New Sailfin Tang Developed Ick

[Captain Squid]

Hi all!

Well ive been through the ick issue before with a hippo tang. I now bought a sailfin tang that was fine until day two in my tank. All the inhabitants are listed as compatible however he developed a pretty good case of ick. My cleaner shrimp is clleaning him but he looks pale and I am concerned. I read that the sailfins were not as susceptible as the hippo tangs which is why I bought him.

So in the past Ive used, KICK ICK , and ICK ATTACK ( ick attack sucks, and browns your water nastily )

So Im not sure if I want to try using an ick treatment again or let him be, I turned only the acitinics on today to let him relax a little ( I think ) mixed some garlic with their food this am and hoping for the best???

Any thoughts?

 

[andysgirl8800]

You can also use a vitamin supplement in his food to help strengthen his immune system. I use VitaMarin-M. Keeping him calm can also help him recover.

 

[OhNoNemo]

Yeah,unfortunatley,if you do not QT all new fish,your only real option is to deal and heal:lol:...but seriuosly,i'm not with the crowd on this one..i always QT and only had ich once ,which i chose to battle and beat with hypo...everyone swears by the garlic and vity C ,so i guess i would try that..good luck
edit:no ich be gone miracle cures will work,sorry they are just gimmicks IMO

 

[andysgirl8800]

Agree with the deal and heal technique here. However, ONN, I agree that QT is usually a better option before dropping a new fish in. IMO, it is also easier to treat anything that does come up while a fish is in QT.

 

[Captain Squid]

Agree with the deal and heal technique here. However, ONN, I agree that QT is usually a better option before dropping a new fish in. IMO, it is also easier to treat anything that does come up while a fish is in QT.

The issue I have with quarantine is that you are moving the fish twice, which in turn stresses them out. Ive alos had a QT tank with copper which works, my hippo cured up quickly but as soon as moving her back to display tank, she developed ick again which I left her alone with, and she got over herself.

So now the sailfin......

 

[BL1]

The issue I have with quarantine is that you are moving the fish twice, which in turn stresses them out. Ive alos had a QT tank with copper which works, my hippo cured up quickly but as soon as moving her back to display tank, she developed ick again which I left her alone with, and she got over herself.

So now the sailfin......

The reason your hippo got ich as soon as you put him back in the tank is because you put him back in the tank with fish carrying the parasite. Unless you treat all the fish at the same time and allow your tank enough time for the ich to die off (8 weeks without fish), you will always have it in your tank. As others have said before, any ich treatment that is "reef safe" will not kill the parasite.
You also should look at the causes of your outbreaks. Stress can cause outbreaks in tanks, and in your case, I think the stocking level in your tank could be the cause.

 

[ccCapt]

The issue I have with quarantine is that you are moving the fish twice, which in turn stresses them out. Ive alos had a QT tank with copper which works, my hippo cured up quickly but as soon as moving her back to display tank, she developed ick again which I left her alone with, and she got over herself.

So now the sailfin......

Sorry, but I don't buy the stress theory. I see your in the Poconos, so you probably get your fish from places I have been. While there are a few good LFS around, I will bet $$$ the water quality in my system is better than any LFS.
The water quality in your tank should be better too. A qt can be started with water from your tank and a filter pad that has established bacteria from your system can filter this water. So now you moved a fish from a LFS with more than likely not so good water quality to your water. The fish will also be alone in the tank so no stress from any other fish of any type. If you treat with copper, water changes are necessary in the qt to keep the quality up. You must also redose after any water change and test to be sure your treatment is at the proper level. IMO, this is less stress than just throwing it right into your tank. In the qt, he can not only be treated if necessary, but can get used to eating the food you use and not getting scared by other actively eating fish. When the qt period is done, you will move the fish into even better water quality again.
You see what happens with the risk you take not putting a fish into qt before going into your system. If a fish in your tank had ich and you removed the fish, any other fish remaining can be carriers. The display tank must be left with no fish in it for a good 6 weeks to be sure the ich life cycle has ended.

