I work at a LFS and it seems like we are having a constant battle with ICK and other parasites. No matter what we try and do, we have fish losses. We have tried using a copper based system using just an ammonia tower and a skimmer, switched to a sump with roughly 200+LB's of sand and cheato with a skimmer, but still we have losses, its becoming very stressful on us no matter what we can do we cannot combat it. It really seems like no matter were we buy our fish from we still have this problem, we have also tried different measures of acclimating the fish and still havent saw a change. Tried running our salinity a bit lower and that did not help, also running a UV on the system, If anyone has come up with a way that has decreased this problem or any ideas let me know! Thanks!
LFS Employee qestions regarding ick
- Thread starter ntrlfive
- Start date
paulamrein
New member
We run a system with lowered salinity, copper and formalin. There are losses, but everyone will have average loses no matter what is done. Could you describe how many losses, particular species more prone? What is your total water volume that you are running? A little more specifics would help eliminate repeat advice.
Atleast 30% losses, tangs, butterflys, and angels. Total system volume is about 700 gallons cs-12 Euro reef skimmer. Aqua ultra vilot UV's. We are using Seachems Cupramine cooper right now. I have used Formalin when dipping sick fish, but never in the system. Do you treat your whole system with cooper and formalin? im runing a fuge on it as well, I know by adding the cooper I damaged the live rock in it, however all the caulerpa in the fuge is doing fine. The tanks in the main system are bare bottom with just live rock. I tried the natural method for the last 6 months did not seem to make a difference, so just decided to add cooper. Salinity was about 1.021 as well.
LargeAngels
Premium Member
Yes, don't run UV when using Cupramine. Also don't ever mix formalin and Cupramine. Carefull of what you mix Cupramine with as it may have toxic results. Have you FW dipped the fish to see if they have flukes also? Flukes are not affected by copper. Try Prazipro, which I do mix with Cupramine with no affects.
LargeAngels
Premium Member
Hikari. Just about any place has it, especially places that sell pond stuff. It is also used for Freshwater.
My fish( naso tang) I brought it home a few days ago. Last night it developed a couple of white spots on it. It is ich. I was told by my lfs that there will always be a little in your tank, ( there are just some fish that are more suseptable to it, like tangs. that is a pararisite, they have a copper quarantine tank , so I brought the fish into them, they are trying to fix him. they said after several weeks, that I can take him home again. If I always have some in my tank, how will the naso be ok when I take him back home? all of the other fish are eating fine, and doing good.I do have a few white spots on the glass, was told that ich will not attach to glass. If not, what is that?
LargeAngels
Premium Member
Spots on glass are not ich. It is a myth that ich is always present. It will however be in your tank if you don't take all fish out, treat them and leave tank fishless for 4-6 weeks. Some fish build up a resistance or immunity to ich. That is why your other fish appear healthy. Ich is still there and when a new fish is introduced in your tank it will more than likely get ich. Two issues with having the LFS treat the fish. First is that they can't guarentee that when they bag up the fish they haven't yet again introduced ich into its water by a net, hand or something else. Second is that if you don't treat the fish in the main tank then putting him back he will only get it again. Here is some good reading on ich http://www.reefland.com/forum/marin...e-treatment/20321-marine-ich-myths-facts.html
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