Ich outbreak

[Editour2]

I don't know if this is related to my increase in temp, (see other thread started yesterday). I have quarintined all of my fish for 3 to 4 weeks prior to placement in the main display. On Saturday my Regal Tang had blemishes break out which appeared to be under the skin and I wasn't sure if it was ich. On Sunday it worsened so I removed him to quarintine. Today: 3 other fish have ich, (flame angel, reef chromis and false clown). I have a 10 gal quarintine tank. I was able to catch the Flame angel this morning so he is with the Tang. What's going on? Can ich develop from a temp swing? I thought it had to be present on a host to develop. In quarintining livestock prior to intoducing to the main display I thought I would eliminate this problem from happening. I'm confused, ****ed off and worried. Should I remove all livestock from the main display and do a hypo-salinity treatment or copper? I'm leaning towards the hypo, from what I've read copper can be dangerous if not dosed properly. Is it okay to keep 6 fish in a small QT tank? I have a total of 7 fish: regal tang, sailfin tang, 2 clownfish, reef chromis, flame angel and a purple firefish, (I'll never catch the firefish). So far 4 have shown signs of ich. HELP!!!!!!!!!!
Frank

 

[Monkeyfish]

The increased temp may have stressed the fish if it was sudden, but I've often heard people recommend that tank temp be increased to fight Ich - speeds up the life-cycle of the parasite. Check the rest of your parameters and make sure nothing is amiss.

If you don't have corals it might easier to remove the rock from the display tank and do the hypo treatment. Keep the rock in a container with an airstone or powerhead. The only down side to this is that the fauna in the sand-bed will die.

There have been published studies showing that crypto can last longer than 6 weeks without a host. It was in one of the journals published about 4 months ago.

 

[Editour2]

Eric,
It would be extremely difficult to remove all of the rock since most of it is epoxied together, (D&D coraline epoxy). I also have approx 15 corals in there as well. The temp change was not abrupt, it crept up over a period of the last 10 days or so, (with the weather change). When I get home from work I'm going to remove the other affected fish and try to treat them together. I've got the QT tank temp raised to speed the process. This is just frustrating since I tried to take necessary precautions.

 

[qy7400]

Sorry to hear about the outbreak. A ten gallon would be OK for everyone except the 2 tangs, if they are small you may get away with a 20L but if they are passed that 3-4” mark the smaller QT may stress them even more. IMO hypo is the way to go, the 2 times I tried copper I lost both fish; hypo I’ve yet to loose one. The Regal tangs (as well as powder blue) are ich magnets and easily stressed, my last outbreak was from the Regal as well. Problem you’re facing right now is now that ich is in the tank you’ll want to run fallow for at least 6 weeks to ensure its run its course out of the tank.

 

[Editour2]

"you’ll want to run fallow for at least 6 weeks to ensure its run its course out of the tank."

Joe,
what is fallow?
Frank

 

[qy7400]

no fish.

 

[Editour2]

Weird thing, when I came home from work the fish show no signs of ich. How could that be? Breakout in the morning and no signs by 6PM? I know the ich can lie dormant but in less than 12 hours, what's up?

 

[fishome25]

when I saw this thread I thought for sure Dex was the topic starter.

 

[DEXTER SOLIS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12664397#post12664397 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishome25
when I saw this thread I thought for sure Dex was the topic starter.

thanks Tom :lol:
if you are sure it was ich
I would try a profi. approach since you know ich is in there. keep the fish & live rock in the display tank, it is easier to remove inverts & corals, place them in a separate tank. Hypo the entire tank 6-8 weeks, follow the steps that is described on Bill's thread, now you have eliminated ich on the main display & inverts & corals, since they are kept where there is no fish/host.

reading about ich, this is the only way for reef tank, unless you have Warren's Bionic strain ich it should work

good luck

 

[cb747]

Dexter is an authority on ick! He also successfully beat it. Warren has the bionic strain and he could tell you how no medicine on the market works to "cure" ick. Copper is proven and is the only treatment that will work other than hypo as has been said.

 

[billsreef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12664348#post12664348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Editour2
Weird thing, when I came home from work the fish show no signs of ich. How could that be? Breakout in the morning and no signs by 6PM? I know the ich can lie dormant but in less than 12 hours, what's up?

If it really disappeared so fast, it was likely something else.

 

[Editour2]

Bill,
this morning the affected fish again showed signs of what I'm calling ich, not as bad as the previous morn, (not showing as many spots as yesterday). Is it possible that the inactivity during the night has something to do with this? Also, any other disease that would mimic ich? As stated in the beggining of the post I was not sure if the Regal Tang had ich, this started with what appeared to be blemishes under the skin or small bumps. The current appearance is tiny white dots speckled about. I'll let you know how they look this evening. All are eating normally and not showing any visible signs of distressed breathing. I am feeding all with garlic soaked food with Vita Chem drops. Got a 20G Long last night, (thanks again Bill/Sparky), and if need be, I will transfer all livestock this weekend to this tank to start hypo.

 

[Editour2]

Update: this morning hardly any signs of ich is present, (last night no signs of ich). Any comments? It was saturday that I saw blemishes on the Tang, outbreak on Monday, (on other fish), no signs by Wednesday morning. Is this normal? I have been feeding the fish with garlic soaked food. I'm baffled.

 

[MIKE NY]

Whatever your doing it's working....stability in water parameters is key to a healthy tank and any sudden changes such as your temp spike can cause stress and the effects of that are a weakened immune system leading to parasites etc.. IMO I believe there are parasites like ick in all are tanks and only attack fish when they are in this weaken state. As long as they are still feeding keep doing what your doing garlic etc.. and they should all recover....I don't believe in putting a net in the tank trying to catch them or using all kinds of medicines, chemicals, SG, temp swings up or down....I let nature take it's coarse and as long as they are all still feeding they should all recover.....I haven't had ick in my tank in well over five years and I have an eight year old powder blue( the ick magnet)..water stability is key....HTH

 

[billsreef]

Ed,

Typically ich will show for about 7 days before dropping off and seeming to disappear.