Purple Tang getting Ick after just 3 days?

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 09:48 PM

I waited 9 months to pick up my last fish for my reef tank, the purple tang that I bought Saturday has little white spots tonight. I am not sure if it is ick I know of no other problem this could be? The other fish in tank are all doing and have been for some time now in perfect health. If any one has any suggestions I am open for them. I have no other tank set up for a Hospital tank and have many assorted corals in my reef tank, so I think treating is out. All water test show good except nitrates are up to about 15 to 20 for some reason.

Sk8r · 05/23/2006, 10:36 PM

It's ich. Tangs are bad about it, and purple tangs are among the most likely to get it. Try feeding garlic soaked food. If this doesn't work, you may have to net him out.

Method for catching fish in a reef: pump out the water fast, dig a well in a corner so that's the deepest spot, and they'll congregate there as the water drains. Net your fish all out. You need to treat all of them. The corals will survive up to ten minutes out of the water. Use some of the water for your qt. (a cheap plastic tank from Petsmart, a salt bucket, no problem) and pump the rest of your water back in.
Treat your fish.
Test your water. You may have to let it lie fallow 6 weeks before putting fish back in. The treatment for the fish should not last that long. But the ich parasite will die out in 6 weeks with no host.
Your inverts and corals will all be safe, and you can tend that tank just as if nothing were wrong.

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 10:42 PM

Sk8r
thanks for the reply when you say garlic soaked you mean fresh garlic from grocery strore? I have many other tanks that are not set up I can just trade water from my 150 to a 40gal with just water only and a hang on filter to trat the fish? and what does fallow mean no fish.

affan · 05/23/2006, 10:46 PM

Get Kent's Garlic Xtreme. Soak your food with that. Less headache.

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 10:46 PM

This fish had been at the lfs since 4/18 and looked great nice and fat and healthy then put him in and bam little spots look like salt on his sides. I have never had ick on any fish but have read threads many times . I JUST SAW A THREAD ON "KICK ICH" a reef safe ick med any input

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 10:48 PM

How long do I have will this kill the fish right away or can it wait till week end to set up another tank? I will get the kent garlic extreme tomorrow and start using that right away

affan · 05/23/2006, 10:51 PM

Consider adding a UV sterilizer in the near future. While it may not cure the current outbreak, it will greatly reduce -- if not outright wipe them out, the free swimming tomites in the water thereby reducing the risk of future outbreaks.

I've heard good things about Kick Ich, but I have never used it. Consider copper treatment or Hypo Salinity. Also, always quarantine for a week before adding livestock to your display.

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 10:58 PM

I had been reading up on the quarantine part on other threads but I only buy from 1 place and have never had a problem. The owner is a good guy and will hold the fish for up to 3 weeks for me, I figured that was like a quarantine in itself.

affan · 05/23/2006, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TOYMAN357
I had been reading up on the quarantine part on other threads but I only buy from 1 place and have never had a problem. The owner is a good guy and will hold the fish for up to 3 weeks for me, I figured that was like a quarantine in itself.

Okay, there you are chillin' with a cold one, watching TV when all of a sudden this huge net just sweeps you up off your feet and splat drops you into a little 6x6 box in which you're forced to live and poop for a few days. Then, you're removed from that box and deposited into maybe a 12x12 shack in which you're forced to live and poop with some strangers who are also pooping all around you in that little 12x12. Then you're yet again put into a little 6x6 for a few hours and from there you end up in like a 36x36. While you didn't show any signs of stress and nervous breakdown in your previous lodgings, now all this trauma has finally caught up with you and you have now developed white spots all over your body.

So, the moral of all this is that you still must quarantine.

TOYMAN357 · 05/23/2006, 11:12 PM

That about sums it up plus you forgot to add my yellow tang had him off to the races for a couple of hours when he first went into my tank. I was pretty sure they would settle down in a 150 and they have.

Sk8r · 05/23/2006, 11:42 PM

I've never dealt with a purple tang, personally, and I don't know how bad the case is---. Ich can kill if it's in the gills and the fish can't breathe. If it's just a few spots, you've got time, imho, and if it's really coated with it, I'd move fast, because there's probably as much inside as appears outside---or worse.

