So I got Ich, time for my plan of attack.

[mikeyVR4]

API copper test kits work good for chealated copper such as copper power and copper safe.


Posted from ReefCentral.com App for Android

Thx. I will definitely pick up an API test also. As for now, my fish are doing excellent and eating well with the Garlic Extract. Ammonia levels are in the safe zone according to both API and the Seachem Ammonia Alert.

Just installed UV sterilizer in main tank.

 

[mikeyVR4]

With Seachem my Ammonia shows in the safe zone but my API shows a little Green with Ammonia...around 0.25ppm. I FREAKED out thinking my fish were going to die but I researched and found two things.

NH3 and NH4. Seachem Ammonia Alert searches for traces of NH3 in your water which is high-toxic to fish. API tests check for both NH3 and NH4. NH4 is less toxic to fish and is usually filtered out with Biological filtration aka LR.

 

[mikeyVR4]

Just an update:

Ammonia on the Seachem Alerts shows in the Safe Zone but still reading .25 with API which I figured its the NH4.

Nitrites are at .25 and Nitrates are at 5 ppm. I did a water change last night and the Nitrites barely went down. Fish look happy as can be.

I read Nitrites are not as bad to marine fish as they are to freshwater fish.

 

[sleepydoc]

Yes - nitrites/nitrates are fine.

I'd get a salifert NH4 test kit; trust that over the API.

Also, have some fresh salt water already dosed up with copper for water changes.

 

[Mrscribbled]

Only seachem ammonia test kit will work with copper, others will give a false reading.


Posted from ReefCentral.com App for Android

 

[mikeyVR4]

Yes - nitrites/nitrates are fine.

I'd get a salifert NH4 test kit; trust that over the API.

Also, have some fresh salt water already dosed up with copper for water changes.

As for the salt water, I basically just do 13-14% water changes and then I add 13-14% copper dosage back into the system. Been reading correctly for copper.

Only seachem ammonia test kit will work with copper, others will give a false reading.


Posted from ReefCentral.com App for Android

Didn't know that thanks. That may be the reason why I am getting two reading with API and the Seachem. I have two Seachem Ammonia Alerts in the QT currently just to make sure I am reading correctly.

 

[mikeyVR4]

Update:

So my QT is almost done with a mini-cycle. Ammonia levels are near 0 in NH4 and already 0 with NH3. Nitrites are lowering and Nitrates are at a steady 5ppm. Noticing some algae spots within the tank.

Almost on the 2nd week of treatment and fish doing excellent. Thanks everyone and I will keep this thread posted for others.

 

[mikeyVR4]

Update:

So its week 7 and the fish are doing extremely well. I added a Cleaner Wrasse a week ago to QT with my other fish for the last two weeks. He has been cleaning my tang's quite often.

Do you guys think I should just wait till next weekend, WEEK 8, to add the fish back to the DT or can I add them now?

Thanks.

Mike

 

[MadScientistWRX]

I think its safe...what do you guys think?

 

[Kurkis493]

I am at 7 weeks myself with my tank fallow - I'm fairly certain I read you want to go 9 weeks which puts you at a 99.7% chance your ich is gone.

At 6 weeks it is 95%

This is based off a sticky on these forums.

 

[MadScientistWRX]

I am on week 8 and may add them soon. Not sure where they got the 99.7% from. Will have to go over that thread again.

 

[jimmyj7090]

Update:

So its week 7 and the fish are doing extremely well. I added a Cleaner Wrasse a week ago to QT with my other fish for the last two weeks. He has been cleaning my tang's quite often.

Do you guys think I should just wait till next weekend, WEEK 8, to add the fish back to the DT or can I add them now?

Thanks.

Mike

Adding a new fish to the QT resets the clock. (and BTW cleaners don't fight ick, they just pick at damaged tissue)

 

[jimmyj7090]

I am on week 8 and may add them soon. Not sure where they got the 99.7% from. Will have to go over that thread again.

It's all about percentages and likelyhood that the ick has actually died out. At 8 weeks you have a decent chance that it's clean. At 10 weeks your chances are noticiably better, at 12 weeks your chances are extremely good.

