First sight of Ich

[tmscott89]

No UV. I have a 20 gal qt. When I want new fish they go in qt. And I use copper power. In the old days I could blindly add a healthy fish that was eating. Nowadays I will never add a fish without it being in observation qt or treated for 4 weeks minimum in qt.

I’m sure I will invest in a QT tank in the near future to try and avoid future outbreaks. Just can’t be right this second.

 

[jsvand5]

so is that probably what happened? ich was always in my tank by uv sterilizer was minimalizing it? and if thats the case, will turning the uv back on diminish it or just simply not allow it to grow anymore than it already has, guess I will have to invest in QT tank

Curious why you turned off the UV?

 

[tmscott89]

Curious why you turned off the UV?

I have been told many times by a couple of friends that have had tanks in past as well from my LFS that turn it on for 2-3 weeks when introducing new fish then turn it on to conserve the bulb. Clearly not the best approach and won’t be turning it off anymore

 

[tmscott89]

I have been told many times by a couple of friends that have had tanks in past as well from my LFS that turn it on for 2-3 weeks when introducing new fish then turn it on to conserve the bulb. Clearly not the best approach and won’t be turning it off anymore

Turn it off to conserve*

 

[tmscott89]

Add a bacteria product. To help cycle. Manage by watching ammonia levels and water levels. Use a good amount of water from your desplay. This will help prevent some stress on transfer of sick fish. But no need to wait.

Just curious. What is the 3rd pic of as far as your QT tank pics? And what kind of bacteria product do you recommend? Anything specific?

 

[Terry Mattson]

Just curious. What is the 3rd pic of as far as your QT tank pics? And what kind of bacteria product do you recommend? Anything specific?

The 3rd pick is a canister filter / filtration. I over done it a little but this provides more surface area for bacteria and provides more mechanical filtration. I actually cycled the tank prior to placing fish in it. Used a small piece of shrimp in a bag. Added bacteria per attachment. It cycled in like10 days. Then did 25% water change. I treat all new fish with paraguard and then if specific decease show up treat with appropriate medications.

 

[tmscott89]

The 3rd pick is a canister filter / filtration. I over done it a little but this provides more surface area for bacteria and provides more mechanical filtration. I actually cycled the tank prior to placing fish in it. Used a small piece of shrimp in a bag. Added bacteria per attachment. It cycled in like10 days. Then did 25% water change. I treat all new fish with paraguard and then if specific decease show up treat with appropriate medications.

Well after doing all the water changes and the medication that my LFS gave me, the ich seems to have at least come back on my powder brown. So say I set up a QT tank in the next 2 days? With part of my water and partial new water. Is there a decent chance my fish don’t survive while the tank is partially going through a cycle?

 

[Terry Mattson]

Well after doing all the water changes and the medication that my LFS gave me, the ich seems to have at least come back on my powder brown. So say I set up a QT tank in the next 2 days? With part of my water and partial new water. Is there a decent chance my fish don’t survive while the tank is partially going through a cycle?

If you have a rock from your DT that you can keep in the QT tank and fill the tank as much as possible from DT then add bacteria to the QT, move the fish like yesterday and treat with ich treatment. Feed well.... in addition to a ich treatment use Paragard. Paraguard is like a general overall medicine. Helps with bacteria, fluke, ich.... you dose a little every day and does not accumulate day to day. You want someplace for the fish to hide. Bare bottom with 2 inch PVC is good. The rock will have bacteria on it. Add airstone. Test for ammonia and if it elevates them manage with water changes and continue to use the bacteria additive as needed. It actually will quickly reduce ammonia. When I cycled using the product ammonia peeked at 1 ppm. Then went down. But your using a good portion of DT water and a rock so you should be good to go. The ich treatment I used is attached. I do have a copper based ich treatment but did not need to use it. Copper is more toxic to fish. But can be very effective.

