Goldheart trigger in main tank
- Thread starter Recty
- Start date
Recty
New member
The clown is pretty sweet, and he has a good attitude too, nothing near as fierce as I've always heard they are. Although he is only 5" long so he still has some growing to do.
So... I came home today at lunch and sure enough, every single fish has ich, all 4 triggers and the puffer. I'm a little irritated. I rushed the QT and didnt let my tank run as fallow as I should have, so I'm not 100% surprised they have ich, I was jut hoping they wouldnt. Oh well.
Tonight they go back into QT, start the copper treatment again. The nice thing is the Goldheart and the pink tail, which didnt handle the copper treatment well last time, are quite a bit fatter even just over 3 days of pigging out, so they should be able to withstand the copper.
And this time I'm letting the main tank run fallow for 2 months. If it doesnt kill the ich off, then I'm giving up on fighting ich and will just let the fish duke it out. Hopefully though once I get the sand removed the ich problem wont be so bad, without sand to settle on at night I'm hoping the ich tomites just get blown around so badly they wont survive and if they do, they will hopefully go through the skimmer and ozonizer and get vaporized.
Wow, I hate ich.
So... I came home today at lunch and sure enough, every single fish has ich, all 4 triggers and the puffer. I'm a little irritated. I rushed the QT and didnt let my tank run as fallow as I should have, so I'm not 100% surprised they have ich, I was jut hoping they wouldnt. Oh well.
Tonight they go back into QT, start the copper treatment again. The nice thing is the Goldheart and the pink tail, which didnt handle the copper treatment well last time, are quite a bit fatter even just over 3 days of pigging out, so they should be able to withstand the copper.
And this time I'm letting the main tank run fallow for 2 months. If it doesnt kill the ich off, then I'm giving up on fighting ich and will just let the fish duke it out. Hopefully though once I get the sand removed the ich problem wont be so bad, without sand to settle on at night I'm hoping the ich tomites just get blown around so badly they wont survive and if they do, they will hopefully go through the skimmer and ozonizer and get vaporized.
Wow, I hate ich.
Grouperhead
New member
Damn that sucks. Best of luck during the entire ordeal.
Recty
New member
Well it was kind of stupid on my part, I knew my tank had some ich left in it. I figured 95% of the tanks out there have ich as well, so many people dont even know about it and keep putting fish in until eventually they get a good balance going.
I was hoping my fish, being good and healthy, could just survive with a small amount of ich, and maybe they can? But I dont want to risk it, the pink tail is pretty much covered, the other fish dont show much at all but I know they've got it.
This time I'll go through the whole 2 month quarantine and do it right, what a pain.
I was hoping my fish, being good and healthy, could just survive with a small amount of ich, and maybe they can? But I dont want to risk it, the pink tail is pretty much covered, the other fish dont show much at all but I know they've got it.
This time I'll go through the whole 2 month quarantine and do it right, what a pain.
Last April my tank got something in it.....the clown looked like hell, as did the purple tang. I lost my flame angel and neon dottyback. I ended up hitting the tank with Prazipro and copperpower. I pulled out about 100 lbs of the rock and the anemone. I hit the tank for 2 months straight with copper. I used one of those pads that remove copper (what are they called???/ can't remember) anyways once we moved on August 6th the new tank got set up and all new water, the same rock that got copper and the 70 lbs of rock I had from the garage and anemone holding tank. Once setup in the new tank I thought I was home free. Well, I got some cheato from the lfs for the new tank. As soon as that went in I got some ich again. The queen angel had it and the eyes of the emp. Got a cleaner shrimp and fed selcon foods. It went away in about 3 weeks. I haven't seen it since. The anemones are in this tank with the once soaked in copper rocks. If you want to be sure there isn't ich, this is always an option. If you plan on doing a reef then don't. I have snails, pods, cheato and anemones in this tank....what ever leeches out isn't enough to make a difference. I know that others will hate my suggestion just as they did when I originally posted about it, but I only lost 2 small fish and that was enough to say F it and hit the tank.
Some people say that ich can stay dormant in live rock past the 2 month period as well.....truth? Who knows. Good luck, and remember that a FOWLR is only as good as the F in it.
