Need Help, Fish Sick, Ideas needed

[Thunder32]

Greeting's all: First I want to thank you all for any assistance you can offer. I have a 90 gallon mixed reef - SPS, LPS, Softie's. This tank has been doing wonderful for about the past year. I'm a disabled vet, I spent 28 years in the military, I'm unable to walk, and I have anxiety and PTSD issue's (I wanted to tell you these things, as you can imagine what happens to me when my tank gets sick!), I have a lot of time on my hands and I truly baby this tank - I do daily filter cleanings, glass, water changes, observations, feeding's, I maintain this tank to optimal levels - being a perfectionist at times is draining! Also I have been in the hobby since I was 12, and I'm now 52. I'm truly amazed at what mother nature and God are capable off. I've seen it all from under gravel filters, and an incandescent bulb for light to where we are today - this hobby has truly amazed me along the way. I would say my experience in our hobby is experienced, but I'm always reading and open to learning more. I've had all different size tanks, and have raised or breed just about everything at one time or another. My tank parameters, details are as follows;

90 Gallon - sapphire glass - 48" x 18' x 24"

Equipment:
1. 90 Gallon tank / internal overflow / Sump
2. Trigger Systems Crystal Sump - 36' x 14' x 15 Growing various macro
algae's
3. Reef Octopus In Sump Protein Skimmer
4. Mag Drive 18 Pump
5. BRS Bio Reactor running GFO
6. Ultraviolet Sterilizer - 18 Watt
7. Aragonite Samoa Pink Reef Sand
8. Combination MH / T5's / LED's
9. BRS Pukani large show piece rock, live sand

I use Salifert Test Kit's (all new)
Various chemical media Seagel, Chemi Pure Elite, GFO, Carbon
I feed a varied diet of Flake (Assorted), Reef Chili, Snow, various frozen food's

My current water parameters;
Calc - 440
Alk - 9+
Sal - 1.026
Mag - 1340
Phos <0

My Problem - about two weeks ago, my wife bought me a new 6 lined wrasse for my B-day - she wanted to surprise me and floated the fish in my tank and released it without my knowledge (she was hoping to let me view my tank and see the fish as a surprise). After a day, and with no sight of the fish, she told me what she did! For those wondering - YES I have a quarantine tank, and follow all guidelines for getting and quarantining a new fish, but like I said - it was a surprise (Sigh). I for the life of me could not find the fish at all, I hoped with my fingers crossed that it would appear - it didn't. It has now been a about two weeks and now my Fox Face, a yellow eyed tang, and my starry blenny now are scratching and flashing on the substrate, rock etc. Also I have slight signs of Ick on my Fox Face. Obviously I know I have ick going on and have read and knew of all the articles on the issue. My dilemma is - What do I do - I only have a few fish and would like to try and catch them and move them to the quarantine tank, but as you all know as soon as I put my hands in the tank they all scatter into the live rock. I could possibly empty the tank and move all my live corals and live rock from the tank and catch them that way - but I hate to upset and ruin all the hard work of growing my corals (My main goal). I though of a fish trap, but not sure I'd have success or making one? I could just leave the fish alone and see if they could fight this off on their own! Their fat and were healthy till this has occurred!!!! Dose anyone have any idea's on what I might be missing? What would you do if it was your tank? Again - thank you in advance for the support and any help you could offer - sincerely Thunder

 

[feh]

I would highly recommend moving them to a QT tank and slowly bring the salinity down to 1.009 for a few weeks then slowly bring it back up to 1.026. Getting the fish out is the hard part. If they run while the lights are one, find where everybody sleeps. And plan a "sneak attack" and grab them while sleeping. Even if it takes a few days to get them all out. In the meantime while you have the fish in QT whatever fell off in the tank to hatch in time should die off since it won't find a host. I would recommend leaving the fish in the QT for 2 months and leave the tank feral.

 

[Reefing Madness]

My fish don't scatter when I stick my hands into the tank, they think Im there to feed them. I've used 2 huge nets to catch the fish before, one to kinda push them, and the other in back to suprise and catch when they do figure out what I'm doing. I'd try to catch them, you don't want to totally mess up the tank and corals just to get them though.

 

[Mr tap water]

I wouldn't try getting your fish out of the tank Nine times out of 10 your ruining your display when I had same problem I fed them a lot more than normal and added extra vitamins That had garlic In it and carry on running your tank as you do I found don't mess around with the temperature don't put your hands in the water and keep feeding like pigs It worked for me


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[mike007]

Unless you want to tear down tank and catch them i would leave it alone and hope for the best.

 

[46gReef]

First off, thank you for your service. As far as your fish go, IMO if they are healthy I would just let them fight it off. I'm assuming they are still eating? I think that you would stress them(& yourself) more by catching & moving them to a QT nt to mention the complete uprooting of your tank. I would recommend soaking their food in a vita chem or a brightwell vitamin c to give them a boost. I soak all my frozen foods in these supplements before feeding. Good luck, keep us posted.