Possible signs of crypto

[kirsto71]

I have a 1000L tank and have utilised the tank transfer for all fish I have added to the system. I have also put all corals into QT for at least 3 weeks prior to adding to the tank. Recently however my wife added some LPS corals directly to the tank (a bit of a surprise). I don't know if I am way to pessimistic but I have noticed what appears to be the odd spot on some of my fish. The spots/marks are mainly on the body and only on some fish. Before I pull them out and put them through the stress of QT again how long can I wait and observe the fish before I need to go one way or another. None of the fish are flashing, scratching or acting differently and they are all feeding. I would like to wait until I see positive signs but also don't want to wait too long.

I thought if I wait 7 days and the spots are still there then it is likely something else. of course if they disappear then I may be facing a new challenge. luckily I have a series of cycled QT tanks so the biggest challenge is catching all the fish.

 

[snorvich]

If the "spots" persist, it is not cryptocaryon irritans.

 

[CHSUB]

putting corals in QT for 3 weeks will not be 100% effective against ich!!! if ich did get in, which is unlikely, it could have just as easily come from your "QT" corals as your wife's LPS corals.

 

[kirsto71]

putting corals in QT for 3 weeks will not be 100% effective against ich!!! if ich did get in, which is unlikely, it could have just as easily come from your "QT" corals as your wife's LPS corals.

True. I take some risk with the 3 weeks and I have in no way blamed my wife. She was trying to do something nice. I guess my current situation is do I wait to see if it is crypto or act early. I am concerned pulling down the live rock and catching the fish may be un-needed stress. Can I allow the white spot to develop and how quickly would I see it develop eg a few spots a day or covered in spots within a day?

Sorry for odd questions but I have never had to deal with white spot before.

 

[CHSUB]

i would wait and be sure!!! ich does not kill quickly, it takes a while. if you become sure ich is present then take steps to rid the tank of it. i don't qt corals for ich either, and while it is possible for it to catch a ride with a coral imo, it is very unlikely.

GL

 

[kirsto71]

i would wait and be sure!!! ich does not kill quickly, it takes a while. if you become sure ich is present then take steps to rid the tank of it. i don't qt corals for ich either, and while it is possible for it to catch a ride with a coral imo, it is very unlikely.

GL

Thanks. My QT tanks are ready and waiting so other than catching them I am ready to go. Lets see how it develops until the weekend. Appreciate the response.

 

[kirsto71]

So to date no spots have shown on my powder blue tang but I have seen a couple of spots on my small blue tang (hippo). They are only on one side, there are three and there is nothing on the fins only on the body. I will wait and see if the number increase at this stage. I do also notice what appears to be small hairs that look like they may have come from contact with a bristle work. The hippo sleeps in a small hole in the love rock at night.

I will hopefully be able to see if there are more spots by Sunday and if I likely have white spot. I assume that within the next few days I should see at least a few extra white spots.

I have nev had this parasite so I know very little of how quickly it develops as white spots on the fish and what time frMe things progress. I do notice there is no rubbing or flashing of the hippo tang and he continues to eat very well.

Thanks again for your patience and support

 

[Perth_reefer]

I'm not liking how this is looking mate. I had exactly the same thing with a white cheek tang. A couple of spots one day, it was acting fine and then the spots disappeared, a couple of days later bam, the whole tank exploded with ich.
I've had a fallow tank for just over nine weeks now and lost all but 3 of my fish. It's a hard call to make whether to remove them all and get the treatment in early or wait for a definite ID. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing in your case.

 

[snorvich]

I'm not liking how this is looking mate. I had exactly the same thing with a white cheek tang. A couple of spots one day, it was acting fine and then the spots disappeared, a couple of days later bam, the whole tank exploded with ich.
I've had a fallow tank for just over nine weeks now and lost all but 3 of my fish. It's a hard call to make whether to remove them all and get the treatment in early or wait for a definite ID. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing in your case.

As an FYI. Ich overwhelms over time, it does not kill immediately. You may have had a different parasite. Can you describe fish behavior? (ich does "disappear" then reappear; that is the way the life cycle works)

 

[Perth_reefer]

It was definitely ich. Usual symptoms, cysts disappearing then reappearing a couple of days later on all fish. Flashing against sand and rocks, loss of appetite etc. It hit my tank pretty bad, I was torn between trying to feed them up and see if they could fend it off or quarantine treatment as I didn't want to pull my reef apart trying to catch them.
In the end I had no choice, I'd say half of them didn't survive the stress of being caught and moved to quarantine, I had a Flame Angel with it really bad and I had no option but to medicate with copper as I only have one quarantine tank. So obviously the angel didn't make it. It was a big lesson for me to never trust anyone and to quarantine EVERYTHING!!

 

[snorvich]

It was definitely ich. Usual symptoms, cysts disappearing then reappearing a couple of days later on all fish. Flashing against sand and rocks, loss of appetite etc. It hit my tank pretty bad, I was torn between trying to feed them up and see if they could fend it off or quarantine treatment as I didn't want to pull my reef apart trying to catch them.
In the end I had no choice, I'd say half of them didn't survive the stress of being caught and moved to quarantine, I had a Flame Angel with it really bad and I had no option but to medicate with copper as I only have one quarantine tank. So obviously the angel didn't make it. It was a big lesson for me to never trust anyone and to quarantine EVERYTHING!!

Yes, it does sound like you had ich. Lesson learned.

 

[kirsto71]

So I saw the hippo tang had what appeared to be some spots on him this morning and he did flash against a rock. He has been sleeping in a hole in the live rock and he has been marked up but I wasn't going to stress anymore about it. The tank is only new so it didn't take much to pull it down and catch the fish. They are all in QT now and on their way to four weeks of hypo. I had a better look at the hippo and struggled to see any evidence of white spot so it may have just been some scars.

Never mind it is done and the fish don't look too worse for wear for the move. I will now run hypo for four weeks and let the tank go fallow for 72 days. What a bugger but I couldn't handle letting them die if I had a chance to do some thing about it. What a tough hobby. I can't possibly understand how people can just put fish straight into their DT. I don't have the #*£# to do that.