i think its ich but treating and no luck

[dieselwagon]

well i have been adding new corals and using coral dip everytime. but the after the last one my clown looked like it had ich. so i pt him in my qt tank to treat. sadly its not going well. treating with copper. any other suggestions, bacteria, zoa put out poison? fish is breating rapidly and looks like its skin is changing color. help!

 

[hybridazn]

Def not ich. Looks to be brook

Maybe @Humblefish or @melypr1985 can chime in on treatment. I know formalin works but isn't available anymore

 

[CodyRVA]

Can you provide a better, more up close, picture of the fish; this doesn't appear to be ich? I highly doubt adding frags to your system would introduce ich, unless you're pouring the other tank water directly into your column. Tread carefully with copper, you must test often to assure appropriate levels.

 

[dieselwagon]

i have had other fish die but show no signs like the clown. chromi and firefish

 

[moulton1853]

+1 on Brook

 

[dieselwagon]

 

[moulton1853]

Could be velvet. @Humblefish maybe he can weigh in

 

[Humblefish]

Looks like brook to me. More info below. All external parasites have a tomont or encysted stage, and these can hitchhike in on a coral or invert. Coral dips probably DO NOT eradicate tomonts, as not even copper can do that.

Brooklynella:

Symptoms – This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s).

Treatment options - Formalin bath, followed by additional formalin baths (as needed - but give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths). You can use formalin in a QT (at a much lower concentration than the bath), but great care must be taken to provide plenty of gas exchange as formalin will quickly deplete the water of oxygen. For this reason, doing baths is the safer option as the fish can be pulled from the formalin if showing signs of distress. Formalin-MS is preferred, as that contains 37% formaldehyde. However, in a bind, any medication containing formalin (ex. Quick Cure) is better than nothing. Alternative treatments for brook include metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) and acriflavine (ex. Acriflavine-MS). A freshwater dip may provide temporary relief if you are unable to locate any of the aforementioned medications right away.

 

[CodyRVA]

Could be velvet. @Humblefish maybe he can weigh in

+1

 

[dieselwagon]

@Humblefish how long can it live in my display tank. I dont want to reintroduce fish too quickly back? thanks all for the help. worst part about the hobby is when your fish get sick

 

[Humblefish]

Your first move is probably to administer a FW dip (for temporary relief), unless you have immediate access to formalin, acriflavine or metronidazole.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[CodyRVA]

All external parasites have a tomont or encysted stage, and these can hitchhike in on a coral or invert.

Never heard of this before. Does this mean you're essentially taking a risk every time you introduce new frags/corals/inverts into your system? If so, is there any way to defend against it:

Coral dips probably DO NOT eradicate tomonts, as not even copper can do that.

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish how long can it live in my display tank. I dont want to reintroduce fish too quickly back? thanks all for the help. worst part about the hobby is when your fish get sick

You will need to go fallow (fishless) for 6 weeks to eradicate brook from your DT.

 

[Humblefish]

@dieselwagon Doing a FW dip may buy you some time, but you will need to get your hands on one of the meds listed below for proper treatment:

• Acriflavine: Acriflavine-MS or Ruby Reef Rally
  
• Formalin: Formalin-MS, Quick Cure, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X or Kordon Rid-Ich Plus
  
• Metronidazole: Seachem MetroPlex or Metro-MS

 

[Humblefish]

Never heard of this before. Does this mean you're essentially taking a risk every time you introduce new frags/corals/inverts into your system? If so, is there any way to defend against it:

Yes, look here under "Coral/Invert QT": https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-quarantine.189815/

 

[dieselwagon]

just did a freshwater dip. going to get some metroplex. no formalin in the area.

 

[Humblefish]

just did a freshwater dip. going to get some metroplex. no formalin in the area.

You will need to treat in a QT, unless you have no corals/inverts in the DT.

 

[dieselwagon]

i have the clown in my qt. so ill be doing my treatment in there

 

[dieselwagon]

update i managed to get some Kordon Rid-Ich Plus. called all the lfs and guy had a supply in his house he gave to me. all fish in qt. clown responded well to freshwater dip. breathing returned to normal and not gasping for air. lets hope for the best. @Humblefish will the brooks live in the snails, shrimp, or crab in my DT?

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish will the brooks live in the snails, shrimp, or crab in my DT?

The encysted stage can live for up to 6 weeks without a fish host. So, you need to go fallow (fishless) in the DT for 6 weeks to starve it out.