Help me...Crypto/ich

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

I need advise please! Today I noticed a single white dot on the side of my blue regal.

I'm assuming this is crypto/ich. My tank is a FOWLR setup. No invertebrates

Live rock is actually caribsea live rock. Can I treat the tank with some type of copper?

I want to go by my LFS after work tomorrow and get something started. Please tell me what I am do. I don't have a QT tank and will not be able to get one put together fast enough.

Diesel · Nov 15, 2016

Not sure if one dot can be Ick as we speak.
Many times you see more than just one dot.
Lets put more eyes on this.....

#reefsquad

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

I'm just wondering if I caught it early. However normally...don't you see it first on the clear pectoral fins?

Diesel · Nov 15, 2016

It can be every where.
Ick really doesn't have a favorite spot to hang on too.

melypr1985 · Nov 15, 2016

If it's just one spot then I would just sit and watch it. It's most likely just a grain of sand stuck to him. If it's gone in the morning, or just a few hours, then it's sand and no worries. If it's stays for a few days before dropping off, then it's probably ick and we can worry about treating. Until then, just wait and observe. If more pop up, then the sand idea is out the window as well.

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

Well I was hoping you would say it was just a zit!

The spot has been on him all day long so I feel it is safe to say not sand.

I can't get to the fish store until after 6pm tomorrow so I'll be stressed all night and day...maybe I can throw a bunch of pennies in the tank!?! Lol

Brew12 · Nov 15, 2016

TJFitz1980 said:
Well I was hoping you would say it was just a zit!
Did
The spot has been on him all day long so I feel it is safe to say not sand.

I can't get to the fish store until after 6pm tomorrow so I'll be stressed all night and day...maybe I can throw a bunch of pennies in the tank!?! Lol

I had a spot on a Hippo Tang for 3 days that I'm pretty sure was a piece of sand. That was a stressful 3 days!

However, if you don't have a QT along with the proper meds the time to get that stuff is now.

"If you don't have it when you need it, you may not have time to get it!" - Yogi Berra (or me sounding like him, one or the other)

Diesel · Nov 15, 2016

Don't stress it.
Feed the fish some extra nori and sleep well.
I have a 60 cube with four fish that has Ick for two years, it comes and goes.
I see it as a common cold, but I fully understand that one day when my balance of my parameters are way off the fish get stressed more and the ick can be a bad thing than.
For now it's all Peace and Flowers

melypr1985 · Nov 15, 2016

Try not to stress too much over it. The fish can live with it for a bit usually. Get the makings for a QT and be ready to treat if/when you need to. Click here for more info--> How to Quarantine

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

The best part is I didn't want to get a regal...my wife demanded it...

Now I am just giving her dirty looks every time I look at the tank! Lol

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

I really hope it is sand...it sure looks like sand...but I want it to fall off! It is eating like a champ and is an a hole to the other first so it isn't acting sick. Fingers crossed.

Thank you guys for the info. Please keep it coming and yes you are all right. I have to get a QT set up.

TJFitz1980 · Nov 15, 2016

Btw. I promise I will get a QT setup for any new additions. However what can I do now to take care of my current tank issue

melypr1985 · Nov 15, 2016

TJFitz1980 said:
Btw. I promise I will get a QT setup for any new additions. However what can I do now to take care of my current tank issue

Well until you know whether it's ick or sand, it's kind of hard to tell you to QT all the fish in your display. It's pretty unlikely that QTing future fish will make much of a difference to the new fish if you have ick in your tank already. Going fallow for 76 days and treating all the current fish is the only way to insure all the fish are ick (and other parasite) free. Again, let's see what happens with the hippo first.

4FordFamily · Nov 16, 2016

I actually find that on hippo tangs they do seem to get a rogue spot on the body rather than it beginning on fins as many other fish seem to sport first.

I hope I'm wrong!

Brew12 · Nov 16, 2016

melypr1985 said:
Well until you know whether it's ick or sand, it's kind of hard to tell you to QT all the fish in your display. It's pretty unlikely that QTing future fish will make much of a difference to the new fish if you have ick in your tank already. Going fallow for 76 days and treating all the current fish is the only way to insure all the fish are ick (and other parasite) free. Again, let's see what happens with the hippo first.

Just to clarify this comment. Using a QT on future fish will not have any impact on ich in your system. There is still value in using a QT system for all new additions because of other parasites and diseases. As marine aquarists we are "lucky" enough to be challenged with many different parasites and diseases!

I also recommend reading this.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/

If it is ich (and with 1 spot it is questionable) you do have the option of trying to manage the ich in your system. The way I see it is that there are 2 very big disadvantages in an ich managed system. First is if you have a water quality issue that stresses the fish you are likely to have an ich outbreak. The second is that if you add a new fish to your system they may or may not survive exposure to the ich in your DT when added. IMO this is where a QT is critical in an ich managed system. You need to reduce the stress on the fish caused by shipping and handling and get it as healthy as possible prior to exposing it to the ich in the DT.

TJFitz1980 · Nov 16, 2016

Ok...the spot is still there. I am thinking i am starting to notice spots on my butterfly also...

Now...what do I do? What can I put in the DT to stop this from getting worse.

This is a FOWLR setup. The rock is even the dry painted Caribsea Life Rock.

I don't ever plan on putting coral in this tank. If I can avoid putting in a Cleaner crew I would be happy. Seems if I do copper then I would not be able to put invertebrates in there anyways.

Please tell me what I can do now to save them. I don't want to explain to my 3 year old what happened to her "dory"

Thank you