The uv treatment is a good thing: I've heard it can eliminate ich from main tank water, and if I kept tangs I'd really consider it.

The garlic: I've used everything from spice cabinet ground garlic dry (no parsley, no salt) to real garlic pounded up to Formula One Sinking Pellets which now incorporate garlic. The folklore guesses say: 1) the garlic may mess up the ich parasite's ability to target the prey 2) the garlic may increase the slime coat on fish that ordinarily don't have much---like tangs. 3) the garlic may make the fish's blood taste bad. 4. The garlic may stimulate appetite/immune system, etc. The fact is no one knows how it works or if it even works, but I've used it myself on a rabbit that got over it in short order, and there's a lot of anecdotal reporting on cures. There's actual scientific testing on the copper treatment, and it does work---you just have to catch said fish and be careful of your dosing and dedicate that whole tank and equipment to copper treatments, because copper doesn't turn loose of a tank or equipment easily.
For garlic treatment, just get a small dish, put the normal food in it, be it nori, pellets, whatever, and soak it in as much as possible before feeding. Some people think it's important it just gets out into the water. I'm a believe in getting it into the fish. My plate coral thinks garlic's delicious, btw, so it won't hurt your corals at all...

spoiledcats · 05/24/2006, 07:19 AM

I used kick-ich one time, and it did nothing. I didn't have a bad outbreak of ich though, and eventually my cleaner shrimp took care of it. Not to mention the stuff is pretty expensive and you have to use alot. I have heard that others have had success with it though, so it's up to you.

dj synystr · 05/24/2006, 07:42 AM

go to the store and buy the pre diced garlic in the jars. i use that in with my food mixture and ,kncok on wood, havent had ich in years and have added a few fish, with qt of course. but the garlic costs like 4 bucks and last forever in a fridge instead of some bs garlic juice thats over price cause it says KENT! plus my fish like eating the actual garlic pieces too!!!! specially the tangs.

TOYMAN357 · 05/24/2006, 11:19 PM

Hey thank you all for the imput I did pick up the kent garlic and used it tonight on their feeding. I must say it is a strong smell of garlic thought I was making scampi! I also am picking up a uv sterilzer this week end and having a friend set it up for me. I was just checking the tang in question and his spots seem to have pretty much gone away before I did anything at all. I think it may have been from stress and hope fully all is well soon. Thanks

Sk8r · 05/24/2006, 11:23 PM

Wonderful! I love it when there's a good outcome!

dermer · 05/25/2006, 12:00 AM

i have several tangs and well i have never had to deal with this myself byt i also have a uv sterilizer and 2 cleaner shrimp that seam to be on my tangs every few days just waiting for it to happen good luck

Gabi480 · 05/25/2006, 01:53 AM

feed garlic and get some cleaner shrimp. Even though ich lives in the sand, they will keep the tang clean. I have 2 tangs a tomoni and a hippo, they have had ich once. Thats a easy way to help and will also help other fish
my 2 cents

Freed · 05/25/2006, 04:53 AM

Dermer, I think I hear the tang police coming to take you away.

cristhiam · 05/25/2006, 07:30 AM

The ich falls off the fish to reproduce and start the cycle again, they reproduce a lot. I lost all my fish 2+ years due to a powder blue tang that I introduced without QT a few months ago. I tried feeding with food soaked in garlic, selcom. etc, the fish loved it, and the fish where clear of spots for about a week, but the ich came back really strong and it was too late then. Only one fish survived, a damsel. Well I waited thinking that if he didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t get it IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll wait 6 weeks without adding anything the ich will die. Well I was wrong, bought a little cowfish and an ORA clown and boom ich again. I lost a lot of $$$, so IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m in a quest to save these fish, I setup up a 20G QT tank and they are going through hypo salinity treatment, 2 weeks so far and they are doing great. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not saying this can happen to you but if you read in RC many people have lost their fish this way thinking they might pull through, some do. There are only two proven cures for ich that are hypo salinity and cooper. If you go the cooper way make sure you get a test kit, it is toxic if you overdose it. If you go hypo make sure you use a refractometer and check your PH every day. Good luck.
Here are some links that will help you.
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...osalinity.html
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...cupramine.html

05/23/2006, 09:48 PM	#1
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	Purple Tang getting Ick after just 3 days? I waited 9 months to pick up my last fish for my reef tank, the purple tang that I bought Saturday has little white spots tonight. I am not sure if it is ick I know of no other problem this could be? The other fish in tank are all doing and have been for some time now in perfect health. If any one has any suggestions I am open for them. I have no other tank set up for a Hospital tank and have many assorted corals in my reef tank, so I think treating is out. All water test show good except nitrates are up to about 15 to 20 for some reason.

