Banner image

Possible Ich outbreak (1 Viewer)

tolene said:
I had an ich outbreak a couple of weeks ago. I lost my scopes tang, and my ocellaris clown was about to join him. I don't have a QT, and didn't want to start one because of reasons mentioned above. I did a lot of reading, wow there are a ton of opinions out there. I came across a product called Fish Keeper by Tropical Science. I don't usually try these things, but I didn't want to lose anymore fish. When it arrived my clown had very noticeable white all over, clouded eyes, and was sitting on the bottom. I added the 30ml a day and within two days he was looking better. It has been two weeks and now he is as happy as can be. Hope this helps

Here is the link to it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Tropical-Scie...F8&qid=1362587164&sr=8-1&keywords=Fish+keeper.
Click to expand...

I doubt the ability of such chemicals, especially those that claim to be reef safe. More often than not the day or two period after adding the substance, the parasites have finished there feeding state and fallen off to reproduce more parasites. There hasn't been any evidence that I have found so far to prove that things like this actually work on cryptocaryon irritans.
 
Good job jay. How has nobody thought about a uv yet? Leave them in the dt, treat, and get a uv. you might loose a fish or two, but its the best way to not further over stress.
 
I suppose it all comes down to, if BamBam can spend about $200-300 on a bunch of proper hospital tanks. The second major issue would be if he even has the space to set them up, and then really destroy the value of those tanks with the copper. It's definately a tough call. Would be for me at least. I don't even think I have room for 3 major hospital tanks to run for 10 weeks. That's why I'd try everything I can to keep the fish healthy to try and fight on it's own. I couldn't imagine if I had a 300+ gallon tank, and had a major outbreak....
 
Kyle, I was just as skeptical as you about using a chemical, but it worked, and I have a tank full of corals. I wish I would have taken pictures. The clown had spots on it for over a week, so it would have been quite a coincidence that it got better on its own, but I guess it is possible. I also have a uv in the sump, so maybe that had a small effect.
 
Last edited:
I've followed the leave it alone/feed well/Selcon method and things would work out- lost fish

I've followed the let's QT and treat with method X, Y or Z- lost fish

I've strapped a 80w HO UV on a 180g on a closed loop- lost fish

Any method can work, any will have losses. It's about statistical probabilities at some point, hence why most of the ich research and scientific papers are in the wholesale/food production genera and not the hobbyist.

Understand why you got ich in the first place, remove that. For me, generally speaking was just too new of a tank. New tanks suck (< 1 yr old).

Any recommendation/method/idea/left nut scratch has it's pros and cons, understand them and the underlying issues at hand and proceed from there.
 
+1 on the uv. Until you can get the hospital ready, using an uv with the right flow will dramatically reduce the ich immediately. Get one that is rated bigger than your tank size.
 
UV only kills the free swimming form of ich, and unless all the water passes through the UV you will still have it. UV is great for between systems, it will keep ich isolated to one portion of the system if it affects the other portion of the system. Realistically speaking, to get UV to be effective you're going to spend more money than setting up a HT/QT tank to treat your existing fish and QTing any incoming fish or inverts, yet knowing that there is still the very likely chance that the UV won't work. UV is best used to help control algae and bacterial issues in the water column, IMO.

Setting up a 30g HT/QT isn't expensive. You can find a cheap HOB filter, a cheap power head, a heater, and some PVC and you are good to go. Not sure why this would cost anywhere near $200-$300 to set up unless you are going all over the top on it. My 40B QT was set up for about $60, and that was with purchasing the filter from a store that had these items marked up higher.
 
I guess I've never seen a 40 breeder for under a $100, unless its a rare $1 gallon sale, good job dude... most of the time they're around 100-150ish. plus he would need at least 1-2 20L like you suggested multiple tanks were needed,filters,heaters, etc... You're now over $200 if these tanks aren't on sale. to each his own I guess.... I can tell you right now I wouldn't have the space for those 2 unfortunately, and that's why I was sayings it was important to find out if BamBam could even set something up like that either cost wise, or space wise. We all know copper is the go to treatment. Just sometimes it might take a different approach.

Now my goal wasn't to cause an argument on what should, or is the best/only treatment. Just offering a few different ways to handle it, with different circumstances. This will be my last post. Best of luck bambam. I know you loved that new tang you got!
 
