My very first ich outbreak!! Yay?

[Sharkbait19]

What are the chances that in such a small amount, it might just go away? There ain’t much of a reason the fish should be stressed, and I ain’t even sure if what I’m seeing is ich.

the firefish is already looking better, and the basslet seems completely fine despite the few spots. I know that tangs are the most susceptible. What about basslets or clowns? I know firefish are a bit less hardy.

 

[Hugh Mann]

I hate to be one of those "I know you said you can't do it, but you should totally do it" people.

If cost is an issue for not having a QT, buy a 10+ gallon rubbermaid tote for $25. Throw in a heater, suitably sized powerhead if you got one, and a sponge filter. Treat fish however you want.

Alternatively depending on your set up, do the same, buy a big tote, and put all your rock, sand (after rinsing) and any corals+inverts into this one, and treat in your now empty display tank. If you use copper, many people here will scream "Don't do that, ever!", copper, and once the treatment period is over, combine Cuprisorb and large water changes to eliminate the copper. Wait out the rest of the fallow period on your rocks, and rebuild your tank.

Sure ain't pretty, but it works.

Or go the route of ich management.

I was in a similar situation months ago, but I had velvet, not ich. I went Option 2 and it worked beautifully. Velvet free, and I have a brittle star, tuxedo urchin and numerous hermit crabs and snails, aussie and green star polyps to attest to having no residual copper.

 

[Sharkbait19]

How do I differentiate velvet vs ich?
I have this old 10g but I assumed the fish needs proper sump filtration, not just a glass box filled with water.

 

[Dom]

To begin, ICH is't the only disease that presents with white spots. Have your fish exhibited any other behaviors such as swimming into the flow of the return or power heads? Have they been scraping themselves against rock and substrate?

In my opinion, introducing new fish into a diseased tank is wrong. And if a quarantine tank is out of the question, adding new fish should be too, until you can set one up.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive used Ruby Rally for ich/protozoan and treated successfully although not specific treatment as it also worked for flukes. I used this because I treated entire tank and it is mild.

 

[Sharkbait19]

To begin, ICH is't the only disease that presents with white spots. Have your fish exhibited any other behaviors such as swimming into the flow of the return or power heads? Have they been scraping themselves against rock and substrate?

In my opinion, introducing new fish into a diseased tank is wrong. And if a quarantine tank is out of the question, adding new fish should be too, until you can set one up.

The fish are acting fine, and for all I know they might not even have ich! I’m just really paranoid about anything going wrong, so obviously at the first white spot I see I begin to freak out.

 

[Hugh Mann]

How do I differentiate velvet vs ich?
I have this old 10g but I assumed the fish needs proper sump filtration, not just a glass box filled with water.

Ich is fewer, larger, salt grain like spots.

Velvet are far more numerous, smaller spots. Other signs include scratching, light sensitivity and swimming into flow.

It's definitely not ideal, a glass box filled with water, but as long as you have adequate biological filtration, sponge filter, HoB, or frequent water changes, you'll be fine. Sumps, especially in fish only systems aren't really necessary. I kept my copper sensitive eel in with my rock with nothing but a powerhead, heater, and small daily water changes for months. My 55 gallon I was talking about has no sump. During the copper treatment I was only using an aquaclear 110 stuffed with filter floss.

I would recommend a seachem ammonia alert badge, unlike other tests, it will give an accurate reading even with copper or other meds present.

That all being said, depending on the size of your fish/activity level, 10 gallons may be on the small side.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Much things I’ve read say that as long as the fish are in good health, the ich should die off.

Should I try this new approach? Things are already starting to look better. For instance, the clown had a spot on him the first day or two that I had him, then it just went away. Could I assume the same can happen now?

 

[Hugh Mann]

The spots disappearing isn't necessarily a good thing. That means the ich is dropping off. It takes a few days for the life cycle to reinfect the fish. If your water is perfect, and fish are healthy and stress free, it may go away, but the second wave may be worse. Exponential growth and whatnot.

The ich will never die off unless you treat it with something, it just won't be able to reproduce in the numbers to cause problems. Only way to truly eliminate it is to treat it with some medication or other+starve it out.

 

[Sharkbait19]

The spots disappearing isn't necessarily a good thing. That means the ich is dropping off. It takes a few days for the life cycle to reinfect the fish. If your water is perfect, and fish are healthy and stress free, it may go away, but the second wave may be worse. Exponential growth and whatnot.

