Ich/QT Advice...

[meverha1]

Perfectly healthy, stable tank. 2 Clowns, 2 blue/green chromis, jawfish, firefish, foxface, and small hippo tang. Everyone has been happy and healthy for weeks.

Tonight when I get home I notice some spots on the tang, then I notice more around his face. Small but definitely there. They weren't there last night because I had guests over and they were all staring at the tank so we would have noticed. I don't think they were there this morning either.

Pretty sure it's ich...

Rushed to set up an emergency 20 gallon QT tank. Small filter, powerhead, heater, etc... I took water from my tank so I ended up doing a 20 gallon water change in the process.

I also went out and got some copper treatment for the QT. TTM really isn't an option for me right now because of space limitations.

In the process of doing all of this , I spooked the Tang and he's well hidden in the rocks. I doubt I'll see him again until tomorrow morning.

So, some questions...

1) The tang is the only fish showing any signs of Ich. How quickly will it spread?

2) Should I move all of my fish to the QT? That's 8 fish in a 20 gallon tank. Again, size and space limitations... can't really have a bigger QT and on top of that it's an emergency QT so no rocks or live sand.

3) Best treatment for ich? Assuming copper will cure the fish that is showing signs... Also, the medicine I have says to raise water temp to 83 degrees, is this correct?

4) Since it's an emergency QT, how often should I plan on doing water changes? Anything else I should know about this sort of QT? Assuming I top off with RODI water between changes like normal?

 

[Dr. Reef]

1. ich can spread quickly. all fish have it doesnt matter if they show signs or not. they should all be treated.
2.i would move all fish in 20 for now and treat with copper base medicine and in process if u happen to get a bigger qt it would be fine.
3. tank transfer method is known to be the best treatment here on RC but to me hyposalinity first then copper.
4. here is a blog i wrote on this topic and it should help. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=20614751#post20614751
5 leave main tank fishless for 9 weeks minimum.

 

[AK707]

if its ich you have to treat all the fish and leave your main tank fallow (no fish and don't add anything wet) for 72-90 days depending on who you ask

 

[meverha1]

if its ich you have to treat all the fish and leave your main tank fallow (no fish and don't add anything wet) for 72-90 days depending on who you ask

I'll do what I have to do but that's rough.

How do most people handle this sort of thing? Do most people have larger QT tanks?

Should I put some live rock in there since the fish could potentially be in there for 2 - 3 months?

I want to provide the best habitat possible for the fish but obviously this is an emergency situation

 

[Dr. Reef]

everything ur asking is in the post i linked earlier. no rocks due to reasons mentioned in the post and most people keep 20g generally.

 

[AK707]

everything ur asking is in the post i linked earlier. no rocks due to reasons mentioned in the post and most people keep 20g generally.

if i read that correctly you treat fish with copper for 2 weeks, then the next week slowly bring copper back down to 0 then observe fish in qt for another 2 weeks then put them back into display tank if all is good.
thats only 5 weeks fallow, wouldn't you be sticking your fish right back into a tank with ich since it didn't go fallow for 72-90 days?

 

[Dr. Reef]

Point #5 in my earlier post says leave tank fish less for 9 weeks plus. That guide is in accordance to that rule.

 

[AK707]

ahhh yes...i missed that. consider making that more clear in the future. from my personal research i see so much condesending advise and as a noob it makes my head spin...even if i read that more carefully i would have still been confused, leave tank fallow for 9+ weeks or treat with copper and throw back in tank 5 weeks later...see where im coming from.?
thanks for clearing that up though