Ich and Bacterial Infection......

[SPotter]

All of my fish are sick....some are showing signs of ich and other showing signs of bacterial infection. My question is two fold.....

1. What medication can I use to treat both? I have angels so copper is out.

2. I have chronic high levels of po4 because my pukani rock is leaching it back into the water and only have a few corals left. I Was just getting ready to remove all of the rock to do acid dips. I have a lot of fish and I was wondering if I remove all of the rock and sand from DT, move the coral to my coral qt tank, can I use the dt as my hospital tank? I would leave a few pieces of rock and place a bunch of pvc for hiding spots in the tank. This will give me time to dip and cure the rocks again while treating the fish.

Thoughts and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[wooden_reefer]

What angels do you have? I treat angels with copper all the time. I use straight copper, uncheleated.

Having both ich and bacterial infection is a major complication. The key is that antibiotics that is used against bacterial infection will negatively impact nitrification bacteria.

Some antibiotics are not extremely detrimental to nitrification bacteria, only significantly. Erythromycin, neomycin tend to affect nitrobacter more than nitrosonoms, so you will have more nitrite than ammonia, and nitrite is much less toxic than ammonia.

Do you already have UV running?

The UV helps but at this stage, if any drug is necessary, UV has limitations. Do not use UV with antibiotics or cheleated copper.

IME, the UV is practically necessary to prevent, and to the prevent the wide spread of, bacterial infection. But once bacterial infection has taken place, the uninitiated can make the mistake of misusing the UV.

If bacterial infection is slight, you can try using UV and hypo.

Your problem will not only be the size of the QT, but ridding the QT of ammonia.

Amquel or Prime will rid tank of ammonia, but again you have to consider its impact on drugs, such as cheleated copper.

1. Use Amquel, straight uncheleated copper or hypo, together with antibiotics and do same water change, with replenishment of drugs, for the first three weeks. Any nitriftication bacteria you have can be used. As i said, some antibiotics only has significant but not devestating impact on nitrification bacteria. I asked Amquel if it affects straight copper but have not gotten an answer yet. But I think it does not. You can use hypo after initiate shot with straight copper.

Also, the point about ich is that apparent cure is very quick, just a week or so. After that, ich will be in the form of slight non-lethal infestation again for some time. In a hurry without enough preparation, you do not need to eradicated ich while there is still bacterial infection. Such is an option.

2. As soon as possible, not an hour to waste, start cycling for the medium for QT in a separate container. A ten gal rectangular plastic container, or a ten gal tank, with a large HOT box filter with crushed coral or polyester floss in it will work. Put in ammonia source and bacteria seed. Set temp to 86F, make sure water is very oxygenated.

3. Some people say the packaged bacteria actually work well. I have never had the need to try this type of product as I always QT very well and have not have a single case of ich in 25 years, and prepare in advance for contingency (I always have matured medium standing by six months after the introduction of the last livestock). Study this option and may be someone who had used this type of product can help.