75g Lurking danger and Leafy Seadragons

[vlangel]

When it comes to UV sterilizers, I've heard that one should go big or go home. So I bought the big Turbo Twist 12Xs, 36watts rated for 300g. I wasn't exactly picturing just how big this unit is, LOL. I probably should have gone smaller.

I set it up with different configurations trying to keep it discreet. The 3rd time was a charm. Changing bulbs isn't going to be the easiest but I don't plan to have it on 24/7 either, so hopefully that will just be an every other year event. The main thing is its installed, it works and there are no leaks!

 

[vlangel]

The tank seems mostly settled down so, where do I go from here?
I plan to let the UV sterilizer run and do 12g water changes for the next 2 weeks. Then I will add my aged percula clownfish (from the 20g in the cabinet) and see how it does. I expect that Perky will do fine because I have used water from the 75g and added it to the 20g so I am sure that he has been exposed to ich.
Next I will let the tank run for 2 months with the UV sterilizer and doing my 10% water changes every week. I will also cut back on feeding since I have only 10 fish and not 17. These steps should improve water quality and also reduce the amount of ich in the tank to a manageable level. From there I will begin stocking again.
The 20g will be empty so I will add new fish to it for observation for a few weeks. That should further reduce the risk of and manage disease in the 75g. I will also feed all the fish medicated food when I am buying and getting ready to add new fish.

 

[griss]

Sounds like a good plan. Glad to hear the tank is settling.

 

[vlangel]

Sounds like a good plan. Glad to hear the tank is settling.

Thanks George, I've been in the hobby a long time but its never too late to learn. After what happened these past 2 weeks I decided that I could make a plan to reduce the chances of a repeat event.

 

[Uncle99]

The tank seems mostly settled down so, where do I go from here?
I plan to let the UV sterilizer run and do 12g water changes for the next 2 weeks. Then I will add my aged percula clownfish (from the 20g in the cabinet) and see how it does. I expect that Perky will do fine because I have used water from the 75g and added it to the 20g so I am sure that he has been exposed to ich.
Next I will let the tank run for 2 months with the UV sterilizer and doing my 10% water changes every week. I will also cut back on feeding since I have only 10 fish and not 17. These steps should improve water quality and also reduce the amount of ich in the tank to a manageable level. From there I will begin stocking again.
The 20g will be empty so I will add new fish to it for observation for a few weeks. That should further reduce the risk of and manage disease in the 75g. I will also feed all the fish medicated food when I am buying and getting ready to add new fish.

Not much ick is in the water itself so the water changes may only serve to reduce nutrients. If you need reduction in dissolved organics then yup, water changes.
Reduced feeding to match losses is perfect.

The UV I never used as well as it can only attempt to disable those in the water. At the same time, UV is also slowing your good guy stuff. Sure the water looks clean, crystal clear, but I’m not sure that condition I want. The ick you want is mostly in the sand and rock, unaffected by UV. But true, it will get a few free swimmers.

Ick lives on fish. Ick dies without fish. Simple cycle but ick does not want the fish to die.

I never medicated any food as it was counter productive for me. The fish ate less with meds, a common problem. So I’ve never used them again. I have no proof they did anything at all. But I fed well, all their regular diet.

after the last fish with spots had none, I still made no changes at all for 60 days.

At this time, it had been 60 days since the last spot was seen, at this time we replaced losses.

It’s been years now and ick has never returned.

Good luck, I hope your system is working itself back to norm.