Help clownfish has ich!!

[ibrat82]

So recently I've been doing a series.of water changes to lower my nitrates and also increase my salinity. I don't know if this is why my clown has ich or because of recent additions of inverts.

Whatever the cause I need to treat the fish. Right now in my DT I only have 2 clowns. One has tiny white spots on his body. Maybe 4-5. The other clown isn't showing any but does have a red patch under his skin near his head. These guys were fine for a month until now. I do have a qt but not has 2 other fish that are waiting to be transfered into my DT in a few weeks. Now what's the best way to treat this situation? Should I put both clowns in the QT with the other fish and use cupramine? If not please give me some other suggestions.

 

[dweber618]

Read the stickies at the top of the Fish Disease Forum. Remove your clowns and place them back into QT. Leave your display fallow for min 72 days. The preferred method to treat ich is the Tank Transfer Method. Check the stickies and you should get your answers. Copper is not the most recommended method due to its difficulty in properly executing - and can not be done in your DT as it will kill all of your inverts.

 

[thegrun]

I would use the tank transfer method on the clowns, then place them back in the QT. You will need to keep the tank fallow without fish for 72 days.

 

[MadCnty]

Did you dip the fish before you put them in your DT??? If not I would dip them in FW/Copper then transfer to QT and treat the DT with copper...

 

[ibrat82]

Dip them in what?

 

[ibrat82]

So can I just use 2 buckets for.example pet food containers?

Then after I do the time 4 times 72 hours or less apart I have to keep them quarantined for 72 days until they can go back in my DT right?

BTW is ich common in new tanks. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[ibrat82]

Would you consider this to be ich? I don't see any symptoms beside these tiny spots. It's not scraping itself to onto anything. Is always hungry, no sign of heavy breathing or gasping for air. Still do TTM as a precaution?

 

[Marchillo]

You can use food grade buckets for TTM. Make sure you create oxygen via a powerheads or airstone and heater. Keep prime on hand and do not use prime and copper together. It becomes toxic.

Good luck.

 

[gone fishin]

Looking at the spots I am not so sure it is ich. The spots look kind of big to me.

 

[gone fishin]

Were the clowns QT prior to the DT and how long have you had them?

 

[Aero175]

Did you dip the fish before you put them in your DT??? If not I would dip them in FW/Copper then transfer to QT and treat the DT with copper...

Do Not Do This!!

You need to just leave the DT fallow for the 72 days. Putting copper in your DT will soak into all your live rock, and you will kill all your inverts. Good luck with your clowns. I had my entire tank wiped out from what I believe to be ich while I was out of town for a week. At least yours are still alive, and have a great chance of recovery!

 

[ibrat82]

Unfortunately they were not in qt I got them from my lfs that had them in qt for 3 weeks. When I got
them I noticed one them had a white fuzzy spot near it's tail fin and half his tail fin was missing i figured it was the pair of clowns fighting. After a while it went away and his tail has grown back but now I noticed these white spots today.

I've had the pair for roughly a month. The only thing I've done to my tank is raise salinity from 1.020 to 1.025 over 3 days by doing 24 hour automated water changes using apex dos and add a few inverts. That's it.


My water parameters are as follows.

Temp 77.7
PH 7.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 6
Phosphate 0

Were the clowns QT prior to the DT and how long have you had them?

 

[ibrat82]

I only see 4-5 of these spots on him. Like I said I don't see them scraping themselves on rocks at all, there behaviour hasn't changed at all. Theres always hungry. I only feed them piscine mysis with garlic guard and have been since day one

Looking at the spots I am not so sure it is ich. The spots look kind of big to me.

 

[TimeConsumer]

White fuzzy spot on the fin sounds like a fungus.

 

[gone fishin]

I would suggest maybe posting the pic in the fish disease forum. The spots just look to big to me. Going out on a limb it may be the beginnings of lymph

BTW I agree with the other poster Do not put copper in your DT.

 

[TimeConsumer]

Or cystivirus. Yeah, fish disease forum would probably be best.

 

[ibrat82]

Should the TTM be used on every fish regardless if they have ich or not as something preventative???

 

[Fish Keeper82]

Should the TTM be used on every fish regardless if they have ich or not as something preventative???

Yes. Some fish will have ich but show no signs of it.
Some people QT everything coral, inverts, rocks, and macroalge since it can come in through those means as well although not as likely.
I keep my fish in QT 2 months before adding to day tank.

 

[gone fishin]

Should the TTM be used on every fish regardless if they have ich or not as something preventative???

I assume every fish I get has ich, so the first place they go is into TTM. Followed by 4-5 weeks observation in the main QT. Also, I do 2 rounds of prazipro at some point usually during TTM

 

[snorvich]

I assume every fish I get has ich, so the first place they go is into TTM. Followed by 4-5 weeks observation in the main QT. Also, I do 2 rounds of prazipro at some point usually during TTM

Good practice