Ich, Again??

Humblefish · Sep 3, 2016

If I were in your shoes, I would be strongly considering this to tilt the numbers back in your favor: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diatom-filter-for-treating-external-parasites.212429/

Read towards the end about the retrofit pump @omykiss001 is using.

joro · Sep 3, 2016

Humblefish said:
If I were in your shoes, I would be strongly considering this to tilt the numbers back in your favor: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diatom-filter-for-treating-external-parasites.212429/

Read towards the end about the retrofit pump @omykiss001 is using.

I'll read the full thread later but just out of curiosity, would a UV serve the same purpose? As mentioned I've had one running for a few weeks but at a higher rate, Ive worked with Coralife and they said it needs to come down to 110GPH to kill parasites which I'm waiting on an adapter to get to.

Humblefish · Sep 3, 2016

joro said:
I'll read the full thread later but just out of curiosity, would a UV serve the same purpose? As mentioned I've had one running for a few weeks but at a higher rate, Ive worked with Coralife and they said it needs to come down to 110GPH to kill parasites which I'm waiting on an adapter to get to.

The concept is (basically) the same, but the Vortex XL sucks the free swimmers out at a rate of 400 GPH.

omykiss001 · Sep 3, 2016

I ended up getting the 50 watt HO UV from emperor aquatics and run it about 250 GPH that really helped get things under control all my guys were on the downward slide until I installed this unit. My goal was > 1 tank volume turn over per hour at the parasite killing flow rate when the bulb is end of life. The UV bulb will lose power over the 1 year they are good for and emperor give the flow rate at the 1 year point to still have the contact time to kill.

How big is your tank? If small that unit might work out, but I went with the units that are used most often by large aquariums that could move the highest volume per hour at the kill flow rate. The diatom would probably work too. It was just was not as set and forget as the UV. however if your fish are suffering both might be good to get things under control, and in the event the Coralife unit just doesn't have the killing power. My UV unit cost close to $600 for the power it delivers its a beast. The vortex filter with the retrofit with powder could probably be purchased for around $200.

joro · Sep 4, 2016

omykiss001 said:
I ended up getting the 50 watt HO UV from emperor aquatics and run it about 250 GPH that really helped get things under control all my guys were on the downward slide until I installed this unit. My goal was > 1 tank volume turn over per hour at the parasite killing flow rate when the bulb is end of life. The UV bulb will lose power over the 1 year they are good for and emperor give the flow rate at the 1 year point to still have the contact time to kill.

How big is your tank? If small that unit might work out, but I went with the units that are used most often by large aquariums that could move the highest volume per hour at the kill flow rate. The diatom would probably work too. It was just was not as set and forget as the UV. however if your fish are suffering both might be good to get things under control, and in the event the Coralife unit just doesn't have the killing power. My UV unit cost close to $600 for the power it delivers its a beast. The vortex filter with the retrofit with powder could probably be purchased for around $200.

My main DT is 90G and I ended up purchasing the Coralife Turbo Twist 6X (which is rated for up to 250G) so I did oversize it intentionally.

omykiss001 · Sep 4, 2016

joro said:
My main DT is 90G and I ended up purchasing the Coralife Turbo Twist 6X (which is rated for up to 250G) so I did oversize it intentionally.

That may do the job on a 90 if you check and make sure you run at no more than 110 GPH and you check actual flow out of the unit. I think that is the common mistake folks make is not actually measuring flow out of the unit. Looking at the specs for that unit they don't say if that flow rate is for a bulb at end of life or new so assume it's new and you might want to run it at a lower flow rate or contact them to find out. Make sure you clean the sleeve every 2-3 months the deposits that build up can really reduce the effectiveness of the UV output.

