Ever had this happen to you?

[LobsterOfJustice]

You pick out a nice looking fish in the store... perfect looking, not a blemish on any fins or anywhere on the body. Take it home, acclimate it to the QT tank... wake up the next morning and its COVERED IN ICH? Theres white spots and smudges all over the fins and body. Where the heck did all this come from? More importantly, what should I do? Dont want to lose this guy. FW dip? Medicate with copper? Hyposalinity? Wait it out? Seems to be acting okay, although I havent seen him eat anything since I got him (other than picking at the rocks) Just got him yesterday and he was eating at the store.

 

[ricde]

Which one, the butterfly or the angel?

 

[ccampbell57]

Either administer copper or start the process of hyposalinity.

Either way you need to act fast if you want to save the little guy.

This scenario happens all the time and is the main reason people infect their entire tank. Fish in the store may be treated with a ton of meds and the water may be dosed with light copper to contain any ich outbreak. I know my LFS doses all fish tanks with .25 copper for just this reason.

This is the only way that the ich would not be there one day and then when you added him boom it is there.

 

[flameangel88]

Yes, a few years back when I received a 4.5-5" Purple Tang and the next day was full blown ich completely covered.

If your new fish is in a QT by itself I would say your lfs was running low dose of copper but if you added into you DT then it may be stress. The fact that it's covered with ich so fast the fish already had ich to begin with but was contained with copper in the holding tank.

If it was my fish I would keep it by itself and start treating with Cupramine since it was eating at the lfs it shouldn't be too skinny to go through with the treatment.

Good luck with your new fish.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Its the declivis...

I have some cupramine, I guess I will dose that. Should be faster acting than the process of loweing the salinity. I was really hoping to let him get settled in and everything before starting a treatment...

BTW I just sat and watched him and he is eating fine. Picking cyclopeeze out of the water and nori from a rock. He is in a 20g QT by himself.

Pretty worried and upset... I wouldnt have spent this much on a fish if there was anything wrong with him. Looked him over at the store trying to find a torn fin or smudge, any excuse not to buy him. He was perfect and for $260 I had to have him.

 

[flameangel88]

I see Chris already beat me to the post while I'm eating and typing with one hand.

My lfs also runs copper in the .25 neighborhood.

 

[flameangel88]

Whenever ich starts in my fowlr system the Declivis and Burgess butterflies are the first to rub their head against the rock while all the other fishes act normal. Usually I'll see on other fish a week to 10 days later. They are my best gauge.

Next time you pick up a fish from the store test their cooper level.

 

[ccampbell57]

Just make sure you slowly dose the cupramine (16 drops per 10g) for first day and then the same day 2.

I prefer hypo with butterflys because I know there is very little that can kill the fish. Copper is a toxin and any mis steps will cause significant issues.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Yeah. But it would take a day or two to get to treatment levels and honestly this guy is pretty covered. Maybe I'll use the copper just to get the worst of it off, then switch to hypo for the duration of the treatment.

Would he benefit from a FW dip?

 

[flameangel88]

Just make sure you slowly dose the cupramine (16 drops per 10g) for first day and then the same day 2.

Same here even though Seachem recommend 48 hours after the first dose and I could never hold off that long especially seeing the fish are covered.

I don't know the long term consequences (years down the road) but I never had any issue treating Declivis, Bugess and Semilarvatus with Cupramine on 30 days treatment. I perform WC (re-dose) after 2 weeks. Oh, remember to shut off the UV if you're running one.

 

[ccampbell57]

FW dip will help relieve some of the ich.

 

[flameangel88]

I've read many posts stating that FW dip gives relief but my concern is will it cause more stress or provide relief that outweights the stress for the fish during that process.


Don't stress yourself out as ich (and flukes) is easily treatable. Just watch your water parameters during the treatment period.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Well it looks like I'm not gonna FW dip as I had some trouble matching pH. Just hooked up my new pH probe to my meter and calibrated it, and it's reading that my RODI water is somewhere between 8-9 and the QT tank water initially reads 6 but creeps up and stabilizes at 7.5. I double and triple checked the calibration. I dont know why the RODI would be that high but I guess its possible the QT tank is that low. Either way, I dont trust those readings enough to do a FW dip with.

He's also already getting comfy and trusting me, just fed him again and he came right up and ate in front of me (garlic soaked brine). I'd hate to "betray his trust" just as he's settling in. But I'll do it if I have to, I'll find some way to measure pH and make up a dip if he needs it.

Thanks for the help guys, I'm used to being on the other end of these situations. I'll keep you posted.

 

[ccampbell57]

If he is eating, administer the copper.

Watch the ph as it will drop. Also you will notice his appetite taking a little dip. That is normal.

Slowly raise the copper level to .5 over the course of 2-3 days

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Hmm, well I had already administered the copper so that explains the low pH reading (not the high RO reading however...). Should I mess with the pH or just let it be low while using the copper?

 

[ccampbell57]

Keep the pH at 8.1-8.3. Throw in some buffer

 

[iFrag]

IME if the fish is eating and acting normal I just soak all the food with garlic and throw in a cleaner shrimp and let him/her ride it out..

 

[ccampbell57]

iFrag - your idea is only if the fish has been in captivity for a while and is healthy. All you are doing is trying to have the fish' immune system fight off the ich.

QT is required to irradicate the organism. If you do not use copper, quinine, or hypo the ich will remain in a dormant state.

If you do not act on it you will almost certainly lose your fish.

IMHO - this is a recommendation of aquarists that believe nature will take it's couse as it does in the ocean. However our fish are in confined spaces and all issues are magnified by 100.

 

[flameangel88]

IME if the fish is eating and acting normal I just soak all the food with garlic and throw in a cleaner shrimp and let him/her ride it out..

Early stage maybe but not when the OP stated "wake up the next morning and its COVERED IN ICH".

 

[odiest]

I agree that when the fish is covered, the garlic and cleaner shrimp won't work, its time to bring out the big guns and treat the fish.