My very first ich outbreak!! Yay?

Reef Diaper
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Question(s): when setting up a qt tank — does the nitrogen cycle no longer matter in desperate times? Or should I use some of my tank water to fill the qt tank? Or should I purchase nitrifying bacteria to fill the water? Also, is no real filtration fine? How would you guys go about setting up a qt tank, using an old top fin 10 gallon starter kit?
Also, what is the best way of transferring fish without stressing them more (especially for the firefish, who is honestly doing the worst of them all right now)?
 
Tidal Gardens
In my experience if whatever reason you can’t quarantine I’d suggest just keeping your water as clean as you can and feed them really good food with a lot of vitamins, most the time I’ve had it go away but velvet that’s a different story
 
Nutramar Foods
Reefertime said:
In my experience if whatever reason you can’t quarantine I’d suggest just keeping your water as clean as you can and feed them really good food with a lot of vitamins, most the time I’ve had it go away but velvet that’s a different story
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I think it’s ich but the firefish is covered, and definitely has a more speckled velvety appearance than the sharknose goby. Maybe (hopefully) it’s ich, I guess I’d know in a day or two if it’s still alive or not whether it was velvet. I’ve been cleaning my tank weekly and have been feeding omega one garlic infused pellets, which is supposedly really healthy. I’ve also tried brine shrimp, but it wound up mostly uneaten and fowling up the water. Everything is acting and eating fine minus the firefish occasionally striking against the glass and sometimes gasping at the top for a few minutes. I’ll probably quarantine. Having a fish tank with the stress factor that one day the ich can take over since it’s always there seems unsettling. I’d rather eliminate it and be done with it. I thought I could get away with throwing livestock right into the DT like I have with FW all these years, but I suppose I’ve learned my lesson.
 
Your tank is one of the many tanks on the list of why I won't get another fish no matter how pretty or perfect it is for my tank until I can qt. It's just not worth the money time and energy to NOT.
 
Sharkbait19 said:
I think it’s ich but the firefish is covered, and definitely has a more speckled velvety appearance than the sharknose goby. Maybe (hopefully) it’s ich, I guess I’d know in a day or two if it’s still alive or not whether it was velvet. I’ve been cleaning my tank weekly and have been feeding omega one garlic infused pellets, which is supposedly really healthy. I’ve also tried brine shrimp, but it wound up mostly uneaten and fowling up the water. Everything is acting and eating fine minus the firefish occasionally striking against the glass and sometimes gasping at the top for a few minutes. I’ll probably quarantine. Having a fish tank with the stress factor that one day the ich can take over since it’s always there seems unsettling. I’d rather eliminate it and be done with it. I thought I could get away with throwing livestock right into the DT like I have with FW all these years, but I suppose I’ve learned my lesson.
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Yeah if there gasping for air at the top sounds like velvet I would start a quarantine ASAP
 
Deltec
Glass Algae said:
Your tank is one of the many tanks on the list of why I won't get another fish no matter how pretty or perfect it is for my tank until I can qt. It's just not worth the money time and energy to NOT.
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My tank was running fine for years but I just had to get one more fish and I lost everything even after treating my main display with cupramine which did nothing to the velvet even at high dosage
 
Reefertime said:
My tank was running fine for years but I just had to get one more fish and I lost everything even after treating my main display with cupramine which did nothing to the velvet even at high dosage
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Congrats now YOUR tank is on the list

So glad I'm more into coral the fish are just a nitrate source
 
Tidal Gardens
There’s less spots on the firefish today, so I’d imagine they’ve fallen off. During this window I’ll begin QT preparations, and only hope they’ll all pull through. I don’t think it’s velvet anymore, as all my fish are still alive. Interestingly enough, the firefish is the only one right now who looks infected. Perhaps he is the worst at fighting it off? He’s acting relatively normal minus occasionally going to the surface and lots of scratching on surfaces. You know, the usual.
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Could someone go through with me all the steps of quarantining, just so that I don’t mess up when I do?
 
Tidal Gardens
Check this out for info on setting up a quarantine tank...