Good luck hope the unit does the job!

kevindo123 · Sep 5, 2016

joro said:
An update, the battle continues As soon as the tank clears, it seems to come back stronger. The fish are still eating like champions every day and aren't flashing but it seems it won't subside fully which is to be expected I suppose. The tough decision now is what to do with the remaining fish in QT which are all ready to move into the DT from a timing/treatment perspective. Just to recap that roster -

Copperband Butterfly

One Spot Foxface

Starry Blenny

3 Blue Star Leopard Wrasses (1 Male, 2 Female)

Exquisite Fairy Wrasse

Diamond Watchman Goby

While I've had the UV running for a few weeks now after further discussion with Coralife it seems I was running to much GPH through it so while it did kill the algae bloom in short order, it's not slow enough to kill parasites at this point. I have a new supply pump which will hit the lower gPH required to kill parasites but of course the hoses aren't the same and I need an additional barb reducer fitting which won't be here until Thursday. Suggestions on what I should do understanding I don't really have an option right now to setup yet another QT tank - I already have 2 running with the others who need to move.

It is normal for spots to come back often at the beginning. As long as fish are eating, I would not worry. The fish that have developed immunity would not show spots or gets better everyday. The weakest fish will continue to develop ich spots and doesn't show signs of improvement, if that is so, I would recommend catching it and putting it into QT ( I did that to my Harlequin Tusk). That way you will have a stress free tank with less tropent, resulting in less tomites (free swimmers). You can add the remaining fish from your QT while you treat the sick fish.

joro · Sep 10, 2016

I was thinking about this today and it seems that many believe - of the fish left in QT currently - the CBB is the "highest risk" in terms of introducing to an ich management tank. I'm almost done cycling a new Reefer 170 - 34G in the display, 9G in the sump - and I was wondering if the CBB could go in there longer term? I know it's probably a long shot but the CBB is likely my favorite fish and has been treated like a baby since day one, I would hate to introduce her only to have her pass due to ich. Thoughts?

Sistawolf · Sep 10, 2016

I am sure @Humblefish would have picked up on using coppersafe if it were the wrong thing to do.. but I had velvet and ich and used cuprimine.. you would need to buy a seachem copper testing kit before dosing the cuprimine and no other test picks up the copper accurately. I used this and saved my fish with zero second round outbreaks of ich and velvet.. it sucks I know.. I can't imagine how you feel going through all of this only to start over.. but I think you should try the cuprimine and follow these guidelines.. it says for velvet but closely related to same guidelines.. https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/tank-terror-identifying-and-treating-marine-velvet.26/
You can't use it in your dt for sure and needs to be tested everyday.. good luck

Jasonnew2reefing · Sep 10, 2016

What's your thoughts on using a UV sterilizer

Sistawolf · Sep 10, 2016

Jasonnew2reefing said:
What's your thoughts on using a UV sterilizer

Honestly nothing can hurt at this point but I would def put them back in qt and start the cuprimine.. just dose slow and go up gradually..

Humblefish · Sep 10, 2016

@joro I'm not sure if this is what you're getting at, but I would not place a CBB in an ich management system.

joro · Sep 10, 2016

Humblefish said:
@joro I'm not sure if this is what you're getting at, but I would not place a CBB in an ich management system.

I think you may have misunderstood. The system that is now unfortunately "ich management" is my 90G DT. I have been setting up a Reefer 170 the past month or so which is ready for its first inhabitant, what I was wondering is if I could put the CBB in there and then all the other QT inhabitants in the 90G. Does that clarify?

Assuming the CBB would be ok in the smaller tank, this could be the best option - the CBB would go into an ich-free DT, although smaller tank, and the others would go into the ich management tank.

Sistawolf · Sep 10, 2016

Your going to do a ich management in your 90 gallon dt?

joro · Sep 10, 2016

Sistawolf said:
Your going to do a ich management in your 90 gallon dt?

Correct

Humblefish · Sep 10, 2016

Unless its a really small CBB, he's gonna be pretty cramped in just a 34 gal. However, that's the lesser of two evils if your 90 has ich.

Sistawolf · Sep 11, 2016

If it has coral or invertebrates you can not use cuprimine in your 90 gallon dt

Paul B · Sep 11, 2016

Humblefish said:
@joro I'm not sure if this is what you're getting at, but I would not place a CBB in an ich management system.

I would not in most tanks either, but my copperband laughs at ich. Ha Ha Ha , I can hear him now, Ha ha. It is actually annoying to hear him HaHa laughing so much and I wish he would stop.

He is so immune that I once placed him in the street in front of my house and a school bus ran him over, twice. He was still laughing. Now, that's an immune system