Powder blue surgoen

[icliao]

Have any one suceeded in keeping powder blue surgoen for more than 6 months?
I tried 3 of them, all died of velvet during QT period.
No 4 is sitting in treatment tang with velvet (it is full of velvet within 2 days!)

I really loved that fish but do not want to kill more of them.
Any tips on accimilating them?

[Fishbones]

I just got 3 tangs from Live Aquaria & they both have velvet... I hope they dont die.:(

[OrionN]

How big are the PBT that you got and how did you QT them?
They need the very best condition even in QT tank. I keep my new PBT (2 inches) in my refugium by himself for 3 months and fatten him up prior to put him in my main tank. This was about 1 year ago. My PBT is about 6.5 inches now and is the ruler of my tank. A friend of mine also got a 2 inches PBT. He QT his PBT alone in a 29 g tank for 6 weeks using hyposalinity. The PBT was fatten with lots of food then release into the maintank. My tank is a 450 g while my friend's tank is a ~300 g tank. You will not be able to add anymore tang after put in the PBT. Both of our PBTs are doing verywell right now in our tanks.
These tangs are among the harder to keep tangs.
Minh Nguyen

[icliao]

I have a 50GL QT with DSB and LR, even some growth of red sea grapes as food source for the tang.

I use no medication on the QT unless the fish gets velvet or ich than is transfered to 20GT treament tank.

I have a 400GL and a 200GL main tank with yellow tang, brown tang, purple tang and hippo tang all doing well.

It is just tough to fine a healthy powder blue, they just develop velvet within 3 days and dies.

[OrionN]

What is the water quality and water movement in your QT tanK?
IMO, PBT requires high currents and pristine water. Make sure the fish is eatting at the LFS. I got a very sick, thin fish essentially for free (4 pieces of Xenia traded for my PBT) I was able to nurse him back to health in my refugium (125g) tank with rocks, DSB and multiple species of magro algae. This tank have very high ligh and high water movement (4000gph flow though it). I did not quarantine my fish, I just isolated it so that it can get use to captivity with out competition from other fish.
I would not want a DSB in a QT tank. I think an tank with LR or Base rock would be great. Low light and Hyposalinity with or with out medication would be great to keep the fish. I wish I have one but don't have the space for it. I think the water quality in your QT tank is a problem. You need to solve this before you can attemp to keep another PBT.
Good luck.

[Scott Lamb]

Hi Icliao,

Minh has given excellent advice. I am the friend Minh mentioned with the PBT. I quarentined this fish by himself in a 29 gallon QT with an aquaclear 500 for filtration and about 30 pounds of well established base rock. I treated with hyposalinity which the fish tolerated well. He was eating some when I baught it and I had to constantly feed the fish the first week or 2 while I watched tv. I would put just a little food in at a time since a lot of food seemed to intimidate him. Water parameters were kept very good in teh QT with water changes as needed. Eventually. he took food like a pig when I finally put him in the big tank (240 gallons). He never was a sick fish and may have once had 6 spots or so prior to the hyposalinity. They really prefer algae based foods over anything else and I would advicse to offer green seaweed selects on a clip while in quarentine. Minh's refugium has a lot of macroalgae, so there was a lot of natural food for his PBT to eat. Now, this fish does not take to company well and it will be a challenge to put one in your tank, even at 400 gallons, with the 4 other tangs. It might work, but expect 1-2 months of some serious heirarchy battles. My PBT is now 2 years old and she grew very fast her first year, from about 3 inches to about 8-9 inches. They do not care for any fish that resembles a tang, but I have had absolutely no problems introducing wrasses, geniocanthus angels, and mandarins with the PBT. I also have a Moorish Idol that is about 3 months old and the PBT was very mean to the MI for 3 weeks after I introduced her. By the way, I quarentined the moorish idol for 12 days, but the 29 QT was almost too small for even my small 2 1/2 to 3 inch MI. MI need large tanks.

Good luck. The PBT will do very well once established. Make sure the fish goes into a large tank and is introduced to captivity in a stress free environment (QT or refugium) so that it can calm down and feed.

[Carribean Reef Man]

You can keep more than one PBT or any other tang for that matter as long as you have the space.

I have a fairly large tank and I have a PBT, Yellow, Sailfin, Kole and a Hippo and they are all doing fine in the tank.:hammer:

[Flameangel]

I purchased a very healthy PBT last year and Q-tanked him for about 6 week. I kept him in hyposaline for 4 weeks. I used a DSB and some base rock in the 37 gallon q-tank. I fed him meaty food with garlic and selco, macro algae, then nori. He fattened up nicely and then was transferred into the main tank. He is now the unquestionable ruler! I do keep a UV going 24/7 in that reef system.

Good luck!
Connie