Due to yellow tang being a very popular fish while also being very susceptible to ich than other fish species, we constantly see people reaching out with various questions relating to their yellow tang having ich.
We already have a dedicated article on blue tank having ich but have noticed a spike in the number of people specifically reaching out and asking about yellow tang having ich.
Due to this, we wanted to publish our own, dedicated article going over the various questions we see from the community about their yellow tang having problems with ich to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
Although tangs are generally considered to be more susceptible to ich than various other fish species, the majority of the time, an ich breakout does tend to be easy to treat in tangs.
You are also able to switch the diet of your tangs up to include garlic infused fish flakes or seaweed and algae bars as they are able to naturally protect your yellow tang against parasites such as ich.
This is often one of the best paths forward if you yellow tang does have ich as most people keep their yellow tangs in a reef tank with sensitive corals so traditional ich treatments may not work.
Why Do Yellow Tangs Get Ich?
All tangs tend to be more susceptible to the ich parasite that other fish species with ich generally being easy to accidentally add to your aquarium tank.
Once it is in your aquarium tank it will usually quickly start to infect your fish and spread between them with tangs often being the first to be infected.
Unlike with other fish, it can be very difficult to quarantine a tank due to the fish being skittish and having issues with stress and anxiety so chasing the yellow tang around your aquarium trying to catch it in a net will often do more harm than good.
This is why most people will focus on natural treatments to ich for their fish such as garlic infused fish flakes while going by the prevention is better than cure mentality when it comes to ich in yellow tangs.
If you do notice a different fish in your aquarium that also has yellow tangs or any other type of tang in it then we would highly recommend you try to quarantine the infected fish if possible though.
Ich can easily spread between fish, especially in a heavily stocked tank and the longer the infected fish is in with your tangs, the higher the chance of it getting ich will be.
Can Yellow Tang Survive Ich?
Yellow tang can survive ich by themselves but the chances of survival without assistance is considerably lower than it is if you take some simply steps to yellow your fish.
Nori sea weed and garlic both have great anti-parasitic properties and most yellow tang will happily eat them in the right situation allowing you to drastically increase the chances of your yellow tang’s survival.
On top of that, both garlic infused fish flakes and seaweed and algae bars are much cheaper than most people initially realise while also being excellent treatments for ich in various fish species in reef tanks or tanks with corals or sensitive plants.
They both remove the requirement for copper or other minerals or chemicals to be added to the tank while being able to naturally help your yellow tang fight ich.
Just keep in mind that even if your yellow tang does survive ich, there is a high chance that the fish will be scared and due to the bright yellow color of the yellow tang, these scars can be obvious and tend to stand out.
If you catch the ich in your yellow tang early enough then these scars will usually be minimal but the longer ich is left to develop on your tang, the harder it will be to treat and the more severe the scars will be.
Should You Quarantine A Yellow Tang With Ich?
The topic of trying to quarantine a yellow tang is controversial and often hotly debated by both sides as catching the tang for quarantine is usually stressful to the fish and can cause it issues but leaving a yellow tang with ich in its tank will put the other tank mates at risk of catching ich.
Both options can be correct depending on the situation but most people usually opt against trying to quarantine any type of tang.
The general opinion is that if your tang has ich then the parasite is already in the tank and other fish may already have it.
If you try to catch your yellow tang to quarantine it you are increasing the stress and anxiety levels of the fish and this will often make it weaker and less likely to be able to survive ich and make it through.
If you are planning on treating the ich on your yellow tang with garlic infused fish flakes then the majority of the fish in your aquarium will be eating the treatment food anyway.
If you don’t have sensitive corals or live plants in your tank then you can also try to use super ich cure to help treat the ich in your fish as fast as possible too.
How To Treat A Yellow Tang With Ich!
Most people will try to treat ich on their yellow tang by boosting their diet with natural anti-parasitic foods than by adding chemicals to the tank of their fish to avoid problems with coral and live plants.
It is usually considered a bad idea to try and quarantine all tang species too as they generally do bad when being caught in a net and the elevated stress and anxiety levels will quickly take their toll.
Some people will integrate treatments such as garlic guard but we still think that seaweed and algae bars or garlic infused fish flakes are better options for the majority of people looking to treat ich in their yellow tang.
We usually recommend against trying to flake your own garlic to add it to the diet of your yellow tang too with pre-infused fish flakes usually being the better option due to the garlic ratio being optimal and their price tag being low.
Many people will add seaweed like nori to the diet of their tang as standard anyway and this can help to prevent ich from initially taking hold of their yellow tang.
In some situations, simply increasing the amount of nori sheets you offer to your tang to take advantage of its natural anti-parasitic properties will be enough to help your tang survive the ich and make it through with minimal problems.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over how you are able to treat a yellow tang for ich to a close. The majority of the time, adding more nori or garlic infused fish food to their diet will be enough but in some cases you may have to use a chemical based treatment such as super ich cure. If you do have to use a chemical treatment, just keep in mind that there is a good chance that it will have a negative effect on any corals that you keep so putting your yellow tang through the stress of quarantine may be worth it in very bad cases of ich as the chemicals may be the only option left to successfully treat the infection.
