*Need Help.. Ich? - Movie*

chatyak · 03/01/2009, 09:50 PM

Tank's been up since July... all fish 100% healthy... I've noticed my kole tang doing this the odd time...

http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/f...t=100_3129.flv

(around 15 seconds into the clip)

Question is... do fish scratch or do they ONLY scratch if they have ich?

kraze3 · 03/01/2009, 10:15 PM

I didnt notice him scratching too much. Fish can scratch without having ich. You need to watch him closely and look for any signs.
Here are some links:
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127010

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/ich.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ths-facts.html

If you do believe it is ich, Hypo is the method I prefer
http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/hyposalinity.html

chatyak · 03/01/2009, 10:34 PM

Interesting links.... I haven't seen it scratch for months... but I no longer have a shrimp in the tank to "clean" it so it may be doing it on its own... it does that every 20 minutes or so today.. will keep a watch on it.

No visible white dots all over it... just see one or two every few weeks.. may be a grain of sand or something stuck to it?

kraze3 · 03/01/2009, 11:37 PM

Well ich isnt always visible. At one stage it drops off the host to reproduce. The fish can also be infected inside the gills. Sand is possible but probably not likely.

I would keep an eye on all your fish.

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 12:12 AM

Cleaner shrimps help yes? My bloodfire shrimp used to clean my fish all the time.. mouth, gills, the works.. I need another one...

No signs of any other worries... and it was ich free when introduced... QT for a few weeks.

Freed · 03/02/2009, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chatyak
Cleaner shrimps help NO ?

They don't eat ich, only dead skin, larger parasites, etc. Not ich.

and it was ich free when introduced... QT for a few weeks.

What QT procedure did you use to ensure it was free of ich? Copper? Hypo?

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Freed
What QT procedure did you use to ensure it was free of ich? Copper? Hypo?

It didn't have ich during QT. No signs or symptoms visible or non visible. Was in QT for a month. No treatments for it in QT.

Tylt33 · 03/02/2009, 01:19 AM

Now now Freed, I think we both know he meant "symptom free"

If your tang had ich, at some point you'd see white dots. They're not present in every stage, but for you not to see them over a period of a few days would be highly unlikely. Are your other fish showing any symptoms?

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tylt33
Now now Freed, I think we both know he meant "symptom free" If your tang had ich, at some point you'd see white dots. They're not present in every stage, but for you not to see them over a period of a few days would be highly unlikely. Are your other fish showing any symptoms?

I saw 2 small white dots (smaller than small) but I no longer see them... this happens ever few weeks. (the tang only)

Mandarin had it too when I first entered it.. but saw it was a grain of sand as it swam away fast and it fell off.

No fish show any symptoms and no fish have any dots, except for what I just described.

All 100% healthy since July.

JohnnyBassMan · 03/02/2009, 02:03 AM

I mixed Garlic with the food and within days the ich was gone. Just a note from me.

Freed · 03/02/2009, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tylt33
Now now Freed, I think we both know he meant "symptom free" If your tang had ich, at some point you'd see white dots. They're not present in every stage, but for you not to see them over a period of a few days would be highly unlikely. Are your other fish showing any symptoms?

I hope you're joking. It's possible not to see the ich at any stage. Could be in the gills and not visible, or could have hitched a ride and went unnoticed somewhere else on the body.

BTTRFLYGRL · 03/02/2009, 06:06 AM

Tangs are known to scratch now and then. It doesn't always mean ich. If you made it a month in qt, the fish should be okay. If you think he is scratching more than normal, it could be water quality issues, try doing a water change

Freed · 03/02/2009, 06:07 AM

Really? None of mine ever scratch.

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 01:11 PM

My last post didn't show??

Anyways I asked if there is a special garlic to mix with food? Isn't garlic hard and looks like a small onion? The nori sheets I feed it have garlic in them (says the package).

As for water quality, I am currently having some algae issues and dinos so I read not to change the water during this time. Otherwise I normally change 15% weekly.