05/23/2006, 10:36 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	It's ich. Tangs are bad about it, and purple tangs are among the most likely to get it. Try feeding garlic soaked food. If this doesn't work, you may have to net him out. Method for catching fish in a reef: pump out the water fast, dig a well in a corner so that's the deepest spot, and they'll congregate there as the water drains. Net your fish all out. You need to treat all of them. The corals will survive up to ten minutes out of the water. Use some of the water for your qt. (a cheap plastic tank from Petsmart, a salt bucket, no problem) and pump the rest of your water back in. Treat your fish. Test your water. You may have to let it lie fallow 6 weeks before putting fish back in. The treatment for the fish should not last that long. But the ich parasite will die out in 6 weeks with no host. Your inverts and corals will all be safe, and you can tend that tank just as if nothing were wrong. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/23/2006, 11:42 PM	#11
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I've never dealt with a purple tang, personally, and I don't know how bad the case is---. Ich can kill if it's in the gills and the fish can't breathe. If it's just a few spots, you've got time, imho, and if it's really coated with it, I'd move fast, because there's probably as much inside as appears outside---or worse. The uv treatment is a good thing: I've heard it can eliminate ich from main tank water, and if I kept tangs I'd really consider it. The garlic: I've used everything from spice cabinet ground garlic dry (no parsley, no salt) to real garlic pounded up to Formula One Sinking Pellets which now incorporate garlic. The folklore guesses say: 1) the garlic may mess up the ich parasite's ability to target the prey 2) the garlic may increase the slime coat on fish that ordinarily don't have much---like tangs. 3) the garlic may make the fish's blood taste bad. 4. The garlic may stimulate appetite/immune system, etc. The fact is no one knows how it works or if it even works, but I've used it myself on a rabbit that got over it in short order, and there's a lot of anecdotal reporting on cures. There's actual scientific testing on the copper treatment, and it does work---you just have to catch said fish and be careful of your dosing and dedicate that whole tank and equipment to copper treatments, because copper doesn't turn loose of a tank or equipment easily. For garlic treatment, just get a small dish, put the normal food in it, be it nori, pellets, whatever, and soak it in as much as possible before feeding. Some people think it's important it just gets out into the water. I'm a believe in getting it into the fish. My plate coral thinks garlic's delicious, btw, so it won't hurt your corals at all... __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/24/2006, 07:42 AM	#13
dj synystr Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PA Posts: 843	go to the store and buy the pre diced garlic in the jars. i use that in with my food mixture and ,kncok on wood, havent had ich in years and have added a few fish, with qt of course. but the garlic costs like 4 bucks and last forever in a fridge instead of some bs garlic juice thats over price cause it says KENT! plus my fish like eating the actual garlic pieces too!!!! specially the tangs. __________________ Dj Synystr Battlefield/WLVR/AOL Mixtape Radio Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon Room Divider Mixed Reef

05/24/2006, 11:23 PM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Wonderful! I love it when there's a good outcome! __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/23/2006, 10:42 PM	#3
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	Sk8r thanks for the reply when you say garlic soaked you mean fresh garlic from grocery strore? I have many other tanks that are not set up I can just trade water from my 150 to a 40gal with just water only and a hang on filter to trat the fish? and what does fallow mean no fish.

05/23/2006, 10:46 PM	#4
affan Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: From NYC, currently serving time in Hattiesburg, MS Posts: 1,125	Get Kent's Garlic Xtreme. Soak your food with that. Less headache.

