One spot of ich on P.tang. QT advice PLS

[AustinVines]

I have had nitrate issues for a a few weeks now but they are on the decline (<20ppm from a high of 50ppm). I added a new sump with 23g of capacity today and noticed our purple tang had a spot on her nose. It looks like salt so from the stickies I had read, it is ich. I have 7 fish in the tank and you can see what they are in my sig.

I had a 10g goldfish with a powerfilter that I was going to use as a QT tank. It has 2 standard low watt bulbs (think old refrigerator). The filter rectangle, without carbon, has been in my sump for 5 days. I also just picked up a 20L but have no top, lights, or filter for it.

All fish besides the tang seem clean so far. I have never had to capture fish before since the tank has only been up for a month in my care (2years prior). Should I go for the tang first and put him in the ten gallon and begin treatment while I go get a sponge filter or a biowheel fit for a 20g to house the other fish, along with the tang, in 2 weeks or wait it out with the new filter for the 20L?

I assume that since it is on one fish it is all over the display but is showing itself on the most susceptible fish. How fast does ich progress? I want to give the best care as possible to my fish so if I have to tear the tank down, I will, but know that will stress them greatly too. Can I wait two weeks and feed with garlic or will I have dead fish by then?

 

[poppin_fresh]

Ok, first off are you sure its ich? I have seen Purple Tangs that have a white diamond shaped spot on their nose. I would keep a close eye over the next couple days and see if you see more spots. Have you seen it flashing (scratching) on rocks, etc.?

If you still think its ich, you can start a hypo QT by filling it with tank water and transplanting the tang. A simple HOB filter will work fine for a QT tank (approx $15). You will want to do regular w/c to keep down on ammonia, but dont worry too much about nitrite/nitrate while in QT.

If your other fish are healthy they might not ever get the ich. Observation is the best indicator you will have.

 

[AustinVines]

I am absolutely NOT sure that it is ich. I am so new I am not sure of anything except my ignorance

I am going to keep an eye on it for a few days and start a sponge filter tomorrow for the twenty long. If another fish gets it, out they go into the 20L and I will change 50% aday if I need to until the sponge filter starts working. Off to HD to buy lots of big elbows and sections of thick pvc tomorrow as well.

Then this begs the question: what should a total newb do to treat ich? Thanks

 

[kevin2000]

Unfortunately if your ST has ich you really should QT all of your fish at the same time and treat for ich (whether they are showing signs or not) .. leaving the ST w/o fish for 5-6 weeks should kill of the ich within the ST since ich need fish to perpetuate their life cycle.

Your ten gallon QT is too small to QT all of those fish at one time.

Since your not sure this is ich .. you might wait a bit and just observe the fish ... can research how to QT and see what other suitable QT containers are available as a backup plan.

Heres a link discussing ich
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/marineich.html
Heres a link discussing QT
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/quarantinetanks.html

 

[AustinVines]

I am waiting for the lights to come on but in the shaded daylight of my dining room, I can no longer see the "cyrstal" on the tangs face. I know this may mean the parasite has dropped off and will go through its stages but maybe I caught a break. In the meantime, I am getting a fixture and a filter for my 20L today and will get some large pvc elbows and pieces just in case I see it again.

Thanks for the links, I have a lot of reading to do.

 

[AustinVines]

Ok so I am at a crossroads. The first spot seemed to be going away but now I just noticed 3 others. No other fish seems infected.

I have a light/lid for the 20l and just picked up a penguin 20g filter at the LFS this afternoon. The biowheel is rubberbanded to a chunk of LR in my sump. I have a filter from a 10g powerfilter and around 10 bioballs in the sump as well. I have two options I guess.

1) wait it out. This seems hard to do since the outbreak appears to be advancing, albeit not plague proportions yet. I know removing 20g of water plus the rock to get at the fish, and I would remove them all, would be very stressful. I care for all of my pets and don't want to kill one or more through action or inaction. Obviously, the biowheel is not going to be ready for 10 to 14 days but I don't mind doing constant water changes (what would be needed? Just let the ammonia levels determine the amount?) When is it time to move them into the QT tank? If I see another fish with spots, I would think that is the time. How about just on the tang? If she continues to eat let it go longer than if she stops eating? I have several frozen foods - marine and freshwater mysis, Formula 2 and Mega Marine Algae. I have flake Form 2, Kent's garlic extreme drops and nori sheets. All fish have been eating well but I would say that the tang has been a little more reserved than normal.

2) Start the QT tank tonight or in the a.m. I would pump 20g out of the main 75 display tank into the QT. I have 20g of empty water jugs I could fill and then remove rock until I could net the fish and drop them into the qt where I have 7 different pvc joints, couplings and elbows waiting. If I waited until tomorrow, I would probably do a freshwater dip and then treat with copper (cupramine?- whatever seachem's copper is) and hyposalinity. Or would just the hypo salinity be better?

That is what I know now. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[kevin2000]

My 02

I suggest you QT the fish and treat with either hypo or curpamine .. forget the FW dip since thats not going to get rid of the ich and has a good chance of further stressing the fish. I think hypo is better than copper .. easier to administer and easier on the fish ... but cupramine will do the job.

 

[AustinVines]

Ok, I am going nuts here. The only mark left on the tang is the one from yesterday which is now much duller. I have no idea where the specks came from, except that I did add a few cups of aragonite that I had syphoned out and cleaned from my cyano outbreak. I am jumping at shadows which is unusual for me but I guess the thought of killing a fish due to my neglect has me worried. The next time I think I see something I will come with pictures... Thanks for the advice on the dip. I thought I read from a stickie that it did remove the parasites?