 

[Terry Mattson]

Ick treatment

 

[tmscott89]

If you have a rock from your DT that you can keep in the QT tank and fill the tank as much as possible from DT then add bacteria to the QT, move the fish like yesterday and treat with ich treatment. Feed well.... in addition to a ich treatment use Paragard. Paraguard is like a general overall medicine. Helps with bacteria, fluke, ich.... you dose a little every day and does not accumulate day to day. You want someplace for the fish to hide. Bare bottom with 2 inch PVC is good. The rock will have bacteria on it. Add airstone. Test for ammonia and if it elevates them manage with water changes and continue to use the bacteria additive as needed. It actually will quickly reduce ammonia. When I cycled using the product ammonia peeked at 1 ppm. Then went down. But your using a good portion of DT water and a rock so you should be good to go. The ich treatment I used is attached. I do have a copper based ich treatment but did not need to use it. Copper is more toxic to fish. But can be very effective.

I’ve already acquired the pvc pipe. And I’m pretty sure I couldn’t add copper with live rock in the tank anyways right? Or is simply inverts and corals? Also will need to look at Paraguard. Guess one thing I might learn from this whole experience is have an emergency fund for my tank in case of anything going wrong. Fish get sick, skimmer breaks, etc.... I literally don’t have the money for any of this right now but on the other spectrum I would really like for my fish not to die.

 

[Terry Mattson]

These medications cannot be used in the DT tank. Will kill off inverts and coral. Use them ONLY in hospital tank. In fact once you take a rock from DT and place it in hospital tank the Rick cannot go back to DT because of the medicines used to treat the fish. Try not to stress .... if the fish is eating then you have a good chance to save it. Also, ich falls of fish then goes to bottom and hatches hundreds more. They look for a fish to attack and the cycle continues. If the fish is not there these swimmers will die off. Powder tangs have thin slime coat thus easily get attacked by parasites. Hang in there, dig in, and save that fish. I know you can do it!

 

[tmscott89]

These medications cannot be used in the DT tank. Will kill off inverts and coral. Use them ONLY in hospital tank. In fact once you take a rock from DT and place it in hospital tank the Rick cannot go back to DT because of the medicines used to treat the fish. Try not to stress .... if the fish is eating then you have a good chance to save it. Also, ich falls of fish then goes to bottom and hatches hundreds more. They look for a fish to attack and the cycle continues. If the fish is not there these swimmers will die off. Powder tangs have thin slime coat thus easily get attacked by parasites. Hang in there, dig in, and save that fish. I know you can do it!

Yeah it’s definitely looks like the only fish being affected right now. Even the yellow tang for right now seems to have none on it when I could clearly see some a few days ago. Powder brown is loaded right now. And good to know about live rock staying in QT tank. I can definitely handle losing a $10 rock in my DT to save all the livestock

 

[Terry Mattson]

How big is your tank?

 

[Terry Mattson]

I was able to save my kole tang. After placing him in the DT, the tang acts like a king ....

 

[tmscott89]

I was able to save my kole tang. After placing him in the DT, the tang acts like a king ....

90 Gallon DT 30 Gallon Fuge/Sump ( I know kinda on the small side for powder brown )

 

[Terry Mattson]

They are beautiful fish. Wish wife would of let me get the red sea 450.... them I would of got a powder blue...

 

[tmscott89]

I’m not an expert so I’m going to assume the skin looking like it is is a sign that it is getting worse, not better? QT tank fell through, LFS was going to loan me a 15 gallon tank but he decided last minute it would probably be more stressful to move them so he decided not to and just to continue my treatments....

 

[W1ngz]

Check local groups on here or facebook, maybe someone can help you out with a loaner tank. Those fish need to be treated. That tang is going to be susceptible to infections as well as ich.

 

[tmscott89]

Check local groups on here or facebook, maybe someone can help you out with a loaner tank. Those fish need to be treated. That tang is going to be susceptible to infections as well as ich.

Just curious what kind of infections? Obviously first and foremost I need to get rid of ich but just to look for other signs

 

[W1ngz]

Bacterial infections. Really no different that if you had an open wound on your hand, and dunked it in tank water or lake water, and left it wide open without cleaning and bandaging.