 

[Captain Squid]

Sorry, but I don't buy the stress theory. I see your in the Poconos, so you probably get your fish from places I have been. While there are a few good LFS around, I will bet $$$ the water quality in my system is better than any LFS.
The water quality in your tank should be better too. A qt can be started with water from your tank and a filter pad that has established bacteria from your system can filter this water. So now you moved a fish from a LFS with more than likely not so good water quality to your water. The fish will also be alone in the tank so no stress from any other fish of any type. If you treat with copper, water changes are necessary in the qt to keep the quality up. You must also redose after any water change and test to be sure your treatment is at the proper level. IMO, this is less stress than just throwing it right into your tank. In the qt, he can not only be treated if necessary, but can get used to eating the food you use and not getting scared by other actively eating fish. When the qt period is done, you will move the fish into even better water quality again.
You see what happens with the risk you take not putting a fish into qt before going into your system. If a fish in your tank had ich and you removed the fish, any other fish remaining can be carriers. The display tank must be left with no fish in it for a good 6 weeks to be sure the ich life cycle has ended.

Hi Thanks for the reply. Used to use a QT, then the LFS in Pittson told me not to, that it stresses them out more. Like a fool I listened hearing his 25 year experience yadda yadda.......figuring he knows, but then again, hes the one who talked me into a wet dry with bio balls. Learning the hard way, yuk......

Where you located? Im in Gouldsboro.

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 everyone. The two additives you mentioned do not kill ich. You can treat with them, but ich will come back. They are a waste of money. If it's "reef safe" enough not to kill inverts and bacteria, then it's not tough enough to kill ich.

The only two proven methods to kill ich are hyposalinity and copper. And EVERY fish in your tank must be treated using one of these methods (in quarantine) for 8 weeks. During that time, as others have said, the display tank must remain empty of fish.

Lost of people quarantine, but lots of people don't. I'm one of the people that don't, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. If you don't do it with every fish, then it's ineffective. I have too many fish already to catch them all and treat them. Ich is an opportunistic parasite -- generally, if your water quality is good, the fish aren't fighting, and they have a healthy diet, fish will not suffer from ich. They will carry it, but you'll never see symptoms and they'll never show effects of it. Minimizing stress and improving your water quality is key.

Some fish in my tank get ich from time to time -- usually when I add something new or move things around. But I've never lost a fish to it. They get over it on their own within a couple days.

So those are your two choices -- remove every fish, quarantine and treat them all, or just let your fish deal with it and try to fight it off on your own, but risk them dying of it if they can't beat it.

If your fish is still eating, that's a good sign. Once it stops eating, it's very hard to get them to recover.

 

[ccCapt]

Hi Thanks for the reply. Used to use a QT, then the LFS in Pittson told me not to, that it stresses them out more. Like a fool I listened hearing his 25 year experience yadda yadda.......figuring he knows, but then again, hes the one who talked me into a wet dry with bio balls. Learning the hard way, yuk......

Where you located? Im in Gouldsboro.

I know the owner of that LFS quite well. All I can say is look at the cubicles he keeps the fish in and tell me you think it looks like good water quality. ;) He's a good guy tho. I take him corals for store credit and it's how I get my salt and other drygoods.

I live in Nanticoke. If you want to visit a nice LFS, check out Something Fishy in Northampton. I also hear there will be a new place opening up at The Crossings in Tannersville.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I live near you in Thornhurst. That LFS Something Fishy is a good place. The new LFS Larry is talking about is called Knockout Aquatics. knockOUT Aquatics, Your #1 Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Livestock and Supply Store in the Poconos -- Really Cool Stuff -- It's owned by my buddy Kelvin. It not open to the public yet, but will be by the end of the month.

 

[Captain Squid]

I know the owner of that LFS quite well. All I can say is look at the cubicles he keeps the fish in and tell me you think it looks like good water quality. ;) He's a good guy tho. I take him corals for store credit and it's how I get my salt and other drygoods.

I live in Nanticoke. If you want to visit a nice LFS, check out Something Fishy in Northampton. I also hear there will be a new place opening up at The Crossings in Tannersville.

Hi Larry

Been to TooFishy. Excellent place, huge difference from Pitt. Problem for me was the ride. I work near Scranton, live in Goulds, thats why I sought out another store local. If thye are opening a store in tannersville that is great!

If you have corals to sell for cash, contact me.

