Help! Purchased Flame Angel and I'm pretty sure it has ICH!

[gjustinj]

So guys I'm doing 20% water change right now. I called the lfs and they said that they are pretty sage and they handle without gloves and they took this piece directly off if the display tank they touch all the time

I have kids they might put their hands in there at some point. How dangerous is this. Should I remove it right now? What's the best way to remove it and dispose of it. I don't like toxic stuff. I specifically asked if this was toxic and was told no but now I'm hearing this.

 

[RAJOD]

I've been in your shoes with a 350 gallon tank. Lost like 2k of fish once.

Only way to be sure is to copper the fish. Do not copper the display tank or use hypo saline. Seen what happens its will create a food storm from all the die offs of inverts. Then you will get tons of algae etc.

If your tank is pristine (doubtful with a small 125 gallon) fish can live with ich in the tank.

I sold all my fish back to the FS and let it go for months w no fish. Then reintroduced only fish that had been coppered at the LFS. Been 5 years no more dead fish.

I also got a big 57 watt UV and large reef dynamics bio pellet reactor. Keep the nitrates super low and phosphates.

Don't over crowd, anytime you add a fish assume its got ich. My LFS has copper tanks. If yours does not then you might want to get your own tank. Its a pain in the butt almost made me quite marine fish.

Once you get the fish you want in the tank try not to buy every cool fish you see, they are just ticking time bombs.

BTW I do blame your fish store. The morons tell you after the fact, that is their job. Maybe if one said something to you about possible ich and quarantine you might not be in this predicament.

 

[AnnaCassandra]

So guys I'm doing 20% water change right now. I called the lfs and they said that they are pretty sage and they handle without gloves and they took this piece directly off if the display tank they touch all the time

I have kids they might put their hands in there at some point. How dangerous is this. Should I remove it right now? What's the best way to remove it and dispose of it. I don't like toxic stuff. I specifically asked if this was toxic and was told no but now I'm hearing this.

Don't panic, it's not like Zoas are deadly toxic, but you should still take some simple precautions like washing your hands after every time you touch them or move them around, don't drink your tank water.. you know common sense type stuff.

 

[heathlindner25]

Don't panic, it's not like Zoas are deadly toxic, but you should still take some simple precautions like washing your hands after every time you touch them or move them around, don't drink your tank water.. you know common sense type stuff.

Damnit really?...I get a little water in my mouth every time I pull a siphon. :lolspin:
Jk ,Justin, your water will not be "toxic" with zoanthids in the tank. But it is important to research every purchase and don't listen to the guy selling stuff.
And just for the record, there's no such thing as a "dwarf horse shou crab".

 

[gjustinj]

Thanks I'll keep the corals and see how they go. I really appreciate it. I examined my flame and I noticed my sand is really fine and there is powder on the live rock these particles I think are ich are moving around the fish while it swims. Is it pssible this fine sand glistening. You can see these shiny particles moving around with the Powe heads

 

[heathlindner25]

Thanks I'll keep the corals and see how they go. I really appreciate it. I examined my flame and I noticed my sand is really fine and there is powder on the live rock these particles I think are ich are moving around the fish while it swims. Is it pssible this fine sand glistening. You can see these shiny particles moving around with the Powe heads

Anything is possible.

 

[Joe0813]

don't take this as rude its just a question but after reading this whole thread, did you do any research on keeping saltwater tanks and what it entails before spending all that money? and usually two pairs of clowns will be down to one pair. it can be done and ive seen it done but usually never works out

 

[chad.spiring]

My solution to all of my reef tank problems and/or questions has always been and will forever be:

1) type my question into to the google machine
2) hit "go"
3) scroll down until I find a reef central thread with approximately the same title
4) click said thread
5) read the whole darn thing and about ten more that are related
6) stop by the lounge for a giggle
7) proceed on my reefing journey, smarter, better informed, and confident I'm doing the right thing.

Seriously. This forum had all that you need as a newbie.




Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

 

[gjustinj]

don't take this as rude its just a question but after reading this whole thread, did you do any research on keeping saltwater tanks and what it entails before spending all that money? and usually two pairs of clowns will be down to one pair. it can be done and ive seen it done but usually never works out

Hi Joe,

Yes, a ton and I spoke to people who keep them to. The problem is my research was done on bigger websites that you would consider reputable, but after finding this forum it seems the smaller ones might hold more truth? I don't know - but I have read about saltwater but I obviously missed a lot. I did not research coral as I was never very interested in them, the LFS guy at Elmers talked me into one to try and then I got another to try (two differet kinds) - one ended up being toxic and now I'm freaked out.

 

[gjustinj]

My solution to all of my reef tank problems and/or questions has always been and will forever be:

1) type my question into to the google machine
2) hit "go"
3) scroll down until I find a reef central thread with approximately the same title
4) click said thread
5) read the whole darn thing and about ten more that are related
6) stop by the lounge for a giggle
7) proceed on my reefing journey, smarter, better informed, and confident I'm doing the right thing.

