Clown has ich...worth trying a cleaner shrimp?

[Gunzen]

My dude has ich, I only have one other fish in the tank (algae Belmont) and some assorted easy corals, and a mushroom or two. I don’t want to set up a quarantine tank. Is there any other option?

He seems okay. Eats fine, but appears stressed here and there from it. It comes and goes, but he can’t completely shed it.

Suggestions?

And no he is not using the anenome yet.

 

[Tahoe61]

Cleaner shrimp will groom the fish but can not remove the parasite as it's buried too far within the tissue and mucous coating. Cleaner shrimp provide some relief but they are not an effective treatment for marine ich. There is no guarantee the shrimp will clean or the fish will allow the shrimp to clean.

 

[Gunzen]

Cleaner shrimp will groom the fish but can not remove the parasite as it's buried too far within the tissue and mucous coating. Cleaner shrimp provide some relief but they are not an effective treatment for marine ich. There is no guarantee the shrimp will clean or the fish will allow the shrimp to clean.

That is what I thought. Okay, maybe if I get a few extra bucks I will set up a small tank to treat him. But I though ich was in the actual tank. I am not messing with it for a while. I have done a good job of leaving the thing alone right now and my annoyed animals seem to be appreciating it.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Big G]

The Dt needs to go "fallow" for 76 days to starve out the parasite.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree with @Tahoe61 and @Big G here. Cleaner shrimp won’t work and you’ll need to treat in a quarantine. Can you get better pics of the fish so we can rule out brook?

 

[Gunzen]

I agree with @Tahoe61 and @Big G here. Cleaner shrimp won’t work and you’ll need to treat in a quarantine. Can you get better pics of the fish so we can rule out brook?

I have never heard of that. There is no mucus. But some of the pics I saw on the internet seems similar. Let me try. Thanks.

 

[Gunzen]

I agree with @Tahoe61 and @Big G here. Cleaner shrimp won’t work and you’ll need to treat in a quarantine. Can you get better pics of the fish so we can rule out brook?

Okay. So these are the closet/best pics I can take with my camera. Sorry; could not get to close, last night he decided to let the anenome host him.

He is eating fine. But tries to scrape on rocks a bit and seems to be a bit stressed at times.

 

[4FordFamily]

Okay. So these are the closet/best pics I can take with my camera. Sorry; could not get to close, last night he decided to let the anenome host him.

He is eating fine. But tries to scrape on rocks a bit and seems to be a bit stressed at times.

I don’t see anything on your fish. Where am I looking?

 

[Gunzen]

I don’t see anything on your fish. Where am I looking?

Blown up closer; you don’t see the white spots/blotches?

 

[4FordFamily]

Blown up closer; you don’t see the white spots/blotches?

Ok now I think I’m seeing lympho if you’re talking about on the fins, which is viral and not a harm to your fish. Are any other fish showing these symptoms?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

High quality food and clean water will take care of it most of the time. 3-12 weeks to clear up typically.

 

[Gunzen]

Ok now I think I’m seeing lympho if you’re talking about on the fins, which is viral and not a harm to your fish. Are any other fish showing these symptoms?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

High quality food and clean water will take care of it most of the time. 3-12 weeks to clear up typically.

Oh sweet. My water is great. I feed mysis and flake. Could it have been brought
on by stress? I had another fish badgering him for a while, a wheeler goby,but I moved him out because I wanted the clown, figured I could add a goby after the clown got used to the tank and established himself.

No other fish in the tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

Oh sweet. My water is great. I feed mysis and flake. Could it have been brought
on by stress? I had another fish badgering him for a while, a wheeler goby,but I moved him out because I wanted the clown, figured I could add a goby after the clown got used to the tank and established himself.

No other fish in the tank.

Stress doesn’t help, but especially newer fish tend to be afflicted more by it. Probably the stress of transport. Either way it’s a pretty harmless ailment unless it covers the gills or mouth rendering it unable to breathe or eat. In that case even, it can be gently scraped off with a blade.

 

[Gunzen]

J

Stress doesn’t help, but especially newer fish tend to be afflicted more by it. Probably the stress of transport. Either way it’s a pretty harmless ailment unless it covers the gills or mouth rendering it unable to breathe or eat. In that case even, it can be gently scraped off with a blade.

Thanks for your help. I am just going to let my tank run for a few months, culture copepods and get my dream fish (dragonette) and just have the clown. I figure two fish, the 13.5 and the ten gallon sump plus my anenome and some soft corals should be doable. I will supplement pods if I have to, but I think I can get it to take the chilled dead pods and even mysis. I am also gong to culture baby brine.

I just cannot decide whether or not to get a skimmer. I go back and forth daily. I am afraid it will deplete foodstuff for my copepods and even the pods themselves.

I change about 5 gallons a week, but it seems like the extra aeration and skinning would be nice.

Today I wanted one, tomorrow I won’t, lol.