Ich Effects

[Shazeen]

Dear Friends,

I have a marine tank for 9 months now, a few weeks back I got marine ich in my tank by adding a new purple tang. After that, I have actually QT all my fishes for 8 weeks and my main display tank does not have any coral & I only have fish, some dry and dead coral rocks. so I have run my main display tank without any fish or rock, just only sand, and water for 8 weeks.

just 1 week back I added all the fish in my main display tank, today I saw my purple tang have some small white spot in his body and gills and my zebra damsel behaves very strange as well. I do have 2 more clowns and 3 blue damsels they all seem fine.

I have already switched my purple tang and my zebra damsel to QT tank. I am little worries will my other fishes will get also and I am really sick and tired of this ich process. So do I have to re-do all of this again from the bottom? Is there is any way I can treat my main display tank?

*Out of curiosity -*Since I don't have any corals and live rocks can I add a little bit of copper (like less than half dosage of what they tell in your label) in my main display tank and run for 2 weeks and change the water to 50% can get the tank up and running for fish?*

 

[Chef Tommy]

76 days is actually the fallow period you need to run when dealing with ick. However, since u have a fish only tank, therapeutic levels of copper might be a good option for the long run. Many fish stores do this so they can avoid an outbreak of ick.

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

First off if I read you properly.
8 weeks is not enough for main tank to rid ich. Do fish less tank for at least 10 - 12 weeks.
Also 8 weeks in at is also not going to rid ich unless you treat them with CPR or copper etc and some of those test themselves require 1 month treatment followed by 1 to 1.5 month observation.
I personally wouldn't use any copper based medicine in main tank.
Pull all fish from tank and place in qt and treat accordingly.
Good luck

 

[Shazeen]

@DR.Reef & @Chef Tommy Thank you so much for your warm replies. I will try to do that for 10 to 12 weeks and see. but 1 more thing the moment I add my purple tang to my QT all the white spots fell off his body instantly is that normal?

 

[Subsea]

@DR.Reef & @Chef Tommy Thank you so much for your warm replies. I will try to do that for 10 to 12 weeks and see. but 1 more thing the moment I add my purple tang to my QT all the white spots fell off his body instantly is that normal?

That is not normal. That might happen if you had dipped the tang in fresh water.

https://www.thesprucepets.com/give-fish-a-freshwater-bath-2924972

 

[Dr. Reef Verified Sponsor]

Purple tang can show spots when its stresses that are not ich but pigments. Not saying that is what it is but getting fish to qt and taking pics so we can id the parasite properly will be best for now.

 

[EmdeReef]

@DR.Reef & @Chef Tommy Thank you so much for your warm replies. I will try to do that for 10 to 12 weeks and see. but 1 more thing the moment I add my purple tang to my QT all the white spots fell off his body instantly is that normal?

If your QT is medicated and the tang had flukes then they could fall off. Similar with velvet, some throponts may fall off following a freshwater dip and/or medicated bath. This is only temporary. Ich won’t be visibly affected though. It’s possible what you’re dealing with is not ich.

As above, pics would help.

 

[Shazeen]

@EmdeReef @Dr.Reef @Subsea Thank your warm reply. Actually, I tried to take a pic its very hard the image is not visible at all. Its small white bubbles around 5 to 7 of them in the body & after I drop them in QT few of them already fell off. now he is a bit white as they always are whenever they have introduced to the new tank. but I don't know am I dealing with ich or what? I had ich 9 weeks ago as I mentioned earlier.
There are other fish in the DT looks fine and eat well such as 2 clowns 3 blue damsels, 1 black damsel.
only my zebra damsel started to hide and flip every time stick in corner of the tank then I thought he got bullied by other damsels then I noticed my purple tang got this white bubble issue. so I took both of them immediately and added them in QT.
I only have small QT about 30 gallons currently occupied with a copper band, purple tang and zebra damsel.

 

[Shazeen]

Dear Mates,

I Actually figured out that this is fluke not ich in my system. All, my other fishes in the tank are fine and only my purple tank got a fluke. I don't know anything about flukes please do let me know if you guys know anything about it.

Thank you very much

 

[fabutahoun]

You can use Prazipro to treat for fluke , you can treat with ParziPro in display or QT. I prefer to dose any medication in QT and keep the Display clean. and remember don't mix Prazipro with any other medication.
It is better to send us a close up photo so we can ID the parasite. maybe using the camera flash will give you a better photo.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Dear Mates,

I Actually figured out that this is fluke not ich in my system. All, my other fishes in the tank are fine and only my purple tank got a fluke. I don't know anything about flukes please do let me know if you guys know anything about it.

Thank you very much

You will need to QT all of your fish and leave your display fallow to break the lifecycle of the fluke. I’ve been down this road with a Kole tang. Sorry to see this happen to you.

 

[Shazeen]

Thank you guys for all your replys