Concerned about my first Boxfish...please help

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 18, 2021

Hey guys, my new Scribbled Boxfish (Ostracion solarensis) seems to have developed a case of ich. I've only had him for 4 days and he's active and loves exploring the rocks but he hasn't begun to eat yet. I put a clam on a half shell in today and he is definitely drawn to it but then turns away. First of all how should I address the Ich? Boxfish get stressed easily and I worry a hyposaline dip or copper treatment may be too much for him. Do you guys think the refusal to eat is related to the Ich, or he just needs a little more time to acclimate?------Pic attached at bottom

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 18, 2021

Just got this scribbled boxfish about 4 days ago. He's been active but not eating...I just assumed he would start eating when I offered him his preferred food, but today I woke up to find white spots all over his back and some on his final as well...I think it's Ich but I welcome any opinions...how bad does it look in the attached pic?

Jay Hemdal · Feb 18, 2021

Do you see any spots on the fins, is that what you meant by final? If so, that is probably ich. Your best course of action would be to move it to a treatment tank and dose with copper using a good test kit. Trouble is, that isn’t why the fish isn’t eating, so you need to try and solve that problem also. What foods have you tried?
Jay

lapin · Feb 18, 2021

SInce he has contaminated the tank you dont have many options . It would require a 76 day fishless period to rid the tank of ich. I would try live foods to get it eating and

Marine Ich

Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) - Updated 6-9-2023 What You Need To Know: * Fish parasite which is sometimes managed in a DT by utilizing a UV Sterilizer, Ozone, Diatom Filter, Oxydator, herbal remedies, enhanced nutrition, etc. etc. * Can be treated in a quarantine tank by using...

humble.fish

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 19, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
Do you see any spots on the fins, is that what you meant by final? If so, that is probably ich. Your best course of action would be to move it to a treatment tank and dose with copper using a good test kit. Trouble is, that isn’t why the fish isn’t eating, so you need to try and solve that problem also. What foods have you tried?
Jay

Yes, I meant fins...so far I've tried Hikari Carnivore pellets because of a recommendation at the LFS (I really don't think they knew much) I've tried another type of pellets for general fish feeding, and I've tried clam on a half-shell. I know he's interested in the clam because he swims over and gets his mouth very close as if he's going to eat it but then swims off without a bite. I've only had him for about 4 days and I know he was a new arrival at the LFS so I'm hoping that maybe he's still a little stressed because of the shipment process.
He's very active though and has even found himself a place to rest at night.

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 19, 2021

lapin said:
SInce he has contaminated the tank you dont have many options . It would require a 76 day fishless period to rid the tank of ich. I would try live foods to get it eating and

Marine Ich

Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) - Updated 6-9-2023 What You Need To Know: * Fish parasite which is sometimes managed in a DT by utilizing a UV Sterilizer, Ozone, Diatom Filter, Oxydator, herbal remedies, enhanced nutrition, etc. etc. * Can be treated in a quarantine tank by using...

humble.fish

Doesn't Polyp Lap Medic help with getting ride of the Ick contamination in the tank?...I may be wrong though. Also, FOWLR tank right now so could I add copper or cupramine to the tank and later perform water changes until copper is diluted enough to be harmless to later added inverts?

lapin · Feb 19, 2021

I dont have personal experience with copper and rock

Rock and Copper

Question, if I used a rock in a QT tank with copper, anyway to clean it? Going to sell off some dry rock and don’t want to hand someone a bomb.

www.reef2reef.com

Interesting reading

Polyp Lab Medic. :(

So I made a stupid mistake and introduced a healthy looking Powder Blue Tang to my 300 gallon Reef display. I didn't have my quarantine set up yet. Stupid. I know Stupid. You know where this is going.... Ich broke out. I researched so much to find a fix for this. ( Yes I know catching...

www.reef2reef.com

hds4216 · Feb 19, 2021

You could do the tank transfer method. Doesn't require chemicals so it's probably the least stressful option for your boxfish.

Tank Transfer Method

Tank Transfer Method What It Treats – Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) only. How To Treat – Tank transfer (TTM) is my favorite method for clearing a fish of Marine Ich, but the prevalence (and similarities) of Marine Velvet Disease can make TTM a risky gamble nowadays. To properly execute...

www.reef2reef.com

Uncle99 · Feb 19, 2021

Only copper, Hypo or TTM, in a separate QT, combined with a DT fallow period are proven methods of eradication.

Zionas · Feb 19, 2021

I’d say this is a fish you have to take out and QT. If it dies..... GG to your tank.

Jay Hemdal · Feb 19, 2021

I would try a smaller, softer food - small sized from mysis shrimp, even frozen brine shrimp (just to get it started, that isn't a complete diet).

The trouble is, I think the fish has ich as well, and that will be fatal if left untreated.

Jay

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 19, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
I would try a smaller, softer food - small sized from mysis shrimp, even frozen brine shrimp (just to get it started, that isn't a complete diet).

The trouble is, I think the fish has ich as well, and that will be fatal if left untreated.

Jay

I have a friend fish-sitting for 2 days while I'm on a trip...I noticed the white spots just appeared one morning so I'm hoping it's only Ick and not velvet...does Ick usually take a while before it becomes fatal? Side note I have 3 clowns without the spots.

livinlifeinBKK · Feb 19, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
I would try a smaller, softer food - small sized from mysis shrimp, even frozen brine shrimp (just to get it started, that isn't a complete diet).

The trouble is, I think the fish has ich as well, and that will be fatal if left untreated.

Jay

Correction: the clowns did have a few spots as you can see in the pic I attached. However they're gone now without any treatment...I'm confused

Jay Hemdal · Feb 19, 2021

livinTHEnanoLIFE said:
I have a friend fish-sitting for 2 days while I'm on a trip...I noticed the white spots just appeared one morning so I'm hoping it's only Ick and not velvet...does Ick usually take a while before it becomes fatal? Side note I have 3 clowns without the spots.

Ich does kill slower than velvet, but it also becomes more difficult to treat when it becomes firmly entrenched. I would estimate, based on the number of spots, that this fish has about five days. It takes about 3 days for copper to get to working, so that gives you a couple of days leeway.

I'm also a little worried - boxfish, when freshly collected, can release toxins into the water when stressed. I can't forecast if at some point, the boxfish won't react to the ich by releasing toxins....

Jay

Jay Hemdal · Feb 19, 2021

livinTHEnanoLIFE said:
Correction: the clowns did have a few spots as you can see in the pic I attached. However they're gone now without any treatment...I'm confused

That is typical of the life cycle of ich: the first parasites land on the fish's skin and form trophonts at about the same time. They then all drop off to replicate, at about the same time. The theront swarming stage, then comes back and form new trophonts (the spots that you can see). Evnetually,m the disease gets bad enough that the ich parasites are out of sync and the fish has spots all the time.

Jay