Should I treat my tank for ich???

[MyReef 2b Great]

I just bought a tiny hippo tang yesterday. I took a good hour and a half acclimating him.While he was swimming around quite happily last night, i thought i saw a white spec on him. I said uhoh! I wasn't sure if it was ich or not yet because his behaviour was fine. Today he's swimming around fine also and even eating nori and brine shrimp. Today I also didn't see the white spec that I thought I saw. But he was rubbing up against the rock a couple of times. I don't have a qt tank, but my lfs does sell kick ich, a supposedly reef and invert safe ich med. Should I treat my tank to be safe, or am I just paranoid?

[returnofsid]

Nothing that will kill Ich, including Kick Ich, is reef safe. If it'll kill Ich, it'll kill other things in your reef.

Unfortunately, if you've introduced Ich in your display tank, the only way to rid your tank of Ich will be to remove ALL fish, and treat them for Ich, while leaving your display tank FISHLESS for 8 weeks. During this same period, treat ALL fish, in a QT tank, with hyposalinity treatment.

[FrozenSeas]

I hate to say it but he is right that is how you should do it. I know it sounds like a lot of work and a major pain in the a$$ but belive me it has to be done.
If you just leave it and do nothing you have more than a good chance of losing all your fish. Then you will still have to leave your tank barren for weeks so you might as well bite the bullet and set up a QT tank and treat your fish.
Then when its done you will have the QT everyone should have. I went through this myself and lost most of my fish many years ago because I thought it sounded like to much work.

[JTL]

Before you go to drastic measures you need to make sure that the fish was infected. The white speck could have been sand. The QT advice is very good, but first make sure you didn't dodge the bullet on this one. You will know in a very few days. Personally, I believe in quarantine, but lots of people don't do it and get away with it for a while but not usually for ever.

[saltybastard]

Any tang that i hjave introduced to my tank has had ich. Normally, if the fish continues to eat, everything works out fine. I would begin to worry if the fish slows down and stops eating. At that point, I would treat with copper.

Also, with regal tangs, they have atendency to scratch themselves or play dead. That's just my observation.

[Packersfan21]

So you go ahead and make a different usnername and then get the tang anyway so no one from your other thread asking if you should get the tang or not would know. pathetic...

[MyReef 2b Great]

Originally Posted by Packersfan21

So you go ahead and make a different usnername and then get the tang anyway so no one from your other thread asking if you should get the tang or not would know. pathetic...

NO. Assumptions...Assumptions! I had two usernames when I first started...It's a long story. If I did that why would I have a pic of the same dog for my avatar. DUH!!! Think before you type.

Anyway So i went to my lfs. They said that I should take the fish out even without a qt. They said that the reef safe stuff doesn't really work. I was told to place the fish in a 5 gallon bucket with an air stone and dose with copper. So that's what I did. Except I put all of my fish in there. Now the tang looks pale and lays on the bottom. What should I do? And when it's time to put the fish back how would I go about doing it?

I wish I was able to read the post that a couple people made about how the fish normally will recover on its own if it is eating. I was at a meeting. I would have waited. Darn!

[thebkramer]

Did you put a heater in the bucket? How many fish?? 5g might not be big enough. Can you give more info please?

[thebkramer]

you should take a look at this link:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

[MyReef 2b Great]

NO i didn't put a heater. But there is onein there now thanx to you. There is 5 fish total. none are bigger than an inch and a half. worm goby, bicolor pseudochromis, tomato, black percula, hippo tang

[thebkramer]

how big is your display tank? regardless, you should get a QT, even a 10 or 15g for time being. LFS or walmart carry them for 20-30 bucks. Its worth it in the long run. If its ich you have to keep your display tank fish free for 6-8 weeks. You should read more on ich and treatment of. Take a look at the link I posted. Here is another helpful one:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1786183
it is post #10
I hope your fish are ok for the night.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Yea Ill probably get one tommorow. Do I have to keep a qt running all of the time. Because if so my mom will never let me have another tank running all of the time.

