If you don't care about the pre-details, you can go to the next paragraph...We added three fish to our new 150 gallon tank yesterday. Tank has been up for 9 weeks, haven't had ammonia/nitrites since week 4 and have been starting to fill it with corals. The fish we added were a yellow eye kole, a yellow tang, and a melanarus wrasse. All three are juveniles sitting around 3 inches each. Although never preferred, there were a few reasons we added them at once: one year anniversary buy 2 get 1 free, all 3 were in the same tank at the lfs, and we already have a 1" damsel we used to help cycle tank after ammonia dropped (I know i'm a horrible person) so we thought it'd decrease chances of targeted aggression. The yellow eye and the melanarus have both been in the lfs display tank for about a month, with them being in the lfs quarantine for at least 2 weeks prior to that. Not sure on the yellow tang. After endlessly checking them out, getting to see them eat, and seeing no foul signs I decide to get them. Since all three had been together for some time already, I decided to forego QT'n first (maybe my biggest mistake reef'n yet...).
On to the case... bag floated for 15 and drip acclimated for 45 minutes. Put them in the tank with lights off. Melanarus dives into the sand and the tangs go and hide in the back. Lights come on 2 hours later and I swear those tangs act like the have already been in the tank forever. Both are swimming around taking turns following each other, could care less about the damsel (who luckily was more afraid of them) and all seems well. Wait a sec... are those WHITE SPOTS on the yellow eye kole??? Yep, sure enough, there are quite a few white spots on the left side of the kole. The spots are spaced out about 1cm between each other and all towards the top left side of the kole. He's showing zero signs of stress besides not liking me putting my face to the glass to inspect him. So I put in garlic and selcon soaked food to help boost their immune systems for their upcoming stressful venture and the tangs both ate like COWS. Since I know QTn is my only probable solution and knowing my tank is now likely infested, I decide I'm going to wait till the next day since it's past midnight and decide tomorrow's action plan: quarantine all 4 fish and let the tank sit for 6-8 weeks or return the 3 to the store, qt the damsel and wait it out before going again. I wake up this morning and of course immediately run to the tank, and all the fish are out and about looking happy as can be (including the melanurus which I was already anticipating a 1-2 week wait to see him). I turn on the lights to get a better look at him and the spots are gone... so what is going on? Maybe if I do a water change it'll cure everything? (joking) I know Ich can turn up in a few hours, but I thought the visible cycle lasted a few days? If it was flukes wouldn't I have seen them at the store or when he was in the bag? Did my better half drug me and I'm just seeing things?
What would you do? Since my display would already be infected, am I hurting myself by waiting a few days to see what's going on?
I have a good understanding of freshwater Ich and although different parasites, to my knowledge the fish signs for them are generally the same. I've only been reef'n for a year and a half (jbj28) but I think a lot of husbandry is transferable. I have also read both of Snorvich's stickies on Ich (THANK YOU for your great write ups) as well as countless other disease stories/stickies. Parameters are in check: 1.025 sal, 0 nh3, 0 no2, 5 or under no3, non detectable levels of po4, 400 cal and 9 kh.
Sorry for the novel and thank you in advance for your help! :reading:
On to the case... bag floated for 15 and drip acclimated for 45 minutes. Put them in the tank with lights off. Melanarus dives into the sand and the tangs go and hide in the back. Lights come on 2 hours later and I swear those tangs act like the have already been in the tank forever. Both are swimming around taking turns following each other, could care less about the damsel (who luckily was more afraid of them) and all seems well. Wait a sec... are those WHITE SPOTS on the yellow eye kole??? Yep, sure enough, there are quite a few white spots on the left side of the kole. The spots are spaced out about 1cm between each other and all towards the top left side of the kole. He's showing zero signs of stress besides not liking me putting my face to the glass to inspect him. So I put in garlic and selcon soaked food to help boost their immune systems for their upcoming stressful venture and the tangs both ate like COWS. Since I know QTn is my only probable solution and knowing my tank is now likely infested, I decide I'm going to wait till the next day since it's past midnight and decide tomorrow's action plan: quarantine all 4 fish and let the tank sit for 6-8 weeks or return the 3 to the store, qt the damsel and wait it out before going again. I wake up this morning and of course immediately run to the tank, and all the fish are out and about looking happy as can be (including the melanurus which I was already anticipating a 1-2 week wait to see him). I turn on the lights to get a better look at him and the spots are gone... so what is going on? Maybe if I do a water change it'll cure everything? (joking) I know Ich can turn up in a few hours, but I thought the visible cycle lasted a few days? If it was flukes wouldn't I have seen them at the store or when he was in the bag? Did my better half drug me and I'm just seeing things?
What would you do? Since my display would already be infected, am I hurting myself by waiting a few days to see what's going on?
I have a good understanding of freshwater Ich and although different parasites, to my knowledge the fish signs for them are generally the same. I've only been reef'n for a year and a half (jbj28) but I think a lot of husbandry is transferable. I have also read both of Snorvich's stickies on Ich (THANK YOU for your great write ups) as well as countless other disease stories/stickies. Parameters are in check: 1.025 sal, 0 nh3, 0 no2, 5 or under no3, non detectable levels of po4, 400 cal and 9 kh.
Sorry for the novel and thank you in advance for your help! :reading:
