Ich? What are my options

[Pudge&Bubbl]

There are so many threads to sort through. I've read several.

I have a juvenile Caribbean blue tang. I ordered it from DiversDen on Liveaquaria. I've had it a month. After observing it and making it fat and happy for nearly 3 weeks, I put it in my display tank 10 days ago. No other fish have any signs, and I did not see a speck yesterday. I noticed nothing this morning when I fed them and put up new seaweed. I came in to feed them the second time this evening, and my tang is covered.

Is this ICH? What can I/should i do? She is nibbling once in a while on the sheet of seaweed.

Usually she eats and eats.... the last few days she's been going after the mysis pretty hard, which I'd never seen her do. Any ideas on that?

"She" is not known to be female, just what I've always said she is, and I named her Ralph. Long story- named after my dad, she arrived the day he called and told me they were going to remove a tumor from his tongue. I named her F.C. Ralph. I think most of you can understand the "F" Cancer.

I care very much for this fish.

I did not think I'd have a tang yet - I was planning on it for my birthday in August - but ordered it in my sleep one night after a 2 week fight with insomnia.

The tank is relatively new. 120 gallons

Parameters Are:
Temp 78
Salt 1.025
Sorry, yes, API follows:
PH 7.8
Ammonia not quite 0, but not .25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate is looking like .... 40? That shouldnt be...

Could a nitrate spike cause stress, cause ich?

I am mixing more saltwater for a water change. I'm going to change my filter floss right now, and come back and see if anyone has replied. The floss looked fine yesterday, but I may have overfed yesterday accidentally..... I gave them all of the food meant for both tanks.

Thank you anyone who can help.

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Is a 20 long big enough for 2 clowns, 2 green chromis, 2- 3 or 4" engineer gobies, and my 4" tang? I can QT/medicate in a 20 long.

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Also - I added carbon, on thursday or friday. I've read several threads talking about a possible correlation with carbon and tang diseases.

Could that be a factor? I'm going to take the carbon out for now

 

[EmdeReef]

Sorry for your troubles. That does look like ich. For an emergency treatmentI think 20 long will do, you will also have to run your display fallow for 76 days so you might want to try to get a larger tank.

You’ll need to seed the quarantine tank, perhaps consider moving a small rock from your display into it and also add bacteria. I would also dose Prime or a similar product. Ammonia can build up very fast in a 20g tank.

 

[EmdeReef]

Also - I added carbon, on thursday or friday. I've read several threads talking about a possible correlation with carbon and tang diseases.

Could that be a factor? I'm going to take the carbon out for now

No need to worry about carbon, there’s some evidence that it may cause head and lateral line erosion in tangs but no definitive proof.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

The speed at which the spots arrived then the difference in “spot” sizes and amount of “spots” leads me to believe this is marine velvet disease. I would do my best to keep that guy happy and eating. If not I would remove the fish and place in her own for awhile. I would also consider buying a UV sterilizer.

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

The speed at which the spots arrived then the difference in “spot” sizes and amount of “spots” leads me to believe this is marine velvet disease. I would do my best to keep that guy happy and eating. If not I would remove the fish and place in her own for awhile. I would also consider buying a UV sterilizer.

I'm going to look up velvet .... but .... wouldnt the other fish be affected? Or wouldnt it have shown before now?

I'm so unfamiliar with marine issues. I'm still learning. It is definitely a lot more complicated than any freshwater problems I've ever encountered.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I'm going to look up velvet .... but .... wouldnt the other fish be affected? Or wouldnt it have shown before now?

I'm so unfamiliar with marine issues. I'm still learning. It is definitely a lot more complicated than any freshwater problems I've ever encountered.

Yes I was deflated when reading about saltwater disease And treatments. Fresh water was so easy and CLEAR! The tangs get hit with marine disease before other common saltwater ornamentals because they have thinner slime coat protection.

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

So, if anyone has any more info regarding velvet- I have some questions. I read Humblefish's article on velvet. And I noticed the photosynthetic part, wondering how that plays into things. Ralph looks better this morning, but lights arent on. Just ambient light. I'm almost afraid to turn the lights on.

 

[EmdeReef]

So, if anyone has any more info regarding velvet- I have some questions. I read Humblefish's article on velvet. And I noticed the photosynthetic part, wondering how that plays into things. Ralph looks better this morning, but lights arent on. Just ambient light. I'm almost afraid to turn the lights on.

By looking better are the bumps less visible?Can you post pics. I wouldn’t worry about lights at this point, you should however start treatment ASAP.

the consistency of bumps look more like ich to me. Obviously not easy to be 100%, many treatment options overlap - I would treat asap. both ich and velvet tend to kill tangs pretty quickly.

 

[Hydrored]

I agree, looks like velvet, the fish needs to be in quarantine ASAP. I just dealt with velvet on a purple tang and a fox face using copper power at 2.0. Everything went well other than some HLLE on the tang, she’s all healed and happy now in the display tank. Good luck!

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

I'm trying to decide on treatment. There is so much information.... I will turn the lights on to get better pics, but here she is a few minutes ago

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

It was the lighting I think. It's just as bad ....

 

[Hydrored]

Get a 20 gallon long ASAP, HOB filter, air stone, heater and I like to use chelated copper and a hannah checker. I run copper power at 2.0. No other fish are showing signs?

If you were near me I would loan you the whole setup

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Get a 20 gallon long ASAP, HOB filter, air stone, and I like to use chelated copper and a hannah checker. I run copper power at 2.0. No other fish are showing signs?

I have a 20 long, hob, air stone. I'm trying to figure out how to get meds, or copper and test kit. No other fish showing signs. But if I pull her, I will probably pull them all, and let it go fallow.

 

[Hydrored]

If you get a hannah checker be warned it only comes with 10 test. Hannah tester makes dosing copper so much easier to keep at therapeutic levels

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Okay! Decision made ! Going to do the Hybrid TTM as outlined by Humblefish. But I will start with a peroxide dip/bath before the 10g QT tank to try to try to jumpstart this.

I have only ONE question left - maybe two- the other fish!! It would be pointless to not treat them, right? Putting Ralph back in the tank eventually, velvet would still exist? Going fallow is the only option, and treating all fish - right?

 

[Pudge&Bubbl]

Well. First bath done and put in 10 g QT.

She looks horrible

 

[DeniseAndy]

I am so sorry. Tangs can be such a pain with ich and velvet. My best wishes go out to you and your father. Hope she pulls through.