It seems I have Ich!

[Lynn52]

If you don't treat the fish in QT and allow the ich to die out in your display tank, every new fish you add will be at risk of contracting ich as soon as they are added to the tank. By dealing with it now, by treating fish and allowing tank to go fallow for 76 days and quarantining all future additions prior to adding them to your tank, will have better success in the future

 

[cee]

In my situation it came in on a PBT, a notorious ich magnet. It never really spread to the other fishes in the tank as they had been in the tank long enough not to be stressed. After the 2 weeks, when the tang had settled in and after garlic at every feeding it disappeared. It never returned in over a year in spite of doing nothing out of the ordinary but I didn't add any other fish after that. I really think you'll be fine but if you want some assurance, get a scarlet cleaner. I certainly wouldn't tear the whole tank down.

 

[Ryan15236]

It probably took about two weeks for symptoms to completely disappear with tank temps around 79F. You can QT them if you would like to be sure but with two clowns and a kole as your only fish you will be fine most likely. Keep the tang well fed with nori and maybe use some selcon. The is the most important fish to focus on. You get it's infection down then the ich population decreases. Less concentrated ich population should mean less exposure to ich and the fishes should be able to fend off the smaller population to where you can manage ich. You will have to keep ich management in the back of your mind through as you will have to take steps to keep it at bay. If you don't like the sounds of that, then go ahead and take care of it for good

 

[miyags]

In my situation it came in on a PBT, a notorious ich magnet. It never really spread to the other fishes in the tank as they had been in the tank long enough not to be stressed. After the 2 weeks, when the tang had settled in and after garlic at every feeding it disappeared. It never returned in over a year in spite of doing nothing out of the ordinary but I didn't add any other fish after that. I really think you'll be fine but if you want some assurance, get a scarlet cleaner. I certainly wouldn't tear the whole tank down.

I tried that once and lose most of my fish. So riding it out, was bad advice.

 

[miyags]

Many strains of parisites,some are really bad. Best course,is to QT. Treat with cuppramine and prazipro. Leave DT fishless for 76 days.

 

[Mark75]

I really like my aquascape and some of my frags have started to encrust on my live rock,..I have decided not to take the tank down. I plan on over feeding and adding a vitamin supplement such as Selcon. From this point on it is survival of the fittest,...may God be with you. [emoji16]. If all the fish die I will go fallow.

 

[Ryan15236]

Hope it works out for! I think this time around I am going to QT however. You can manage it for sure but it is a risk. Speaking of which I gotta get a QT set up. I have fish order coming in Friday. In this order includes a purple tang which I really don't want to play around with, could be a costly mistake when we are talking about a $150+ fish

 

[Brian Kim]

This is like totaling your new car before you leave the dealers lot. :mad:

LOL, that made me laugh! It's not really that bad, just get a hospital tank going and enjoy watching your corals for 78 days. I am on my 5th week now, you kind of get used to it.
My fishes are in my basement, beautiful fishes....purple tang, yellow belly hippo, 2 premium snowflake clowns and a 6line wrasse. I only get to see them once a day, when I feed them.

 

[Ryan15236]

LOL, that made me laugh! It's not really that bad, just get a hospital tank going and enjoy watching your corals for 78 days. I am on my 5th week now, you kind of get used to it.
My fishes are in my basement, beautiful fishes....purple tang, yellow belly hippo, 2 premium snowflake clowns and a 6line wrasse. I only get to see them once a day, when I feed them.

What size QT you keeping all those fish in. I have a purple tang, Kole tang, Melanurus wrasse, and a Yellow coris wrasse coming in friday and only have a 20 gallon long When I picked up the 20 gallon long for a QT tank I had the intention of having 1-2 fishes in QT at one time, not 4. However, Black Friday got me maybe to excited! They are going in there no matter what. 20 gallon QT better than no QT IMO.

Also kudos for joining the forum last tuesday and already having 320 post, I have been on here for almost 4 months and have a 100 less post than you, really need to get on the ball I guess! lol

 

[Brian Kim]

What size QT you keeping all those fish in. I have a purple tang, Kole tang, Melanurus wrasse, and a Yellow coris wrasse coming in friday and only have a 20 gallon long When I picked up the 20 gallon long for a QT tank I had the intention of having 1-2 fishes in QT at one time, not 4. However, Black Friday got me maybe to excited! They are going in there no matter what. 20 gallon QT better than no QT IMO.

