Possible ICH on hippo tang?

[starionesir]

I recently added a hippo tang along with some green chromis in my 100 gallon tank I started back up about a month ago. There hasn't been any other fish in the tank just live rock and some clean up crew.

Everyone seems fine with the exception of the hippo tang. Seems to be swimming around just fine and eating but I noticed maybe 2 very small white spots around the tail area. The tang is very small slightly bigger then a quarter so kinda of hard to see. I also started back up my 10 gallon QT tank just need to get the temp stabilized. Question is should I give it a couple days to see how it goes or just take the tang out and treat the QT tank with copper?

I also read about just taking them out of the display tank and leaving them in the QT tank then when the cysts disappear take them out and put them back? So I'm guessing leave the QT tank empty again so the ICH would die but then wouldn't I just expose them back to ICH from the main tank? Just wanted some opinions from some more experienced people. Thanks

 

[reefermike1]

There's a couple great stickies here about ich and a thread specifically about the tank transfer method. Basically you need two qt tanks, and you keep switching the fish back and forth between the two for a certain amount of time for the ich to die off. Much safer and less stressful than cupramine or hyposalinity in my understanding.

 

[snorvich]

There's a couple great stickies here about ich and a thread specifically about the tank transfer method. Basically you need two qt tanks, and you keep switching the fish back and forth between the two for a certain amount of time for the ich to die off. Much safer and less stressful than cupramine or hyposalinity in my understanding.

This. TT is the absolute most certain for elimination of ich.

 

[starionesir]

The two tank method is what I'm trying to figure out. I haven't seen much info about the two tank method. From what little I found seems to be the least stressful on the fish. Only stress being moved from tank to tank.

 

[starionesir]

From what I've read here about the two tank method I should be able to put the tang in my QT tank for a set period of time and then move them back to the display tank and then after I sterilize the QT tank put them back in there until I don't see anymore signs of ICH? Not sure if thats 100% correct. If not please feel free to correct me.

 

[snorvich]

Tank transfer is described here.

 

[starionesir]

From reading that I would need to purchase another tank. I found formalin rid ich+ I might try and use in my 10 gallon QT tank. I bought it some time ago but never opened or used it and it seemed to have pretty good reviews as for being less stressful then most treatments.

 

[starionesir]

I also checked the fish this morning before work and they are all looking good. All 4 chromis aren't showing any signs of ich and the engineering goby doesn't either. Just the hippo tang but is breathing fine and very active swimming with the others and eating so maybe not that big of a deal or just early stages?

Oddly enough at the LFS there wasn't a spot on the fish? Course could have had ich just with the stress of moving caused them to come out. Wouldn't have been from my tank as the tank hadn't had fish in it for quite some time just clean up crew.

 

[snorvich]

Ich comes and goes. your tank has ich, your fish just display symptoms during parts of the life cycle. Rid Ich does nothing.

 

[starionesir]

So at this point short of trying to catch all 6 fish is it best to just keep feeding them and see how it goes and if anyone seems to shows signs of distress then pull them out and put them in the QT tank for treatment? Right now with everyone doing good they are dang fast to try and catch with all the live rock in the tank.

 

[starionesir]

I've read multiple articles last night about different opinions as to whether ich can be fully destroyed or is always in the fish tank but is kept at bay with proper maintenance and good fish health.

 

[snorvich]

So at this point short of trying to catch all 6 fish is it best to just keep feeding them and see how it goes and if anyone seems to shows signs of distress then pull them out and put them in the QT tank for treatment? Right now with everyone doing good they are dang fast to try and catch with all the live rock in the tank.

All fish must be treated and the display tank must be left fallow to solve the problem. Lots of people wait and see but the results of that strategy are less than wonderful. Tanks get ich, fish simply display visible symptoms during part of the life cycle. Read the posts in the Fish Parasites sticky at the top of this forum.