Freed · 03/02/2009, 03:18 PM

Garlic does not cure ich nor is there any proof it helps with a fishes immune system either. May entice them to eat but that's about it.

nur.dls · 03/02/2009, 04:15 PM

I have a kole tang that was big and heathy for the last couple of months, just in the last week the color has changed to more pinkish and she is getting really thin. I also noticed ick and a small bite out of her tail. I have added some large turbo snails and they are really cleaning my tank. Do you thing they are starving and stressing her. Her immune system is compromised causing ick to manifest itself. I am going to start dropping the salinity of the tank. How low can I go without hurting the other fish and coral. Didn't mean to bump this site its just I am having some of the same issues

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nur.dls
I have a kole tang that was big and heathy for the last couple of months, just in the last week the color has changed to more pinkish and she is getting really thin. I also noticed ick and a small bite out of her tail. I have added some large turbo snails and they are really cleaning my tank. Do you thing they are starving and stressing her. Her immune system is compromised causing ick to manifest itself. I am going to start dropping the salinity of the tank. How low can I go without hurting the other fish and coral. Didn't mean to bump this site its just I am having some of the same issues

Don't go changing the salinity of your main tank. Put the fish in a QT. If the snails are eating a lot of your algae, why not just feed it nori with garlic?

Freed · 03/02/2009, 04:18 PM

Just lowering the salinity by a few points will not get rid of your ich. Hypo needs to be done in a separate QT tank at 1.009, well below that which any corals or inverts would survive.

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 04:48 PM

I noticed more small white dots today... not going to take any chances.. going to have to net the fish and put it in QT.... it'll give me a chance to redo the rockwork and scrub them down.

Do I have to put all of the fish in QT? What about my mandarin?

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 04:49 PM

I'm also thinking of running a 40 watt UV sterilizer on the main tank to prevent future outbreaks (or at least help).

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 04:49 PM

I have a 40 gallon QT. Is this enough for 1 kole tang, and 2 clowns?

Freed · 03/02/2009, 05:02 PM

Yes, it should be enough. All fish should be placed in QT. Even the mandarin is not immune to ich, could have it in it's gills as well. No need to scrub the rocks, the ich will die in 6 weeks er so without any fish to feed on.

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Freed
Yes, it should be enough. All fish should be placed in QT. Even the mandarin is not immune to ich, could have it in it's gills as well. No need to scrub the rocks, the ich will die in 6 weeks er so without any fish to feed on.

The scrubbing is for algae actually, separate problem from the ich. How am I going to feed the mandarin while in QT? I have seen it accept frozen bloodworms in the main tank, nothing else. I wonder how often I should feed?

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 09:21 PM

bump

chatyak · 03/02/2009, 09:22 PM

I purchased copper treatments and some other things including a UV sterilizer to use on QT and the DT. Gonna win this battle!

On a side note, this gives me the chance to scrub down the rocks and redo the aquascaping. How much of the sand can I remove and put in new sand? It is a 2 inch sand bed.

03/01/2009, 09:50 PM	#1
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	*Need Help.. Ich? - Movie* Tank's been up since July... all fish 100% healthy... I've noticed my kole tang doing this the odd time... http://s241.photobucket.com/albums/f...t=100_3129.flv (around 15 seconds into the clip) Question is... do fish scratch or do they ONLY scratch if they have ich? __________________ Fishville

03/01/2009, 10:34 PM	#3
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	Interesting links.... I haven't seen it scratch for months... but I no longer have a shrimp in the tank to "clean" it so it may be doing it on its own... it does that every 20 minutes or so today.. will keep a watch on it. No visible white dots all over it... just see one or two every few weeks.. may be a grain of sand or something stuck to it? __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 12:12 AM	#5
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	Cleaner shrimps help yes? My bloodfire shrimp used to clean my fish all the time.. mouth, gills, the works.. I need another one... No signs of any other worries... and it was ich free when introduced... QT for a few weeks. __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 06:06 AM	#12
BTTRFLYGRL Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: INDY Posts: 2,857	Tangs are known to scratch now and then. It doesn't always mean ich. If you made it a month in qt, the fish should be okay. If you think he is scratching more than normal, it could be water quality issues, try doing a water change __________________ AKA Kim Hardie.. Current Tank Info: 240 gallon FOWLR, 180 gallon reef, 55 gallon for my Dwarf Lion

