Start over or fishless due to ich

[Reefahholic]

Bleach rock with what percentage of bleach? Do you soak in rodi prime later or let it air dry?

You can do 50/50. Yes soak and rinse well later. Do a couple soakings coupled with 100% water changes. Then let it dry out in the sun.

You can also test for Chlorine level to make sure it’s completed gone.

 

[Reefahholic]

Go fallow for at least 76 days.
Tear down tank - clean/bleach everything,add the new gravel I already have and recycle about 30 days tops.
That is a tuff one.

If you go fallow for that long...Ich will be dead. They must find a fish host to survive. Run the temps higher to speed up the life cycle if you don’t have coral in the tank.

 

[polyppal]

My new 10g tank is finally cycle and I have added one fish in the tank. Turns out a few days in, I believe the fish has ich. Since it’s only 1 fish, and I’m thinking setting a cheap 10g QT tank just powerhead and heater and move the clown fish there while treating it. So the question is shall I start over? How do I clean the rocks for the parasite? Soak in rodi water? I can replace the sands since I have 15lb left. Start the cycling again! Or keep it fish less for 76 days?

Honestly, if its only a 10g tank and you just finished the cycle, you could just take the tank down, completely dry out the rock/sand/everything and then restart it a day or so later like a new tank. In that scenario you dont need to use anything to disinfect the rocks. Ich/velvet/etc cannot survive outside of water.

Using a nitrifying bacteria, youd have a clean tank ready again in a few weeks vs a whole long fallow period...

 

[Reefahholic]

Honestly, if its only a 10g tank and you just finished the cycle, you could just take the tank down, completely dry out the rock/sand/everything and then restart it a day or so later like a new tank. In that scenario you dont need to use anything to disinfect the rocks. Ich/velvet/etc cannot survive outside of water.

Using a nitrifying bacteria, youd have a clean tank ready again in a few weeks vs a whole long fallow period...

That is true. Just make sure the rocks completely dry. If any water is left unchecked it could potentially survive, but not longterm. I’d let it all dry out in the sun for a week.

 

[polyppal]

I’d let it all dry out in the sun for a week.

A week seems excessive, marine parasites die rapidly outside of tank conditions when they are exposed to air.

If you wanted to do an 'insurance' dip before drying things out, could drop the rocks/sand/etc in a bucket with very hot (coffee/tea temp) water for a few minutes. Nothing bad will survive that for sure.

 

[Reefahholic]

A week seems excessive, marine parasites die rapidly outside of tank conditions when they are exposed to air.

If you wanted to do an 'insurance' dip before drying things out, could drop the rocks/sand/etc in a bucket with very hot (coffee/tea temp) water for a few minutes. Nothing bad will survive that for sure.

If they are deep in the rock, they’re not gonna be exposed to air.

 

[MarsWulf5]

My new 10g tank is finally cycle and I have added one fish in the tank. Turns out a few days in, I believe the fish has ich. Since it’s only 1 fish, and I’m thinking setting a cheap 10g QT tank just powerhead and heater and move the clown fish there while treating it. So the question is shall I start over? How do I clean the rocks for the parasite? Soak in rodi water? I can replace the sands since I have 15lb left. Start the cycling again! Or keep it fish less for 76 days?

Couple options 1) Fishless DT for AT LEAST 76 days. Put the fish in a QT and treat for ich with Cupramine. You need a Hannah checker to do it right with the copper. Then do a 100% water change and treat with Prazipro for any internal parasites you cant see - like worms etc. Then do a 100% water change and treat with copper again. 76 day AFTER the very last sign of ich - I would go a little more... You can add back to DT.

Option 2) Get a UV sterilizer... A good one... And manage the ich with that and a good diet.

I personally did this for 10 months with my new DT going up. I ended up seeing a couple ich cysts after the fish were QTdd and appeared completely healthy for six months.

With new fish in my fish QT - I cannot go fallow now. My fish have no cysts at present in the DT - none at all - but I saw a cyst or two last week - so I know it got in there. Get an Pentair UV or something equivalent if you dont want to go fallow.