The ich will never die off unless you treat it with something, it just won't be able to reproduce in the numbers to cause problems. Only way to truly eliminate it is to treat it with some medication or other+starve it out.

I’ll be sure to pick something up in my next outing. Everyone is acting well! In my history of seeing ich in my tanks, I’ve only ever lost one fish to ich. That said, I’ll be sure to stay vigilant. I’m just glad to see my firefish acting better.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Would it be easier to just move the invertebrates into a non filtered tank and treat the main display?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Suddenly the white dots are gone? Why is this so confusing??????

 

[sam2110]

fix the cause, ensure the best quality water possible, best food possible and you should be all good. Don't make the mistake of rasing the temperature, people say to do it reduce oxygen in the water so if a fish is already struggling to breath rasing the temp will just kill it faster

 

[Dom]

@Sharkbait19

I am going to be candid, and I hope you won't be offended...

You appear to be shopping for the answers you want to hear. It seems to me that you are hoping that this is something which will go away on its own, or, perhaps something that will go away with the quick addition of a bottled solution.

There are no short cuts.

In the end, you have disease in your tank. And if it were my tank, I would not settle for anything short of eradicating the disease.

My advice is to put the breaks on and stop thinking about bottled solutions and future stocking plans. In my view, you don't need to get it under control, you need to ELIMINATE the disease. And there are things to try before running out and buying a bottled solution.

I am sure your LFS can provide you with something, but, remember that they are in business to make money and are happy to sell you something every time you walk in the door.

To begin, I have treated for ICH only once. And I was fortunate because it was a new inhabitant which was in quarantine when ICH reared its ugly head.

To treat, I simply did a fresh water dip for a few minutes, once per day AND gradually dropping down to a salinity in the 16-20 PPT range. I monitored until the fish didn't display ICH for 14 days and then gradually brought the salinity back up to 35ppt.

Then reset the QT clock and waited 90 days.

It was only after treatment and 90 days symptom free that I added it to my main tank.

And yes, there are ways to manage ICH. But wouldn't you rather get rid of the flu instead of managing it all the time? You'd be unhappy. So will your fish!

 

[Marc2952]

I hate to be one of those "I know you said you can't do it, but you should totally do it" people.

If cost is an issue for not having a QT, buy a 10+ gallon rubbermaid tote for $25. Throw in a heater, suitably sized powerhead if you got one, and a sponge filter. Treat fish however you want.

Alternatively depending on your set up, do the same, buy a big tote, and put all your rock, sand (after rinsing) and any corals+inverts into this one, and treat in your now empty display tank. If you use copper, many people here will scream "Don't do that, ever!", copper, and once the treatment period is over, combine Cuprisorb and large water changes to eliminate the copper. Wait out the rest of the fallow period on your rocks, and rebuild your tank.

Sure ain't pretty, but it works.

Or go the route of ich management.

I was in a similar situation months ago, but I had velvet, not ich. I went Option 2 and it worked beautifully. Velvet free, and I have a brittle star, tuxedo urchin and numerous hermit crabs and snails, aussie and green star polyps to attest to having no residual copper.

Im all for QT fish tbh i tried ich management for months but its just not good enough for me. The fish are gonna be one stress event from catching ich again. And if you plan on having more ich sensitive species like tangs then management is not gonna cut it.

 

[Marc2952]

@Sharkbait19

I am going to be candid, and I hope you won't be offended...

You appear to be shopping for the answers you want to hear. It seems to me that you are hoping that this is something which will go away on its own, or, perhaps something that will go away with the quick addition of a bottled solution.

There are no short cuts.

In the end, you have disease in your tank. And if it were my tank, I would not settle for anything short of eradicating the disease.

My advice is to put the breaks on and stop thinking about bottled solutions and future stocking plans. In my view, you don't need to get it under control, you need to ELIMINATE the disease. And there are things to try before running out and buying a bottled solution.

I am sure your LFS can provide you with something, but, remember that they are in business to make money and are happy to sell you something every time you walk in the door.

To begin, I have treated for ICH only once. And I was fortunate because it was a new inhabitant which was in quarantine when ICH reared its ugly head.

To treat, I simply did a fresh water dip for a few minutes, once per day AND gradually dropping down to a salinity in the 16-20 PPT range. I monitored until the fish didn't display ICH for 14 days and then gradually brought the salinity back up to 35ppt.