How To - Quarantine

How to Setup a Quarantine Tank (updated 4-6-2023) The following are the essentials: Aquarium (10-30 gallons seems to work for most people. A larger QT lets you house more fish and gives you more wiggle room when it comes to ammonia. A smaller QT is cheaper, easier to maintain and can be...
humble.fish humble.fish
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock
Reefertime said:
At The lfs I go to by my house the guy has it growing so thick it plates off the glass I’m happy to just see a couple spores here and there
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Oooooooof

At that point id literally be one of those people who only buys from WWC and super clean facilities. Even then though No thanks!
 
Sharkbait19 said:
Could someone go through with me all the steps of quarantining, just so that I don’t mess up when I do?
Click to expand...

This is what I'd use:
  1. small tank (crappy 10g is fine since your fish are small)
  2. a hang on back filter
  3. cheap power head
  4. heater
  5. ammonia alert badge
  6. some sort of bacteria in a bottle (dr Tim, fritz, bio-spiral, whatever)
  7. Copper power
  8. API copper test kit
  9. PVC elbows for the fish to chill in
What you do (simplified edition):
  1. get all the gear in the tank
  2. mix in new water
  3. add in enough copper power to get to 1ppm
  4. add the fish
  5. raise copper to 1.5ppm in 48 hours
  6. over the following 48 hours get to 2.0ppm
  7. over the next 48 hours get to 2.5ppm
  8. leave the fish in 2.5ppm copper for 30 days (so its 30 days in 2.5ppm. NOT 30 days total)
Use the nitrifying bacteria to soak the hell out of the sponge in the HOB. To further keep ammonia down: water changes & net out any uneaten food. its easier if you feed tiny bits and make sure each piece is eaten.

Speaking of water changes!!!! pre-dose the water change water to 2.5ppm. do NOT let the copper level drop. do not add new water then try to guess how much copper you have to add. Its 100x easier if the water is pre-dosed.
 
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phatduckk said:
This is what I'd use:
  1. small tank (crappy 10g is fine since your fish are small)
  2. a hang on back filter
  3. cheap power head
  4. heater
  5. ammonia alert badge
  6. some sort of bacteria in a bottle (dr Tim, fritz, bio-spiral, whatever)
  7. Copper power
  8. API copper test kit
  9. PVC elbows for the fish to chill in
What you do (simplified edition):
  1. get all the gear in the tank
  2. mix in new water
  3. add in enough copper power to get to 1ppm
  4. add the fish
  5. raise copper to 1.5ppm in 48 hours
  6. over the following 48 hours get to 2.0ppm
  7. over the next 48 hours get to 2.5ppm
  8. leave the fish in 2.5ppm copper for 30 days (so its 30 days in 2.5ppm. NOT 30 days total)
Use the nitrifying bacteria to soak the hell out of the sponge in the HOB. To further keep ammonia down: water changes & net out any uneaten food. its easier if you feed tiny bits and make sure each piece is eaten.

Speaking of water changes!!!! pre-dose the water change water to 2.5ppm. do NOT let the copper level drop. do not add new water then try to guess how much copper you have to add. Its 100x easier if the water is pre-dosed.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Luckily, the firefish is losing the cysts and is acting better. This gives me a bigger window to set up the qt tank properly before the ich resurfaces.
 
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WWC
phatduckk said:
This is what I'd use:
  1. small tank (crappy 10g is fine since your fish are small)
  2. a hang on back filter
  3. cheap power head
  4. heater
  5. ammonia alert badge
  6. some sort of bacteria in a bottle (dr Tim, fritz, bio-spiral, whatever)
  7. Copper power
  8. API copper test kit
  9. PVC elbows for the fish to chill in
What you do (simplified edition):
  1. get all the gear in the tank
  2. mix in new water
  3. add in enough copper power to get to 1ppm
  4. add the fish
  5. raise copper to 1.5ppm in 48 hours
  6. over the following 48 hours get to 2.0ppm
  7. over the next 48 hours get to 2.5ppm
  8. leave the fish in 2.5ppm copper for 30 days (so its 30 days in 2.5ppm. NOT 30 days total)
Use the nitrifying bacteria to soak the hell out of the sponge in the HOB. To further keep ammonia down: water changes & net out any uneaten food. its easier if you feed tiny bits and make sure each piece is eaten.

Speaking of water changes!!!! pre-dose the water change water to 2.5ppm. do NOT let the copper level drop. do not add new water then try to guess how much copper you have to add. Its 100x easier if the water is pre-dosed.
Click to expand...
+1000 the water change advice.
 
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