Despite my best efforts, ich has returned

[FishTruck]

I think you are doing everything right to ride this out. Gorgeous tank by the way.

 

[Bpfor3]

Update. Still got spots, although the Kole tang has not had any since Sunday. Basically holding steady. I noticed on my Apex that I had a salinity spike due to a water change which kind of coincides with the outbreak. Not enough to effect any corals, but Levels back down to normal. Still feeding well, etc. Fish doing well. Holding steady.

 

[Bpfor3]

Did some research. Going to dose peroxide. 1ml/8 gallons every 8 hours for 30 days. Will see how it goes.

 

[Paul B]

I would use LRS food, Fish Frenzy along with fresh or freshly frozen clams and if you can get them live black or white worms. If you only use commercially available aquarium food you will never get the fish immune because they need living bacteria in their gut. Live worms a few times a week or fresh clams will do that.

 

[Bpfor3]

Update. Appear to be holding steady. Dosing peroxide 1ml/8gallons every 8 hours. My elegance is ticked, but everything else seems unaffected. Started feeding some black worms. Good thing is it does not appear to be worsening, but it sure isn't going away. Only tangs effected at this point.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 17. Still holding steady. Some days better than others, probably due to parasite cycle. All tank inhabitants seem ok with peroxide dosing, although my elegance looked as bad as I have ever seen it a day ago. Will continue what I am doing. As long as the Powder Blue holds steady I figure I got a shot. Didn't care for the blackworms at first, but now all are eaten them. I am feeding so much, I think I can see my fish growing day by day.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 24!!! (sarcasm) Still holding on. The Purple and Kole tang have had no spots for 2 days. The Powder Blue and Orange Shoulder look good one day, as in just a few spots, then multiple spots the next. Very little if any scratching or flashing. Maybe a spot or two on the fox face every now and then, but everybody else seems good. I hope i will see some consistent improvement over time. Right now, doesn't look like it. Still dosing peroxide and changed the bulb in my UV.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 35. Well looks like my Powder Blue and Orange Shoulder are going to be the holdouts. Still with spots. Everyone else looks good. Maybe one spot here and there. Still dosing peroxide. i have noticed that my softies look withdrawn longer than usual, but usually polyp out during the day. My SPS growth has slowed quit a bit. I had to back down feeding to twice a day, because of concerns about algae issues. Got about 10 more days of peroxide to hit 30. Then what? I guess ill stop and see if everything stays steady, but if that is what is keeping it in check could be disaster.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 47.?? Holding steady. Started feeding Metro soaked food and that seems to help. Although could be just part of the cycle. Spot or two here and there on other fish. Main offenders still the Acanthurus tangs. Still dosing Peroxide. Have not lost any coral or inverts.

 

[Debramb]

Does anyone use a diatom filter to clear swimming ick or does a UV do the same? Just curious (old method)

 

[Bpfor3]

Does anyone use a diatom filter to clear swimming ick or does a UV do the same? Just curious (old method)

I looked into this as well. From what i remember from my research a diatom filter technically can remove the free swimmers, but is not better or worse than UV, because not all the swimmers will make it through the filter. The general consensus was diatom was a waste of time. From what i remember.

 

[Debramb]

Ok,

I looked into this as well. From what i remember from my research a diatom filter technically can remove the free swimmers, but is not better or worse than UV, because not all the swimmers will make it through the filter. The general consensus was diatom was a waste of time. From what i remember.

Ok, good to know, I’m old school and all these diseases are terrible. I’m following Paulb’s Gut loading for my “heathy” DT

 

[Paul B]

Good man. But remember it is not only gut loading. It is feeding food with living bacteria in it.
The correct feeding and tank set up will completely eliminate all these disease problems. But once you let it get to this stage and start quarantining and medicating, it is a hard battle to get the fish back to normal.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 58. Fish have looked better today than ever before. I am hoping it is the metro soaked food that is doing the trick. Still dosing peroxide, but i want to cut that out. Hopefully, its actually getting better and its not just the middle of the ich cycle. Still feeding black worms, claims, per Paul B. Miraculously, have not lost a fish, which is positive. Dosed a little Vibrant on Monday, to deal with some algae issues caused by my feeding.

 

[Bpfor3]

Day 65. Still about the same. I am going to stop the peroxide on 8/14/20. That will be about 45 days of it. I really think that if i did not have the Acanthurus tangs, the other fish could easily ride it out. Those two have spots consistently and I can almost tell where i am in the ich cycle by the number of spots on them. Maybe one or two fish have a spot a time or two, but the Powder Blue and Orange Shoulder have 10 spots+ most of the time. I think they are what is keep the cycle going. Unfortunately, really like those fish.

 

[Bpfor3]

Lost my yellow eye kole tang last week. Did not seen any outward manifestations of ich on him, but im sure it is related. I have bit the bullet and purchased a Emporer 150 watt UV Sterilizer, which i am going to hook up with the correct flow rate. Should be here in a week or two. My fish are relatively fine, but they still have spots. Hopefully, it works. Ill keep posting results on this thread.

 

[Brew12]

Lost my yellow eye kole tang last week. Did not seen any outward manifestations of ich on him, but im sure it is related. I have bit the bullet and purchased a Emporer 150 watt UV Sterilizer, which i am going to hook up with the correct flow rate. Should be here in a week or two. My fish are relatively fine, but they still have spots. Hopefully, it works. Ill keep posting results on this thread.

