Ok now I am completely confused about ich

[kenpau]

I recently removed all my fish and went fallow in my tank for a second time. I put all fish through a very stringent TTM with 6 tank changes and I cleaned everything with bleach after each changeover.
After day 12 I moved all fish back into the DT with the exception of a juvenile hippo tang which I decided to sell. So I added 2 filters to the QT and left the tang in there.
It's been in there for about a week, I came home from work today and it has ich! How the hell can this happen?
The QT is about 25 meters away from the DT, no fish in the DT have ich and nothing had been added to the QT with the tang in it.

 

[BuzzPion]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388428

Did you follow the method perfectly? Especially the bit about letting equipment dry completely? I am often amazed at pumps and things that remain wet for weeks. Pick something up and my hand gets damp.

You don't even need to sanitize with anything as long as it is bone dry for at least 24 hours.

 

[Deinonych]

Can you post a picture of the tang?

 

[kenpau]

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2388428

Did you follow the method perfectly? Especially the bit about letting equipment dry completely? I am often amazed at pumps and things that remain wet for weeks. Pick something up and my hand gets damp.

You don't even need to sanitize with anything as long as it is bone dry for at least 24 hours.

I followed the instructions to the letter, because of work I ended up doing 6 changes instead of four but after each change I immediately drained the water and cleaned with bleach solution, then left to dry. It was definitely try for st least 24 hours each time.

Here's a few shots of it tonight

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[/url]PSX_20150718_222042 by kenpau01, on Flickr


PSX_20150718_222107 by kenpau01, on Flickr


PSX_20150718_222133 by kenpau01, on Flickr


I'm now dosing Cupramine before it gets any worse.

 

[Deinonych]

Pics are not conclusive, but that doesn't look like crypto to me. Again, it could just be the pics.

 

[zeebies]

Just curious, how long was each fallow period? Also, where did the two filters come from - the ones added to the QT for the tang?

I might suspect the filter media if it came from a tank that hadn't been fallow for 72+ days.

 

[CHSUB]

research from Univ. of Florida says ich can encyst on the fish, could explain what happened?

 

[snorvich]

research from Univ. of Florida says ich can encyst on the fish, could explain what happened?

Possible. However, a very low likelihood.

 

[CHSUB]

Possible. However, a very low likelihood.

i agree; very,very rare!

 

[Nina51]

pics are too blurry but the white on the edges of his tail *could* be lympho rather than ich. are there spots on the body?

 

[kenpau]

Just curious, how long was each fallow period? Also, where did the two filters come from - the ones added to the QT for the tang?

I might suspect the filter media if it came from a tank that hadn't been fallow for 72+ days.

One filter was brand new and I used the media from the pack. The second filter is used but had been completely dry for about a week, the media used was newly bought from the LFS.

pics are too blurry but the white on the edges of his tail *could* be lympho rather than ich. are there spots on the body?

Looking at a shot of a Hippo tang with Lympho...

lympho hippo by kenpau01, on Flickr

it does look similar to what I am seeing with my fish. However it isn't conclusive at the moment.

Pics are not conclusive, but that doesn't look like crypto to me. Again, it could just be the pics.

The pics aren't the best quality, the fish still has a lot of energy and so it was hard to get a shot of it keeping still.


I did a 100% water change in the QT and am now dosing copper so the improved water quality plus the addition of Cupramine should hopefully clear up either Ich or Lympho.

 

[Deinonych]

How is the tang behaving? Any scratching, twitching or other behavioral signs of infection?

 

[kenpau]

How is the tang behaving? Any scratching, twitching or other behavioral signs of infection?

Not really, I went to my QT earlier to check on it and it was laying next to the pump at the corner of the tank. When it saw me approach it started swimming around (waiting for food), when fed it ate very well. Looks better than yesterday but I have dosed the tank with copper.

 

[nycreef]

IMHO Get the largest UV Sterilizer rated for double your water volume and feed your fish. The sterilizer will kill most of the parasites and feeding your fish nutritious pellet food will strengthen their immune system followed by major skimming and water changes of at least 30% weekly. Youll see a major differece. Also make sure if you have kids they arent stressing out the fish by hitting the tank but im sure you know that one.

 

[kenpau]

IMHO Get the largest UV Sterilizer rated for double your water volume and feed your fish. The sterilizer will kill most of the parasites and feeding your fish nutritious pellet food will strengthen their immune system followed by major skimming and water changes of at least 30% weekly. Youll see a major differece. Also make sure if you have kids they arent stressing out the fish by hitting the tank but im sure you know that one.

I don't think there's any need for UV, I'll just complete the copper treatment and monitor for 4 weeks afterwards. The fish gets fed 3 times a day and is eating very well.

 

[nycreef]

If thats what is working for you then great. I know what worked for me in a larger system system that I knew there would be no guarantees so chose this option and has been working for me for years. If I didnt see it with my own eyes I would have said the same thing your saying and I was there already. Theres a side plus with clearer water too. Good luck whatever you do.
Happy Reefing

 

[kenpau]

If thats what is working for you then great. I know what worked for me in a larger system system that I knew there would be no guarantees so chose this option and has been working for me for years. If I didnt see it with my own eyes I would have said the same thing your saying and I was there already. Theres a side plus with clearer water too. Good luck whatever you do.
Happy Reefing

The only reason I said no need for it is that the affected fish is in a quarantine tank. There is no ich in my display. If that was the case I'd seriously look at UV because I'm not ripping apart my reef to catch all my fish again.

 

[nycreef]

Itll still go along way to keep ich at bay cause its always there no matter what people say.

 

[kenpau]

Itll still go along way to keep ich at bay cause its always there no matter what people say.

You don't believe a tank can be rid completely of ich?

 

[nycreef]

No way. Ich is like a cold. We have it internally and what makes it come out is stress, aggression, water quality ect. UV just minimizes this its like vitamin C for humans immune system. It can only help. I have over 100 fish in my tank mostly tangs and wrasses. Since I put the UV in ive have no ich or fish losses in over 2 years. I didnt believe in UV or a lot of other things but when your againt a wall your will to try almost anything. It worked just buy one thats oversized if you do.