Also kudos for joining the forum last tuesday and already having 320 post, I have been on here for almost 4 months and have a 100 less post than you, really need to get on the ball I guess! lol

20 long...and thanks

 

[Ryan15236]

Good deal! Makes me feel a lot better about my QT tank. Good luck with your fallow period and fish treatment!

 

[Brian Kim]

Good deal! Makes me feel a lot better about my QT tank. Good luck with your fallow period and fish treatment!

Thanks...it was hard getting my purple tang to eat anything but nori but since last week he is eating literally anything I offer him, pretty amazing.

 

[fishdoc11]

@fishdoc11,...what is involved with your treatment? I have 9 SPS frags that are doing great and do not want to upset them. If I remove all fish for 76 days I am sure this will have a negative effect on my SPS.

I use a mixture of metronidazole (1/4 of a 500 mg tablet will work well with a tablespoon or so of garlic oil) and garlic (you can also add Selcon) and use freeze dried brine shrimp to soak it up then feed twice a day. It lasts 3 or 4 days in the fridge until you need to make a new batch. I agree with what others have stated in that healthy non stressed fish seem to recover from it if given good conditions. Metronidazole has documented use for protozoal infections so IMO adding that helps the fish's chances. My experience with this is purely anecdotal though.

 

[fishdoc11]

Iev heard from a buddy that a fresh water dip of the fish works great and treat the tank with the ich medicine

FWIW you have to be VERY careful with a freshwater dip. Temp and pH have to be exactly right and you have to pay very close attention to the fish when dipping.

 

[fishdoc11]

For the guys saying " it ran its course",...what kind of time frame are we looking at?

2 to 3 weeks IME with the treatment I listed. I have never just let it run it's course. Then it will come and go several times. From what I remember these "mini outbreaks" (for lack of a better term) last 3 or 4 days.

 

[Jmcdaniel0]

I have been meaning to get back to you on this. Seachem has a trio of products that have produced good results for me. They are Metroplex, focus and garlic guard.

 

[cee]

Update?

 

[Mark75]

I am down to 1 clown,..he is still eating but does not look good. I guess when/if he dies I will make the decision on keeping the tank running without fish for 3 months or tearing it down and calling it a noble effort.

I hate to throw in the towel after investing several thousand dollars, especially with my sps doing well, but you can only walk against an escalator so long before you realize you must be going the wrong direction. I am not going to set-up a second tank with the first one giving me so much trouble. Really can't see spending money on another fish grave.

I would be more optimistic about keeping just corals for a while if I thought I would be successful, but everything I have read about keeping sps happy involve fish poop.

My wife really likes fancy gold fish and I bet they would look great under that $600 light!

 

[surfnsalt]

Fish can be infected without showing symptoms for awhile. If I were you I'd set up a cheap qt and treat them your coral should be fine! If it worries you that much your club is home to several sps legends lol I'm sure somebody will hold your frags!

I am down to 1 clown,..he is still eating but does not look good. I guess when/if he dies I will make the decision on keeping the tank running without fish for 3 months or tearing it down and calling it a noble effort.

I hate to throw in the towel after investing several thousand dollars, especially with my sps doing well, but you can only walk against an escalator so long before you realize you must be going the wrong direction. I am not going to set-up a second tank with the first one giving me so much trouble. Really can't see spending money on another fish grave.

I would be more optimistic about keeping just corals for a while if I thought I would be successful, but everything I have read about keeping sps happy involve fish poop.

My wife really likes fancy gold fish and I bet they would look great under that $600 light!

Don't throw in the towel. 2 and a half months will fly by and your sps will be fine. Just keep your parameters in check. There are foods for corals if really needed. How big is your tank?

 

[MPH2]

Hang in there. I like a idiot didn't have a qt tank and felt I would be ok but I got ich in the 125 so I now have a 20 gal and 40 gal qt tanks going and I've lost quite a bit in the 125. 2 suicide jumpers and 3 from the diease. I'm letting my tank sit for 8 weeks and I have not seen problems with the coral. And from that moment I decided I'm running a qt tank all the time and qt everything. I won't get ich again if I can help it. I say let it sit and wait it out.