Seriously. This forum had all that you need as a newbie.


Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

I've been doing quite a bit of that, but there are a lot of different opinions on here too, so it's a mixed bag sometimes.

 

[chad.spiring]

Yep. That's the Interweb for you. The main difference is that the folks on the forums aren't looking to sell you anything or increase their brand recognition or break into an untapped market. They are genuinely trying to help... in their spare time... for zero profit.




Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

 

[gjustinj]

Yep. That's the Interweb for you. The main difference is that the folks on the forums aren't looking to sell you anything or increase their brand recognition or break into an untapped market. They are genuinely trying to help... in their spare time... for zero profit.




Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Yea I do see that as well. The folks on this forum have been hugely helpful, and the LFS have really not from what I am seeing. There needs to be more love put into the hobby at LFS's so we aren't hurting life not knowing we are doing something wrong or missing something.. it really sucks that it's all $ based.

I do like the convenience of being able to run to a LFS verses buying anything online however.

 

[AnnaCassandra]

I've been doing quite a bit of that, but there are a lot of different opinions on here too, so it's a mixed bag sometimes.

You won't really get much argument on here on the basics, the non-negotiables- like cycling your tank, taking things slow- do one thing at a time and waiting to see how it works out before doing something else, quarantining new additions, using RO/DI water, testing for water quality before posting a question, researching new livestock additions before introducing them to your tank. I've been on a ton of different forums and I'd say this advice is consistent across the board.

Where you will run into some mixed opinions is on some of the optional stuff or the more expensive equipment- like I'm pretty sure everyone has a different opinion on "the best" lighing, or "the best" skimmer or how necessary it is to have an ATO or a controller etc. Some of these things are in the "nice to have" category no matter your setup and others are only necessary if you want to keep certain livestock.


I've seen it mentioned a number of times here that you have too many clowns and even though you may not currently see any issues between them because they are likely juveniles as they mature they will start to fight and you WILL be left with two-- Listen to this advice, these people are not wrong, the only time I've seen success with more that two clowns is in the case of a species only "clown harem" tank

 

[monkeysee1]

What a gorgeous setup. You DON'T need to change anything in it now - keep it as is. All is NOT lost.

I feel like so many people have told me different things and I don't know who is right and who is not, and it's just really hard. I guess I really just need someone who lives near me who is successful that could help mentor me because I obviously screwed up majorly here and I don't have any way out right now.

Sure you do. You get can pick up a 10 - 20 gallon quarantine setup right now for short change. A small, basic one. That's ALL you need!
Here's what I would do:
1. Buy one with a light, heater, filter and pump.
2. Get some salt water made up (NOT from your existing tank). Bring it to a saliity to about 1.025.
3. Spike it with bacteria. Can get a bottle of it cheap.
4. Put ALL your fish in there. Leave everything else in your DT (corals, inverts, etc) ALONE in there. The ICH CANNOT feed off the corals. It will DIE in the DT without fish.
5. SLOWLY bring down the specific gravity (over the course of 24 hours) to 1.008. (Take out some water, and replace it with FRESHLY made DI water).
6. Keep it there for SIX weeks. Keep your siphons, nets, syringes, etc that you use for your QT tank SEPARATE from your DT equipment! Avoids contamination. But do weekly water changes on your QT, keeping the SG at 1.008.
7. During this time do regular water changes in your main big DT tank, and feed your corals and inverts as you NORMALLY would. Take care of them!
8. After six weeks, slowly raise the specific gravity of your QT over the course of SEVERAL DAYS.
9. Keep the fish in there a week after you have finished that.
10. ICH in the DT should be gone by this time (10 weeks) if you DON"T add ANY more fish to it!
11. Should be safe to put your fish in QT back in your DT! VOILA! BYE BYE ICH!!

 

[gjustinj]

You won't really get much argument on here on the basics, the non-negotiables- like cycling your tank, taking things slow- do one thing at a time and waiting to see how it works out before doing something else, quarantining new additions, using RO/DI water, testing for water quality before posting a question, researching new livestock additions before introducing them to your tank. I've been on a ton of different forums and I'd say this advice is consistent across the board.

Where you will run into some mixed opinions is on some of the optional stuff or the more expensive equipment- like I'm pretty sure everyone has a different opinion on "the best" lighing, or "the best" skimmer or how necessary it is to have an ATO or a controller etc. Some of these things are in the "nice to have" category no matter your setup and others are only necessary if you want to keep certain livestock.


