Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > New to the Hobby
Blogs FAQ Calendar

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:21 PM   #1
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
Fish COVERED in ich!!! PLS help - URGENT!!!

Hello:

I just noticed thatmy wartskin angler is covered in ich!!! he is white/pink so it concealed ICH very well.

Long story short, I put in a damsel i bought in my LFS as food, however it survived and contaminated my entire tank. I am usually very strict about QT however since it was food and thought it would be eaten quickly i ignore my common sence and now I am paying for it... I am soooo upset, I hate listening to LFS idiots that know less than I do and convince me to do stuff I normally would not do...

My question, what do you suggest I do? He is not looking well and is not eating. he is COVERED in Ich. I will start hypo treatment FIRST THING, however I wanted to know if I should try to get some fast relief by doing a dip. Should I do a freshwater dip? should I wait till tomorrow and get some copper based medicine and do a copper treatment and then move him to QT for a hypo treatment? I fear he wont survice the lenght of time it takes to GET TO hypo since the fastest I can do it is probably 4-5 days.

SOMEONE PLEASE ADVICE, I LOVE THIS FISH!

...also, I have an golden dwarf eel in the same tank, he is looking good and just ate, however I will move him also to hypo.

Regards,

Estefano

P.S. The only medication I have on hand is QuIck Cure which is a formalin/Malachite Green medication. Can someone advice if I should use this??? how much for how long? etc



Last edited by eisaiasjr; 04/30/2008 at 06:29 PM.
eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:27 PM   #2
whalloper
Registered Member
 
whalloper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 317
I have found the best cure for ich is a skunk cleaner shrimp...they have saved many tangs of mine over the years


__________________
Please let me know when they invent the device which makes water changes unnecessary and foolish... I cant wait

Current Tank Info: 72 gal mixed reef (SPS acros montis stylo miles, LPS, zoos, shrooms, clams, xenia, chili) 26 gal zoo/softies/LPS reef
whalloper is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:29 PM   #3
tmz
ReefKeeping Mag staff

 
tmz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: West Seneca NY
Posts: 27,691
Don't know about that fish's sensitivity to copper,freshwater dip ,prolonged hypo. A formalin bath might be good followed by a move to another tank away from the the ich. You may wan't to try the transfer method moving him from tank to tank every 3days for four exchanges. Cleaning and draining the tank as he leaves the parasites behind.


__________________
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.
tmz is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:29 PM   #4
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
Cleaner

I have a cleaner and he is working on him, but at this point we are beyond that... someone pls help...


eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:32 PM   #5
kzickovich
Registered Member
 
kzickovich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Zion Il
Posts: 959
the best thing you can do for him is get him in hypo as soon as posable yes a dip will help but it's still in the tank and that's going to have to sit empty for 4-6 weeks closer to 6


__________________
Ken

Current Tank Info: 90 Gal mixed reef 55 Gallon basement pump up Sump 25 Gal fuge 2 Mp40 DIY led light fixture Bubble King Mini 200 Gen2 skimmer BRS Duel reactor
kzickovich is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:33 PM   #6
kzickovich
Registered Member
 
kzickovich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Zion Il
Posts: 959
one more thing make sure you use a refractometer not a swing arm to get the salt down


__________________
Ken

Current Tank Info: 90 Gal mixed reef 55 Gallon basement pump up Sump 25 Gal fuge 2 Mp40 DIY led light fixture Bubble King Mini 200 Gen2 skimmer BRS Duel reactor
kzickovich is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:35 PM   #7
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Quote:
Originally posted by whalloper
I have found the best cure for ich is a skunk cleaner shrimp...they have saved many tangs of mine over the years
wow... never heard that one... must be a magic cleaner.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:40 PM   #8
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Hypo-salinity is the only treatment you would be able to pursue I believe. I don't know if an angler would tolerate medication or copper.

All you need is a 10-20g tank, dont put anything in it except a spongefilter, heater, and small powerhead for water movement.

Treat ich by dropping the salinity from 1.026 to 1.009 over a 48hr period and keep it there for 8weeks and then i increase the salinity back to 1.026 but MUCH slower. Fish can handle a fast drop but not a fast increase in salinity. You can increase .001 - .0002 per day.

Good luck... Other members will be able to comment better on what to do about your DT.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:42 PM   #9
whalloper
Registered Member
 
whalloper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 317
Quote:
Originally posted by Tswifty8
wow... never heard that one... must be a magic cleaner.
youve never had a cleaner shrimp help a fish with ich?


__________________
Please let me know when they invent the device which makes water changes unnecessary and foolish... I cant wait

Current Tank Info: 72 gal mixed reef (SPS acros montis stylo miles, LPS, zoos, shrooms, clams, xenia, chili) 26 gal zoo/softies/LPS reef
whalloper is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:45 PM   #10
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Just saw Tom's (tmz's) post... I didn't notice he posted earlier... Go with what he says... haha.

