How To Treat And Prevent Ich In Blue Hippo Tangs
The Blue Hippo or Pacific Regal Tang is generally a hardy fish that is easy to keep once it is comfortable and established in a suitable sized aquarium. However, acclimating and introducing a new Blue Tang can be frustrating for hobbyists of any skill level because they are so prone to ich.
It’s good practice to quarantine any new fish you buy, but quarantining a Blue Hippo Tang is a must! In a quarantine tank, you can observe feeding habits and medicate the fish as needed. After the quarantine period, introduce the fish to the display tank and continue to monitor for any signs of disease. Once introduced, the Blue Tang can be a difficult fish to kill because it can get into caves and hard-to-reach places in live rock. This makes it particularly difficult to remove a sick fish.
If your Blue Tang becomes infected with Ich in a reef aquarium, remove it from the aquarium and quarantine it. Treat with a copper based Ich medication until the fish is disease free, some experts recommend a quarantine period of up to six weeks before returning the fish to the display tank. Do not use copper-based medications in a reef tank because it is toxic to corals and invertebrates. If your Blue Tang becomes infected with Ich in a fish-only aquarium, you have the option of treating the entire aquarium with a copper-based Ich medication or quarantining the fish. You can treat the entire aquarium if you do not intend to maintain a reef environment with invertebrates and corals. Copper treatment will inhibit the use of the aquarium, live rock, filters and substrate in a reef aquarium. Other experts have recommended the use of a UV sterilizer to treat and prevent Ich. Although these sterilizers are highly effective in protecting against ich, they are not necessary and will not replace selecting for a healthy Pacific Regal Tang.
When selecting a Blue Hippo Tang, avoid specimens smaller than two inches. These fish have terrible survival rates, but hobbyists often buy them because they’re cute or because they think they’ll make a nice addition to a nano tank. Instead, look for a Blue Tang that is at least three inches tall, appears to be free of disease, is active in the tank, and is eating well. There is controversy over the minimum tank size required for a small Blue Tang. In general, a Blue Tang requires an aquarium that is at least four feet long with plenty of rocks where the fish can hide and a long stretch where the fish can swim. Most Blue Tangs will quickly outgrow a 55-gallon tank, so be prepared to change it up as the fish grows in size. Keep in mind that these fish can grow up to 12 inches and have barbs on each side of their tail. They will light these spikes when startled or threatened, so care must be taken when handling them.