I've seen it mentioned a number of times here that you have too many clowns and even though you may not currently see any issues between them because they are likely juveniles as they mature they will start to fight and you WILL be left with two-- Listen to this advice, these people are not wrong, the only time I've seen success with more that two clowns is in the case of a species only "clown harem" tank

Yea I have definitely slowed down, and I am taking it all in. Doing lots of research. I will not be doing anymore additions until I figure out the ich problem and even then I plan to setup a QT and learn more about that process. Not only that but I've added two coral that I want to learn a lot about and all of the different chemical tests that are required so I can keep them healthy and alive - my lighting shouldn't be an issue

I have started doing two 10-15% water changes every week because I have been feeding my fish all frozen varieties and pulled back from the pellets since some of them would not eat them and I lost a cardinal because he didn't eat the pellets.

 

[gjustinj]

What a gorgeous setup. You DON'T need to change anything in it now - keep it as is. All is NOT lost.



Sure you do. You get can pick up a 10 - 20 gallon quarantine setup right now for short change. A small, basic one. That's ALL you need!
Here's what I would do:
1. Buy one with a light, heater, filter and pump.
2. Get some salt water made up (NOT from your existing tank). Bring it to a saliity to about 1.025.
3. Spike it with bacteria. Can get a bottle of it cheap.
4. Put ALL your fish in there. Leave everything else in your DT (corals, inverts, etc) ALONE in there. The ICH CANNOT feed off the corals. It will DIE in the DT without fish.
5. SLOWLY bring down the specific gravity (over the course of 24 hours) to 1.008. (Take out some water, and replace it with FRESHLY made DI water).
6. Keep it there for SIX weeks. Keep your siphons, nets, syringes, etc that you use for your QT tank SEPARATE from your DT equipment! Avoids contamination. But do weekly water changes on your QT, keeping the SG at 1.008.
7. During this time do regular water changes in your main big DT tank, and feed your corals and inverts as you NORMALLY would. Take care of them!
8. After six weeks, slowly raise the specific gravity of your QT over the course of SEVERAL DAYS.
9. Keep the fish in there a week after you have finished that.
10. ICH in the DT should be gone by this time (10 weeks) if you DON"T add ANY more fish to it!
11. Should be safe to put your fish in QT back in your DT! VOILA! BYE BYE ICH!!

Hi Monkeysee1,

First thank for the nice comment! I am definitely trying to make this something special!

I do have a few questions

Would a 20 Gallon work for all of these fish? I am concerned putting them all in such a small tank, not to mention a Coral Beauty and Flame Angel together this close for that long. My current tank is at 1.024, the LFS recommended - should I bring this up by one on my next water change? Right now I am pouring oils in there every 12 hours (skip a day) repeat to help the fish gain better slime coats. How do you slowly bring down specific gravity? a little less salt in each water change? or just completely remove some of the water every hour and pour in regular water? This seems like a ton of stress on the fish. What happens if the ich survives in the QT and when i put the fish back after X amount of time they go back into my DT? Don't I need more than one QT to make sure of this, or does the salinity drop kill the ich in the QT?

 

[Sk8r]

You need a refractometer. To mix lower salinity water, just add less salt to the ro/di.

 

[gjustinj]

You need a refractometer. To mix lower salinity water, just add less salt to the ro/di.

refractometer = have one

In a 24 hour how do you do this exactly? Every hour do a water change w/ less and less salt? This seems pretty scary lol

 

[Crooked Reef]

The zoanthids should be fine. Just think how many people out there have them that don't get poisoned that have no idea about their toxicity. I'm not saying to ignore the threat of them, but as long as you are educated you will be fine. I kept them for a few years before I even knew they were toxic. The issues will arise if you frag them, cut them, crush them, pop them, etc without precautions. Gloves, eye protection and maybe even a full face shield if you are cutting them so nothing gets in your mouth or nose. And NEVER actually boil rock because even if there is one on there you miss you could release the toxin in the steam and seriously hurt or kill anyone in the house. Personally I have never had the slightest desire to boil a rock, nor even a thought that I would need to, but it should be mentioned.

Also many people keep a set of full length gloves at their tank for anything they do inside of it. You're not only protecting yourself but your livestock as well from any soaps, lotions or even gas that got under your nails the last time you filled your tank.

 

[Crooked Reef]

You also mentioned a lionfish that you wouldn't get because of the sting. It's kind of like a bee sting, some are more prone to being affected by it. I had one for a few years before a power outage prior to buying a generator killed it. Never got stung and my hands were in the tank all the time. The only issue I have with getting a lionfish now is they will eat any fish they can fit in their mouth. Clowns, wrasses, firefish. Doesn't matter. If they're hungry and they can fit it, the fish is gone. They can open their mouths surprisingly wide too. I'm currently trying to convince my wife to go with a second tank so we can have another one because indont want to add him to my reef, but she wants a lion again. I don't think it's working though.

Adding that they are messy eaters too and will foul the water if you don't have enough filtration.