Ich outbreak in my tank.

surfnsalt

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I'm setting up a 20 gal tank to treat and keep my fish in for a few months. What is the best treament that a petco will have my lfs is closed already. There will be 2 clowns a royal gamma a cardinal and a six line of I can catch him. I didn't get any New fish lately, just new corals ( i didn't dip them). I did have a nitrate spike I'm thinking that stressed the fish. On my way to petco now so help?
 
Look for Cupramine, Coppersafe or Copper Power. If Petco doesn't carry any of those, just wait until tomorrow when your LFS reopens. Don't let them talk you into some junk that doesn't work.
 
Any suggestions on what to do if I can catch the six line I really don't want to wreck my tank trying. He is the only one who doesn't appear sick but..?
 
You have to catch him too. You'll probably end up taking the rock out to get him too. If even one fish is left in the DT the ick will remain in there and treating the other fish will be useless. You could try a bottle trap but i never had any luck with them. The Dt has to be fallow (without fish) for 76 days to be clear of ick completely. Good luck! Keep us posted :)
 
You have to catch him too. You'll probably end up taking the rock out to get him too. If even one fish is left in the DT the ick will remain in there and treating the other fish will be useless. You could try a bottle trap but i never had any luck with them. The Dt has to be fallow (without fish) for 76 days to be clear of ick completely. Good luck! Keep us posted :)
So the " you can never get rid of ich once it's in your tank is not true?
 
Not really. Not if you take the right precautions. Qt everything, even corals and inverts. Going fallow makes it near impossible for the ick to remain as they need a fish host to complete their life cycle. without a fish to feed on they will starve and die. The problem is the .01% chance that you run into some strange strain that may have a slightly longer life cycle- though there haven't been any studies that show that. Your problem comes in when you introduce inverts or corals that ick have incysted on. the cysts break open in your tank and the free swimmers attach to your fish. That's why you QT your corals and inverts for 76 days.
 
Of course petco had nothing but all natural stuff. Nothing copper. Should I move the fish to qt even though I won't be able to treat them till tomorrow after work?
 
Yes! That way all you have to do when you get home is a water change and add a little copper to the tank.
 
Can an ich outbreak cause high nitrates or a little ammonia (.25 or less)? The nitrates I've been battling for a month now but just tested ammonia, 0 last week and .25 just now. Nitrite 0, phosphates 0 or trace. Ph 8.1 alk 9.5
 
Get a second QT tank and do the Tank transfer method.
Here is how I suggest the protocol is to use tank transfer for all new specimens to insure against cryptocaryon irritans. 12 days and two 20 gallon tanks is all it takes.
The initial receiving tank is temp and SG adjusted to the bag water ( SG a few points couple of points lower than the bagwater is ok but not higher) This obviates the need for drip acclimation and prolonged stays in bag water where pH can rise and ammonia toxicity can increase once the bag is opened.
This is particularly important after prolonged stays in the bag. During the 12 day tank transfer process ( 3 day stays 4 transfers, move fish on the morning of days 4,7,10,13) observe for other maladies. Since there are no meds to interact with in the transfer tanks which contain freshly mixed salt water aged and aerated overnight, use an ammonia detoxifier during each 3 day period.
Bound copper products for example can't be safely used with ammonia detoxifiers as more toxic free copper occurs with lethal copper toxicity, even though total copper measures the same.

If there is reason to suspect infestation with brooklynellosis, velvet or flukes, do a formalin bath before starting treatment with copper for velvet, formalin for brooklynellosis or prazi pro for flukes.
Since not all maladies will present symptoms in the 12 days ( flukes can easily be missed, velvet can take up to 30 days to present), use a larger cycled QT tank for an additional 2 to 4 weeks of observation depending on the condition of the fish with treatment as necessary.
Most fish receive no medications yet all are effectively prophylactically treated for ich, the most common killer.

Ammonia is monitored and has never been an issue during the 3 day stay but a detoxifier is added just in case,
The cycled tank takes care of itself.
BTW there is no need to worry about nitrite or nitrate.
 
Can an ich outbreak cause high nitrates or a little ammonia (.25 or less)? The nitrates I've been battling for a month now but just tested ammonia, 0 last week and .25 just now. Nitrite 0, phosphates 0 or trace. Ph 8.1 alk 9.5

Not unless something has died and is creating the ammonia. The ammonia could have caused stress in the fish making them more susceptible to the ick though.

+1 to diesel's comment: Tank transfer method is a great way to get rid of the ick without meds. If you have two tanks, two heaters, two filters, two ammonia badges ect. Then you can do it quick and without meds.
 
My fish are in the qt with a treatment of coppersafe. Should I expect fish to get or look worse before getting better.
 
There is a period of holding your breath while you find out which of your fish will be especially sensitive to copper and not make it through treatment, but after that you should see plenty of the getting better part.
What's really happening is the ick will fall off your fish and encyst on a hard surface in the QT. As this happens the fish will look and feel better. When the cysts break open and release the free swimmers- this is when they die. The copper will kill the free swimmers before they reattach to the fish.
 
I've had my clowns together over a year or two and the one is going after the other to the point of killing it in the qt tank. Other fish seem better so far.
 
I've had my clowns together over a year or two and the one is going after the other to the point of killing it in the qt tank. Other fish seem better so far.

Do you have a way to sepperate them? Maybe a specimen container or critter keeper?
 

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