[thebkramer]

No you don't have to keep it going. Most think its best to use as needed.
Make sure you read those links!!!! There is a lot of good info there that you WILL need to know as you go through this rough patch.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Thanx a bunch I will.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Is there a portion in those articles that will tell me how to get the fish in my display tank without transferring the copper?

[FrozenSeas]

If you feel that you might transfer the copper then use another bucket with some water from your display and after you have dripped the fish to get them used to the display water again dip them in the second bucket first then put them back. But do not forget if you think you really do have ich you have to keep your fish out of your display tank until the ich has gone through its life cycle and have died off. So you will need that QT they will not all make it in a bucket for 8 weeks or so.

[JJIM]

I might tag on with what Salty noted above, after all you already have the fish in your tank. If you notice the white spots progressively getting worse and the fish’s appetite declining then you have reason to worry. I would keep the tang going in the DT while continuing to feed regularly, maybe even soaking the food in some type of garlic juice or adding vitamins to the food. I hope it all works out well for you, good luck!

[trigger:)]

google freshwater dip! That might have saved u a lot of trouble!

[MyReef 2b Great]

What the difference in using a 5 gal bucket or a 10 gallon tank other than the water volume?

[thebkramer]

1-less stress on fish (which reminds me-get something for them to hide in like pvc pipe)
2-you will not be able to really see how fish are doing/reacting to medicine in a bucket
3-they have more room which will also keep water quality better
4-it will not get too toxic and kill fish anyways
5-all this plus more is here, go to #10:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1786183

[returnofsid]

Originally Posted by MyReef 2b Great

What the difference in using a 5 gal bucket or a 10 gallon tank other than the water volume?

2X the water volumn, and a much larger surface area. Surface area is the only place water and air can mix, so the surface is the only place air enters the water, oxygenating the water.

Copper treatment, in a 5 gallon bucket is going to be VERY stressful on all your fish. Hopefully not so stressful that they die.

The thing with copper treatments, you need to be able to test for copper, to achieve the proper levels. That takes a very accurate copper test kit. It's also important to keep the water well oxygenated, while treating.

WOW, before doing anything further, you REALLY need to research what you're doing, BEFORE you do it. Don't rely on what your LFS tells you. First they told you that Kick Ich was reef safe, then they admit it won't work and sell you copper treatment instead.

The next problem is that all of this may have been for nothing. If the fish didn't have Ich, you put it through all of this stress for nothing. If the fish DID have Ich, it's already been introduced into your display tank. SO, now your display tank has Ich. Now you've put the treated fish back into the display tank....with Ich.

Stop reacting, and start reading and studying. You'll be much better off and so with your fish.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Originally Posted by returnofsid

Now you've put the treated fish back into the display tank....with Ich.

No. All of my fish are in the bucket still. And I did read those articles bkramer.

[returnofsid]

It's going to be very hard to keep all of those fish alive, in a 5 gallon bucket, for more than a few hours. Ammonia levels are going to skyrocket and oxygen levels are going to plummet. Ph is also going to drop quickly, due to fish respiration.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Originally Posted by returnofsid

Ph is also going to drop quickly, due to fish respiration.

I see what your saying. I tested my water this morning and the ph was way low. Like I dont even know how low. I added ph riser and did a small half gallon change. I'm at work now but will be getting a 10 or 15 gal tank at lunch break. good thing I work so close to home and a pet shop.

I decided i was an idiot this morning and woke up and put three fish back in my display tank. I read those articles but I guess on the inside it's hard to beleive because the freshwater aquarist is still in me. Anyway the tomato clown had the white spots and the black percula was sitting t the bottom. I immediately removed them and put them back in the bucket. The other fish was the bicolor pseudochromis. I dont even know where he went. I couldn't find him. poor little guy is probably dying in my dt and not to mention letting the parasite live longer using him as a host.

Any ideas for the qt. I have a small sponge filter, heater, meds, and imma get the tank at lunch. Anything else that I need? Oh yea Ill grab some pvc at lunch to.

[MyReef 2b Great]

Okay so ill be getting a ten gallon tank. I just called the closest pet shop and that's what they've got.