(EMERGENCY) BLUE TANG HAS ICH SPOTS EVERYWHERE!

[TbSaysNo]

Dosing a medication that contains copper without using a copper test kit is really risky. My guess is that this product contains a low dose of copper, low enoughg that you don't need a test kit, but also so low as it probably won't be effective. Does the label give any indication as to strength of the copper?

Jay

okey so i bought a 13w uv sterilizer, will this help with my fallow period?. and is 45 days really enough?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

okey so i bought a 13w uv sterilizer, will this help with my fallow period?. and is 45 days really enough?

A UV sterilizer will not help to shorten the fallow period. A sterilizer only kills some of the free swimming stage theronts. The resting stage tomonts are the issue - they are down in the substrate or attached to surfaces and therefore never get exposed to the UV. The fallow period is designed to be long enough so that all of the resting stages die out due to lack of a host. That takes a minimum of 45 days at 81 degrees F. Longer is safer. Also, if you don’t treat/quarantine all new fish, they can bring the disease right back in with them.
Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

A UV sterilizer will not help to shorten the fallow period. A sterilizer only kills some of the free swimming stage theronts. The resting stage tomonts are the issue - they are down in the substrate or attached to surfaces and therefore never get exposed to the UV. The fallow period is designed to be long enough so that all of the resting stages die out due to lack of a host. That takes a minimum of 45 days at 81 degrees F. Longer is safer. Also, if you don’t treat/quarantine all new fish, they can bring the disease right back in with them.
Jay

ill do 45 days, but i am wondering how ich might be introduced during fallow period?... i dont use the same instruments without washing them on both tanks, but can ich for example survive on dry surfaces for multiple days?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

ill do 45 days, but i am wondering how ich might be introduced during fallow period?... i dont use the same instruments without washing them on both tanks, but can ich for example survive on dry surfaces for multiple days?

If you rinse items off with tap water and let them dry fully for two days, they are safe to move between tanks.
Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

If you rinse items off with tap water and let them dry fully for two days, they are safe to move between tanks.
Jay

thank you. if it does not work after 50 days, I might try this while https://www.polyplab.com/products/medic with a 8w reeflex 350 uv sterilizer. do you think this might be safe?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

thank you. if it does not work after 50 days, I might try this while https://www.polyplab.com/products/medic with a 8w reeflex 350 uv sterilizer. do you think this might be safe?

Polyp lab medic might work - it is a peroxide salt. An 8w UV is pretty small, but for a small tank, maybe up to 20 gallons, it would provide some benefit in trying to manage the infection.
Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

Polyp lab medic might work - it is a peroxide salt. An 8w UV is pretty small, but for a small tank, maybe up to 20 gallons, it would provide some benefit in trying to manage the infection.
Jay

I have done 2 50% water changes in the hospital tank. My test does not appear to test for Any ammonia. On monday, i get a small foxface rabbitfish and another clown. Is there Any way i can prepare that? I Will put Them in quarantine for about 2 weeks more and then pull all fish back to the reef tank. Is the fallow period complete by then?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have done 2 50% water changes in the hospital tank. My test does not appear to test for Any ammonia. On monday, i get a small foxface rabbitfish and another clown. Is there Any way i can prepare that? I Will put Them in quarantine for about 2 weeks more and then pull all fish back to the reef tank. Is the fallow period complete by then?

I’m not sure I understand - if you are adding new fish to a group that you are already treating for ich, that can be a bit risky. At the very least, the entire group would need to go through a full ich treatment again, since the new fish could be carrying it into the tank.
Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

I’m not sure I understand - if you are adding new fish to a group that you are already treating for ich, that can be a bit risky. At the very least, the entire group would need to go through a full ich treatment again, since the new fish could be carrying it into the tank.
Jay

So 2 weeks would not be sufficient?

in terms of ammonia, How often would you do water changes ?

 

[TbSaysNo]

So 2 weeks would not be sufficient?

in terms of ammonia, How often would you do water changes ?

I am giving very light feeding

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So 2 weeks would not be sufficient?

in terms of ammonia, How often would you do water changes ?

Some people have used 14 days for copper treatments, but I've found that to be too short of a time. At the very least, you need to treat for 14 days beyond the date of the last fish added to the group, or the last date any symptoms were seen (21 days is safer though).

For ammonia control, you need to test the water and keep the ammonia below 0.50 ppm (0.25 is best) through water changes or the addition of beneficial bacterial. You can't just rely on a set amount of water changes because ammonia builds up at different rates in different tanks.

Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

Some people have used 14 days for copper treatments, but I've found that to be too short of a time. At the very least, you need to treat for 14 days beyond the date of the last fish added to the group, or the last date any symptoms were seen (21 days is safer though).

For ammonia control, you need to test the water and keep the ammonia below 0.50 ppm (0.25 is best) through water changes or the addition of beneficial bacterial. You can't just rely on a set amount of water changes because ammonia builds up at different rates in different tanks.

Jay

Okey i Got 10 more days to Go and then fallow period is over, so i Will just do 50% water change every 3 days.
I added 3 more fish to the quarantine.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Okey i Got 10 more days to Go and then fallow period is over, so i Will just do 50% water change every 3 days.
I added 3 more fish to the quarantine.

However, the standard process is if you add new fish to an on-going quarantine, you need to reset the time clock to zero...you don't know if the new fish were infected as well.

Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

However, the standard process is if you add new fish to an on-going quarantine, you need to reset the time clock to zero...you don't know if the new fish were infected as well.

Jay

Am i correct with copper treatment for 2 weeks for newly added fish?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Am i correct with copper treatment for 2 weeks for newly added fish?

Copper should be run for 30 days.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Am i correct with copper treatment for 2 weeks for newly added fish?

Typically 30 days, although I've gone as little as 21 days in a pinch.

Jay

 

[TbSaysNo]

Typically 30 days, although I've gone as little as 21 days in a pinch.

Jay

I have considered buying a regal angelfish for 250$. Is this fish not very resistant to ich?
I end my fallow period this Monday or Tuesday and I can’t wait!!.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have considered buying a regal angelfish for 250$. Is this fish not very resistant to ich?
I end my fallow period this Monday or Tuesday and I can’t wait!!.

I would strongly urge you to avoid the regal angelfish. They are very delicate. If you do get one, you need to see it eat well at the store before you buy it and then quarantine it well using the process outlined here:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[Tamberav]

I would stop buying fish right now. It is very possible with adding new fish to QT, not going 30 days, and so on that the ich will return and you will have to start all over. Worse you end up with velvet and stuff starts dying. I would finish QT on the fish you have.

It isn’t worth half doing.

 

[TbSaysNo]

I would stop buying fish right now. It is very possible with adding new fish to QT, not going 30 days, and so on that the ich will return and you will have to start all over. Worse you end up with velvet and stuff starts dying. I would finish QT on the fish you have.

It isn’t worth half doing.

I would strongly urge you to avoid the regal angelfish. They are very delicate. If you do get one, you need to see it eat well at the store before you buy it and then quarantine it well using the process outlined here:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

the regal angel is bred, and I will treat it with copper for 3-4 weeks and then prazi pro if needed. I have pellets, flakes, garlic dipped pellets, nori, frozen Artemia and mysis, live small Artemia eggs I can hatch as well as frozen mussel.

every fish added will get 3-4 weeks quarantine before getting added to the dt from now on.

the other fish will have finished the quarantine before I add this one. I understand that adding this one last will not be a smart idea, but I don't have any tangs or angels that would harass it. my largest fish is a fox face, which is about 5 cm long / 1.8 inch.