Some people say that ich can stay dormant in live rock past the 2 month period as well.....truth? Who knows. Good luck, and remember that a FOWLR is only as good as the F in it.
Recty
New member
I've thought about coppering the whole tank, really I have.
I wish mine would do like yours and just get a couple spots on the eyes and go away, but no, I've got a bad ich infestation, the pinktail is covered, tail to mouth, and the other ones arent doing much better. The pinktail is the worst, but the clown is definitely showing it, the humu is showing on the fins, the puffer is showing on the fins and the goldheart is scratching it's head on the sand and rocks all the time, so he has it in his gills at least.
Anyway, I'm going to do the QT thing and let the main tank just be fallow for a while. I've heard that ich can remain dormant on the rocks but I've never seen anything that actually proves that, more just anecdotal evidence which is very plentiful in the fishkeeping world
If this period of being fallow doesnt work, I'll start the copper nuking the main tank. I can pull out my inverts, I've got 2 corals and a bunch of hermits and snails I can put into a small QT tank for a long time and make sure the ich is dead, or else just get rid of them and not worry about placing them into the tank in the future.
All in all, it's just frustrating. I need to make a more automatic way of doing water changes on QT and I'd be a lot more willing to do QT for 8 weeks. The problem is I cant figure out any way to clean the bottoms of the tank with my siphon tube automatically, I need to be there to direct the tip to clean the best, so I pretty much cant make the process automatic.
I wish mine would do like yours and just get a couple spots on the eyes and go away, but no, I've got a bad ich infestation, the pinktail is covered, tail to mouth, and the other ones arent doing much better. The pinktail is the worst, but the clown is definitely showing it, the humu is showing on the fins, the puffer is showing on the fins and the goldheart is scratching it's head on the sand and rocks all the time, so he has it in his gills at least.
Anyway, I'm going to do the QT thing and let the main tank just be fallow for a while. I've heard that ich can remain dormant on the rocks but I've never seen anything that actually proves that, more just anecdotal evidence which is very plentiful in the fishkeeping world
If this period of being fallow doesnt work, I'll start the copper nuking the main tank. I can pull out my inverts, I've got 2 corals and a bunch of hermits and snails I can put into a small QT tank for a long time and make sure the ich is dead, or else just get rid of them and not worry about placing them into the tank in the future.
All in all, it's just frustrating. I need to make a more automatic way of doing water changes on QT and I'd be a lot more willing to do QT for 8 weeks. The problem is I cant figure out any way to clean the bottoms of the tank with my siphon tube automatically, I need to be there to direct the tip to clean the best, so I pretty much cant make the process automatic.
fender4string
New member
Wow Recty, gorgeous fish! I've never heard of a goldheart (newb!) but it's a sweet fish. Also, your Picasso is the most aggressive fish you have? That's the first I've ever heard of a picasso being extremely aggressive-I'd always heard they are usually calm (as far as triggers go) so that's interesting info.
And also just a random question about Picasso color-yours has amazing color! I've noticed that most of the picassos at LFS are on the dull side. Do they "color up" with a better diet or is what you see what you get?
And also just a random question about Picasso color-yours has amazing color! I've noticed that most of the picassos at LFS are on the dull side. Do they "color up" with a better diet or is what you see what you get?
fender4string
New member
Also, since you guys are the experts, is there any way to evaluate the aggression of a fish before buying it if it's not housed with other fish?
Sorry to steal the thread!! I really hope the ich gets better.
Sorry to steal the thread!! I really hope the ich gets better.
Recty
New member
For what it's worth, I've decided on a treatment method. I'm going to hypo the tank.
Easier in the long run than running copper. I wont have to catch my fish out either. I'm going to remove my two corals and my two cleaner shrimp plus as many of the hermit crabs and snails as I can.
While I'm bringing it down to hypo levels, I'm going to suck out my sand bed and go with a bare bottom tank. I dont even think I'd be having an ich problem right now if I didnt have sand. At least not near as bad because the ich wouldnt have a sand bottom to rest on for a couple days, it would be continually blowing around. I've read test study data on that, barebottom tanks with lots of flow didnt have the ich problems that other tanks did. Also, my ozonizer will be able to nuke the ich still if I can keep the protein skimmer running. Even if it doesnt skim well in 1.009 water, it will still have the ozone coursing through it, killing the little critters.