I'm sorry for your losses and the frustration. I'm not suggesting you need to go this route right now, but it may be something to keep in your back pocket for the future....
A study was done on fish immunity to CI that needed immune fish. What they did was infect the fish rather heavily for a few days and then treat the fish to clear the infection. For most fish, they needed to be treated this way 3 times before they became immune and not susceptible to further infection.
Normally, after this long of an exposure, I feel the fish should have enough immunity to not show symptoms. I suspect that the reason you still have spots is the aggressive treatments you have used. Much of a fishes immune system is based on it's gut. If you heavily use antibiotics targeting the gut it can have a negative impact on the fish. It is similar to people. If someone has a very serious intestinal infection it can be treated with strong antibiotics but then the persons gut is reseeded with probiotics to help restore their health.
So, if you see a fish struggling with CI, in my opinion there can be a benefit to treating that fish to clear the CI, letting it recover, and returning it to the tank. My preference would be treating in copper for 9 or 10 days and transfer to a clean QT to allow the fish to recover. When it looks healthy, release it back into the system.

 

[Bpfor3]

I'm sorry for your losses and the frustration. I'm not suggesting you need to go this route right now, but it may be something to keep in your back pocket for the future....
A study was done on fish immunity to CI that needed immune fish. What they did was infect the fish rather heavily for a few days and then treat the fish to clear the infection. For most fish, they needed to be treated this way 3 times before they became immune and not susceptible to further infection.
Normally, after this long of an exposure, I feel the fish should have enough immunity to not show symptoms. I suspect that the reason you still have spots is the aggressive treatments you have used. Much of a fishes immune system is based on it's gut. If you heavily use antibiotics targeting the gut it can have a negative impact on the fish. It is similar to people. If someone has a very serious intestinal infection it can be treated with strong antibiotics but then the persons gut is reseeded with probiotics to help restore their health.
So, if you see a fish struggling with CI, in my opinion there can be a benefit to treating that fish to clear the CI, letting it recover, and returning it to the tank. My preference would be treating in copper for 9 or 10 days and transfer to a clean QT to allow the fish to recover. When it looks healthy, release it back into the system.

Thanks Brew12. i have considered trapping the two Acanthuras tangs and putting them in QT. i have a 40 breeder for such things. I have not done it, because i have some fish that i definitely cannot get out to go fallow for 76 days and didn't know if would help. I have two more days of the metro treatment, so i will shut it down after that. I have been trying to gut load with black worms, fresh clams, but as you say the medications could be defeating the purpose. Sterilizor is already on order, so ill try that first bf removing anything. Fish are fat and otherwise healthy, which is probably why i have lasted this long, but they can't go like this forever.

Thank you for the thoughts!

 

[Brandon3152134]

My reef is almost one year old. At the start i stocked 4 tangs as a cleanup crew and everyone got ich/velvet and died. I vowed never again. Tank went fallow for 80 days+. Bought 4 new tangs, PB, Purple, Orange Shoulder and Kole. QT'd all of them per Humblefish' Copper/prazi guidelines. Almost lost the PB due to a bacterial infection, but pulled it through with Furan2. Made it to my display and all are beautiful and healthy. Added a multicolor angel, maroon clown pair, melanurus wrasse. Was worried about copper, so i did Humblefish TTM for ich and velvet. All made it to display and all doing very, very well. Did TTM for a small sixline. All good.

Bought a Bellus Angel Pair, small clown trigger, and fox face from TSM Aquatics, whose QT protocol follows Humblefish' copper/prazi method.

All have been in the tank, looking great and growing for several months.

Looked in the tank on Monday and ill be danged, the tangs had ich. what the heck!? Just a few spots here and there, but i was crushed to say the least. I have no choice now but to manage it. I turned my UV on for 24 hours now. Was at 12. Feeding selcon and garlic. All the usual tricks. I am not adding any new fish and the only way to get all the fish out would be to tear down the tank.

I added a new Goniporia coral 4-5 days prior and i can only assume it came in on that.

We will see how it goes. So far no one else has it and fish are unaffected, although maybe the Kole is acting a little shy. (probably just my paranoia.)

I think i just need a hug.

Pic of tank the day before i noticed.

Could try a cleaner shrimp one cleaned all the ich off my melanarus wrasse once

 

[SkinnyMcGinny]

Boy do I feel your pain. I myself had a few Ich wipeouts, enough to let my 300 gallon go fallow for 90 days! Rough! So I started over, all went well, and somehow, about 4 months in I got Ich back in the system! Wanted to cry. (I think it was leopard wrasse, but don't know)

But I rode it out, ("management"? I guess so) and now my tank has been healthy for about 4 years. RE: Ich, the "never again" fish for me is the PBT. Yes, one of the most striking fish in the hobby, but I've had terrible luck with them and Ich. Total Ich magnet. My PBT finally succumbed, but my yellow, hippo, sail fin, and blonde Naso all survived. Now, years later, I'll occasionally (one every 3-4 months) see a spot or two on the hippo that might be Ich. That's it. btw, The Naso NEVER got a spot which was weird.

So hang in there, try to keep all healthy. Definitely crank up the UV power. That will help get the free swimmers. The rest of it is cross-your fingers to me. Good luck!