Question about Ich

[InvaderJim]

Is it possible for only one fish in the tank to be affected by Ich? My tomato clown has what looks to be really really tiny white spots on it's body. They have changed over the past couple days...at first I thought it was just sand but now I'm not so sure. The reason I am asking is because my tang has no white spots on it. Neither have acted any different either.

I will try and get a picture up later.

 

[LauraCline]

Definately, I have a puffer and a purple psuedochromis in QT right now. The puffer has yet to be symptomatic and the psuedochromis has/had a pretty moderate case.

 

[InvaderJim]

Is it ok to take a clown away from it's anemone while it's in QT? All I have is a 10g I could use for a QT and I'm sure my tang would be less than pleased.

Is it common to just have a random outbreak? No fish have been added since the addition of the clown which was a coupe months ago.

 

[paulamrein]

The anemone is fine without the clown, and the clown without the anemone. The random outbreak is why ich is such a problem. It was always in your tank, (when you added one of your fish) The second you introduce a fish into your system you run a 50% chance of having a parasite, add more than one and obviously your chances are greater if not certain. The parasite can easily be in your tank for months before you see anything. They are more likely to attach to the gills than anywhere else. There are theroies that suggest the reason you are finally seeing them is because the gills are completely overrun. Which could stand to reason. After the QT of the clown and tang ALWAYS Qt everything that goes into the tank. Inverts, rock, sand, of course other fish for atleast a month. You don't have to treat the inverts or inanimate but you should treat all fish for good measure. Have you considered the treatment you will be using? I would suggest reading the top threads, the ones that are stickied

 

[wolf pup]

InvaderJim - if you only treat the clown then you will not eradicate the Ich from your tank and the clown will most likely come down with it again once it is reintroduced. If you can, you need to treat all your fish in QT with a researched method as indicated in the sticky posts in this forum and leave your tank fallow (no fish - inverts OK) for 45-60 days. Do not assume that just because you can't "see" the ich on the tang that it is ok - Ich can hide in the gills as paul has indicated. Good Luck

 

[InvaderJim]

I understand. But I may be in some trouble considering a tang and a clown in a 10g would not be a good thing.

I have not researched any methods just yet but I will be doing so tonight.

 

[paulamrein]

Well, when you buy your fish at the lfs most of the time you see them in 10 and 20 gallon holding tanks. With proper water changes and good tank maintainance I don't see a problem with a temporary hold. Of course 20+ gallons would obviously be better, but it can be done. The point is to keep them alive, Like the good doctor would say: " This will hurt, but I promise not to harm you"

 

[wolf pup]

a QT tank need not be pretty - the fish could care less if it is a $5000 custom built with starfire glass or a $20 rubermade tub. All they want is to be healthy - Look around a little and I imagine you could find a suitable QT tank that will cost much less than replacing your fish. Good Luck and I hope they both recover well!

 

[InvaderJim]

I actually have 2 spare 10g tanks...1 HOB filter though, and a spare powerhead. Would one of the tanks be ok with just a powerhead and some places to hide?

 

[paulamrein]

it would be best to have some filtration. Small biowheel filter from walmart or a petstore will have more benefit than nothing. You would have to change the water almost every day.

 

[2t2_crash]

I just had an ich outbreak too, I have a puffer, two blue tangs, a Sgt Major and a cleaner fish all in a 15gal tank with a small powerhead with air intake and a hood w/light. I live by the sea on Okinawa so a daily water change will be the routine plus four days of treatment using an ich medicine supplied by the LFS... communication is always fun.

 

[paulamrein]

Using sea water is ideal. But, there is a chance, very low mind you that you can introduce a parasite from the sea into your tank. Like I said it's a very low risk, but you should be aware of it. If you can stockpile the water in a holding barrel or something for a few weeks before the change that would be ideal to let all the parasites die. If I was that close to the sea I would do the same thing though.

 

[InvaderJim]

So the tang and clown will be ok in the same tank with a AquaClear filter for filtration?

I wish I lived that close to the ocean

 

[paulamrein]

As long as water quality is good. Tangs put out alot of waste. Keep your testing kit handy, do it atleast once a day. I would suggest 2 times the first 2 days just to gauge what you are looking at. You don't have to be obsessive about it, once in the morning and once at night, try every 12 hours. Just so you can see patterns.

 

[InvaderJim]

Are you talking about water changes or testing the water?

 

[dvavc]

hypo salinity and amonia issue

hypo salinity and amonia issue

Hi all. Please help.
I have read very carefully posts of Terry B.and Lee on the Ich treatment subject, but did not really get it; how I’m suppose to keep ammonia down in my QT during 30 â€"œ 40 days of hypo salinity treatment, if live rocks will die as well as bacteria on bioballs or any other media of the wet and dry filter?
Isn’t it more practical to keep regular salinity and keep live rocks in QT and just use copper? As I understand copper does not kill live bacteria in rocks, which will control ammonia? For me daily water changes for 30-40 days is out of question, it's already getting out of hands in terms of time and nerves wasted with this thing. My QT is 50g with Aqua clear 110 hanging filter which i filed with established media from my main tank.I also transfered my live rocks from main display in to QT.However Amonia is .25 and curent salinity is 1,021, I have 2 medium size Tangs , 1 bleny, 2demsels, 1 wrass.
Thanks.

 

[InvaderJim]

You only do a water change every 12 hours for the first 72 hours using salt water mixed to the salinity of 1.000 to get it down to 1.009. Then it should stay at that for the duration of the time.

((1.025*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.020 approx.

Then, after 12 hours:

((1.020*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.016 approx.

After 24 hours:

((1.016*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.013 approx.

After the 4th change:

((1.013*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.010 approx.

Check out this website. It helped me a lot.

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

 

[dvavc]

Thanks Jim
Salinity level drop is clear. My concern how to keep amonia under control if low salinity will kill my live rocks? Or it will not kill bactiria that control amonia?

 

[InvaderJim]

You should have a separate quarantine tank. You don't want to do hypo salinity in your display tank.

 

[dvavc]

Jim, i did it already, btu i put my established rocks from main tank in to QT to control amonia, otherwise how you'll maintain water quality? So, the question is whether low salinity will kill bactiria in live rocks?