ick question , need help asap
- Thread starter ks_reeftank
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OP
OP
ks_reeftank
Active Member
this morning i found the tang dead, wish i wouldnt have done the dip now. thought i was doing him a favor by trying to remove some of the ich. ohter fish in tank show no signs of ich, im guessing that may come later. hope not, but if it has been in the tank then....
very sad day , called LFS , was told he could sell me another at cost. to me that does not even begin to fix this issue, i have been a good customer and i feel wronged. plus the fact that when i purchase an animal of any kind, be it dog, fish, whatever, they are a part of my family.
I cannot thank you guys enough for all the info on this, i plan to be much more prepared for something like this in future.
very sad day , called LFS , was told he could sell me another at cost. to me that does not even begin to fix this issue, i have been a good customer and i feel wronged. plus the fact that when i purchase an animal of any kind, be it dog, fish, whatever, they are a part of my family.
I cannot thank you guys enough for all the info on this, i plan to be much more prepared for something like this in future.
Pkunk35
Valuable Member
Man, I'm so sorry, especially since you were right on track to try and help him.
I had basically the same situation with a powder blue tang a long time ago (he contracted oodynium from a poorly chosen wrasse)...that's how i learned how to dip/setup QT/medicate. The powder blue never made it but I sure as heck have not lost a fish to "ick" since that time.
Just so you know, as posted earlier, tangs are very susceptible to ich and quite often come down with it. A tang is one of those fish I would definitely spend more money on just to be sure it was from a very healthy source (acclimated to tank life and eating for at least a month).
I hear you on the animals being a part of the family...i very much feel the same way thus HATE it when i lose something in my reef, especially fish.
Sorry for your loss, brother, but I'm sure you will have some happy fish in that tank in the near future.
MBG75
Well-Known Member
I have been thru the same issues your dealing with.
Only 3 cures. Hypo, copper, or tank transfer. Copper is the most foolproof.
The ich is in your Dt even if fish don't show it. If one fish showed it. That's enough.
Hypo works well. But if your salinity bumps up even the slightest bit, you might have went thru it all for nothing.
If its velvet. Which is what it sounds like due to the quick die off. Only copper works. (Ich usually takes a few weeks to kill)
Setup a qt and pull all fish out of DT. Run DT fallow for 9-10 weeks. Any less is not 100% guarantee no ich or velvet.
In the Qt, run Cupramine for 2-3 weeks to treat all fish. You must use a Seachem copper test kit to measure Cupramine level. You can run the copper right away, then remove it. Or wait till week 7 to treat qt.
There after, any new fish should be qt before going in DT. Either Cupramine for 2 weeks then in. Or if using nothing, just observe for aleast 8 weeks. In my own tank all new fish get 2 weeks of Cupramine, then go into DT.
Only 3 cures. Hypo, copper, or tank transfer. Copper is the most foolproof.
The ich is in your Dt even if fish don't show it. If one fish showed it. That's enough.
Hypo works well. But if your salinity bumps up even the slightest bit, you might have went thru it all for nothing.
If its velvet. Which is what it sounds like due to the quick die off. Only copper works. (Ich usually takes a few weeks to kill)
Setup a qt and pull all fish out of DT. Run DT fallow for 9-10 weeks. Any less is not 100% guarantee no ich or velvet.
In the Qt, run Cupramine for 2-3 weeks to treat all fish. You must use a Seachem copper test kit to measure Cupramine level. You can run the copper right away, then remove it. Or wait till week 7 to treat qt.
There after, any new fish should be qt before going in DT. Either Cupramine for 2 weeks then in. Or if using nothing, just observe for aleast 8 weeks. In my own tank all new fish get 2 weeks of Cupramine, then go into DT.
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Sorry for your loss as well. Definitely might consider online fish shopping. Most online vendors ''DO'' qt for several weeks to months. These vendors usually back their livestock up with a guarantee too. Keep your head up and take care.
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
Country Boy using tapatalk on his EVO
Bry
Well-Known Member
Great info here! Rid your DT of this stuff and never let it back in... Everything should be quarantined to prevent it happening again.