So I'll do hypo, remove my sand bed and put all my inverts into a seperate tank for probably 3 months. This way my rocks dont get nuked with copper. I'll be able to run carbon and the ammonia absorbing pellets, plus my protein skimmer/ozonizer combo, which I cant do if I go with the copper route. All in all, I think this will be less work and better results than removing all fish to quarantine, coppering them and letting the main tank be fallow for 2 months. This way all I have to do *extra* after the initial swap is water changes weekly on a 29g tank in a 2nd bedroom, easy.
As far as the questions fender asked... The Humu is easily the most aggressive one I have, which I too found odd as many sites list them as being pretty easygoing as far as triggers go. It actively chases the smaller pinktail, fights with the equal size Goldheart and tries to bully but fails on the slightly larger clown trigger. The clown just doesnt really care, it does it's turn and dip body posturing stuff and the humu just goes away, I've never seen it actually do anything to the clown besides threaten.
Hard to evaluate fish aggression without seeing it interact with other fish. I've heard clowns were horribly aggressive, I thought I'd take the chance with mine (was in a tank by itself) and it is a nice fish, for now. The almost half it's length and about 1/4 it's mass pinktail swims right by it, the clown from time to time looks dirty at it and it swims the other way, but the clown is quite passive. In the LFS he was actively biting at the glass and spitting water up out of the tank, following my finger around the outside and biting at it... seemed aggressive although now I think he was just hungry.
My Humu always had good color. He had been in the LFS for like 6 - 8 months before I got him, so it wasnt as if it just went through all the trauma of capture, shipping, holding, shipping and then finally to the LFS. That process makes the fish pretty weak and they dont show their best colors. After a couple weeks or even days/hours they should color back up though. For what it's worth, I feed Spectrum pellets, multiple kinds of marine meat and treat the foods with Selcon and Vitachem. I've noticed all my fish I've kept on this mix have great colors and be very active/healthy (well except this ich crap).
Anyway, hope that helps.
Easier in the long run than running copper. I wont have to catch my fish out either. I'm going to remove my two corals and my two cleaner shrimp plus as many of the hermit crabs and snails as I can.
While I'm bringing it down to hypo levels, I'm going to suck out my sand bed and go with a bare bottom tank. I dont even think I'd be having an ich problem right now if I didnt have sand. At least not near as bad because the ich wouldnt have a sand bottom to rest on for a couple days, it would be continually blowing around. I've read test study data on that, barebottom tanks with lots of flow didnt have the ich problems that other tanks did. Also, my ozonizer will be able to nuke the ich still if I can keep the protein skimmer running. Even if it doesnt skim well in 1.009 water, it will still have the ozone coursing through it, killing the little critters.
So I'll do hypo, remove my sand bed and put all my inverts into a seperate tank for probably 3 months. This way my rocks dont get nuked with copper. I'll be able to run carbon and the ammonia absorbing pellets, plus my protein skimmer/ozonizer combo, which I cant do if I go with the copper route. All in all, I think this will be less work and better results than removing all fish to quarantine, coppering them and letting the main tank be fallow for 2 months. This way all I have to do *extra* after the initial swap is water changes weekly on a 29g tank in a 2nd bedroom, easy.
As far as the questions fender asked... The Humu is easily the most aggressive one I have, which I too found odd as many sites list them as being pretty easygoing as far as triggers go. It actively chases the smaller pinktail, fights with the equal size Goldheart and tries to bully but fails on the slightly larger clown trigger. The clown just doesnt really care, it does it's turn and dip body posturing stuff and the humu just goes away, I've never seen it actually do anything to the clown besides threaten.
Hard to evaluate fish aggression without seeing it interact with other fish. I've heard clowns were horribly aggressive, I thought I'd take the chance with mine (was in a tank by itself) and it is a nice fish, for now. The almost half it's length and about 1/4 it's mass pinktail swims right by it, the clown from time to time looks dirty at it and it swims the other way, but the clown is quite passive. In the LFS he was actively biting at the glass and spitting water up out of the tank, following my finger around the outside and biting at it... seemed aggressive although now I think he was just hungry.
