Need help

GHsaltie · Sep 9, 2017

Here's the link specifically for M blue https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/methylene-blue.257467/ all you need is a 5g bucket or two. If you have a spare powerhead I would recommend you aerate the bath water heavily for about 30 minutes before doing the bath.

jsker · Sep 9, 2017

Stephone said:
Thank yall for the help I'm definitely at the throw my hands up and give up stages. I will definitely take this as a learning experience. I have a methylene blue bath set up for the morning hopefully I don't do that wrong and can help whoever makes it through the night.

It happen to me about two years ago, and I was bummed after losing a few fish. Step back, reflect, and start back slow and be patient

GHsaltie · Sep 9, 2017

Stephone said:
Feel as if I almost should do a 50percent water change now just in case.

All it would take is a little bit of time of high ammonia in the 20g and the damage is done. If you aren't getting any readings in the current QT then what you need to focus on is getting them healed and raising the salinity.

jsker · Sep 9, 2017

Stephone said:
Feel as if I almost should do a 50percent water change now just in case.

Run carbon to filter out and contaminates, and clean the water.

GHsaltie · Sep 9, 2017

Ok, so now onto a different question, yes I have more

. You said that the fish have been in QT for 3 weeks but you've had them for 2 months and you are treating for ich, yes? So were they in your DT when you suspected them of having ich?

Stephone · Sep 9, 2017

GHsaltie said:
Ok, so now onto a different question, yes I have more . You said that the fish have been in QT for 3 weeks but you've had them for 2 months and you are treating for ich, yes? So were they in your DT when you suspected them of having ich?

Yes, my sailfin and purple were both rubbing against sand and glass. I saw a few spots pop up and immediately started the QT process. The spare tank has been running not only for that reason but also because my daughter says, "she is the doctor of the hospital tank and wants it ready for her patients when they get the flu."

GHsaltie · Sep 9, 2017

Ok so now in case you haven't read about it yourself you basically have two options regarding ich, if it is indeed ich that you have and not velvet. You can either remove all fish from the DT and go fallow for 76 days to starve out the parasite, or you can try ich management. Honestly I prefer to not have ich in my tank, but others find t easier for their particular situations to try and manage it. However keeping in mind that it is significantly harder to manage ich with tangs or other sensitive species, especially for the inexperienced. Here are two threads that are very informative on the situation https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ich-eradication-vs-ich-management.188775/
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/i...ears-of-experience-and-ich-management.206347/

GHsaltie · Sep 10, 2017

Also, I think it's wonderful that your daughter enjoys caring for her patients

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Stephone · Sep 10, 2017

Definitely going with the fallow tank method. Hopefully I can get pass this hump and keep pressing forward.

Stephone · Sep 10, 2017

GHsaltie said:
Also, I think it's wonderful that your daughter enjoys caring for her patients .

Gotta keep her interested she helps me justify new purchases to the GF.

GHsaltie · Sep 10, 2017

Stephone said:
Definitely going with the fallow tank method. Hopefully I can get pass this hump and keep pressing forward.

Maritimer said:
It's not easy - but it does get easier, and more effective, with practice.

~Bruce

As Bruce said, it will get easier given time. Unfortunately the saltwater world can have a huge learning curve if you are not prepared for it, and it's rarely kind. But that's what we are here for

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GHsaltie · Sep 10, 2017

Keep us updated as to how it goes tomorrow.

Humblefish · Sep 10, 2017

@Stephone I'll admit I didn't read through this entire thread.

You said you were treating for ich. Did you see white dots on your fish? If so, could you count their numbers? Or were the fish completely covered in dots, so that it was impossible to count them all?

blkhwkz · Sep 10, 2017

jsker said:
I do not think you did anything wrong, Ich is stress related. Think of ich, is like a cold with humans. when the fishes immune system gets run down they get ich, like humans do when we get a cold. The metroplex is a mild antibiotic and the focus bind the antibiotic to the food so that it is ingested.

Ich is a parasite and fish don't just "get ich" because their immune system gets run down or they are stressed. They have to be exposed to the parasite to get ich. Just like a human has to be exposed to a cold, it doesn't just show up because the immune system is down.

melypr1985 · Sep 11, 2017

Your fish actually look ok from the video IMO. They are a little stressed out and scared, but they don't look (outwardly) on death's doorstep. It does seem that you had a ton of fish in a very small tank at first so ammonia, stress, and aggression could all contribute to them not doing well in QT. It was very smart to switch to the 55 gallon especially with all those tangs. I agree with slowly (very!) raising the salinity up some. I would do this by removing a small amount of water (like a gallon) and replacing it with saltwater at 1.025 every day. That should do it.... of course, if you want to do it the proper way then you would just top off with saltwater every day until the salinity is at 1.025.
You'll still need to complete the ich treatment. I think you should start up the copper again. Be sure to raise the levels slowly over the course of a few days and test often to be sure you are at therapeutic levels and don't overshoot it.

If the fish aren't eating right now, then you can focus on slowly raising the salinity and getting them to eat again before starting copper. I think you're on the right track here and have some beautiful fish. The methylene blue bath in the morning is an excellent idea as well. Be sure to match salinity and temp and add lots of oxygen the entire time of the dip and before they go in.