Uh Oh please help!

jamest0o0 · 04/24/2008, 07:42 PM

okay so I'm watching my fish as usual eat and I was looking at my blue spotted jawfish and it looks like he has little tiny specs on him, not that many, but they are smaller than a grain of the live sand I have in my tank.....

two things about this scare me #1 ich.... #2 the unknown jawfish disease that ends up killing them

so far he acts 100% normal, no heavy breathing, being a hog as usual, watches me walk around on a regular basis, etc...

this is my favorite fish in the tank and want to do anything possible to save him (also the most expensive fish!)

also none of the other fish in the tank have this, but I am afraid to QT him because stress really does a number on jawfish and I can't stand the thought of leaving him in a bare bottem 10g QT tank... = /

Toddrtrex · 04/24/2008, 07:47 PM

Not everyone is going to agree with this, but here is my opinion on it.

Since it is only a few spots (( assuming that it is ick )) and the fish is otherwise acting normal, I would just keep an eye on it. Just make sure that your water parameters stay in check, and there is limited stress on the fish. I have found that with only a few spots of ick that a otherwise healthy fish will be able to fight it off with its own immune system.

And I agree about for right now, putting him in QT will just add stress and could make things worse.

demonsp · 04/24/2008, 07:52 PM

Is this a new addition?
How long since you added any fish?

seapug · 04/24/2008, 07:59 PM

If it's eating and acting normal otherwise I'd just leave it alone. Jawfish (especially the Blue Spots) are very sensitive to stress. Your best bet is probably to just let it ride it out.

jamest0o0 · 04/24/2008, 08:06 PM

been in there a few weeks.... seems to be very comfortable with everything in there... tomorow I'm going to do a water change and check all my params....

btw demon he was the last fish added, it's only him and 2 clowns... the rest are inverts

demonsp · 04/24/2008, 08:09 PM

Some fish show ick signs faster then others. Whene in dought a QT can save many headaches.

jamest0o0 · 04/24/2008, 08:31 PM

I do have a QT, I just think that having the jawfish stay in the DT may give him a better chance at getting rid of it = /

Toddrtrex · 04/24/2008, 08:35 PM

"jamest0o0" for now, I wouldn't stress the jawfish any more then it already is. Just keep an eye on it, and make sure it is still eating. I am guessing that it wouldn't be easy to get it out of your DT, which would end up stress the heck out of it. And guessing that your QT wouldn't have a sand bed, which would add even more stress.

jamest0o0 · 04/24/2008, 09:11 PM

exactly! thanks a lot! and yeah I completely forgot getting him out would make a damsel seem easy....

tmz · 04/25/2008, 12:54 AM

Good luck. Just be aware that if it is ich, it will be in your tank for a long time(at least 11 months) even if your fish shake it off and show no visible signs and develop partial immunity. It tends to persist, often unseen in the gills. When you introduce a new fish, particularly one that may be sensitive to ich, it will likely attack it and when it finds a host it will multiply quickly.A single parasite can produce over 200, so second infestations are usually much worse than the first.

04/24/2008, 07:59 PM	#4
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	If it's eating and acting normal otherwise I'd just leave it alone. Jawfish (especially the Blue Spots) are very sensitive to stress. Your best bet is probably to just let it ride it out. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

04/24/2008, 08:06 PM	#5
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	been in there a few weeks.... seems to be very comfortable with everything in there... tomorow I'm going to do a water change and check all my params.... btw demon he was the last fish added, it's only him and 2 clowns... the rest are inverts __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

04/24/2008, 08:31 PM	#7
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	I do have a QT, I just think that having the jawfish stay in the DT may give him a better chance at getting rid of it = / __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

04/24/2008, 08:35 PM	#8
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	"jamest0o0" for now, I wouldn't stress the jawfish any more then it already is. Just keep an eye on it, and make sure it is still eating. I am guessing that it wouldn't be easy to get it out of your DT, which would end up stress the heck out of it. And guessing that your QT wouldn't have a sand bed, which would add even more stress. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

04/24/2008, 09:11 PM	#9
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	exactly! thanks a lot! and yeah I completely forgot getting him out would make a damsel seem easy.... __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

04/24/2008, 07:42 PM	#1
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	Uh Oh please help! okay so I'm watching my fish as usual eat and I was looking at my blue spotted jawfish and it looks like he has little tiny specs on him, not that many, but they are smaller than a grain of the live sand I have in my tank..... two things about this scare me #1 ich.... #2 the unknown jawfish disease that ends up killing them so far he acts 100% normal, no heavy breathing, being a hog as usual, watches me walk around on a regular basis, etc... this is my favorite fish in the tank and want to do anything possible to save him (also the most expensive fish!) also none of the other fish in the tank have this, but I am afraid to QT him because stress really does a number on jawfish and I can't stand the thought of leaving him in a bare bottem 10g QT tank... = /

04/24/2008, 07:47 PM	#2
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Not everyone is going to agree with this, but here is my opinion on it. Since it is only a few spots (( assuming that it is ick )) and the fish is otherwise acting normal, I would just keep an eye on it. Just make sure that your water parameters stay in check, and there is limited stress on the fish. I have found that with only a few spots of ick that a otherwise healthy fish will be able to fight it off with its own immune system. And I agree about for right now, putting him in QT will just add stress and could make things worse. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

04/24/2008, 07:52 PM	#3
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Is this a new addition? How long since you added any fish?

04/24/2008, 08:09 PM	#6
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Some fish show ick signs faster then others. Whene in dought a QT can save many headaches.

04/25/2008, 12:54 AM	#10
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Good luck. Just be aware that if it is ich, it will be in your tank for a long time(at least 11 months) even if your fish shake it off and show no visible signs and develop partial immunity. It tends to persist, often unseen in the gills. When you introduce a new fish, particularly one that may be sensitive to ich, it will likely attack it and when it finds a host it will multiply quickly.A single parasite can produce over 200, so second infestations are usually much worse than the first. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.