Update on the tang. Dead. That was the fastest fish Ive ever been through. On Tuesday I decide to setup a QT tank with copper, picked up a 20 gal and ran home as I didnt like the way he looked pale in the am. All I kept thinking was he was suffocating.......got home and he was stuck to my overlfow. Now Im freaking out cuz the tank is reef and fish with live rock. Cant use copper in there, cant catch fish to treat and transfer to my other tank to get them out for a few weeks and let the nasties die off. Ive learned my lesson. Sad to say, toofishy told me to do QT tank before but Pitt told me not to. Unfortunately I listened to the wrong advice.

 

[OhNoNemo]

Sorry to hear about your tang,i just had a great LFS close his doors,now i'm in search for another one.
...i live in central PA just north of Du Bois,just below the Allegheny forest........I have heard of a great one in Monroeville but never been to it...wish there were a few closer too

 

[Captain Squid]

Sorry to hear about your tang,i just had a great LFS close his doors,now i'm in search for another one.
...i live in central PA just north of Du Bois,just below the Allegheny forest........I have heard of a great one in Monroeville but never been to it...wish there were a few closer too

There is what I have HEARD to be a good one on Lancaster. Not sure how far that is from you. Then there is the Something Fishy in Northampton but I suspect that is a haul for you as well.

 

[wontonflip]

Keep in mind, though, that ich is already in your tank as long as there are fish in there. If you had qt'd it and put it in the DT, guess what....it WILL get ich again. Like Biff said, either you qt all the fish, or don't bother. You just have to keep the stress level as low as possible for the new fish (fatten him up in qt before putting him in the dt), keep your water quality high, soak your food in garlic. Keep him happy.

The best way is to go hypo on your dt, but you will have to move all your inverts and corals during the treatment, which I think should be 6-8 weeks (not sure though). And you have to lower the salinity fast enough so that the ich doesn't adjust to the new salinity, but not so fast that you shock your fish. It's tricky. Plus when the hypo treatment is done, you have to raise it back up very very slowly.

 

[Captain Squid]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I live near you in Thornhurst. That LFS Something Fishy is a good place. The new LFS Larry is talking about is called Knockout Aquatics. knockOUT Aquatics, Your #1 Freshwater and Saltwater Aquarium Livestock and Supply Store in the Poconos -- Really Cool Stuff -- It's owned by my buddy Kelvin. It not open to the public yet, but will be by the end of the month.

That is music to my ears! Im sure Kelvin will get more than a few of my dollars! Thanks for the welcome. Im stressing over my tank today as you probably saw. Now my son called to tell me the BTA kicked the bucket, it been looking questionable about as long as t . Im hoping that this wasnt some other bacterial or parasitic bug that infects even invertebrates. My water params are good so I am at a loss as to what else could have casued the BTA death too. EvVerything else seems fine. Had a nightmare last night about a huge fire worm killing my fish and corals in the middle of the night :eek: Got up and started the flashlight hunt. Saw a small bristle and copepods running about but that was it. Yeah Im not obsessed lol

Is there something else the tang could have had that wasnt ick that could have killed my BTA too? BTW IM done with BTAs now, they are a PIA. The carpet anemones are much nicer to deal with and observe the clown dance, imo.

 

[OhNoNemo]

Keep in mind, though, that ich is already in your tank as long as there are fish in there. If you had qt'd it and put it in the DT, guess what....it WILL get ich again. Like Biff said, either you qt all the fish, or don't bother. You just have to keep the stress level as low as possible for the new fish (fatten him up in qt before putting him in the dt), keep your water quality high, soak your food in garlic. Keep him happy.

The best way is to go hypo on your dt, but you will have to move all your inverts and corals during the treatment, which I think should be 6-8 weeks (not sure though). And you have to lower the salinity fast enough so that the ich doesn't adjust to the new salinity, but not so fast that you shock your fish. It's tricky. Plus when the hypo treatment is done, you have to raise it back up very very slowly.

+1 ,
also i have always heard carpet nems to be a big trouble maker in ones tank...never had one or any nem for that matter,but have read stories of them eating fish,even the hosting clown..
side note:yes ,those places are pretty far for me to drive