 

[MadScientistWRX]

It's all about percentages and likelyhood that the ick has actually died out. At 8 weeks you have a decent chance that it's clean. At 10 weeks your chances are noticiably better, at 12 weeks your chances are extremely good.

Wow first time I read 12 weeks lol.

Might as well just have the fish out for a year. I am sure the percentages would be better lol.

OP, 8 weeks should be perfect. One thing to note is that there are a lot of opinions on how long you should do things for. Everything is based off of over-caution with this site.

 

[MadScientistWRX]

Adding a new fish to the QT resets the clock. (and BTW cleaners don't fight ick, they just pick at damaged tissue)

Not sure how this make's any sense.:headwally:

 

[DragKnee]

Wow first time I read 12 weeks lol.

Might as well just have the fish out for a year. I am sure the percentages would be better lol.

OP, 8 weeks should be perfect. One thing to note is that there are a lot of opinions on how long you should do things for. Everything is based off of over-caution with this site.

12 weeks does not equal 1 year. If you are disappointed that 12 weeks is the safest amount of time to completely rid your tank of ich, then, just take the 99.7% and put them in at 8 weeks. Is an extra 4 weeks of a fallow tank to be assured there is no ich not worth it? That's for you, and everyone else to decide.

Honestly, I'm currently in a fallow period right now, and I'll be adding my fish after 8 weeks. There are way too many opportunities for ich to be brought into the system for me personally to care (I don't QT corals or inverts for months, I just dip em') .. but yes .. ich has been known to survive for 12 weeks.

Not sure how this make's any sense.:headwally:

It makes perfect sense. Why do people QT fish when they first get them for ~4-6+ weeks? It's to check for signs of ich.

So week 7 he adds a cleaner wrasse that may have ich, and in 1 week, he's putting all the fish back into the DT. Well, that Cleaner Wrasse may not show symptoms for that first week, but he may have ich .. and therefore, all the fish would then once again be susceptible to getting ich.

He adds a fish to QT, he should QT that fish for at least 4 weeks, preferably longer, to monitor for ich. That means any fish in that QT has to remain in there for that time frame, aka, resetting the clock.

Not rock science, Mad Scientist :lol:

 

[jimmyj7090]

OP, 8 weeks should be perfect. One thing to note is that there are a lot of opinions on how long you should do things for. Everything is based off of over-caution with this site.

Read what I said. 8 Weeks is likely to be good enough, 10 or 12 is safer.

Sometimes it's better to step back a bit and realize that not everything has a black and white answer. Take it with a grain of salt before you go around dismissing other's input as "Everything is based off of over-caution with this site".

 

[MadScientistWRX]

Read what I said. 8 Weeks is likely to be good enough, 10 or 12 is safer.

Sometimes it's better to step back a bit and realize that not everything has a black and white answer. Take it with a grain of salt before you go around dismissing other's input as "Everything is based off of over-caution with this site".

No worries.

OP, just leave your fish out for 5 years.

 

[MadScientistWRX]

12 weeks does not equal 1 year. If you are disappointed that 12 weeks is the safest amount of time to completely rid your tank of ich, then, just take the 99.7% and put them in at 8 weeks. Is an extra 4 weeks of a fallow tank to be assured there is no ich not worth it? That's for you, and everyone else to decide.

Honestly, I'm currently in a fallow period right now, and I'll be adding my fish after 8 weeks. There are way too many opportunities for ich to be brought into the system for me personally to care (I don't QT corals or inverts for months, I just dip em') .. but yes .. ich has been known to survive for 12 weeks.



It makes perfect sense. Why do people QT fish when they first get them for ~4-6+ weeks? It's to check for signs of ich.

So week 7 he adds a cleaner wrasse that may have ich, and in 1 week, he's putting all the fish back into the DT. Well, that Cleaner Wrasse may not show symptoms for that first week, but he may have ich .. and therefore, all the fish would then once again be susceptible to getting ich.

He adds a fish to QT, he should QT that fish for at least 4 weeks, preferably longer, to monitor for ich. That means any fish in that QT has to remain in there for that time frame, aka, resetting the clock.

Not rock science, Mad Scientist :lol:

Yes resets the clock for the acclimation period but does not reset the clock for another 8 weeks.

*Rocket Science.

 

[MadScientistWRX]

I'm new to saltwater