blue Tang scratching update! please help!!!!!

[taz13777]

my blue tang was in copper for 4 weeks and was fine so I put him into my 90 gallon display and he was itching at first then he was fine and today makes one week in the dt tank and no signs of ich but now all of the sudden he has white streaks on his fins and they look ruffed up like the skin is fallen off if you look real close at it....pleas help!!!! what to do?

 

[Linkblaze]

Tangs, especially Hippos, scratch a lot as part of normal behavior. I wouldn't worry too much about it and just keep an eye on him.

 

[Freed]

Scratching against rocks or anything else is not "normal" behavior for any fish. Fish that do this are trying to get rid of parasites or their skin or gills are being irritated by something. Not "normal" behavior at all for any fish. I have a blue hippo tang that never scratches against anything.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

I too would love some help with this...

My blue tang, itches and has no sign of anything (ick, or otherwise).
... I noticed one of my Maroon Clowns itch... he too, no signs of anything.

However, my tang... itches all day long.
Will even "twitch", or swim sideways for a second.

What the heck? Anyone?

 

[RBU1]

Could be flukes

 

[Yogre]

My guess would be flukes as well. Difficult if not impossible to see when the fish is in your tank, and from what I've seen from my own fish will produce that open-water "twitching" behavior.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Could be flukes

My guess would be flukes as well. Difficult if not impossible to see when the fish is in your tank, and from what I've seen from my own fish will produce that open-water "twitching" behavior.

Oh Geeez... first I've ever heard of "Flukes", but read up on it a bit... and, already don't like it.

... Obvious treatments are in a sick-tank. But how do I make sure "Flukes" is the issue? I noticed it's near impossible to detect (unlike ich).

And as I understand it... Prazipro is the answer?

 

[RBU1]

Well in your case you could try a cleaner shrimp. Some people have used Prazi-Pro in their main tanks with success.....Not sure I would try it but it is an option.

Have you ever noticed any cloudy eyes?

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Well in your case you could try a cleaner shrimp. Some people have used Prazi-Pro in their main tanks with success.....Not sure I would try it but it is an option.

Have you ever noticed any cloudy eyes?

Had a cleaner, and before I moved my tanks (combined two into one...etc) the poor guy died overnight. I have no idea why... just found him on the bottom (day before he was fine, or seemed fine). All tests showed water in good health.

NOW... all fish and inverts are in my 125Gal;
... the more you ask about my fish... I do have a cleaner goby that my yellow tang and blue tang love... now, my Dragon sifter is visiting the goby. And I think (once I put my glasses on, and peered deeply into the tank... inspecting each fish) I might have ich/crypt. :eek1:

NOW THAT I'M LOOKING....
The blue tang, the cleaner goby, and a small damsel all seem to have spots, or ich/crypt and I'm afraid to keep looking at the few other fish. I honestly didn't notice this last week and didn't see any signs of it... however, my tank rised in temp (due to no chiller) the last few of days and I'm sure it didn't help. I've been trying to aquire a chiller this past week.

Looks like it might be time to remove the fish, and treat them. Thank goodness for a working "fish trap" and my LFS for them 'renting' it out. Any other ideas...keep them coming.

Gotta' love REEF keeping!

 

[RBU1]

Well that would explain the behavior. Good Luck.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Let me add...
Obviously there's best ways to quarantine, to treat and to rid a tank of ich... and the fish of ich. However, I ran across this... and am wondering if I should first... try to rid the fish IN the DT first?! (see, it'll be near impossible to get out the two mandarin gobies, and maybe even the two Dragon sifters)

Read this, and let me know your expert thoughts
(from this thread/site); http://www.************.com/forums/reef-discussion/869-how-cure-ick.html

Anyhow, no matter how hard I tried, I could not catch the tang. I gave up when someone else on this site mentioned Stop Parasite, which is also reef safe. I went and bought some and started treating. Our yellow nose starting hanging at the surface and I felt that I should try and catch him for quarantining. I was able to and moved him to the quarantine tank. Actually, prior to that, I had called the number on the bottle of Stop parasite and got the owner. I had heard he was really helpful. He was great! He told me to go get some Melafix and start using it with the Stop Parasite. He cautioned against removing the fish because of the stress that it can cause the fish. But again, I was trying to listen to everyone else and when I had the chance, moved the longnose.

The end of the story goes like this.....the long nose that we moved, he died during the night. We kept the tang in the dt and continue the Stop Parasite and Melafix, and she completely recovered. The theory that the maker of the Stop Parasite has is this.....ICH comes from stress, moving the fish gives them stress, if you can safely treat in your dp and avoid the movement stress, then why not do it that way. He developed this product for that reason. I had a minor outbreak with another fish that came later and started the Stop Parasite and he recovered quickly with no further treatments. I know this is contrary to the popular belief that you should quarantine, but like I said, I would never have been able to remove my tang without dismantling my 100+ pounds of live rock, thereby stressing the tang and all others. When I get a new arrival, I treat the tank for 3 days with the Stop Parasite and all has gone well. You can also use it as a maintenance, which I am going to start doing. Several of the online stores carry the Stop Parasite, and the owner is so helpful and very concerned. He called me every day for several days in a row to see how my fish were doing. Good luck!

