Ich and hospital tank

[benignoh]

Ok posted this in the Reef Discussion Forum without much help.
Hi, need some help building a hospital tank so I can get rid of the ick in my reef tank. My tank is 150g and has around 18 fishes (yellow tang, sailfin tang, hippo tang, orange shoulder tang, purple tang, fox face, 2 cardinals, 2 clowns, 4 chromis, 1 anthia, 1 sixline, 1 yellow coris and a flame hawkfish). Right now the only fishes showing signs of ick is the hippo, the foxface and a black clown, but all are eating pretty well. Im going to build a 55g hospital tank so i can move all the fishes for 2 months so the main tank can be without fishes for that period and end the ick problem.
Now the questions,
Will the 55g tank be enough to house those fishes for that period of time?
Will hypo-salinity be the best route to get rid of ick or copper?
What kind of filtration is recommended to house that amount of fishes?
My 150g main tank has a 40g sump, an H&S skimmer, around 150-175lb of LR and a deep sand bed.
Please advice

 

[snorvich]

Ok posted this in the Reef Discussion Forum without much help.
Hi, need some help building a hospital tank so I can get rid of the ick in my reef tank. My tank is 150g and has around 18 fishes (yellow tang, sailfin tang, hippo tang, orange shoulder tang, purple tang, fox face, 2 cardinals, 2 clowns, 4 chromis, 1 anthia, 1 sixline, 1 yellow coris and a flame hawkfish). Right now the only fishes showing signs of ick is the hippo, the foxface and a black clown, but all are eating pretty well. Im going to build a 55g hospital tank so i can move all the fishes for 2 months so the main tank can be without fishes for that period and end the ick problem.

Except, for 100% assurance, you will need to allow the main tank to remain fallow for 72 days

Now the questions,
Will the 55g tank be enough to house those fishes for that period of time?

Difficult at best since you are overstocked in your current 150 gallon tank

Will hypo-salinity be the best route to get rid of ick or copper?

Best method is tank transfer but that is probably not feasible for you. Second best is either CP or copper. Last choice would be hyposalinity

What kind of filtration is recommended to house that amount of fishes?
My 150g main tank has a 40g sump, an H&S skimmer, around 150-175lb of LR and a deep sand bed.
Please advice

 

[benignoh]

Steve
Will the main problem be space on the 55g or water volume, i could add a 35g sump to that system if it will help
Also what could happen if I used the 55g for all the fishes, filtration problem? stress?
Thanks in advance

 

[snorvich]

Steve
Will the main problem be space on the 55g or water volume, i could add a 35g sump to that system if it will help
Also what could happen if I used the 55g for all the fishes, filtration problem? stress?
Thanks in advance

You could try to manage the hospital tank using prime (or equivalent) but not with copper since that would be magnified by the use of an ammonia neutralizer. I do not recommend hyposalinity because that is difficult and often fails.

I guess what I would suggest (and this is not trivial to execute) is to cycle the "hospital tank" (which would really be a temporary holding tank) quickly with live rock and biological addition of bacteria. Put all fish in and wait until your display tank was nearing 72 days of being fallow, then start putting fish through tank transfer in two smallish tanks or tubs. When they were done, put them into the display tank. You would have to manage the "hospital tank" with Prime and frequent water changes.

It is a hassle, but that is the only sure way I can come up with.

 

[benignoh]

Ok
After the main tank has been empty for 2 month, then i start the fish treatment in a smaller tank? let said I used cooper, how many weeks till they can start going to the main tank?

 

[snorvich]

Ok
After the main tank has been empty for 2 month, then i start the fish treatment in a smaller tank? let said I used cooper, how many weeks till they can start going to the main tank?

With copper the generally accepted number is 4 weeks after a therapeutic dosage is reached and maintained. Some people go even longer. With copper there is a tradeoff between time and effectiveness because long term it is not good for the fish's liver.

 

[benignoh]

Ok, after a bit more reading and debate i decided to go with 2 hospital tanks. A 55g that will host 5 tangs, a Foxface and a hawkfish that will be treated with cupramine and a 29g that will host the smaller fishes (clowns chromis etc) and will try hiposalinity in that tank. I understand Im pushing the limits of the bio-filtration but I live in an apartment and space is a big problem. My main concern is to add bio-filtration to the hospitals tanks, im thinking of adding a 40g sump to the 55g that will take my water volume to +-85g. Also will look to add bioballs to the sump to add bio-filtation beside a power filter (Marineland Emperor 400 power filter with bio-wheels) that will hang on the back of the tank. The sump is a most since I have to install a chiller to the system (i leave in Puerto Rico and even in winter we are at 85*F).
Will this set up work?
Ill be adding 50% of the water from my main tank and will leave the bioballs in the main tank sump for at least 1 week before moving the fishes to the hospital tank and the 29g will have around 30lb of LR from my main tank.
Please advice