I have an outbreak of ich in my DT and need to move my fish to a QT for 8 weeks for treatment and to allow my DT to sit fallow. I'm worried that it will be impossible to keep my mandarin feed in the QT. I know we don't normally have to worry about our mandarins succumbing to ich, but If I leave the mandarin in the DT during the 8 week period, will it act as a host for ich even without obvious symptoms?
Can my mandarin be hosting ich?
- Thread starter rwsunrx
- Start date
You're in a tough spot. Supposedly Mandarins have a slime coat on their skin that protects them from Ich/parasites. I don't know if this is a 100% of the time kinda thing or just the rule of thumb. I do know the only safe way to treat a Mandarin is hypo. They can't tolerate copper.
If it were me, I'd leave the Mandarin in and observe closely. Maybe put back just 1 fish (after the 8 week fallow period) and observe for a few weeks to be sure.
If it were me, I'd leave the Mandarin in and observe closely. Maybe put back just 1 fish (after the 8 week fallow period) and observe for a few weeks to be sure.
ChargerOnDavins
In Memoriam
The answer to your question is yes. It only takes one ich parasite out of thousands to infiltrate his slime coat, to continue the breeding cycle.
You should really remove him, and put him in a small hospital tank and treat with hypo.
I can tell you from experience nothing is worse than waiting the 6-8 weeks fallow and then returning the fish only to have them break out again with ich. It's the worst feeling ever. Don't risk it.
Additionally, my mandarin died of velvet. So that slime coat, did not protect her from that. She ate well, was an ORA target mandarin, and was one of the first fish to go.
You should really remove him, and put him in a small hospital tank and treat with hypo.
I can tell you from experience nothing is worse than waiting the 6-8 weeks fallow and then returning the fish only to have them break out again with ich. It's the worst feeling ever. Don't risk it.
Additionally, my mandarin died of velvet. So that slime coat, did not protect her from that. She ate well, was an ORA target mandarin, and was one of the first fish to go.
triksrevival
Member
I was in the same situation with my scooter dragonet and lawnmower blenny. I left the 2 in the DT and moved my other 3 fish to QT for 2 months, when I moved them back in the DT all was fine, no more ich. I knew my scooter would die w/o pods and my only lawnmower grazes in the tank, neither take anything I feed them.
I didn't use a QT, brought home a kole tang, it developed ich, lost it, my wheeler's goby, my blue mandarin and have two clowns now in hypo tank for 3 more weeks. Good luck, but I lost the mandarin and goby because I was reluctant to catch them, it was only when the mandarin stopped hunting that I took her out, much too late, she died that night. Only time will tell which course of action is right, but a QT and hypo isn't going to stress anyone out, and for the mandarin, maye it would allow some hands on time to train it to eat shrimp? Or buy pods (they will die, but maybe not before mandarin gets some).
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Mandarins can get ich. Tough call; but I'd never risk a tank full of fish to save just one. Of course, do everything you can to save him, but the DT has to stay fallow. I don't want to sound cold; but Mandarins are inexpensive and fairly short-lived fish. If you can get through a bout with ich and only lose one fish.........well, you know what I'm saying.
ChargerOnDavins
In Memoriam
full agreement with the above. Learn from your mistake, and don't make the same mistake again.
I think the quote goes "Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is the definition of stupidity" (although this classifies me as stupid LOL)
sdunkin
New member
I prophylactically treated my mandarin with quinine sulfate before reintroducing him to the display. I had him in a 20H with just some pieces of PVC and he did fine for the entire 3 weeks he was in there (I also treated with prazipro, hence the longer time). In fact, by the time he was about halfway through with the quinine treatment he'd started taking frozen. I'd also heard about their slimecoat being thick enough to not carry ich, but I didn't feel like it was worth the risk to my other fish which is why I went ahead and medicated him.
Thanks everyone for the input. I'm fairly sure it's ich and not velvet. This ich outbreak has already been going on for about 4 weeks and so far without any losses. In fact all my 11 fish are doing well ( considering some are clearly showing signs of ich). All are eating VERY well even looking much better than 3 weeks ago, but I known I need to get them all into my QT for treatment. Will probably take several day to trap and transfer all to QT. Just a little worried about my mandarin eating in QT.
It's funny how the rules keep changing. Many years ago I kept Mandarins alive with live/frozen brine and live blackworms. Now to be fair, I can't remember one living for more than a year or two. So the pods must be healthier for them as they can now live longer in captivity. But I would think you'd have a better than average chance of keeping one alive in hypo just by feeding what I fed for 2 months in QT.
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