Thanks in advance... I'm in a bit of a panic now.

Lastly, I heard Kick-Ich works wonders for the fish too. HELP!!!

 

[RBU1]

Nothing is easy.....Here are your choices..
1.) Do nothing continue to feed a well varied diet and keep the water quality excellent
2.) Remove all your fish from your main tank and treat them with copper. But you will have to get rid of all your dragonets.....and leave your main tank fallow for 10-12 weeks...

Save your money reef safe products DONT WORK!!!!

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Nothing is easy.....Here are your choices..
1.) Do nothing continue to feed a well varied diet and keep the water quality excellent
2.) Remove all your fish from your main tank and treat them with copper. But you will have to get rid of all your dragonets.....and leave your main tank fallow for 10-12 weeks...

Save your money reef safe products DONT WORK!!!!

I was afraid you'd say that... but, thats what I've read over and over. Even down to the "to cure ich" ways of treating (with 6-8 week quarantine) fish. However, won't the DT still have ich unless live sand is removed or the quarantine is for a lengthier period (I know, a debate is brewing with those questions).

I know better... than to use band-aids, but for the years I've had reefs... there has always been an ich controversy.
... and this isn't from a new fish/invert being introduced into the tank, as I combined two tanks in the last week. So either it was already in the tank and stress aided it along, or it was introduced from the other tank (and that livestock) that was used to combine.

For now, I've been told to;
Treat the DT with KickIch, as instructed. And continue to treat... for a long period (tank will always have ich), with feeding the fish a garlickie food. And even though ich won't be "gone for good", the fish should be in better health and not on their 'last death bed'. In due time, or as capable... to remove the fish (all of them) and quarantine for up to 8 weeks.

Sounds reasonable. No?!

 

[RBU1]

Well Reef safe stuff does not work. Your better off keeping the water quality good and feeding a good diet. Live sand and inverts are fine to leave in your main tank. Just the fish need to be removed and the tank should stay fallow for at least 10 weeks.

 

[JohnnyAirtime]

Well Reef safe stuff does not work. Your better off keeping the water quality good and feeding a good diet. Live sand and inverts are fine to leave in your main tank. Just the fish need to be removed and the tank should stay fallow for at least 10 weeks.

Thanks. Appreciate the feedback.

Since I can't get all the fish out (I know inverts don't get ich, nor need be removed), without breaking the tank down... or spending countless hours with a barbless hook, I'll try treating the DT first.

Just dosed the tank with 12oz of Kick-Ich, we'll see what tomorrow brings (I hear I can see results in 16hrs if it'll help or not). I'll report back on the findings. (fingers crossed)

 

[sea of cortez]

Well Reef safe stuff does not work. Your better off keeping the water quality good and feeding a good diet. Live sand and inverts are fine to leave in your main tank. Just the fish need to be removed and the tank should stay fallow for at least 10 weeks.

I thought this too
I had a neon gobie with one spot I noticed after adding it to the DT that I did not QT (will never do that again)
3 weeks later it started, ICH showing up on the blue tangs first then the potters, flame, then the neon gobies (I think I might of had Velvet also because the fish with the dusting spot combo look would die in 24 to 48 hours)
I tried reef safe NO ICH as directed did a water change and did a extended second treatment. It seemed to be more of a ICH fertilizer than treatment.
I lost more fish than I want to talk about.

Then I set up 2 QT tanks to cycle so I could treat with copper anf let the DT sit fallow. And was getting ready to start catching fish to move and noticed a yellow tang pretty much covered with ICH and a dusting looking stuff just like the others that I lost, I tried catching it but was only stressing all the fish out.
So I made a trap and was feeding from the trap, this was working good but the tang would not eat breathing heavy totally covered now and was staying in the rock plus the other tangs and clowns had spots and dusting look now. I figured the tang would be dead in the mourning.
I had a couple of bottles of ICH ATTACK that I was not planning on using since I was a believer that there was no reef safe med after the NO ICH. I figured what do I have to lose the tang was going the die anyway so I gave the tank a double dose.
The next mourning the Tang was alive even ate. I was still covered and breathing heavy but alive. I continued giving a full dose mounrning and evening, After 5 days of dosing no Ich all fish seem healthy and clear.
And my anemone and feathers dusters didnt flitch when I added this like they did with the NO ICH

 

[victorcan]

Does feeding heavily work?? guy at my lfs says that just feeding more works and fish kick ich on their own any truth ?

 

[steelhead77]

OK. So you're told Kick Ich does not work, by several people, yet you treat with it anyway? All Kick Ich will do is turn your water brown and kill some corals. The best solution for your problem is to keep the water parameters pristine (impossible to do with KI) and make sure they continue to eat and swim normally. If you do this, there is a good chance your fish will fight it off without any intervention from you.