One last thing... VIP.. Before you put him in QT if you go that route... Take that clown out and dip him in RODI water (make sure ithe water is warm enough) The saltless RODI will knock off any ich cysts on his skin and in his gills. Swirl the water. He will be fine - if he goes listless a little thats OK. Just nudge him. Dip him for about 10-12 minutes. He will befine in the frshwater that long. Then put him in a bowl of 50% salt water and 50% freshwater... So that his swim bladder can acclimatw back to tank salinity.

Fish can go from salt to freshwater without acclamation - but not the other way around.


Ich stinks... And I know for a fact that every single LFS in my area has it in their system. It seems universal - very hard to kill.

Best wishes. Good luck.

 

[Reefahholic]

I think a good UV along with healthy diet would be VERY beneficial if one were tying to manage Ich. UV will definitely reduce your numbers.

 

[polyppal]

Couple options 1) Fishless DT for AT LEAST 76 days. Put the fish in a QT and treat for ich with Cupramine. You need a Hannah checker to do it right with the copper. Then do a 100% water change and treat with Prazipro for any internal parasites you cant see - like worms etc. Then do a 100% water change and treat with copper again. 76 day AFTER the very last sign of ich - I would go a little more... You can add back to DT.

Option 2) Get a UV sterilizer... A good one... And manage the ich with that and a good diet.

I personally did this for 10 months with my new DT going up. I ended up seeing a couple ich cysts after the fish were QTdd and appeared completely healthy for six months.

With new fish in my fish QT - I cannot go fallow now. My fish have no cysts at present in the DT - none at all - but I saw a cyst or two last week - so I know it got in there. Get an Pentair UV or something equivalent if you dont want to go fallow.

One last thing... VIP.. Before you put him in QT if you go that route... Take that clown out and dip him in RODI water (make sure ithe water is warm enough) The saltless RODI will knock off any ich cysts on his skin and in his gills. Swirl the water. He will be fine - if he goes listless a little thats OK. Just nudge him. Dip him for about 10-12 minutes. He will befine in the frshwater that long. Then put him in a bowl of 50% salt water and 50% freshwater... So that his swim bladder can acclimatw back to tank salinity.

Fish can go from salt to freshwater without acclamation - but not the other way around.


Ich stinks... And I know for a fact that every single LFS in my area has it in their system. It seems universal - very hard to kill.

Best wishes. Good luck.

Uhh, do not freshwater dip a fish for 10-12 minutes, unless you want a dead fish... Freshwater dips should not extend beyond 5 minutes.

 

[MarsWulf5]

Uhh, do not freshwater dip a fish for 10-12 minutes, unless you want a dead fish... Freshwater dips should not extend beyond 5 minutes.

Marine Fish can survive just fine much longer than that in feshwater. I have dipped fish that were covered in ich from the LFS for 20 minutes. Never lost a fish.

 

[polyppal]

Marine Fish can survive just fine much longer than that in feshwater. I have dipped fish that were covered in ich from the LFS for 20 minutes. Never lost a fish.

Your not doing anything to help the fish over 4-5m in a freshwater dip, aside from stressing it out and possibly killing it. Glad that you never lost a fish, but this is dangerous advice. Successfully beating a disease doesn't mean taking already stressful treatments to the extreme, it largely depends on alleviating stress so the fishes system can recuperate.

OP - Stick to advice that has long been established as safe and sound. Links to freshwater dips and QT processes below:

How To - Freshwater Dip

Freshwater Dip (updated 7-30-2023) What It Treats: Provides temporary relief of some parasites - Marine Velvet Disease, Brooklynella hostilis, Uronema marinum seem most susceptible to the osmotic shock. A FW dip can also be used to dislodge certain crustaceans and worms, such as Parasitic...

humble.fish

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

 

[MarsWulf5]

Your not doing anything to help the fish over 4-5m in a freshwater dip, aside from stressing it out and possibly killing it. Glad that you never lost a fish, but this is dangerous advice. Successfully beating a disease doesn't mean taking already stressful treatments to the extreme, it largely depends on alleviating stress so the fishes system can recuperate.

