Losing fish and hating it.

Dowtish · Oct 27, 2011

So for those of you who don't know, I have a horrible case of ich running rampant in my tank. I have only lost one fish, but there are more on the way for sure. I have done the research and after finding a ton of voltage running through the tank, and zeroing it out, it is still progressing. I have finally decided to start a hospital tank and let my DT run fallow for 9-10 weeks. I just acquired a 55 gallon tank for a great price from some fellow MTRC members, and am going to be making the transfer in the next few days. Hopefully by the time the tank is up and running there will be some fish left to save. I am so frustrated with this "hobby" right now. But I just couldn't sit back and hope they get better any longer. I planning a copper treatment, because hypo just isnt an option with as much as I am out of town for work.
One of my concerns with setting up the hospital tank, is that I have a wrasse that sleeps in the sand and a sand sifting goby. I have to run the hospital bare bottom, so I guess I am going to put small plastic bowls of sand in the tank and just replace them daily. Does anyone have a suggestion on what is the best sand to do this with?
Any other comments and suggestions are welcome.

TinaFoster · Oct 28, 2011

Sorry you're going through this, Chris. I know you're doing the right thing, though. Hang in there.

Bernie · Oct 28, 2011

Best sand would probably just be your average dry dead reef sand. I started my tank up with Estes sand and was really impressed. Crazy low dusting and I didn't notice any junk in there at all.

Dowtish · Oct 28, 2011

Thanks for the suggestion Bernie.

Just lost another one this morning.

mapn4reef · Oct 28, 2011

I feel for ya Chris...this hobby seems to have low points at times, just try to stay optimistic. When I lost half my fish (the nicest half) due to a power outage while on vacation, it sort of knocked the wind out of me. Keep on plugging away...

ToXIc · Oct 28, 2011

i've got some dead live sand you can use in the QT tank.. you'll have to wash it out good before tho..

Dowtish · Oct 28, 2011

thanks Tina, I hope this pays off.

John, I'm trying to stay positive even though this is draining my wallet.:squigglemouth:

Kevan, I might take some from you. I'll let you know.

Zef004 · Oct 28, 2011

Man sorry to hear about your loss bud. Do you fresh water dip before adding a new fish into DT. It works for me I haven't had deal with ich in years.

Bernie · Oct 28, 2011

I've never had to deal with ich before, but I always attributed that to having at least 1 cleaner shrimp in the tank at all times. Or have I just been lucky?

TinaFoster · Oct 28, 2011

You've been lucky or missing it. The cleaner shrimps can pick off the cysts when they pop out but can't get what grows under scales, don't always get what grows in the gills, and don't pick up the tormonts or any other stage. Only the cysts. So if it's there it'll still be there, just the fish will be cleaned off of anything visible.

Zef004 · Oct 28, 2011

Or you have very healthy fish to fight off the ich.

Dowtish · Oct 28, 2011

No, I have not FW dipped my fish in the past. But from dealing with all of this I will be QTing all my fish before they go into my DT. I will freshwater dip them and then let them hang out in QT for at least 3 weeks.

I have had a cleaner wrasse and a cleaner shrimp in the tank the whole time. They can only do so much like Tina said. My cleaner wrasse is now scratching on the rocks for ich's sake!:sure:

fishdoc11 · Oct 28, 2011

Have you tried metronidazole? It works well for ich in fish that are relatively healthy IME.

Dowtish · Oct 28, 2011

fishdoc11 said:
Have you tried metronidazole? It works well for ich in fish that are relatively healthy IME.

No, I saw that up at AC today, and have a read a bit about it. I'll do a little more research on it. thanks

SRT80 · Oct 28, 2011

Years ago, a member named c_stowers had a recipe for a I think a medicated fish food for fish with Ich. I remember gettin' some when I thought 1 of my fish had ich but turned out it wasn't ich. But the fish loved the food. Anyone know about this? Probably could find it if I try to dig it up on RC. But it was several years ago...

Steve

pickupman66 · Oct 28, 2011

I feel your pain brodda. I had a fish that died on me and I could not find it. Ich. Spread to several otherwise healthy fish then my butterfly got Popeye really bad. He is gone, my cardinal is gone, my Atlantic blue looks ashy and now my very healthy Aussie black percula is looking ashy. Its not ich on them. No clue what it is. But my naso, 6 line, firefish and angel look perfect.....