My Fish Has Ick...Cant Catch Him

[otrlynn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13067425#post13067425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterssretaW
What kind of filtration should there be? Protein skimming?

Simple hang-on-back filter. If you run to Walmart and get some type of cheap 20 gallon starter kit, one will probably come with it. Remember to rinse the carbon filter before you put it in the tank. Get a heater if your temp drops below 76 (maybe not needed since it is summer) and a couple of pieces of PVC pipe for the fish to hide it. You can even use a couple of food safe ceramic coffee mugs instead (my Kole tang made one his hideout when he was in QT). If you have any type of filter media in your current tank, sponge, filter etc., place it in the QT because it will bring some beneficial bacteria to the new tank. You will probably get mixed opinions on this but I like to put a couple of small pieces of live rock in there (especially if you have no other seeded media). You could not use the live rock if you were treating with copper, but you can use it with hyposalinity. The biggest challenge will be to keep the ammonia down--measure it at least every other day and be prepared to do a water change about every other day. Less may be okay depending upon ammonia readings, but it is good to be prepared. This is not fun but is necessary!

 

[WaterssretaW]

oh man...iam trying to see any bright side to this...trying

 

[otrlynn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13067834#post13067834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterssretaW
oh man...iam trying to see any bright side to this...trying

The bright side is that you will become a better reefkeeper having learned the skills of how to quarantine and treat sick fish. You will, hopefuly, save your tang and eliminate the ich parasite in your DT by leaving it fish free for 6-8 weeks. You will have a tank that you can/will use to quarantine all future new fish. I think it probably takes only one instance of trying to get a sick fish out of a rock-filled DT to convince one of the necessity to QT new fish. It sure did it for me!!!

 

[qfrisco]

And your time is probably running out. After 1 or 2 days from the time you first saw the spots on your tang, the spots will disappear, and you will think everything's better. But this is only because the parasites have dropped onto your substrate, multiplying. After a few more days, they will take to the water and you will likely find your tang re-infected, only much worse than before!

They really are diabolical creatures!

 

[WaterssretaW]

I have a purple tang, a brown tang (infected) and two small chromis fish...

I guess the hunt is on.

otrlynn: Thank you for the encouraging words. I believe you're right.

qfrisco: Reading your posts is like reading a Stephen King book lol
But I understand what you're saying, and I know what I have to do.

Thank you all...trying to smile

 

[otrlynn]

P.S. Get the hospital tank all set up before you go hunting. Also, Sk8r mentioned "no carbon" in the hospital tank. I believe that is only if you are using medication to treat. As far as I know, there is no reason not to use carbon in the filter of the hospital tank when you are treating with hyposalinty. Also, if no one has mentioned it, you need to be using a refractometer to measure salinity. A hydrometer is not accurate enough. You want to lower salinity over 1-2 days to 1.09 and keep it rock steady there. Don't forget that you will need to raise it over the course of a WEEK when you have completed the treatment period. Have you read this?

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

 

[jubjub]

have you tried using 2 nets.....seriously what i have to do....use one net to scare him into the other net....although prob not the best bet but ..shrug

 

[abulgin]

Filtration could be something as simple as a sponge filter/air pump:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/203840/i/1/product.web

Get a 20g tank, throw in some large PVC pieces for hiding places, a heater and a filter, and you're good to go. No substrate. Before adding the fish to the hospital tank, I would give them a 5-7 min pH adjusted freshwater dip with formalin (you must aerate the water while dipping though), and repeat this dip for a good week or so. You should also monitor ammonia carefully, and do small water changes every night--you can use water changes as an opportunity to siphon any detritus (and ich cysts) from the bottom of the tank. Feed sparingly.

 

[3.99AfterTaxes]

Checkit:

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=284&products_id=2759

I love ze Germans. I love their cars, their roads, their bratwurst and even their women... Mostly their women. Now it's safe to say that the entire spectrum of all things I feel are worth a solid round of HARD LOVIN' has been fulfilled by this great nation.

 

[abulgin]

What's in it?

 

[3.99AfterTaxes]

Oh, I forgot to mention, a friend of mine tried this and it works good. Cleared his tank of ich without working his corals. But he caught it early. I suspect it won't be as effective if your animals are RAVAGED by the disease.

From Aquarium Specialty's site:

Aquarium Munster Protomarin Coral 20 ml

New Product from Germany - REEF SAFE but follow product directions

protomarin coral is a special treatment for marine ornamental fish against skin parasites such as oodinium ocellatum (coral fish disease), Cryptobia, Brooklynella, Trichodina and Cryptocarion. Visible signs are whitish-grey to dark, satiny film or barely visible dots which may spread to the gills, fins and the entire body in a later stage. The gills remain open and the fish shows signs of increased respiratory activity, ranging up to respiratory distress.

protomarin coral is tolerated by invertebrates like corals, anemones, snails, mussels. protomarin coral is used especially for the initial stage of infections and slight diseases.

