Is it time to give up? A vent

[SimplyVibing]

Two of my fish recently caught Ich. After researching treatment protocols, I’m extremely hesitant to continue keeping marine fish. I love these fish with all my heart and dedicate many hours a week doting on them, watching them, playing with them, reading about them.... so knowing that this treatment course will be demanding and months long is disheartening.

I think they may be better off in the hands of a more experienced aquarist. I’ve been in the hobby for two years now but I seem to be a magnet for bad luck. Corals seem to like me though, at least when I don’t drop them/bury them by accident.

I’m considering just giving all of my fish back to my LFS— I know they’ll take them and treat them with copper, the right way. Maybe just keep coral and maybe a baby snowflake eel for now, upgrade the tank to a 75 or a 100 later and revisit marine fish.

It hurts my heart to see my babies so stressed and in pain.

 

[zalick]

How bad is the ich?

 

[flyline]

Sucks so sorry

 

[SimplyVibing]

How bad is the ich?

When I first spotted it, my butterfly had 5-10 spots. The clown was infected second but somehow had many more (15-25 maybe). Currently the only medications I have are Kordon’s rapid-acting Ich treatment and marine Ich X. I’ve dose a full amount of Ich x and half of kordons for two days. The fish are really stressed— the clown is constantly swimming in circle very fast, and the butterfly lays on his side next to the air stone. When he gets up he swims upside down. Breaks my heart
I don’t currently see Ich in my display tank but I know it can stay in the gills as well, and if my clown got infected it’s present in the water

 

[SimplyVibing]

Sucks so sorry

Thanks bud

 

[JohnMzreef]

polyp lab medic worked for me. Cleared up a blue tang bought from petco.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Not nearly as difficult as you make to be. You just need a QT up and running at least a month before buying the fish you want.

been in the hobby for 1 year and lost only a wrasse and fire fish because I didn’t QT.

cant stand a reef without a fish in it, looks unnatural to me. My opinion of course

if done the right way with patience , it easy

There are places that does all of this for you. But you pay dearly for it

 

[Tamberav]

I condition all my fish in an established tank with live rock and macroalgae and get them eating well and putting on weight then into my DT they go. I feed healthy foods...LRS..ova..mysis...fresh clam...live black worms....soon live white worms.

I don't keep ich magnets like Tangs since my tank is only 80g.

This has worked well for over 10 years now.

 

[SimplyVibing]

Not nearly as difficult as you make to be. You just need a QT up and running at least a month before buying the fish you want.

been in the hobby for 1 year and lost only a wrasse and fire fish because I didn’t QT.

cant stand a reef without a fish in it, looks unnatural to me. My opinion of course

if done the right way with patience , it easy

There are places that does all of this for you. But you pay dearly for it

Yeah I’m pretty dramatic lol. Thank you for calling me out. I shop from a LFS that QTs for two weeks minimum with copper/hypo salinity so I’ve lucky so far. I’ve been doing hours and hours of reading and I’m going to go through the treatment process.

 

[SimplyVibing]

I condition all my fish in an established tank with live rock and macroalgae and get them eating well and putting on weight then into my DT they go. I feed healthy foods...LRS..ova..mysis...fresh clam...live black worms....soon live white worms.

I don't keep ich magnets like Tangs since my tank is only 80g.

This has worked well for over 10 years now.

Nothing like Ich to remind you to QT.... I’ve been TOO lucky so far

 

[Nathan Milender]

QT is really easy to set up and not very expensive. Mine is just a 15 gallon with a sponge filter, a 10 dollar power head, heater, some pvc, and a cover. I have a light but I have had better luck not using a light in QT. Just find an out of the way spot in your house. A closet with power and a shelf works well. The tank can even go on the floor.

Also, I think there are better meds. I keep copper around but I generally use chloroquine unless there is a reason I cannot. It is much easier. I have not had luck with some of the brand meds with unknown mixtures and concentrations.

At this point you may want to go fallow and keep the fish for a long time in QT to cleanse your DT. You might also want to consider a UV if you have a spot for it (useful ones are large). Once your tank is without ich fish will still die for no apparent reason on occasion, but you should be relatively safe never seeing ich again or velvet again with a good AT procedure. Also, corals seem to like a fish or two in the water to provide poop.

An alternative would be to use hardy cheaper fish. Most have issues once sick, but damsels are cheap and durable. I had a damsel tank in the past with mixed damsels. They were feisty, active with a lot of color, and they did not die. That tank ran on an undergravel filter with no skimmer (also no coral) and those fish did well. I liked that tank a lot.

 

[vetteguy53081]

We as reefers face many hurdles and challengers whether novice or expert.
Can you post a couple of pics to help ID ich and severity ?

 

[Tamberav]

Nothing like Ich to remind you to QT.... I’ve been TOO lucky so far

I remember you had a 50 tall? Aren't those tanks only 20x18?

I would think a butterfly in such a small dimension tank would be a source of stress for them increasing risk of disease.

 

[SimplyVibing]

I remember you had a 50 tall? Aren't those tanks only 20x18?

I would think a butterfly in such a small dimension tank would be a source of stress for them increasing risk of disease.

Exactly. My LFS said he would fit fine in my tank, but once I did more reading (after taking him home unfortunately) I called them back. They told me to keep him and see how he does. He ate fine but now they’re refusing responsibility for causing this Ich with this new fish and for recommending a fish in a tank far too small. Sigh.

 

[SimplyVibing]

.

 

[SimplyVibing]

We as reefers face many hurdles and challengers whether novice or expert.
Can you post a couple of pics to help ID ich and severity ?

Here’s a recent photo. I believe at this stage the ich has become free swimming as there are less spots. Currently the LNB is laying on its side completely still, breathing though. Won’t eat and looks dead. Occasionally gets up and swims a little when disturbed.

 

[Samina]

Sorry for your troubles. Don’t give up! It’s a hiccup and you can overcome it!

 

[SimplyVibing]

Sorry for your troubles. Don’t give up! It’s a hiccup and you can overcome it!

Thank you stranger! Much love!

 

[Chris Villalobos]

I believe "reef safe" Ich treatments don't actually work. What actually happens is your fish will just become tolerant to the parasite by themselves. The only way I know of get rid of Ich is the 72 day fallow tank method. After you have done this then everything that you add to your tank will need to go through a quarantine period, even inverts.

Currently my tank has Ich but all the fish are tolerant to it. I basically have ruled out having any Tang in my tank until I fallow it, which means probably not until I upgrade to a larger tank.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I put my Gem tang in a tank I know has ich. Doing just fine. Feed good food, and ride it out