I am sick to my stomach :-(

[Chrisz]

So...I have not had Ick since 2012, not sure what I did wrong. I added some new corals and copepods in the last couple weeks, dipped the corals in a coral dip and dumped the pods directly into the tank.

I floated the coral bags then dipped them in the coral dip and put them in the tank. Am I mistaken that the coral dip should of killed anything that may have come in with the coral like Ick?

The pods say no parasites, what the heck?

Fish looked good yesterday now the white dots have appeared today...hospital tank getting set up now. I have had these fish for 8 years, I'm so ticked at myself

 

[theMeat]

Would say ich was in your system longer than a few weeks if you’re seeing it

 

[Cell]

I don't believe coral dips kill encysted tomonts. Ideally, corals should be quarantined for the 76 day fallow period.

 

[Chrisz]

I don't believe coral dips kill encysted tomonts. Ideally, corals should be quarantined for the 76 day fallow period.

Oh man I screwed up big time, I assumed it did

 

[Hugh Mann]

Having never used a Coral dip I don't know exactly what's in there, but ich is pretty difficult to kill. Even copper won't kill the encysted stage (tomont?) of ich. It's entirely possible it was latched onto the coral, or the plug. With a lifecycle of about 80 hours, it could take a couple weeks to ramp up to the point where it's effecting fish. Or it was already present, in the background and some new stress brought it back.

 

[Chrisz]

I am rusty at this...do I need to cycle the tank before adding the fish and cupramine...some how I remember tons of water changes due to the tank cycling after adding the medication

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I am rusty at this...do I need to cycle the tank before adding the fish and cupramine...some how I remember tons of water changes due to the tank cycling after adding the medication

You can jump start your cycle in the QT by moving some filter media over, even live rock if you have to. You definitely want manage the ammonia in the QT.
Jay

 

[Chrisz]

So no Ick today, could the parasite fall off in 24 hours? That seems awful fast

I am still cycling the QT tank...its got to be still in there

 

[litenyaup]

You could have had ick for a long time and never knew it. Healthy fish will more times than not never show the ick. A stress incident could have allowed the ick to attach. Who knows but keep the fish healthy and well fed you should be fine.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Early on in an ich infection, all of the reproductive phases are in sync with each other, and it is pretty common to have them all drop off the fish around the same time to reproduce. Their offspring then come back in a few days, sometimes in much greater numbers. Eventually, if the infection isn't being well controlled, the parasite life cycles get more and more out of sync until the fish has lots of spots, all of the time.

That could be what you are seeing here...

Jay

 

[theMeat]

Have had ich in my tank for a decade. Fish get stressed they show spots. I feed them well and don’t worry about it no more

 

[Chrisz]

Have had ich in my tank for a decade. Fish get stressed they show spots. I feed them well and don’t worry about it no more

Its crazy it could of been dormmate for the last 7 years, I have had these fish for a really long time I don't want to loose them

 

[theMeat]

Its crazy it could of been dormmate for the last 7 years, I have had these fish for a really long time I don't want to loose them

Have heard this dormant theory and don’t think it works that way. Would think they need to be feeding on blood to keep the live cycle going. Just that in healthy low stress tanks, with healthy fish eating a healthy diet the numbers don’t get hi enough for you to notice.
But who knows. Was reading this article about fish eggs that layer dormant in dried up lake for 25 years then hatched. Previously thought impossible for this type fish

 

[theMeat]

Will add that what Jay said is completely correct. If you never had ich in your tank when you first get it you will see the cycle with the coming and going of spots on fish. Once it’s been in your tank for a while the cycle is blurred from some going through cycle faster than others.

Will also add that with no new introductions of ich the dna weakens and gets less able to reproduce. Same as copepods

 

[Chrisz]

Well 3 days have passed...the Ick disappeared, hospital tank is cycling still holding my breath

 

[TriggerFinger]

Well 3 days have passed...the Ick disappeared, hospital tank is cycling still holding my breath

The spots you saw are actually the marks left by the parasites leaving the body; they are dropping off to reproduce. You should see spots start showing again in 10-14 days as they’ve reattached, fed and left the fish again.

 

[Chrisz]

The spots you saw are actually the marks left by the parasites leaving the body; they are dropping off to reproduce. You should see spots start showing again in 10-14 days as they’ve reattached, fed and left the fish again.

would a good cleaning of the sand bed do any good?

 

[iamacat]

The spots you saw are actually the marks left by the parasites leaving the body; they are dropping off to reproduce. You should see spots start showing again in 10-14 days as they’ve reattached, fed and left the fish again.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Honestly I don’t know but I don’t think it would help. The tomonts? are encrusted to more than just the sand unfortunately.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Honestly I don’t know but I don’t think it would help. The tomonts? are encrusted to more than just the sand unfortunately.

Siphon cleaning the substrate can remove a percentage of the tomonts, but not nearly enough to control the infection. It has a bit better application in bare bottom tanks.
Jay