Oh..and +1 on the online venders that have great guarantees!
Good luck!
OP
OP
ks_reeftank
Active Member
thanks to all who gave me help, like anything this is a learning process. i have come a long way since my first salt tank, but have lots to learn still. it would help me out to have a LFS that i felt knew a little more, but to his defense, he is a nice guy and im sure means well.
i will be sure to try out the online venders, i have a neighbor that runs a daycare so could grab my packages for me and it seems like im spending money driving out of town to go the fish store anyways so whats a little shipping.
plus this tang is not the only issue i have had with this store. i guess now to look for a place for that QT .
i will be sure to try out the online venders, i have a neighbor that runs a daycare so could grab my packages for me and it seems like im spending money driving out of town to go the fish store anyways so whats a little shipping.
plus this tang is not the only issue i have had with this store. i guess now to look for a place for that QT .
SeahorseKeeper
Where's the mysis?
If you order online, you can have the package held at FedEx or UPS. This way the package does not have to be bouncing around on the back of a delivery truck. Also, the package will be in a better controlled environment when the temps are really high or really low.
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
OP
OP
ks_reeftank
Active Member
update. using a 10gal as a QT . decided to go with the seachem cupramine. using the seachem test kit as well. with salt levels changing i thought this to be the easiest way. firefish showing signs of ich now, not letting this one die ! plan on putting the cupramine in there tomorrow. also plan on changing out 2.5 gal of water every 3 or 4 days, at that time i will check levels and im guessing add 4 drops or so of the cupramine with the water change. put a filter sock in the tank as a means of bacteria, will not use it again in DT, will keep 2 pieces of sponge in the bottom of the sock for future QT use.
if this works i plan on doing it to the next fish before they go into the DT.
if this works i plan on doing it to the next fish before they go into the DT.
osras1
Active Member
Sorry about losing your fish. but good things are coming in the future! +1 on the lowering the salinity method. Just make sure when you bring the salinity level back up ,you dont do it too fast and shock and stress. Every fish has this parasite on it. It is different situations that make the cysts grow and spread. The chemical additives will just kill things for a short time but wont kill the problem. Did you pour the water your fish came in from the lfs. That will always bring problems. Its good to qtank all the time. Tangs are know for the ich problem, but if taken care of right it will go away as fast as it showed up. Your tang can get ich from a a perfect tank in the middle of nowwhere.
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
Sounds good, but I may not use the cupramine on the next fish unless it's showing signs of ick. Just putting a fish in the qt prior to your setup allows you to treat if needed and to get that fish eating and healthy (if needed). My fish now (yep, I once skipped qt too) go into qt for 2+ weeks and get healthier if needed. On a side note too, might want to look into a type of acclimation box. I didn't want to spend $$ yet, so I bought myself the biggest critter cage and made it into one. My main reason for this is to allow the fish you have at the time in the DT to see, but not touch the new guy and keeping stress to a minimum. This works wonders for me, a tang guy and tangs like to be bullies. It sounds like your taking the right steps and I wish you the best of luck.
OP
OP
ks_reeftank
Active Member
will be putting the 2 clowns and firefish back in the DT this saturday, very excited about this. the cupramine treatment went good, firefish top fin grew back nicely. already been looking as to what more to put in the tank. will observe the 3 fish when i put them back in there for a few weeks before i add anything else though. thanks to all the advice, will be using the QT from now on
Saltgator
Tang Keeper
REEF911
Active Member
Garlic
said it before and i will say it again. cheap and very effective if used properly like i mentioned before. this post was answered a long time ago. garlic PERIOD. if you dont know why or how it works please find a thread and read about it. instead of spending countless dollars on treatments and quarentine tanks. it does work....
said it before and i will say it again. cheap and very effective if used properly like i mentioned before. this post was answered a long time ago. garlic PERIOD. if you dont know why or how it works please find a thread and read about it. instead of spending countless dollars on treatments and quarentine tanks. it does work....
