Need ADVICE. Ich...

[curtcherry]

Need to hear a couple of suggestions on how to handle this situation. I have a 30 Gallon DT. 4 fish (now 3 after last night) and a clean up crew with a cleaner shrimp and a brittle star. It has two clowns, a coral beauty. It had a blue tang that passed this morning from Ich it has been battling for two weeks, since I brought it home. Bad LFS...

I am considering quarantining them all now in the 30 gallon that I have my 180 gallon setup. Only problem, I haven't seen the ammonia spike in the new tank yet. While I could put the live rock and sand in the 180 that has nothing but rock and sand in it, I have no where to put the clean up crew and a few small corals I have.

The 180 has been setup for 1 week and I used RO/DI in it. I used 50 lbs of live rock and some live sand. I would think the shrimp and brittle star are more susceptible to ammonia than the fish are, but don't know where else to put them...

Any way around this situation at this moment?

 

[soulpatch]

I woudl simply get 2 small 10 or 20 gallon tanks and put your fish in there. Use tank transfer method (TTM) so you will house them in one tank for up to 72 hours then the next for up to 72 hours and so on. Kep flipping them for 12 days to rid the remaining fish of ich.

The liverock and such in the 30 will have to stay there for at least 72 days for every ich to die off without a fish host. This is called a fallow period.

As for the 180 you can go the dead shrimp route, bacteria in a bottle, or my favorite straight ammonia to dose and get the cycle cooking. I like the ammonia route since I can bring the tank up to 2PPM and know exactly when it reaches that level and time for when it zeros out.


As for the tanks I think Petco might still have their 1 a gallon sale going on

 

[curtcherry]

Any specific ammonia? Something that Wally sells good enough?

 

[soulpatch]

I get janitorial ammonia from ace hardware.

It needs to be straight ammonia with no scents or such. Typically anything marketing for janitors is what you would use but I know for a fact that the Ace hardware is good to go.

 

[gone fishin]

Any specific ammonia? Something that Wally sells good enough?

If you shake the ammonia and it foams you don't want it.

I agree with the treatment advice. After the fallow period you could move your inverts over to the 180 when ready.

 

[texdoc77]

It had a blue tang that passed this morning from Ich it has been battling for two weeks, since I brought it home. Bad LFS...

OK, couple things here. First, and I hate to bring it up, but... don't blame the LFS. You put the fish directly in the DT. Even a few days of observation would have helped this situation, learn for next time.

Now, you will want to do as Soulpatch says and take the other fish through the TTM. The shrimp and brittle star can stay in the fallow tank. They do not have to be "treated" as cryptocaryons irritant is a fish only parasite. Just remember they can harbor the tomont stage just like the rocks and tank that need to be fallow.

Pure ammonia is the way to go.

 

[soulpatch]

Also after TTM leave the fish in the QT tanks for a bit to observe them for anything else they could potentially have since you obviously never QTed or treated your fish before. I would suggest a round or two of prazi.

The other benefit is that you are moving to a 180 so you will obviosuly be bringing in more fish. having 2 20 gallon tanks with heaters and such means you already have your QT setup for those fish. You will want to TTM and QT every new fish that you get in. Doing so ensures that your DT remains healthy.

I strongly suggest keeping your smaller 30 going as well as a QT for the corals and CUC that you get in. You dont need all of the rock to remain but enough to keep it cycled and alive for your inhabitants.

There is a TON of useful info on QT and TTM in the stickies at the top of this forum.

 

[Sk8r]

1. only fish can get ich.
2. fish are more affected by ammonia than most corals and inverts are.

 

[curtcherry]

1. only fish can get ich.
2. fish are more affected by ammonia than most corals and inverts are.

I am going to do the straight ammonia approach. Once I get the ammonia down to 0 will put the clean up crew in the 180 tank.

Then remove live rock and suck out sand. Will put 3 fish and new tangs all together and quarantine them all at once for at least 30 days. Do I have to go longer than 30 if there is no sand in tank and do frequent water changes?

 

[soulpatch]

you should really do TTM for 12 days then an additional 30+ for observation. And all of the rock from the infected tank needs to be in a system WITHOUT fish for a minimum of 72 days.

 

[curtcherry]

Got it. Will go that route. Will get one more tank setup.