Ich outbreak, emergency QT procedures?

[richfavinger]

I have a well established 75g... and am going through my first ever outbreak of ich. I've been in the hobby for over 15+ years and never had it this bad!

My last fish added was a Divers Den Tahitian Butterfly, ORA True Percula Clownfish Pair... on March 21st 2013... ALL fish have come from the Den over the past 2 years.

About 2.5-weeks ago we had a power outage. The tank was running on battery backup with the VorTech's on low for about 4 hours. This is the only major stress event I can think of. (Fuge, all lights and skimmer where offline during the event).

I suspect the ich started with my Kole tang, and moved to my Long-Nose Butterfly. The Kole was looking a little pale, but I did not notice any outward signs. The LNB showed some "air bubbles" on his tail. - I lost the LNB this morning (08/05/13), he was with me for 20 months and eating like a champ out of my hand... so depressing! :sad2:

The Kole is still pale, but swimming vigorously, and still eating. The Tahitian is also as well. But I can tell he's infected too.

So, what are the procedures on setting up an emergency QT? 29 or 40B, and I know the basic equipment. But, what of the bio filter? I have no sump, and no ready filter media. My main display run with no sump, a HOB Fuge, LS/LR and skimmer and PhosBan Reactor.

I fear setting up a quick-shot QT bare tank would create even more stress??? Will ammonia locks and water changes do the trick for a 4-6 week QT??? - The thing is, I really do not have room to setup a permanent QT!

 

[Deinonych]

I picked up a bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only for my emergency QT. I threw some Fluval ceramic discs in the HOB filter so the bacteria had substrate to populate. Also got a Seachem Ammonia Alert badge so I can watch ammonia in semi-real time. If you have a 40B, that would be ideal.

All of your fish are infected, and your tank is harboring crypto at this point. You will need to remove all fish from your DT and leave it fallow (fishless) for 8-10 weeks. You also will need to actively treat your fish in quarantine with copper to kill the parasites. It's no fun, but it has to be done if you want to eradicate the parasite.

 

[HumbleFish]

How many fish? List them all. Generally speaking, it would be best to go with the 40 breeder as that will give you more wiggle room when it comes to the ammonia battle that lay ahead. Without any cycled media available, your only option will be WCs to keep the ammonia at bay. Or as Deinonych said, try some "instant bacteria" stuff like Dr. Tim's or bio-spira. It can't hurt...

 

[richfavinger]

1x Green Chromis
1x Long-Nose Butterfly (Deceased)
1x Kole Tang
1x Tahitian Butterfly
1x ORA True Percula (The male committed suicide)
3x Red Candles
1x Algae Blenny
1x Blue Mandarin
---
1x Fire Shrimp
1x Skunk Cleaner
1x Pencel Urchin
1x Blue Tuxedo Urchin
Crabs, Snails, SPS Corals / Acro, Zoos...

 

[scuzy]

Bio spira works real well for quick cycle. I Ann doing chloroquine phosphate for ich treatment right now and I think it's a lot better than copper. It seems very easy on the fishes.

 

[richfavinger]

I assume, if I leave the tank fish-less (actual fish) the
1x Fire Shrimp
1x Skunk Cleaner
1x Pencel Urchin
1x Blue Tuxedo Urchin
Crabs, Snails, SPS Corals / Acro, Zoos...
... Don't count and won't harbor ich? Or are they good as dead too?

Also, not keen on QT of the Blue Mandarin, given they need pods...

 

[Deinonych]

I assume, if I leave the tank fish-less (actual fish) the
1x Fire Shrimp
1x Skunk Cleaner
1x Pencel Urchin
1x Blue Tuxedo Urchin
Crabs, Snails, SPS Corals / Acro, Zoos...
... Don't count and won't harbor ich? Or are they good as dead too?

Also, not keen on QT of the Blue Mandarin, given they need pods...

Your inverts are not infected, so they can stay in the tank. Not sure what to do about the mandarin...hopefully others with more experience with them will chime in.

edit: you can do tank transfer for the mandarin, which will rid it of parasites without medication. And you can feed it pods provided they don't come from a contaminated source. There is a sticky at the top of this forum on tank transfer.

 

[HumbleFish]

3x Red Candles

What is this?

 

[richfavinger]

That should read "cardinal", sorry... Typing too fast...

 

[HumbleFish]

That should read "cardinal", sorry... Typing too fast...

Ah ok... Well IMO, all of your fish are good candidates for chloroquine phosphate - even the mandarin. All of your fish are good candidates for copper - except the mandarin. All Deinonych pointed out, you could treat the mandarin separately by doing tank transfer.

 

[richfavinger]

OK... 40B is setup... Egg-crate protection for the top, Penguin 400 filter (just running Bio-Wheels), a few hunks of 3" PVC fittings for sheltie... Ammonia alert badge ... Added Bio spira and copper to manufactures instructions. I'll grab a copper test kit in the morning... Will an API kit do the job? And what is the suggested copper range? Some googleing just tells me it's only 0.25ppm (aka the first indication, for API)...?

I did manage to get all fish except my Algae Blenny (I'll try in the morning) and the Mandarin... sorry, I think she will stay in-system... Had to rip apart about 80% of the tank, and move fairly large Mont caps and good acro... Poor tank looks like hell.

 

[snorvich]

Are you sure it is cryptocaryon irritans as opposed to oodinium?

 

[HumbleFish]

Will an API kit do the job? And what is the suggested copper range? Some googleing just tells me it's only 0.25ppm (aka the first indication, for API)...?

Are you using Cupramine? Assuming you are, Salifert or Seachem copper test kit is easier to read in the low range. But API works.

I did manage to get all fish except my Algae Blenny (I'll try in the morning) and the Mandarin... sorry, I think she will stay in-system... Had to rip apart about 80% of the tank, and move fairly large Mont caps and good acro... Poor tank looks like hell.

I know I'm :deadhorse: but going fallow is meaningless unless you can get all the fish out. Also, your fallow period doesn't start until they are all out.

 

[Deinonych]

i know i'm :deadhorse: But going fallow is meaningless unless you can get all the fish out. Also, your fallow period doesn't start until they are all out.

+1

 

[richfavinger]

Kole Tang, photo July 20th

Long-Nose Butterfly, photo July 20th

Long-Nose Butterfly, photo August 4th - dead August 5th

Tahitian Butterfly, photo under blues August 4th...

 

[HumbleFish]

Wow, those last two pics looks like Velvet to me. But if the last fish was added all the way back in March - then the timeline doesn't add up for it being Velvet. Any coral/inverts added recently?

Whether it's Ich or Velvet; copper is suitable treatment for both. If you're using Cupramine, get it up to at least 0.35ppm ASAP. If this is Velvet (or just a really bad case of Ich); then IMO you don't have time to dilly dally by raising the copper level slowly.

 

[richfavinger]

HumbleFish, I'm using copper...
No coral, no fish except the lasted noted. The last stress factor was a power outage and the tank running on backup (low power VorTech's) for about 4 hours.

I don't have it in my log, so I can't recall if I got the Tuxedo Urchin before or JUST after the Tahitian... by 2-3 weeks... (aka mid-April)...
Thats still nothing new in the last 90+ days...

 

[Deinonych]

The LNB photo from July 20 shows what looks like ich spots on the tail and pectoral fins. Sorry to hear that you lost him - he looked like a beautiful fish. Hopefully you can save the others.

 

[HumbleFish]

HumbleFish, I'm using copper...

You're using straight copper sulfate? No name brand stuff?

 

[richfavinger]

I'm using CopperSafe