If you find out that your fish cannot be treated with hypo, then the transfer method may be your only option.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:46 PM   #11
reefergeorge
Registered Member
 
reefergeorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: St Louis MO
Posts: 4,222
Is he acting normal, and are you positive it is MI???
I have found that slow moving fish. Like my puffer or your frog fish, collect sand on their bodies.


__________________
$35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH"

Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.
reefergeorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 06:46 PM   #12
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Quote:
Originally posted by whalloper
youve never had a cleaner shrimp help a fish with ich?
Yeah I've seen them pick at them, but in my experience it spreads to rapidly for them to completely cure the fish.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 07:03 PM   #13
weluvfish54
Registered Member
 
weluvfish54's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: inland empire
Posts: 771
copper him!
hopefully hes not sensitive to it but he'll only get worse if u leave him.
the rid ich you can try but dont put the copper in the same tank if u choose to change...iv never used cleaner fish/shrimp


weluvfish54 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 07:31 PM   #14
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Before you choose a course of action, you need to research your fish a little to understand how it may react to medications. I did a few searches and there really isn't alot of information available on your fish.

The only recommended procedure I was able to find, was similar to tmz's advice. A combination of freshwater dips and formalin.

First and foremost, you need to get him out of the tank into a barebottom QT tank.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 10:23 PM   #15
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
back...

Ok, I am finally back from my family gathering...

I will do the following, I will get water from the current tank and do a 30 minute Formalin dip, once I get that done I will transfer him to a bare bottom tank I already have prepared and use new water, trying to match the parameters as closely as possible to my DP. I will do hypo to 1.010-09 in a period of 48 hours.

I hope he survives, he looks like he is in pain, swimming all over the tank trying to get away. (tank parameters are good)


Regards,

Estefano

P.S. if anyone has any better ideas, please let me know.


eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 10:24 PM   #16
Tswifty
Registered Member
 
Tswifty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: PA
Posts: 14,022
Good luck. Keep us posted.


__________________
"Enough light? Heck I could go barebottom and grow SPS in the stand!" - DiscoReefRover
Tswifty is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 11:08 PM   #17
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
almost done with angler

Ok...

I am almost done with the 30 min dip of the angler, eel is next; does anyone know if eels can live through formalin dips and hypo?

Regards,

Estefano


eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 11:19 PM   #18
weluvfish54
Registered Member
 
weluvfish54's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: inland empire
Posts: 771
my eels did fine (snowflake and engineer goby) but that was in copper and no dip. u did a 30 min dip for the angler? i hope not a freshwater dip!


weluvfish54 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2008, 11:37 PM   #19
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
hehe, no

hehe, not a 30 min freshwater, I took water from the DP and added the formalin (1 ml per gallon), 40 min dip and then put him in the QT with new water closely matching the parameters of the DP.

on a diff thought, anyone know how to coax an eel out from its rock? been trying for 20 minutes but its not interested in leaving its cave, ill try tomorrow with the lights on.

Regards,

Estefano


eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/01/2008, 12:26 AM   #20
weluvfish54
Registered Member
 
weluvfish54's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: inland empire
Posts: 771
oh haha scared me there.
it took my husband foreeeever to get our eel out also haha. try to feed it.


weluvfish54 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/01/2008, 12:36 AM   #21
tmz
ReefKeeping Mag staff

 
tmz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: West Seneca NY
Posts: 27,691
Lystmata amboinensis (skunk cleaner shrimp) preen the fish and may remove some parasites but gut studies do not support the notion that they consume the cilliate protozoan crytocaryon irritans. They white spots on the fish are not the parasite but the exit wound. I use them but I am not convinced they help ich.


__________________
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.
tmz is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/01/2008, 02:11 AM   #22
demonsp
Moved On
 
demonsp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: el paso tx
Posts: 7,634
A FW dip followed be some QT time would be a fast non aggressive solution.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/hyp.../ht_fwbath.htm


demonsp is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/01/2008, 01:30 PM   #23
eisaiasjr
Registered Member
 
eisaiasjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 421
Mentioned above

Hello:

I ended up doing a SW formalin 40 minute bath, Angler woke up fine in its new QT however I can still see the ick. I have started hypo also, already @ 1.019 and ill drop it more when I get home tonight.

Regards,

Estefano

P.S. anyone know how to get an eel out from a rock? tried till 3 am yesterday till I gave up! need to get that guy into QT also!


eisaiasjr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 05/01/2008, 01:46 PM   #24
petoonia
HereWeGoAgain...
 
petoonia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,648
You might have to pull out the the majority of the live rock to get the eel out.


__________________
I've been in the hobby for about 10 years....(so I know a little bit)...(but not all that much)....

Current Tank Info: 58G. Oceanic (Starphire). Mixed Reef
petoonia is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2025 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2025 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.