03/02/2009, 06:07 AM	#13
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Really? None of mine ever scratch. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

03/01/2009, 10:15 PM	#2
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	I didnt notice him scratching too much. Fish can scratch without having ich. You need to watch him closely and look for any signs. Here are some links: http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127010 http://www.chucksaddiction.com/ich.html http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...ths-facts.html If you do believe it is ich, Hypo is the method I prefer http://atj.net.au/marineaquaria/hyposalinity.html

03/01/2009, 11:37 PM	#4
kraze3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: RI Posts: 2,373	Well ich isnt always visible. At one stage it drops off the host to reproduce. The fish can also be infected inside the gills. Sand is possible but probably not likely. I would keep an eye on all your fish.

03/02/2009, 01:19 AM	#8
Tylt33 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chico, California Posts: 1,755	Now now Freed, I think we both know he meant "symptom free" If your tang had ich, at some point you'd see white dots. They're not present in every stage, but for you not to see them over a period of a few days would be highly unlikely. Are your other fish showing any symptoms?

03/02/2009, 02:03 AM	#10
JohnnyBassMan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 244	I mixed Garlic with the food and within days the ich was gone. Just a note from me.

03/02/2009, 01:11 PM	#14
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	My last post didn't show?? Anyways I asked if there is a special garlic to mix with food? Isn't garlic hard and looks like a small onion? The nori sheets I feed it have garlic in them (says the package). As for water quality, I am currently having some algae issues and dinos so I read not to change the water during this time. Otherwise I normally change 15% weekly. __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 03:18 PM	#15
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Garlic does not cure ich nor is there any proof it helps with a fishes immune system either. May entice them to eat but that's about it. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

03/02/2009, 04:15 PM	#16
nur.dls Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: pueblo, co 81005 Posts: 56	I have a kole tang that was big and heathy for the last couple of months, just in the last week the color has changed to more pinkish and she is getting really thin. I also noticed ick and a small bite out of her tail. I have added some large turbo snails and they are really cleaning my tank. Do you thing they are starving and stressing her. Her immune system is compromised causing ick to manifest itself. I am going to start dropping the salinity of the tank. How low can I go without hurting the other fish and coral. Didn't mean to bump this site its just I am having some of the same issues

03/02/2009, 04:18 PM	#18
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Just lowering the salinity by a few points will not get rid of your ich. Hypo needs to be done in a separate QT tank at 1.009, well below that which any corals or inverts would survive. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

03/02/2009, 04:48 PM	#19
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I noticed more small white dots today... not going to take any chances.. going to have to net the fish and put it in QT.... it'll give me a chance to redo the rockwork and scrub them down. Do I have to put all of the fish in QT? What about my mandarin? __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 04:49 PM	#20
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I'm also thinking of running a 40 watt UV sterilizer on the main tank to prevent future outbreaks (or at least help). __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 05:02 PM	#22
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Yes, it should be enough. All fish should be placed in QT. Even the mandarin is not immune to ich, could have it in it's gills as well. No need to scrub the rocks, the ich will die in 6 weeks er so without any fish to feed on. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

03/02/2009, 09:21 PM	#24
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	bump __________________ Fishville

03/02/2009, 09:22 PM	#25
chatyak Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,090	I purchased copper treatments and some other things including a UV sterilizer to use on QT and the DT. Gonna win this battle! On a side note, this gives me the chance to scrub down the rocks and redo the aquascaping. How much of the sand can I remove and put in new sand? It is a 2 inch sand bed. __________________ Fishville