Might Be Ich

[bothfly]

So my tank has been running for 20 days, a Bio Cube 29.
About Jan 7th I added two Clown Fish. Then a few days/week later a cleaner crew.
Yesterday we had what looks like an outbreak of Copepods, tiny white things on the wall and glass of the tank.
This AM one of the Clown was missing and the other is not acting well. Has white stuff on him.
I assume it is Ich.
Been dealing with just one fish store, Live Rock and all fish and Inverts.
So from reading online I should get rid of the last Clown and go fishless for at least 2 months to kill the Ich.
I know I could do a separate tank and maybe save the Clown or add copper and kill everything.
So let me know what you think.
Also should I be ****** at this fish store for selling me a couple of Clown Fish with Ich?
Thanks

 

[FL_Reefer]

You should be mad at the fish store for selling you fish for a tank that's only 20 days old! I would bring the fish back and wouldn't add any fish for a couple of months. Let that baby cycle for a while and find a LFS that will be honest with you. I wouldn't be surprised the fish got ich from the stress of being in a tank that hasn't cycled yet. Just my thoughts though. You have any pics of the clowns?

 

[bothfly]

You should be mad at the fish store for selling you fish for a tank that's only 20 days old! I would bring the fish back and wouldn't add any fish for a couple of months. Let that baby cycle for a while and find a LFS that will be honest with you. I wouldn't be surprised the fish got ich from the stress of being in a tank that hasn't cycled yet. Just my thoughts though. You have any pics of the clowns?

Well there are 2 LFS in my area and they both recommended getting fish.
But the place I got the Clowns at said they did have some Ich around the time I got the Clowns but not in the tank the clowns were in.
So should I get him out of the tank or see if he makes it?
I also had an explosion of what I think are Copepods in the tank, tiny white specks on the walls and glass, does that have anything to do with all of this?
Here is the Clown.

 

[bothfly]

Here is what I think are the Copepods on the glass and also got some new bright green algae.
Thanks for your help.

 

[FL_Reefer]

Ya that's deff ich my friend. Let's just say I recently dealt with an out break of ich and loss 75% of my fish. The remaining fish I didn't loose I put in a QT tank for alittle over 2 months and treated with copper. The clowns that I have had it the worst but they did pull through. It looks like it's in the second stage of the process. Maybe.. I would take the clown out and keep the tank fish less for a couple of months. Ich can only live on living things so if there's no fish in the tank it will die off in a coupe of months. I don't think the white dots your seeing in the tank are copepods. Do they move?

 

[bothfly]

they do move

 

[Palting]

Take a real close look at those white spots, maybe even use a magnifying glass. I suspect they would have a spiral shape to them. If they do, then they are spirobid worms. It s quite common to see a population explosion of spirobid worms in a young maturing tank. They go away on their own with time.

I do NOT recommend leaving the clown in there. It does indeed look like he has Ich. He may survive, but he will only become a carrier for Ich, ready to infect the next fish you purchase that gets stressed when transferred to your tank. Either place the clown in a QT and treat him, or return him to the LFS. Either way, you should leave your tank fishless for at least 6 weeks, preferably 8 weeks.

You have beginning algae. That's actually good. It means your tank has been able to break down the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Your tank is almost cycled if not actually cycled. In the 6-8 weeks that it is fishless, I suggest "ghost feeding": pretend there is fish in there and feed them. This will provide food for the beneficial bacteria and help keep their population numbers up, ready for when you have real fish and are feeding them.

 

[FL_Reefer]

Very well could be then but it's hard to see in the pics on my phone. It's does look like from your rock that it was cured live rock so your tank may have had little to no cycle. It could have just come from the fish at the store you bought them from.

 

[FL_Reefer]

Take a real close look at those white spots, maybe even use a magnifying glass. I suspect they would have a spiral shape to them. If they do, then they are spirobid worms. It s quite common to see a population explosion of spirobid worms in a young maturing tank. They go away on their own with time.

I do NOT recommend leaving the clown in there. It does indeed look like he has Ich. He may survive, but he will only become a carrier for Ich, ready to infect the next fish you purchase that gets stressed when transferred to your tank. Either place the clown in a QT and treat him, or return him to the LFS. Either way, you should leave your tank fishless for at least 6 weeks, preferably 8 weeks.

You have beginning algae. That's actually good. It means your tank has been able to break down the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Your tank is almost cycled if not actually cycled. In the 6-8 weeks that it is fishless, I suggest "ghost feeding": pretend there is fish in there and feed them. This will provide food for the beneficial bacteria and help keep their population numbers up, ready for when you have real fish and are feeding them.

+1 on the above, great advice

 

[bothfly]

Palting,
Thanks very much for the info.
Will return the Clown tomorrow and go fish less for 6-8 weeks.
As for the bugs, They are round with tails, pretty sure they are the Copepods from what the online pics show.
I can make out the little tails like in this online pic.