"ICH FREE TANK" Quest Begins

[cduran02]

Due to the toxicity of copper its advised that the treatment not exceed the manufacturers dosage requirement. For Seachems cupramine it is 0.5ppm for 14 days. I think it worked very well at that dose, by the second the fish were clear and I havent seen a spot on them since. The 3 week treatment of copper I believe is for chelated forms of copper. Cupramine is non-chelated and its has a higher concentration. Three weeks I believe would certainly kill the fish. While they were being treated they seemed lethargic as if depressed.

Copper is a very strong treatment, thats why they suggest hypo over copper. But I didnt want to take any chaces, so it was stop it now or constantly worry about it comming back.

 

[plaz]

If you can't find someone getting out of the hobby - The Marine Center is good for live rock. They will try to find pieces the size/shape you want and their prices include shipping.

I got a large piece of Marshall Island (no color) from them when they had it as base for $2 lb. It colored up to dark purple and green within 3 months. It is all gone now - wish I had gotten enough to do my whole tank!!!

If you can find any cheap enough, I think Marshall Island is the absolutely the best rock for shape, light weight/porous, and great color!

 

[markcasto]

Latest update...
The main tank is being infested with bubble algae its everwhere I noticed it two days ago on one bit of rock now its all over the tank tiny shiny little bubbles.I am going to get a foxface after the tank has fallowed and if the tangs dont eat it then we will see if a foxface will. Seems to be one thing after another just lately,sigh.

On the plus side I got myself a ph monitor today and have been having fun testing my tanks out with it. The fish are all doing well and I am looking forward to the day I can put some back in the main tank its kind of dull with out fish as well.

The bubble algae sucks though!

 

[cduran02]

I have just one bubble apear on one rock. Its strange though, its been that single one for the past week.

 

[markcasto]

Well thats what I had then a few more, now there are hundreds of them.Most people have said that emerald crabs or foxfish will get rid of it.Hopefully when the tangs go back they might start eating it.
Using Seachems stability seems to have worked as I am not getting any more ammonia readings on the 52 gallon QT,its still in the 20 gallon tank though.

 

[markcasto]

When I have completed the QT I think I will set up two 20 gallon tanks for use as QT tanks only and have my 52 gallon tank as a fish only tank.The two tangs fight if I take away the glass that is keeping them apart so I think I will leave one in there on his own.

 

[markcasto]

Yahoo thats my 100th post I will celebrate by going to the fish shop tomorrow and looking at foxfish.

 

[cduran02]

I have a fox face, they do love algae, but I dont know how much they love bubble algae. Ill see on Thurs when I put the fish back in the display.

BTW, dont forget to QT the Fox Face for at least 6 weeks if you get it.

 

[markcasto]

No fear of that, I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want another dose of ich in main tank that for sure. Are fox fish poisonous? They have venom in there spines donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t they? Do you think it will get along with the yellow tang?

 

[cduran02]

They are very peacefully, and yes they do release a toxin from the spikes on their back, but its not poisonous just stings. Just have to be carefull when you have your hands in the tank, but they will only sting if you corner them.

 

[markcasto]

Sounds like a good fish to have in your tank hopefully it will have a taste for bubble algae.

Its interesting having the main tank fallow for 6 weeks I have seen lots of new creatures come out of hiding found a wierd snail with a long trunk thing today but anything suspect goes in to my refuguim until I know if its ok or not.

 

[cduran02]

In fact I had a PBT and they got along just fine. I dont know how the yellow tang will behave towards the fox face. But as far as fox face they are not agresive at all.

 

[cduran02]

All those new creatures you see will get eaten by the fish when you put them back. You never saw them b4 because the fish would keep their population in check.

 

[markcasto]

One thing I did not know was that bristle worms eat hair algae. I watched one the other day tearing some off a rock and eating it.I used to have a problem with it crowding out my button polyps but its all gone now thanks to the bristle worms.

Mybe having no fish in the tank has given them all the courage to venture out, these are some of the good things about having your main tank empty while QT ing your fish.

 

[Triggerfish]

UPDATE

UPDATE

picked up the refractometer today from a local LFS for 52.50 with tax.
calibrated it with RO water..not sure if this would matter compared to the recommended distilled water, but it didn't need any adjustments as it was reading zero.

as it turns out, the deep six swing arm reading from the top of the arm is spot on with the new gadget at 1.012

the swing arm cannot be used anyway as it only goes down to 1.010

in the process of lowering sg down to 1.009 right now.

we will need to talk about how long to quarantine new livestock for while using hypo..from what i am reading, 6 weeks should not be necessary.

 

[markcasto]

I use distilled water to calibrate mine but ro water is fine.I think from what I have read the time under hypo is 4 weeks at 1.009 then slowly bring it back up to normal all this should happen in a 6 week period.

(The goal is to granularly reduce the salinity of the water to between 12 and 14ppt and leave it at that salinity for at least 4 weeks but preferably 6 weeks. Basically continue the treatment for at least 4 weeks after the last spots disappeared.)

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html




It seem a long time to QT your new arrivals but I think I would rather wait 6 weeks then get ich in my tank again

 

[tjay]

Trigger, from what I have read to rid the fish of ich you just have to allow the period of time they take to grow and drop from the fish to the sand. If hypo is working they should never surface again.

I am going the six weeks to be safe maybe in 7 or 8 as it will take a while to bring back up the salinity. Besides that Main has to go atleast 6 to clear itself of the vermin. My luck I would add it back on the 6 th week and that one parisite left would find my tang.

 

[tjay]

By the way this isn't bubble algae is it?

you can see it growing to the right on this old dead coral

 

[Triggerfish]

what color is it purple? looks sort of weird.

damn, noticed today that my sea slug died,,must have been like that for a few days..the smell was putrid..

 

[markcasto]

Mmm... Hard to tell from the pics if its bubble algae or not. The stuff in my tank is really shiny and metallic looking but quite small at the moment it appeared out of no where and is on every single bit of rock.

Not something I really want in my tank and no doubt it came in on the live rock that did not go through quarantine. Yet another reason to make sure everthing goes through this procedure.