OP - Stick to advice that has long been established as safe and sound. Links to freshwater dips and QT processes below:

How To - Freshwater Dip

Freshwater Dip (updated 7-30-2023) What It Treats: Provides temporary relief of some parasites - Marine Velvet Disease, Brooklynella hostilis, Uronema marinum seem most susceptible to the osmotic shock. A FW dip can also be used to dislodge certain crustaceans and worms, such as Parasitic...

humble.fish

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

Many ich cysts do not break free from the gills in 5 min. I have analysed the dip water at different times under a microscope. 5min one bowl, then 5 min in another bowl, etc.. To see what's going on. I have seen cysts fall off up to 15 minutes later on a badly infested fish (blue gangs)
There is much rhetoric.and advice online - but I have seen what's going on with my own eyes and a microscope. Ich is very hard to beat - and it takes an aggressive approach - which still typically fails

 

[polyppal]

Many ich cysts do not break free from the gills in 5 min. I have analysed the dip water at different times under a microscope. 5min one bowl, then 5 min in another bowl, etc.. To see what's going on. I have seen cysts fall off up to 15 minutes later on a badly infested fish (blue gangs)
There is much rhetoric.and advice online - but I have seen what's going on with my own eyes and a microscope. Ich is very hard to beat - and it takes an aggressive approach - which still typically fails

Uhh ok? I don't know what a picture of your microscope and some candy dishes is supposed to prove. Just looking at your last few posts, it seems like you are unfortunately dealing with all kinds of issues with your livestock. Perhaps that's due to not knowing everything you seem to think you know...

Im not wasting anymore time debating ich with you lol.
Again OP: Look for sound advice from trusted sources in the fish disease forum.

 

[thewire]

Thanks for all the advice. The more I read I think starting over might be the route of least resistant while put my fish in QT. I bought a 10g tank from Petco. I have an extra heater and powerhead.

I will probably take the rock out and soak in it in boil RODI water lol. Replace all the sands I have since I bought a 20lb bag.

p/s The more I look at the fish, I think it's misdiagnosed. I am starting to think the clown has velvet instead of ich. It lost it appetite to eat. There is more white spot that i can count easily. See picture

 

[Jeffcb]

Interesting read about ich.

The Other Way to Run a Reef Tank (no Quarantine)

The other way to run a reef tank (No Quarantine) I was asked by my friend Humblefish to start a thread on my practices of running a tank with no quarantine, hospital tanks, medications, dipping or almost anything else. It is "not" just to take a fish from a store and drop it in your reef...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[polyppal]

Thanks for all the advice. The more I read I think starting over might be the route of least resistant while put my fish in QT. I bought a 10g tank from Petco. I have an extra heater and powerhead.

I will probably take the rock out and soak in it in boil RODI water lol. Replace all the sands I have since I bought a 20lb bag.

p/s The more I look at the fish, I think it's misdiagnosed. I am starting to think the clown has velvet instead of ich. It lost it appetite to eat. There is more white spot that i can count easily. See picture

Yeah looks like it could be velvet

Hes already in copper correct? He will prob not eat much at all if hes battling a strong case or ich or velvet, thats normal for a sick fish.

 

[RedFrog211]

Forgive me, I skimmed through this and may have missed it if someone else recommended it; but why not just dose copper into the DT? If there are no corals or inverts, do a 2 week copper treatment to eliminate the ich, do plenty of water changes after, and then you should be able to add corals, no?

Edit: it should be added that if you do not dip and QT future corals/fish you risk another ich outbreak.

 

[Macbalacano]

Forgive me, I skimmed through this and may have missed it if someone else recommended it; but why not just dose copper into the DT? If there are no corals or inverts, do a 2 week copper treatment to eliminate the ich, do plenty of water changes after, and then you should be able to add corals, no?

Edit: it should be added that if you do not dip and QT future corals/fish you risk another ich outbreak.

The issue is everything in the DT will absorb copper - substrate, rocks, etc... afterwards it will leach from these items and kill corals and inverts in the future.

I would strongly advise against this.

 

[RedFrog211]

The issue is everything in the DT will absorb copper - substrate, rocks, etc... afterwards it will leach from these items and kill corals and inverts in the future.

I would strongly advise against this.

This is a fair point lol
I recant my previous statement and would probably start the system over

 

[thewire]

Yeah looks like it could be velvet

Hes already in copper correct? He will prob not eat much at all if hes battling a strong case or ich or velvet, thats normal for a sick fish.

Will be treating today. I ordered those stuffs and they are coming today