Think we have an ich outbreak

[Angelajean]

Hello,
I tried to tell my folks that we really needed to set up a quarantine tank but I was voted down so now I think we have ich among the tangs. UGHHHH!!!!We will have a quarantine tank from now on. Momma put her foot down.

My son and I are now trying to recover from the pit in my stomach. It is very light on the kole tang and chocolate or? tang. The yellow doesn't have it. However, I think we need to treat it. I know that I can't treat the fish with the coral and the inverts in the tank, but can't imagine putting the fish in the 40. So here is the question. Can I empty the DT of everything except fish and treat with hyposalinity. I know I have to take out the sand, rock, coral etc.

Is there any other successful way to treat ich other than hyposalinity? Are all white spots ich?
Thanks,
Angie

 

[Angelajean]

Okay so I read through the article and I am guessing that I will have to put the fish in a smaller tank. I think the outbreak may have come from adding tank water from store to our DT. It is such a small amount that people do not think it matters. But that isn't necessary. The white spots on my tangs don't look like pimples but more like flat dust spots. They are not flashing. They are eating well. No other fish have been affected.

 

[FishyReef]

First, I'm sorry to hear this :(

Second, if they are acting normally and eating well, then let them fight it off on their own.

Third, not all white spots are ich. I thought I had an ich outbreak at one point because I saw some flat white spots on the tail of my tang. Later I had a true ich outbreak in my nano tank that killed the fish in there. Now I know what a real ich outbreak is and realized that what I saw on my tang were flukes. Ich is really tiny. Have any of your fish ever gotten small grains of sand on them? Ich outbreaks looks like they have literally been rolling in the sand. What you are describing sounds a little more like what I've been seeing with my firefish, which are flukes. Any way you can get a picture? Also, are you seeing the spots on their bodies? I've found ich often starts on the fins and then moves to the bodies, but flukes are often apparent on the bodies first.

Finally, if you do decide to treat, it is possible to remove everything from the DT and treat with hyposalinity in the DT. Someone here did it last summer. I'll see if I can find the thread for you!

 

[Angelajean]

I am trying but he's kind of shy about the camera. I did catch him scratch himself on the rocks though. I would like to treat the fish in the DT because it's so much larger.I call him Lightning because he is that quick.

 

[Angelajean]

I know it starts as dusty look on the fins near their gills.

 

[Angelajean]

I didn't think it was ich and upon investigation I was right. The fish looked like he has super fine flour like when you are baking and have to scratch you nose. You get faint flour dust on your nose because you use your forearm. Well some of the sand we got when we moved tank is very fine and the way the pump was sitting it was kicking up fine sand dust. It is the section where only the 2 tangs hang out. But I'll watch it and get some pics if I can.

 

[d2mini]

First, I'm sorry to hear this :(

Second, if they are acting normally and eating well, then let them fight it off on their own.

+1

There's some powdered meds you can add to their food.
If you are not already, started adding Vit C and Garlic Extract to their food.
Keep your salinity around 1.024... fish cardiovascular systems work easier at lower salinity levels.
Ich can kill, but it kills fish that are stressed and unhealthy.
There is no reason to not have QT, but worries over ich is not the reason I would have one.
It's like the flu in humans... chances are you are going to get it periodically in your lifetime, but if you are healthy you fight it off. If you're immune system is already compromised, you can die from it.

 

[Angelajean]

+1 d2mini

We are going to get a QT tank up before we consider adding any more fish. However, we are done adding fish at this point. We want to focus on coral and tweaking out equipment. We also have to start buying high school curriculum for homeschooling high school. Microscope for biology $230 before I buy books, etc.
Is there a reason to have a hospital tank? I have read that it is more stressful to take fish out of tank due to what it takes to catch one for instance.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Angelajean]

BTW, the fish in question on ich, are little piggies. And also they are the most active fish in the tank.

 

[d2mini]

The treatment for some diseases require medications like copper for instance that you can't put in a reef tank... hence the need to treat in a hospital tank.

 

[Angelajean]

The treatment for some diseases require medications like copper for instance that you can't put in a reef tank... hence the need to treat in a hospital tank.

I think what I can do if I need to is put my son's frags in the DT and use the frag tank for a hospital. It is a 40. Then I can get another one if I need to since I could probably NEVER again use it for coral. Would I be correct in that?

Thanks,
Angie

 

[ErinCahir]

It would depend on what method you used to treat. If you used hypo, then you could use the tank again. If you used copper or any meds with malachite green, you could not.

 

[Angelajean]

I think I would go with hyposalinity.

 

[JohnVH]

If you are going to go the Hyposalinity route make sure you have a refractometer. I spent the better part of last summer fighting an Ich outbreak and I chose the Hypo. You need to keep your SG at 1.080 - 1.090 (floating needle style of Hydrometer are not accurate enough to maintain the SG for the period of time that you will need). Hypo works but it is a lot of work. Make sure you have an Autotopoff to maintain a constant SG and keep a close eye on your PH. Your Corals and inverts and live rock will not tolerate the low levels required for Hypo, only the fish and make sure you drop your SG slowly. Once you have reached the proper SG for Hypo maintain it for at least 4 - 6 weeks and after that keep it in Hypo for another 4 - 6 weeks after you have seen the last visible signs of Ich. (the spots you see on the fish and in your tank are only one part of the Ich parasites life cycle) After all that raise your SG back slowly again and be very patient. Things that happen quickly in a reef tank are usually bad. Good Luck and do your research there are many very helpful people on the forum and there is tons of info.;

 

[Greenman]

Best cure for ich i've found is good ol cleaner shrimp, get 4 of them and the fish will swim up to them to get "cleaned"

 

[Civicdemon]

Best cure i have Found Is a stress free Tank !!!

Just added a new fish a couple weeks back that messed all that up for me and i got a little outbreak my self going on. But i removed the new fish and everyone is looking better already. Hopefully will fully recover soon.

Before long ago i tried every reef safe solution to get rid of the Ich and nothing worked. i finally gave up and just got my water Parameter to be great and the fish recovered on there own. I did how ever use Selcon on there food. Wich im actually doing now also.