I think i might have ick :(

karisfish

Reefing newb
So when I first got my clown fish home it looked like they had a few spots of ick. The LFS told me to do nothing and my skunk shrimp would clean them. It looked as if it went away after a few days. however, I just noticed them flashing a little on a rock. They are not always flashing just once in while. They are out and swimming around eating not shy. But a closer look at them they have small spots and blimishes all over them. They dont seem to be breathing heavy. I noticed my golden headed goby flashed as well although i dont see spots on it. What should I do??
 
Thanks guys! I think I will just lower the salt level a tiny bit and just watch for a day or so to see if it gets better on its own or if i need to medicate. My salt level was at 1.025 i added some fresh RO and now its at 1.023. I have a skunk shrimp and coral what would you lower it 2?
 
Lowering your salt "a little bit" won't do anything to combat ich. If you want to just wait and see, that's fine. But there's no point in lowering your salinity a little bit. All that will do is stress any inverts you have.
 
So would you recommend doing this in a separate tank with the fish in it or put the shrimp and other inverts to a separate tank?

You have to do hyposalinity or copper treatment in a separate tank. Both methods will kill inverts. You should move the fish to a separate tank, because hypo and copper will also kill off live rock and sand.
 
You have to do hyposalinity or copper treatment in a separate tank. Both methods will kill inverts. You should move the fish to a separate tank, because hypo and copper will also kill off live rock and sand.

Ok that makes sense I have my emergency tank under my desk for just such an occasion although I have been tempted several times to turn it into a mini reef LOL
 
So would you recommend doing this in a separate tank with the fish in it or put the shrimp and other inverts to a separate tank?
Personally i would move only the fish to a QT/hospital tank and treat.....leave the DT as is

Biff ,the ninja

Also,a QT can be a simple tote from wal-mart....
 
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ok thanks! I will set up a seperate tank and get the temp and ph and everything good just in case. Then I will watch them until tomorrow and see if it gets worse or better. If it gets worse i will have the tank up and running.
 
Sounds like a good plan,but keep in mind,if they look better tomorrow thats great,but your DT will always have ich.....
 
do your reading on hypo salinity its not hard to do but must be done quickly.the idea is to put the parasite thru a rapid decrease causing osmotic shock.if you do a glass qt you can actually watch the little buggers fall of and die.I myself would qt any inverts or corals and do hypo in the display tank.
 
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No, you never ever treat a DT because hypo (and copper) will kill all the good bacteria you have in your DT. Always, always, always treat in a different tank.
+1000,i think biff mentioned that too.....,but remember ,it is just as important to leave your DT fallow (no fish) for 8-9 weeks so ALL the ich starves and dies....without a fish to host ,it can not survive
 
Just as an update my fish are doing well and ich free!! I went to the LFS and picked up this stuff called microbe-life herbtana its a chemical free natural expellant of parasitic diseases. it is like an immune booster. I just put it in my main tank and followed the directions I left the carbon in and everything. I did not lose anything my corals, shrimp, fish and crabs are all doing fine and eating like little pigs.
 
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