Whyyy did I even try...

WannaRace

Reefing newb
Spare me the lectures because it was a hit or miss with this idea I had. I learned to never do this again but here goes: I added a SMALL yellow tang to my tank and needless to say he contracted ich and passed it along to all my fellow tank mates. After freshwater dips and lots of garlic, the only thing that survived was my yellow tail damsel. But I am only going to go with what is tried and true from now on, that's for sure!

I am wondering if the strawberry pseudochromis and royal gramma are in the same family, more specifically, if they would fight after being introduced in the same tank. I love the look of these fish and want to add them. Maybe together at one time would help? Please advise. Thanks and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)
 
It has been 7 weeks since the tank contracted ich. Do you think the damsel could still be a carrier this far in? He shows no physical signs at all.
 
All fish carry ick.Its stress that brings it out.

I dont know that I would add a pseudochromis and a royal gramma.I think you'd be pushing the issue.Just get the one you like the best.
 
Ich is always present in our tanks. There is no way to eliminate it. Think of it as a nasty strain of the flu virus. The more tired and stressed we are, the more likely we are to get sick. If our fish are frightened, stressed and / or bullied, there is a good chance they will get sick too. That is one of the main reasons to make sure the fish we add are going to live out their lives in our tanks. If you try to put in a fish that will easily out-grow the tank, it will start to get stressed and get sick and die, most often taking the rest of the population with it.

Ich is a parasite that exists in three different forms. one that is the egg, a floating larvae and the lovely white spots that infect out fish. they drop off after a few weeks and the eggs hatch, float around and attach to the fish, growing and turning into the white spots again, making babies and dropping the eggs into the rock and substrate to begin the cycle again. If there are no visible signs, the fish survived the round. I would wait 6 weeks to make sure there are no more active larvae in the tank. A UV steralizer works to kill the larvae but does nothing for the eggs, which seem to lay dormant for a long time. Many people do not like using UV steralizers on reef systems for the potential of killing good bacteria, but they are a must for keeping sensitive tangs (Like my Sohal).

The short of your question is to leave your system alone for about a month before trying to add new fish, This time, make sure the fish are a good fit for your system and you will experience much less loss.

-Doc
 
I fell for you. I personaly wont buy anymore fish that are notorios for getting ich. I bought a porcupine puffer that got ich and the ich killed the other two fish I had. It's really too bad that the yellow tang needs to be added last to prevent fighting other wise you could add it first then after all is good add more. Sorry to hear about though, and good luck to you in future.
 
Bobby, the issue was that he added a yellow tang to a 30 gallon tank. Don't worry, I will skip the lecture :).

But Doc is right -- you will always have ich in your tank. But if you pick your animals properly and keep their living conditions good, this will minimize the chance of an outbreak. There is no surefire way to prevent ich, sometimes just moving a fish from the store to your house can be stressful enough to cause an ich outbreak. This is why it's important to research the animals and their requirements carefully before buying.
 
Bobby, the issue was that he added a yellow tang to a 30 gallon tank. Don't worry, I will skip the lecture :).

But Doc is right -- you will always have ich in your tank. But if you pick your animals properly and keep their living conditions good, this will minimize the chance of an outbreak. There is no surefire way to prevent ich, sometimes just moving a fish from the store to your house can be stressful enough to cause an ich outbreak. This is why it's important to research the animals and their requirements carefully before buying.

yup, i agree 100%.
 
I recommend quarantining all fish for a minimum of two weeks before introducing them to the DT.A Pseudochromis and Basslets have similar body styles.I would not attempt both fish,dottybacks are aggressive and basslets are timid.In this hobby,there are always risk,use your best judgement.
 
Thanks for all the tips guys. Like I said, it's been about 7 weeks now since the outbreak happened. I think my tank is ready for some new fish. I am definitely going to go the same route I did before, minus the tang. I had 2 clowns, a royal gramma, and of course, my damsel. No troubles for a month until I added the tang. Thanks all for advice, and to you Biff, for going easy on me :)
 
7 weeks is long enough. I think if I remember right ich can not live without a host for more than 22 days it could be 30 days but I know it's not over 30 days.
 
Yeah but he still has a fish in there. Fish = host. So I don't think it really matters how long you wait, as long as you still have a host swimming around.
 
if you really want to be sure...lose the damsel. Then wait two more weeks and drop in a prize fishie. Plan your tank out for the maximum inches of fish and drop 'em in.

-Doc
 
Back
Top