Help Royal Gramma does it have ick?

[Sebastiancrab]

But now I have a problem with keeping both the yellow tail damsel and the royal gramma together. I like them both.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

But now I have a problem with keeping both the yellow tail damsel and the royal gramma together. I like them both.

Might be time to make a choice

 

[saltyhog]

If he is swimming ok, not breathing hard and eating well I would not do a freshwater dip but get him out of the tank and do a definitive treatment. You will also need to treat the rest of your fish and leave your tank fallow for 76 days. Otherwise you won't have accomplished anything.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Yes, I don't think I can keep both. I hate that.

 

[DrufusReef]

But now I have a problem with keeping both the yellow tail damsel and the royal gramma together. I like them both.

Damsels are Jerks. If you had to pick I would go with the Gramma, but good luck catching that Damsel. lol

 

[Sebastiancrab]

If he is swimming ok, not breathing hard and eating well I would not do a freshwater dip but get him out of the tank and do a definitive treatment. You will also need to treat the rest of your fish and leave your tank fallow for 76 days. Otherwise you won't have accomplished anything.

Already did the dip, he is resting now and the critters have disappeared off him.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

I gave mine a 5 minute dip with an airstone before the first QT tank and then before the second QT during TTM. Handled it like a charm

 

[Sebastiancrab]

So, what do most people use to treat a tank with no coral? I was reading about Seachem Paraguard and it sounds like it kills the ick totally in the tank over about a month, I think for SW.

 

[reefwiser]

Ick is a parasite that lives in the water column and then will attach to the fish during its life cycle.
The stress of the yellow tail damsel caused the fish to break out in ick. Damsel’s are very territorial and will stress out other fish in a aquarium.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Ick is a parasite that lives in the water column and then will attach to the fish during its life cycle.
The stress of the yellow tail damsel caused the fish to break out in ick. Damsel’s are very territorial and will stress out other fish in a aquarium.

I figured that had happened too. But I guess it is a good thing that I now know ick is in the tank. I talked to Seachem about their Paraguard product just now. It will totally wipe out Ick in your tank if you use it for 28 days. The royal gramma is resting peacefully on his own this morning. I have got to rehome the damsel.

 

[reefwiser]

Ick is always in your aquarium just as many other fish diseases Are. Do you plan on adding corals to your aquarium. If so you want to add all your fish first and make sure they are all healthy. Before you start adding corals. Because once corals are added you will not be able to use most of the med’s. As corals bring water into their bodies and the med’s will kill them.

 

[saltyhog]

I would not trust treating with Paraguard. The ingredients are not fully divulged and the list of ways to completely eradicate Ich from your tank is small.

1. Copper....can't use in the tank if corals will be in later. Will be absorbed by the rock and is very toxic to inverts and coral. Best used in a separate hospital tank and leave the DT fallow for 76 days.

2. Hyposalinity....lowering the salinity to 1.009 (and maintaining it accurately). Unfortunately there are strains of Ich resistant to this treatment. Advantage is it can be administered in a DT free of coral/inverts with fish only.

3. Chloroquine phosphate....Could be used in the tank and removed later. Unfortunately it's affected by the biofilter which makes it iffy in the DT.

4. Tank transfer method.....using two small hospital tanks to transfer the fish back and forth (with complete cleaning /drying between). for 4 transfers. Will completely eradicate Ich. Still need to keep the fish out of the DT for 76 days.

These are your options in addition to trying to manage/live with ich.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Another, if more labour intensive way, if you don't have a QT big enough to house all your fish for the duration, would be to remove all rock and sand, store it dry, you'll have to reseed it with bacteria and whatnot later, or in a bin full of saltwater with a heater and powerhead, leave fallow for 76 days, and remove all inverts unless you're prepared to kill them all, then with a clean tank you can treat it however you want. Personally, I used Coppersafe on Velvet, but it also works on ich. Should, properly dosed and maintained, kill all the ich in your tank. Rigorous QT procedures on new additions should help keep it out.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Damsels are Jerks. If you had to pick I would go with the Gramma, but good luck catching that Damsel. lol

To catch the damsel, I did similar to what I do with a spider or other bug on a wall or floor. You put a cup over it and slide a piece of paper underneath and carry it outside. So, use a decent size lightweight food storage container and surround him in that and press the edges against the glass. Slide it upwards. Then take your net and slide it gingerly underneath the edge of the container and catch him in the net. Problem solved!