.
My tanks parameters are all good:
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrites = 0ppm
Nitrates < 5ppm
Salinity =1.025
pH = 84
Temp = 81
They immediately began to pick at algae on the LR as soon as they were in the tank and appeared to be quite happy. Right before the lights went off I noticed (1) two white dots on the fin of the Yellow Tang that I didn't notice at the LFS and (2) three of four slightly raised bumps on his body. The Kole Tang looked fine.
So, my questions are the following:
(1) How likely is it that the yellow tang has ich?
(2) If it is ich, what should I do? I can think of several options:
i. Wait for several weeks to see if the problem worsens. If it does worsen, move both fish to a QT.
ii. Immediately move both fish to a QT for six weeks and let the main tank go fallow.
iii. Take the yellow tang back to the LFS ASAP and hope that I lucked out and no ich managed to end up in the main tank.
iv. Take both tangs back to the LFS (so as to not have to deal with the QT), allow the main tank to run fallow for six weeks, and get two additional fish after the 6 weeks.
Obivously I want to fix the problem if it is ich, but after having spent two months setting up my tank, the though of waiting another 6 weeks and potentially losing the tangs during the quarantine process is difficult to stomach. I'd prefer not to have to take the fish back to LFS b/c I'm really happy with them, but I'm also not incredibly enthusiastic about running a QT for 6 weeks.
Any suggestions will be greatly welcomed.
My tanks parameters are all good:
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrites = 0ppm
Nitrates < 5ppm
Salinity =1.025
pH = 84
Temp = 81
They immediately began to pick at algae on the LR as soon as they were in the tank and appeared to be quite happy. Right before the lights went off I noticed (1) two white dots on the fin of the Yellow Tang that I didn't notice at the LFS and (2) three of four slightly raised bumps on his body. The Kole Tang looked fine.
So, my questions are the following:
(1) How likely is it that the yellow tang has ich?
(2) If it is ich, what should I do? I can think of several options:
i. Wait for several weeks to see if the problem worsens. If it does worsen, move both fish to a QT.
ii. Immediately move both fish to a QT for six weeks and let the main tank go fallow.
iii. Take the yellow tang back to the LFS ASAP and hope that I lucked out and no ich managed to end up in the main tank.
iv. Take both tangs back to the LFS (so as to not have to deal with the QT), allow the main tank to run fallow for six weeks, and get two additional fish after the 6 weeks.
Obivously I want to fix the problem if it is ich, but after having spent two months setting up my tank, the though of waiting another 6 weeks and potentially losing the tangs during the quarantine process is difficult to stomach. I'd prefer not to have to take the fish back to LFS b/c I'm really happy with them, but I'm also not incredibly enthusiastic about running a QT for 6 weeks.
Any suggestions will be greatly welcomed.