Powder Blue ongoing Ich battle

AlexReef100 · Jul 26, 2017

I've got a powder blue tang who has been infected with ich at least 3 times in the past few months. I have him in a 90 Gallon reef tank and there is no way for me to get him out to quarantine him without making matters worse. Each time he gets sick I make sure to keep him well fed and keep the stress in the tank down to a minimum and he is able to pull thru with no problem. The issue is, he seems to keep getting reinfected. Is there a threshold for a scenario like this where the fish's immune system will eventually be able to prevent future infections? Or is this poor guy doomed to keep getting reinfected anytime he has a minor bout of stress?

LuckyPhil · Jul 26, 2017

Sorry to inform you but it's not just your PBT that has ich all your fish in your tank are affected.
You can either take the ich management approach or eradication method.
i don't think many recommend management because it usually results in the death of all your fish.
Plenty of stickies with info on ich to help you decide which path you want to take (management, copper, TTM)

You will have to leave your tank fallow/empty for 76 days to eliminate the parasite.

Good luck

AlexReef100 · Jul 26, 2017

Oh I know all my fish have it, but the tang is the only one who shows obvious symptoms. I've been taking the management approach, since I honestly don't have any other choice. Catching all my fish is dang near impossible without tearing my tank apart and disturbing my corals.

I've been feeding them a wide variety of food and making sure they're getting plenty of vitamins and I try my best to keep the stress down to a minimum. All my fish eat like pigs, even when my tang is covered top to bottom with spots, he still eats like crazy and has never lost his appetite. I guess I can invest in a UV sterilizer and try my best to cut down the free floating parasites. I already keep the water as clean as possible, so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and hope that the ich doesn't get the upper hand.

Humblefish · Jul 26, 2017

Read this: Ich eradication vs. Ich management

Adding an oversized UV or diatom filter, and proper nutrition (i.e. food soaking vitamins, feeding nori) can help. But it is far from a perfect solution.

The links above (in blue) contain useful information to help you.

AlexReef100 · Jul 26, 2017

Thanks, I read thru that earlier after LuckyPhil's response. I already feed nori and food infused with garlic/vitamins/etc.., started doing that after the first initial infection. I just ordered a UV sterilizer, hopefully that will cut down the number of free floating parasites and reduce the risk of future reinfection.

Humblefish · Jul 26, 2017

AlexReef100 said:
Thanks, I read thru that earlier after LuckyPhil's response. I already feed nori and food infused with garlic/vitamins/etc.., started doing that after the first initial infection. I just ordered a UV sterilizer, hopefully that will cut down the number of free floating parasites and reduce the risk of future reinfection.

It can be very difficult to keep an Acanthurus Tang in an ich management system: https: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/ich-and-acanthurus-tangs-years-of-experience-and-ich-management.106/

ngoodermuth · Jul 26, 2017

I know it sucks, but the only way to be sure it won't keep popping up is to pull all your fish and treat them.

It's a pain, but not impossible. I just did it with my 120g. It's a process, I won't sugar coat it, but once you've finished and you know your fish are going to stay healthy...it's so worth it.

Crypto wins the gamble- QT Journal

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Crypto-wins-the-gamble--QT-Journal.301955/

I have a new powder brown in QT now, broke out with velvet within 3 days of getting him. He's been at therapeutic copper for about 2 weeks and looks so much healthier.

AlexReef100 · Jul 26, 2017

Yeah as much as I hate it, I see now that at some point I'll have to do a QT and keep my fish in there for 2-3 months so the ich in my main tank will die off. I just don't have the time right now to completely tear down my main tank to get everyone out, so I'm trying to find a short term solution to help my PBT hang on a bit longer till I can get a QT setup and move all my fish over.

Thanks for all your input guys!!

coweyes298 · Jul 26, 2017

If taking all the fish out isn't available then ich management is the only way, won't be 100%. I have been there with my PBT. Feeding well and taking good care of but he showed ich everytime I mess with my rock work/coral placement or massive water change...

Now all my fish are in QT treating with copper and DT fallow still counting for another 31 days.

AlexReef100 · Jul 26, 2017

Well for now management is the only way. I need to get a QT setup and cycled before I can even consider the idea of pulling them out. But hey, on the bright side maybe I can finally get that annoying pistol shrimp out that has been eating all of my CUC, while I'm moving live rock around.

ebushrow · Jul 26, 2017

How about a fish trap? Have you tried this? Might be the golden solution for you

coweyes298 · Jul 26, 2017

It took me 2 hours each day/ total two days to get all my fish out on 48*23*20 with 100 lbs rockwork. For some reason my blue tang is a shy guy that he is always an easy to catch (can use my fingers as tong to pick him up while he is hiding in rock). Midas Blenny always hide into his barnacle rock so I just grab the rock with him inside. Clown pairs are easy too. The worst fish to catch is PBT, flame hawk and my close to mature Formosa wrasse...took almost all the rocks out except base rock for catching those ******.

GatorScott · Jul 26, 2017

My buddy used Dr. G's with great success. But that's only if your fish are still eating. And you really need to keep already mixed water on hand because it will sky rocket your nitrates so you'll be doing a lot of water changes. But it works. And is easier than pulling all your fish.

coweyes298 · Jul 26, 2017

Well, I used Dr. G with no success. The anti parasite one is not favored by my fish or they just got a little nip and spit it out. Feeding this for several months and ich still come and go. I also mixed Dr. G with my frozen food mix (mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops, fish egg, garlic, reefroid) ,but fish can still distinguish the Dr. G from others and ignored it...It is not true as Dr. G listed on their bottle "treat the fish, not the water" because no matter how you feed with CP food the free swimming stage ich will still be presented. Just my 0.02.

Gweeds1980 · Jul 26, 2017

Add a great big UV on a slow flow and add omega 3 to feeds... it can be done [emoji6]

Omega 3 will allow fish to boost their fatty tissue under the skin, which prevents ich from being able to burrow (omega 3 is essentially poison to parasites). The UV will keep the free swimming stage to a minimum.

Try to include live food and food with guts intact in feeds... blackworms and whole, fresh mussels are ideal.

I run a TMC pond UV rated for 45000 litres on my 1200 litre tank... it has very slow flow with a 1500lph pump, compared to the manufacturers max of 180000lph!! More exposure time to UV = more parasite death [emoji2]

Fishfinder · Jul 26, 2017

I just removed everything from my 210 gal because of this. My powder brown kept getting spots. Honestly it wasn't that bad getting the fish out. Went to home depot got 4 big Brute trash cans. Pumped all the water into the cans. Scooped my fish right off the sand. Didn't chase a single fish around. Had the tank full of water again in less than 30 min. No coral was affected. All lived through the incident with no change.

GatorScott · Jul 27, 2017

coweyes298 said:
Well, I used Dr. G with no success. The anti parasite one is not favored by my fish or they just got a little nip and spit it out. Feeding this for several months and ich still come and go. I also mixed Dr. G with my frozen food mix (mysis, brine shrimp, cyclops, fish egg, garlic, reefroid) ,but fish can still distinguish the Dr. G from others and ignored it...It is not true as Dr. G listed on their bottle "treat the fish, not the water" because no matter how you feed with CP food the free swimming stage ich will still be presented. Just my 0.02.

I've never used it personally just saw my buddy use it and followed his progress. He fed dr g only for 3 months as instructed by the bottle. And it worked for him. But I'm prob jinxing him with this post hahaha