My Humu always had good color. He had been in the LFS for like 6 - 8 months before I got him, so it wasnt as if it just went through all the trauma of capture, shipping, holding, shipping and then finally to the LFS. That process makes the fish pretty weak and they dont show their best colors. After a couple weeks or even days/hours they should color back up though. For what it's worth, I feed Spectrum pellets, multiple kinds of marine meat and treat the foods with Selcon and Vitachem. I've noticed all my fish I've kept on this mix have great colors and be very active/healthy (well except this ich crap).
Anyway, hope that helps.
fender4string
New member
Thanks alot Recty-I guess that these fish really are individuals as far as personality. And, again, I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya about the ich.
Recty
New member
Well they were already exposed, but stress can cause them to catch it, weakens their immune system basically.
I just moved them into the main display tank, that in itself is a stressful process. Yeah, I'm careful as possible with them but it still involves netting, acclimating to new tank water, then netting again and placing in the new tank.
Just my pinktail had ich the first day and it is the small fish in the tank that gets chased around. Second day another trigger started showing it and the second night they all had small amounts.
None of them are too bad yet. The pinktail had a lot of ich and it is pretty much gone now, but I bet it comes back in full force soon so I want to get this treated.
You'll still be able to see how the fish interact, I am not quarantining them, they will stay in the display and get treated. The quinine sulfate treatment lasts a week, I might do a week of it, let the tank calm for a week then treat again for a week, it just depends how the fish handle the first treatment. Regardless, the fish will still be there to photograph unless the ich gets them before I get my meds on Friday.
I just moved them into the main display tank, that in itself is a stressful process. Yeah, I'm careful as possible with them but it still involves netting, acclimating to new tank water, then netting again and placing in the new tank.
Just my pinktail had ich the first day and it is the small fish in the tank that gets chased around. Second day another trigger started showing it and the second night they all had small amounts.
None of them are too bad yet. The pinktail had a lot of ich and it is pretty much gone now, but I bet it comes back in full force soon so I want to get this treated.
You'll still be able to see how the fish interact, I am not quarantining them, they will stay in the display and get treated. The quinine sulfate treatment lasts a week, I might do a week of it, let the tank calm for a week then treat again for a week, it just depends how the fish handle the first treatment. Regardless, the fish will still be there to photograph unless the ich gets them before I get my meds on Friday.
Recty
New member
So... some more pictures. First off, a good one.
Goldheart and Clown triggers deciding who gets to eat. Ironically, they both ate side by side, that's why there are two empty clam shells on the sand. They were full of clam about 2 seconds ago. It's amazing how fast a trigger can empty a clam shell. Unfortunately, the water is a little murky, you'll see why soon.
So I started removing sand from the tank yesterday. The water is really murky. I removed all the sand I could easily get to. Now today I moved all the rocks from the right over to the left, removed my two corals and will be removing my two cleaner shrimp shortly. I siphoned off all the sand on the right half of the tank, then moved almost all the rocks to the right over the now empty glass. This process has made the water quite cloudy.
Tomorrow I'll finish moving the rocks from the left over to the right and siphon the rest of the sand out. The nice thing is it has to be helping get rid of the free swimming ich, this has been a almost 50% water change over the course of two days.
Here I labeled my fish since the water is so dirty
You can tell the Golden puffer doesnt feel too good, he is sitting on the Koralia #4 and just chilling.
Goldheart and Clown triggers deciding who gets to eat. Ironically, they both ate side by side, that's why there are two empty clam shells on the sand. They were full of clam about 2 seconds ago. It's amazing how fast a trigger can empty a clam shell. Unfortunately, the water is a little murky, you'll see why soon.
So I started removing sand from the tank yesterday. The water is really murky. I removed all the sand I could easily get to. Now today I moved all the rocks from the right over to the left, removed my two corals and will be removing my two cleaner shrimp shortly. I siphoned off all the sand on the right half of the tank, then moved almost all the rocks to the right over the now empty glass. This process has made the water quite cloudy.
Tomorrow I'll finish moving the rocks from the left over to the right and siphon the rest of the sand out. The nice thing is it has to be helping get rid of the free swimming ich, this has been a almost 50% water change over the course of two days.
Here I labeled my fish since the water is so dirty
You can tell the Golden puffer doesnt feel too good, he is sitting on the Koralia #4 and just chilling.
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