Need Help, 90 Gallon Reef, Fish Sick

Thunder32

New member
Greeting's all: First I want to thank you all for any assistance you can offer. I have a 90 gallon mixed reef - SPS, LPS, Softie's. This tank has been doing wonderful for about the past year. I'm a disabled vet, I spent 28 years in the military, I'm unable to walk, and I have anxiety and PTSD issue's (I wanted to tell you these things, as you can imagine what happens to me when my tank gets sick!), I have a lot of time on my hands and I truly baby this tank - I do daily filter cleanings, glass, water changes, observations, feeding's, I maintain this tank to optimal levels - being a perfectionist at times is draining! Also I have been in the hobby since I was 12, and I'm now 52. I'm truly amazed at what mother nature and God are capable off. I've seen it all from under gravel filters, and an incandescent bulb for light to where we are today - this hobby has truly amazed me along the way. I would say my experience in our hobby is experienced, but I'm always reading and open to learning more. I've had all different size tanks, and have raised or breed just about everything at one time or another. My tank parameters, details are as follows;

90 Gallon - sapphire glass - 48" x 18' x 24"

Equipment:
1. 90 Gallon tank / internal overflow / Sump
2. Trigger Systems Crystal Sump - 36' x 14' x 15 Growing various macro
algae's
3. Reef Octopus In Sump Protein Skimmer
4. Mag Drive 18 Pump
5. BRS Bio Reactor running GFO
6. Ultraviolet Sterilizer - 18 Watt
7. Aragonite Samoa Pink Reef Sand
8. Combination MH / T5's / LED's
9. BRS Pukani large show piece rock, live sand

I use Salifert Test Kit's (all new)
Various chemical media Seagel, Chemi Pure Elite, GFO, Carbon
I feed a varied diet of Flake (Assorted), Reef Chili, Snow, various frozen food's

My current water parameters;
Calc - 440
Alk - 9+
Sal - 1.026
Mag - 1340
Phos <0

My Problem - about two weeks ago, my wife bought me a new 6 lined wrasse for my B-day - she wanted to surprise me and floated the fish in my tank and released it without my knowledge (she was hoping to let me view my tank and see the fish as a surprise). After a day, and with no sight of the fish, she told me what she did! For those wondering - YES I have a quarantine tank, and follow all guidelines for getting and quarantining a new fish, but like I said - it was a surprise (Sigh). I for the life of me could not find the fish at all, I hoped with my fingers crossed that it would appear - it didn't. It has now been a about two weeks and now my Fox Face, a yellow eyed tang, and my starry blenny now are scratching and flashing on the substrate, rock etc. Also I have slight signs of Ick on my Fox Face. Obviously I know I have ick going on and have read and knew of all the articles on the issue. My dilemma is - What do I do - I only have a few fish and would like to try and catch them and move them to the quarantine tank, but as you all know as soon as I put my hands in the tank they all scatter into the live rock. I could possibly empty the tank and move all my live corals and live rock from the tank and catch them that way - but I hate to upset and ruin all the hard work of growing my corals (My main goal). I though of a fish trap, but not sure I'd have success or making one? I could just leave the fish alone and see if they could fight this off on their own! Their fat and were healthy till this has occurred!!!! Dose anyone have any idea's on what I might be missing? What would you do if it was your tank? Again - thank you in advance for the support and any help you could offer - sincerely Thunder
 
Greetings to you! First I'd like to thank you for all you've done!

I went through some ad outbreaks of Ich when I was a noobe. I finally resolved the problem using advice from Bill a/k/a Billsreef on this forum. So, if this were my tank, I'd put all the fish in quarantine and do hypo salinity to cure the fish. I'd let the DT stay fallow for 8 - 10 weeks. After that, your Ich problem should be over. In terms of catching the fish, I've been putting different foods in a red net every once in a while. My fish just swim in to eat. Now I can catch them without chasing them and damaging my corals!

I hope this helps, Thunder.

Denise
 
Wow...surprise. :( Hopefully she didn't put the water into the tank as well.

I doubt it would just 'go away' on its own. Since you have a QT, a fish trap would probably be your best bet. I would think that you could catch the foxface and tang easily...I'm not so sure about your other fish though. I would try to catch what you can, and if all else fails, start moving the rock around.
 
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