Treat just incase?

[Nstocks]

I've had a Sailfin Tang for around 1 year

6 months ago the tang and few other fish were temporarily put into a 4ft holding tank as the display tank had cracked was was due to be repaired. Long story short last month I set up a new tank, added the sailfin, firefish and clownish. Last week I added 5 Lyretail Anthias.

Today when I as filling my ATU reservoir and looking at the tang, I noticed a lot of tiny black dots and under some angles the entire body is lightly speckled with perhaps white dots too.

Unfortunately it's impossible to photograph with my iPhone but as a precaution, should I look at removing all the fish to treat for possible ich? (black or white).

The 500L display has real reef rock and sand, no corals and two cleaner shrimp and a few crabs but I think the best treatment would be TTM.

But ideally I would need to get confirmation that it is something that needs treating...

 

[Nstocks]

I've turned on some different lights and it's definitely ich.

Plan is to use the TTM to treat all fishes.

For the treatment of the display, either heat it up to 40C (if possible) for a few days and/or drain it and let it dry out completely. Sand may be removed and treated differently and returned at a later stage. The rocks however would remain in the DT and with the use of a dehumidifier they should dry out pretty quick, but I'd give it 2 weeks.

Then add bottled bacteria and add the fish slowly.

 

[Humblefish]

If you are still seeing black dots, that could mean turbellarians in addition to Cryptocaryon. There are pics of tangs with black ich here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/black-ich-turbellarians.259912/

Black Ich (turbellarians) are worms and require a different treatment than regular ich (Cryptocaryon).

 

[Nstocks]

It looks like there are block spots on the tail and white (and possible black) on the body.

EDIT: Under different lighting/angles there are 100% black spots all over and white spots on mostly the body.

 

[Humblefish]

It looks like there are block spots on the tail and white (and possible black) on the body.

EDIT: Under different lighting/angles there are 100% black spots all over and white spots on mostly the body.

You'll need to treat with Prazipro for the black ich: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/prazipro.247598/

 

[Nstocks]

Would I treat all the fish for the black ich? (Anthias, firefish, clownfish) too?

 

[melypr1985]

Would I treat all the fish for the black ich? (Anthias, firefish, clownfish) too?

Yes, it would be a good idea to treat them all for it. It's a good rule of thumb that if one fish has it, they all have it. You can combine that pretty easily with TTM which is good news.

 

[Nstocks]

Would the fishes alone need treating, or the rock too?

In the UK we have access to Tremazol by Sera

 

[melypr1985]

Would the fishes alone need treating, or the rock too?

In the UK we have access to Tremazol by Sera

You can do it in the QT during the planned TTM. With ich in play, you'll have to leave the display fallow for 76 days which will take care of any lingering parasites in the tank including the black ich.

 

[Nstocks]

I'm still researching but heating the display (minus livestock) to 40C for at least 1 hour will kill ich. I will likely follow it up by leaving the rocks out of water for 10 days too. (assuming what I have it ich!)

 

[melypr1985]

I'm still researching but heating the display (minus livestock) to 40C for at least 1 hour will kill ich. I will likely follow it up by leaving the rocks out of water for 10 days too. (assuming what I have it ich!)

That won't accomplish anything with crypto. Saltwater ich is a completely different parasite than freshwater ich. Leaving the rocks out for 10 days will only cause a new cycle to happen in the tank when the rocks release all the dead matter in them. Read this link for more information about the life cycle of saltwater ich and how to treat it successfully. Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans)

 

[Nstocks]

Under Disinfection section: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

https://www.dailywritingtips.com/forum/misc.php?s=19f18c5b5545112c9084b15e0306d483&do=bbcode#quote

A number of methods for disinfection of Cryptocaryon tomonts and theronts have been examined (Hirazawa et al. 2003). The following regimens were shown to be effective against tomonts in the laboratory: 1 hour exposure to 40°C (104°F) or to 100 mg/L benzalkonium chloride; 24 hours exposure to 60 mg/L chlorine or to drying. Free-swimming theronts were killed more easily after one of the following treatments: 1 hour exposure to 2.4 mg/L chlorine; 1 hour exposure to 100 mg/L benzalkonium chloride; or 40°C (104°F).https://www.dailywritingtips.com/forum/misc.php?s=19f18c5b5545112c9084b15e0306d483&do=bbcode#quote

 

[melypr1985]

Under Disinfection section: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

The is going to kill everything left in the tank anyway. You might as well start the whole tank over. Doing this will pollute the tank to a point that you will have to cycle the tank again and likely end up with huge algae issues in the end. However, if you are set on doing it, then good luck and keep us posted on the results.

 

[Nstocks]

The sand and half the rock has been dry for 4 months (after soaking in RO water) as my holding tank wasn’t large enough (whilst my DT was due for repair that never happened). So although this tank has been set up for a month, only 50% of the rock was alive during the 6 month holding tank period. Whilst there is going to be die off from the temperature increase alone, it’s worth noting that it’s very, very clean rock that is in some always still ‘new’ (real reef rock)

I have the capacity for a roller mat, skimmer, carbon, UV, Nano bubble scrubbing, algae scrubber and water changes to help with any die off. Plus bacteria.

I realise it’s a fairly uncommon approach and I really hope it works because it’s only through these experiments (backed by science I guess) that we find new and better methods.

I’ll post images of the tang on Friday to get a ID that what is have is nothing more than inch and worms and possibly start a thread documenting the progress.

Thank you all for supporting me through my first reef disease!

 

[Nstocks]

Not great photos, the water has floating particles which doesn't help. (Rollermat has run out of paper!).

But, if you tilt your head, squint and look 1" away from the screen, you can probably make out the white spot.

Depending on the time of day, the tang changes colour somewhat, which makes the black spot (worms) easier to see, but not right now. The tang is twitching quite a bit too, sometimes swimming on its side which is a good indicator or WS.

All other fish show no signs, but they would get the same treatment as a precaution (TTM and Tremazol)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4575/38363790034_462cd20ca5_o.png