Last edited:
NO I have not. I have lost two fish and two are missing in action. the kole tang is really covered. but is still swimming and acting himself and eating.

the uv I have been borred having issues with. its a coral life 9 watt. missing the fittings. Im to the point of now hose clamping the 5/8 hose to the uv. the smaller pumps i have wont do 5/8 and is a crappy size for finding fittings and adapters. tomorrow am gonna go and try to pick up 1/2" to 5/8 adapter. and a ball valve to restrict flow. only pump I have that will adapt redneck style to 5/8 is my eco 396 . have a colbalt 1200 (maxi jet) . so basically need some plumbing parts.

to try and kill the free floating bacteria . debating on trying a fresh water dip. some have told me to do a 5 min r/o dip with r/o water heated to dt temp.

problem i see with this is if the ich falls off or whatever just open sores for water ever else to re establish or other bacteria to dig in. with still being in parasite/bacteria infested water.

so if i can get the kole tank healthy I believe I will be re homing him to Jay n tina once he gets his 180 rolling. and once he is 100%
 
Last edited:
checked parameters tonight and everything seems good

mag 1300
alk 8.344 Hannah tester
phosphate .03 Hannah tester
carb harness 9 dkh
calc 320 ( my test kit wasnt changing colors right tonight. drip test ) unsure on results
nitrate 0 ppm
salinity 1.026

so pretty sure what is taking out the fish is some type of bacteria ich or .....
 
with running a UV at the slow rate recommended to kill parasites to I risk killing off beneficial bacteria and risk having tank crash or cycle? or should there still be a good amount of beneficial bacteria in sand/ rocks if a lot or all over time gets killed off in the water column?
 
UV won't do much if anything if you do actually have ich (any chance you can get some good pictures of your Kole tang?). Ich parasites are only in the water column for a VERY short period of their life, and the odds that the UV will get them then before they find a new host are very slim. Also keep in mind that when ich "falls" off the fish, it is at night when the fish is sleeping. This means the ich will encyst in the area where the fish sleeps. When the encysted cells are ready to release their daughter cells, it usually happens in the morning right before the "sun" comes up when your fish still sleep. Odds are, at least one of the daughter cells finds a host before it can be killed via UV. One parasite is all that is needed to perpetuate it's existence in an aquarium environment.

Don't do a FW dip, the ich is embedded too deep into the skin for a FW dip or cleaner (cleaner shrimp, wrasses, etc) to have any effect. Also, the white salt looking things you are are hardened cysts that protect the actual parasite while it is embedded in the tissue of the host.
 
stress is usually what induces it in our tanks as well.. like having 2 tangs in a small tank such as a 54 gal tank *i believe that is the size you have*.. i would hope another lesson learned is to not have ANY tangs in a tank your size irregardless of wether you plan on upgrading in the future.. life happens and upgrades get put on hold.. buy stock that your current tank can house peacefully
 
cubetankguy said:
stress is usually what induces it in our tanks as well.. like having 2 tangs in a small tank such as a 54 gal tank *i believe that is the size you have*.. i would hope another lesson learned is to not have ANY tangs in a tank your size irregardless of wether you plan on upgrading in the future.. life happens and upgrades get put on hold.. buy stock that your current tank can house peacefully
Click to expand...

His tank is a 90 corner, and the kole tang has been happy and healthy for a mnth or 2 if i remember correct, i see this tank and these fish every few days as i get my r/o from bambam, His sailfin had whitish blotches on it before it dies, almost like sun faded tan lines, the kole tang is almost a mossy white, not actually furry or hairy but like a fine coursed sandpaper of white spots, and now his eyes are starting to white over..
 
bzishka said:
His tank is a 90 corner, and the kole tang has been happy and healthy for a mnth or 2 if i remember correct, i see this tank and these fish every few days as i get my r/o from bambam, His sailfin had whitish blotches on it before it dies, almost like sun faded tan lines, the kole tang is almost a mossy white, not actually furry or hairy but like a fine coursed sandpaper of white spots, and now his eyes are starting to white over..
Click to expand...

I don't want to sound like an arse, but I don't know how one can tell if a fish is "happy" or not unless happy equates to thriving within the aquarium and care it is given. A month or two is not really that long, and I like to think of success as more of a long term thing. A 90 corner is still on the small size, I think (not remembering the dimensions), for a full grown bristletooth tang, but each fish is an individual and some just aren't as active as others. I personally would never consider a sailfin tang for anything less than a 180 that I had set up already, but that is me and some may not agree with me.

By "sandpaper" do you mean the fish looks like it is covered in grains of salt?
 
Kyle T. said:
I don't want to sound like an arse, but I don't know how one can tell if a fish is "happy" or not unless happy equates to thriving within the aquarium and care it is given. A month or two is not really that long, and I like to think of success as more of a long term thing. A 90 corner is still on the small size, I think (not remembering the dimensions), for a full grown bristletooth tang, but each fish is an individual and some just aren't as active as others. I personally would never consider a sailfin tang for anything less than a 180 that I had set up already, but that is me and some may not agree with me.

By "sandpaper" do you mean the fish looks like it is covered in grains of salt?
Click to expand...


it was happy because it was healthy eating and thriving, and sandpaper like grains of salt yes, and white colored eyes
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top