Then reset the QT clock and waited 90 days.

It was only after treatment and 90 days symptom free that I added it to my main tank.

And yes, there are ways to manage ICH. But wouldn't you rather get rid of the flu instead of managing it all the time? You'd be unhappy. So will your fish!

Agree i know it sucks but going fallow and QT fish is the only sure way to get rid of it for good. Ive gone fallow twice and it isnt fun but its the best way.

 

[sam2110]

@Sharkbait19

I am going to be candid, and I hope you won't be offended...

You appear to be shopping for the answers you want to hear. It seems to me that you are hoping that this is something which will go away on its own, or, perhaps something that will go away with the quick addition of a bottled solution.

There are no short cuts.

In the end, you have disease in your tank. And if it were my tank, I would not settle for anything short of eradicating the disease.

My advice is to put the breaks on and stop thinking about bottled solutions and future stocking plans. In my view, you don't need to get it under control, you need to ELIMINATE the disease. And there are things to try before running out and buying a bottled solution.

I am sure your LFS can provide you with something, but, remember that they are in business to make money and are happy to sell you something every time you walk in the door.

To begin, I have treated for ICH only once. And I was fortunate because it was a new inhabitant which was in quarantine when ICH reared its ugly head.

To treat, I simply did a fresh water dip for a few minutes, once per day AND gradually dropping down to a salinity in the 16-20 PPT range. I monitored until the fish didn't display ICH for 14 days and then gradually brought the salinity back up to 35ppt.

Then reset the QT clock and waited 90 days.

It was only after treatment and 90 days symptom free that I added it to my main tank.

And yes, there are ways to manage ICH. But wouldn't you rather get rid of the flu instead of managing it all the time? You'd be unhappy. So will your fish!

Well said

 

[Hincapiej4]

Hey man, if you want my snapchat or phone number, I'll be glad to explain ICH. I'm no expert but a live person is always helpful

 

[Sharkbait19]

@Sharkbait19

I am going to be candid, and I hope you won't be offended...

You appear to be shopping for the answers you want to hear. It seems to me that you are hoping that this is something which will go away on its own, or, perhaps something that will go away with the quick addition of a bottled solution.

There are no short cuts.

In the end, you have disease in your tank. And if it were my tank, I would not settle for anything short of eradicating the disease.

My advice is to put the breaks on and stop thinking about bottled solutions and future stocking plans. In my view, you don't need to get it under control, you need to ELIMINATE the disease. And there are things to try before running out and buying a bottled solution.

I am sure your LFS can provide you with something, but, remember that they are in business to make money and are happy to sell you something every time you walk in the door.

To begin, I have treated for ICH only once. And I was fortunate because it was a new inhabitant which was in quarantine when ICH reared its ugly head.

To treat, I simply did a fresh water dip for a few minutes, once per day AND gradually dropping down to a salinity in the 16-20 PPT range. I monitored until the fish didn't display ICH for 14 days and then gradually brought the salinity back up to 35ppt.

Then reset the QT clock and waited 90 days.

It was only after treatment and 90 days symptom free that I added it to my main tank.

And yes, there are ways to manage ICH. But wouldn't you rather get rid of the flu instead of managing it all the time? You'd be unhappy. So will your fish!

No offense taken, though you ain’t right. I’m not shopping for answers, I’m looking for one. Until I can get one answer and not different experiences, I’d really just be spitballing for a solution. Until I do get real advice from a store I’m not tearing apart my tank, stressing my fish, or pouring chemicals in that kill off my expensive inverts. I’ve dealt with ich many times and have only ever lost one fish. I really wasn’t planning on settling for less ever, it’s just I’m in a situation where I CAN’T quarantine. It’s not a choice. I don’t like shortcuts. I’m glad that you got lucky with your ich outbreak, but I’m not in as fortunate a situation as you were. I know the ich cycle, this is not my first rodeo. Also you can’t eliminate it. It always exists, just multiplies when a fish gets stressed and it’s body temp warms to hosting conditions. So stressing a fish out especially one as timid as firefish would only be helping the parasites. To be frank, this may not even be ich. I’ve seen this in many other tanks, and it goes away after a day without a trace. The bottom line — I know the patience it takes to set up a tank and the speed bumps it can create. I want the best for my pets. Never in my life would I settle for less.

 

[Sharkbait19]

You guys know that this is a new nano tank not some established community right?