Is this Ich?

[MrTuskfish]

I completely agree with the above posts.
A QT is vital, not just something that's nice to have; and I wouldn't wait, if possible. Ich usually gives you some time; but not always. Fish can go from a few spots to critical in a couple of days. The worse the ich infection, the weaker the fish; and the harder to cure.Tank Transfer is another option. I've used Cupramine for many years and am a big advocate of copper. However, now that it's obviously ich, and not velvet or brooklynella, TT is a great choice. Easy, safe, & fool-proof. If another tank isn't handy, a Brute container works well. There's a TT sticky above. Your wise use of a QT gives you some options that non-QT folks just don't have.

 

[Spyderturbo007]

I added the Mardel CopperSafe the other day. Do I need to do anything other than top off the tank everyday? It didn't say anything about adding more later, nor anything about testing for the correct level of copper.

I guess the fish is doing OK. He seems to be eating well, but has some good days and some that aren't so good. He is up to 6 spots that look like the lymphocystis and some days he is covered in smaller Ich dots and other days he's pretty clear.

 

[snorvich]

You need to test to insure therapeutic dosage is maintained. If it drops below that, (test once a day minimum), the quarantine clock restarts.

 

[b0bab0ey]

I added the Mardel CopperSafe the other day. Do I need to do anything other than top off the tank everyday? It didn't say anything about adding more later, nor anything about testing for the correct level of copper.

I guess the fish is doing OK. He seems to be eating well, but has some good days and some that aren't so good. He is up to 6 spots that look like the lymphocystis and some days he is covered in smaller Ich dots and other days he's pretty clear.

I use the API copper test kit with Coppersafe. But any "chelated or total copper" test kit will do. With Coppersafe, you want to keep range between 1.5 - 2.0 ppm. Which shouldn't be a problem unless you've got something in with him (sand/rock) which absorbs copper.

 

[Spyderturbo007]

I'll pick up a copper test kit later this afternoon.

 

[Spyderturbo007]

I went home after work and Mr. SickFish had died. It was my first fish lost and all but brought a tear to my eye.

He was fine the night before as far as eating so I don't know what happened. The ammonia badge was yellow indicating no ammonia. He seemed to have lost patches of color. Is that normal when a fish dies?

As for the QT, what do I need to do to sanitize the equipment? I'm assuming the medium gets tossed, but can I just soak the rest in an aqueous bleach solution?

Also, what actually kills ich? For example, if I put my hand in the QT to do something, what do I need to do before I can stick my hand in the DT? Is soap and hot water sufficient?

Maybe someone can look at these pictures and let me know what was the cause of death.

RIP Mr. SickFish (<- My wife gave him that name)

 

[b0bab0ey]

As for the QT, what do I need to do to sanitize the equipment? I'm assuming the medium gets tossed, but can I just soak the rest in an aqueous bleach solution?

You can use a vinegar/water solution to clean and then let everything air dry for several days before using again.

Also, what actually kills ich? For example, if I put my hand in the QT to do something, what do I need to do before I can stick my hand in the DT? Is soap and hot water sufficient?

Soap and hot water should be sufficient, but avoid sticking your hand in the DT for awhile after messing with the QT.

RIP Mr. SickFish (<- My wife gave him that name)

I honestly don't know for sure what killed your fish. From post #13 it was pretty obvious that it had Ich or possibly even Velvet. Both can be treated with copper, so you did the right thing, but Velvet is far more difficult to treat and can kill within 48 hours.

I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm happy you aren't dealing with whatever this was in your DT right now. Kudos for using a QT!

 

[EllieSuz]

Sorry you lost your fish. I have a big beautiful Tomini who got through QT without any problems a year ago, so I hope you'll try again. You have proven the value of quarantine. There are a lot of people on RC who don't believe in it, but how thankful are you that all your fish aren't sick right now? Ich can't tolerate drying out, so if you dry the media well and let the tank dry out as well, you can reuse the media for your next fish.

 

[Spyderturbo007]

Thanks for everyone's help.

I am happy for using a QT because honestly, I inspected him very well at the store. They were even nice enough to put him in one of those clear plastic containers so I could check him out. He had no indications of any disease at all nor did any of his tank mates. Within a day he developed symptoms of at least two diseases!

So it would be pretty easy to have assumed he was clear and thrown him in the tank without proper QT.

I'm not sure if I'll try again since I only have a 55g. I read that they should have 75g but my LFS had them labeled as OK for a 55g tank.

 

[EllieSuz]

Here's a picture (cell phone, sorry) of my big Tomini. My tank is a 60 gallon, which has the same footprint as your 55. I've had this fish for a year and he's at least double the size he was when I got him. He has a voracious appetite and seems to be just fine with the size tank he's in.