 

[3.99AfterTaxes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13071176#post13071176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by abulgin
What's in it?

Iunno, lol.

Maybe call Aquariums Specialty?

 

[mikenam]

When i first got my yellow tang i QT in a big bucket after a month he still alive (knock on wood) .

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13067288#post13067288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterssretaW
what are the minimum requirements for quarintine tank? Is just a bucket okay?

 

[otrlynn]

Well, Mike, I'd say you have been lucky. But hey, I could probably live in my bathroom if someone shoved some food under the door... Something larger than a bucket would provide better quality of life and increase the chances of the fish pulling through.

 

[dynamixone]

how old is this tank?

my 120 is about 8 months old. i had ich issues and it seems to much worse when my tank was newer. my tank has ich, so any new fish i put in, get it. I do more often then average water changes for a few weeks and feed them well. so far no loses. it seesm like once my fish get it, i never see it on them again. when my tank was new, they got it over and over again until the died or moved into qt for copper treatment. My tank was fallow for 8 weeks and all fish that went back in were in qt for 6 weeks. ich is still there. but only presents itself on new fish. slime coat is probably down from stress and shipping and they get it.

the difference is my tank is more mature and it seems to help the fish deal with it better.

IME the fish will fight it if condtions are good. once you see the fish gasping at the top or headfirst into a powerhead liek there swimming upstream, the end is near.

IME, hypo was expensive and put fish through the stress of being in an barron qt tank. medications even as good as coppersafe is probably not healthy for fish.

 

[Reef or Die]

Although the use of garlic to cure ich is not 100% proven I have fed infected fish with raw small slivers of regular garlic. I believe it does help. i also use garlic elixer on my food.
I know lots of people use fish traps
When I did have to catch a fish that was infected I fed the tank and when it floated to the top to eat I scooped it with a net. It is a little tricky and takes some luck but if you spear the net in to the tank fast enough where he is you could catch him...

 

[WaterssretaW]

But hey, I could probably live in my bathroom if someone shoved some food under the door...

point well taken

 

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13071185#post13071185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 3.99AfterTaxes
Iunno, lol.

Maybe call Aquariums Specialty?

If you want to risk your thousands of dollars in animals by putting some unnamed ingredients in your tank, go for it. Not me. If they don't list the ingredients on the website, they likely aren't going to list them over the phone.

 

[qfrisco]

I was curious as well and found the info below at this website: http://www.aquaristikshop.com/e_Produktinformationen/Aquarium-M-nster-protomarin-coral.htm

"1 ml Aquarium Münster protomarin coral contains: 1.25 mg of tetramethyl-4,4-diamino-triphenyl-carbinol, 0.10 mg of ethacridine lactate, 0.10 mg tetramethylthionine chloride, 0.05 mg hexamethyl-pararosaniline chloride".

Anyone know how these could be effective against crypt, etc?

 

[dynamixone]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13084661#post13084661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by qfrisco
I was curious as well and found the info below at this website: http://www.aquaristikshop.com/e_Produktinformationen/Aquarium-M-nster-protomarin-coral.htm

"1 ml Aquarium Münster protomarin coral contains: 1.25 mg of tetramethyl-4,4-diamino-triphenyl-carbinol, 0.10 mg of ethacridine lactate, 0.10 mg tetramethylthionine chloride, 0.05 mg hexamethyl-pararosaniline chloride".

Anyone know how these could be effective against crypt, etc?

the internet is unfortunatley a good and bad source of info. you find so many conflicting fixes and info on this subject.

one person says 2 weeks, next says 10 weeks fallow.

one guy sales fresh garlic another says garlic is bad for fish.

The common denominator is:

if your tank is new and not mature enough ICH will kill your fish. the stress on the fish from new tank syndrome will alomst insure death. this IME. my tank is older now and all new fish get ich for a few days and its gone. the only fish i ever see spots on is my foxface. he gets a few spots and they disapeer.

our tanks are closed systems and perfect for ich. the ocean, the fish just swim away, drop the ich during the life cycle and leave the area. probaby never get it again.

IME ich is kind of like chicken pox. once the fish gets it and gets healthy they rarely if ever get it again.

water quality and good food is the fix. not snake oil. copper is good, but it really takes a toll on the fish. i have read it damages fish sense of tastse, especially with angels.

HYPO is not a 100% fix. I did it with no results onther than stressed fish from being in an empty qt tank. i had pvc for them to hide. the bare floor of the tank was like a mirror and really scared some of my fish. most QT tanks will have worse new tank syndrome than your display.

I kept my qt at 1.09 using refract and pinpoint meter. still fish had ich.

Fallow is not 100%, unless you stop the pumps turn off the heat and kill everything. my tank was fallow for 8 weeks. still has ich. but it was a pod sanctiuary

all my new fish are from dr fosters, mostly divers den that were all qts prior to putting in tank.

these are all my experiences and are not gospel.