05/23/2006, 10:48 PM	#6
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	How long do I have will this kill the fish right away or can it wait till week end to set up another tank? I will get the kent garlic extreme tomorrow and start using that right away

05/23/2006, 10:51 PM	#7
affan Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: From NYC, currently serving time in Hattiesburg, MS Posts: 1,125	Consider adding a UV sterilizer in the near future. While it may not cure the current outbreak, it will greatly reduce -- if not outright wipe them out, the free swimming tomites in the water thereby reducing the risk of future outbreaks. I've heard good things about Kick Ich, but I have never used it. Consider copper treatment or Hypo Salinity. Also, always quarantine for a week before adding livestock to your display.

05/23/2006, 10:58 PM	#8
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	I had been reading up on the quarantine part on other threads but I only buy from 1 place and have never had a problem. The owner is a good guy and will hold the fish for up to 3 weeks for me, I figured that was like a quarantine in itself.

05/23/2006, 11:12 PM	#10
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	That about sums it up plus you forgot to add my yellow tang had him off to the races for a couple of hours when he first went into my tank. I was pretty sure they would settle down in a 150 and they have.

05/24/2006, 07:19 AM	#12
spoiledcats Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lehigh Valley Posts: 622	I used kick-ich one time, and it did nothing. I didn't have a bad outbreak of ich though, and eventually my cleaner shrimp took care of it. Not to mention the stuff is pretty expensive and you have to use alot. I have heard that others have had success with it though, so it's up to you.

05/24/2006, 11:19 PM	#14
TOYMAN357 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: IN THE FISH ROOM Posts: 117	Hey thank you all for the imput I did pick up the kent garlic and used it tonight on their feeding. I must say it is a strong smell of garlic thought I was making scampi! I also am picking up a uv sterilzer this week end and having a friend set it up for me. I was just checking the tang in question and his spots seem to have pretty much gone away before I did anything at all. I think it may have been from stress and hope fully all is well soon. Thanks

05/25/2006, 12:00 AM	#16
dermer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 523	i have several tangs and well i have never had to deal with this myself byt i also have a uv sterilizer and 2 cleaner shrimp that seam to be on my tangs every few days just waiting for it to happen good luck

05/25/2006, 01:53 AM	#17
Gabi480 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Gilbert, Arizona Posts: 360	feed garlic and get some cleaner shrimp. Even though ich lives in the sand, they will keep the tang clean. I have 2 tangs a tomoni and a hippo, they have had ich once. Thats a easy way to help and will also help other fish my 2 cents __________________ I learned to swim in a reef, where did you? "Yea, well thats like your opinion" Anyone know who said this? Gabi Current Tank Info: reef duh!

05/25/2006, 04:53 AM	#18
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Dermer, I think I hear the tang police coming to take you away. __________________ 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

05/25/2006, 07:30 AM	#19
cristhiam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Groveland, FL Posts: 3,099	The ich falls off the fish to reproduce and start the cycle again, they reproduce a lot. I lost all my fish 2+ years due to a powder blue tang that I introduced without QT a few months ago. I tried feeding with food soaked in garlic, selcom. etc, the fish loved it, and the fish where clear of spots for about a week, but the ich came back really strong and it was too late then. Only one fish survived, a damsel. Well I waited thinking that if he didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t get it IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ll wait 6 weeks without adding anything the ich will die. Well I was wrong, bought a little cowfish and an ORA clown and boom ich again. I lost a lot of $$$, so IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m in a quest to save these fish, I setup up a 20G QT tank and they are going through hypo salinity treatment, 2 weeks so far and they are doing great. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not saying this can happen to you but if you read in RC many people have lost their fish this way thinking they might pull through, some do. There are only two proven cures for ich that are hypo salinity and cooper. If you go the cooper way make sure you get a test kit, it is toxic if you overdose it. If you go hypo make sure you use a refractometer and check your PH every day. Good luck. Here are some links that will help you. http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...osalinity.html http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...cupramine.html __________________ 2 yellows tail damsels, yellow watchman goby, tail spot blennie, purple pseudocromis, starry blennie, 2 clowns, 1 black clown, mandarine & Yellow tang Current Tank Info: 125 AGA, 3 40W 6500K, 3 110W URI Actinics, running on 2 IceCaps 660, CSS125