New coral beauty

[chocolates mom]

I have a new 55 saltwater tank with 2 perculas, 3 chromis and some crabs, snails and 2 cleaner shrimp. I added a Coral Beauty on Saturday. He didn't eat for a day and then I introduced dry seaweed which he seems to be nibbling at. I am now trying to determine if he was ich. I noticed 3 white spots on his tail but can't figure out if it is ich or just damage to the tail. He is constantly being cleaned by the shrimp.. Could it possibly just be some kind of damage to his tail? He swims so fast I can't get a good look at the spots. Thanks

 

[PoukieBear]

There is always a possibility that it is Ick. Do you notice any of the same spots on your other fish?

Ick usually flares up when a fish is stressed, and the move to a new tank could have started it.

Do you ahve a QT? If so, I suggest you move it there and start treatment.

 

[Tyrosinase]

Angel fish can be very tricky to catch once in a tank. I say let the cleaner shrimp do it's job and feed mysis shrimp that has been soaked in garlic. If it is already nibbling at the nori you may also want to try soaking this in garlic.

 

[chocolates mom]

Thanks I will try the garlic and start to set up a QT tank. If I have to could I move the inverts to the QT tank and medicate my Coral in his present tank?

 

[Tyrosinase]

I would not recommend it as the medication you give the coral beauty may contain copper and cause a die off in your live rock.

Try the garlic soaked nori and mysis shrimp, you may be surprised how well that works. I have used garlic x-treme and garlic guard with success. Both can be purchased from lfs.

Oh yeah, I should also mention that keeping the lights off for a day may also help your fish fight the ich. I have noticed that when my hippo tang gets ich and I leave the lights off for a day the ich is greatly reduced.

 

[chocolates mom]

Ok thanks for your help, I will pick up some garlic and try it tonight (fingers crossed)

 

[kjmst29]

also consider purchasing a small UV

 

[chocolates mom]

Ok I am going to try the garlic for a few days. Also when I was at the pet store they told me about a new product called "No more sick fish" . They have had good results with it with their freshwater fish and customers with reef tanks have had good results too.

 

[Teremei]

When I first got my coral beauty, she had some ich on her fins, not much though. I was very worried and stressed out all the time over her. But she got over it because of the good conditions of the tank. QT is good and all, and preparing just incase is good. But you should first just try to keep her feeding, and see if it goes away by itself. Rather than stressing her out by catching her, putting her in QT to treat her, then put her back in. Because now ich is in the tank and she'll just get it again when put her back into the main tank after treatment, from the stress of just being caught and moved.

Follow the minimalist approach first, and if it gets very serious, then and only then, go the treatment route. BTW it's good you got a cleaner shrimp in there, they can help keep minor ich infections at bay.

 

[RLMainers]

Hyposalinity works good.

 

[chocolates mom]

Well the garlic is working great, he is eating up a storm. I think maybe each time I add a new fish I will start the garlic right away. I'm not going to sit around for a couple of days with them not eating and getting stressed. Another question - does the ich eat throw the skin? There is now 2 small holes in his tail.

 

[Teremei]

minimal damage to tails and fins will grow back. Don't worry too much about "small holes" in the tail. Just keep an eye on the fish's overall health.