Emergency about the fish

[yokoyii]

My yellow tang and coral beauty angel fish had kind of like"salt" on their body in my 55 gallon tank. I also have snails, hermit crabs, starfish, clown fish and damsels in that tank also. I am gonna set up a spare 10 gallon tank. So, should i move the tang and angel fish over or the other not infected fish and inverterbrate over to the spare tank? Please help~~~~

[Sk8r]

That is ich. Move all fish, sick and well, to the extra tank. Treat for ich. They have all been exposed.

Do not move invertebrates.

Do not put any fish into your 55g for 6 weeks. Do NOT treat your 55g tank: in six weeks the parasite will die out due to lack of food, inability to reproduce without hosts. It cannot infect your inverts.

You may need more tanks. A 10 is not enough for all the fish you own.

[yokoyii]

what size of tank do I need for 1 yellow tang ,1 clownfish, 1 coral beauty angel fish and 2 damsels?

[paulgrr]

Do you put the fish in the tank with the original tank water or new saltwater? Also, what should be used in treating ich?

[Sk8r]

The yellow tang, if used to the angel, may do ok with it in a ten---if that's what you have to work with; another 10g at least for the clown and damsels. Or you could get a 32g rubbermaid Brute trash can, a heater, and a refractometer and pump, and treat in that. We use the Brute label cans for water all the time: they're safe, cheaper than a tank, no volatiles that would harm your fish, though do rinse and wipe before using. For one thing, most medications are done in terms of 50g measures---and they need every inch of that room. You won't be able to see your fish, but they won't mind the shadow, and if you keep them heated, they'll be ok. Google the "cups to teaspoons conversion counter" and you can get your dosage for whatever you choose to use.

[Sk8r]

You can use tank water: it's already harboring the parasite, but you're about to dose to kill it. Putting fish into new saltwater is kind of rough on them, but if it's all you've got, that's what you've got. You do want to test for nitrate/ammonia, salinity and temperature at least once a day: bad numbers can hit so fast---more than once a day if you can manage it, and write down your results and the time, so you can see how fast the numbers are changing.

[yokoyii]

so, you mean i can put all of my fish in 32 gallon Brute can,right? No sand, no rock ,right? So, i am gonna set up the saltwater right now. When can i put the fish in there? tommorrow? How about the salinity in the Brute can? Should it be same in current display tank?

[yokoyii]

If i use the tank water, can the invertebrate and rocks live in just the water that left in the tank? Should I turn the UV sterlizer, skimmmer, filters, lights, power heads off in my current display tank?

[yokoyii]

What kind of treatment should I provide for my fishes in the brute can? My clownfish have a kind of like open wound, which i just found out today. Is it ok to put the clown fish together with the ich treatment?

[Sk8r]

Always match salinity and temperature.
There are 2 treatments for ich---you may use one or the other. One is hyposalinity. THe other is copper. Go to the Fish DIsease Forum and ask their recommendations.

You probably should continue all stuff in your tank, so as not to have a dieoff of algae/worms, etc. you will want to feed your inverts a little Formula One pellet to keep them healthy. Test your water and perform maintenance just as if there were fish in there, so when your fish are ready to return, their water will be good and ready for them.

Re the clown: ouch. That is probably a bacterial infection, and no, it does not use the same treatment as the ich, and yes, he has been exposed to ich. Ask the DIsease forum that one, too. I would treat him for the bacterial infection in the 10g [Maracyn is good] and cross my fingers and HOPE he doesn't also come down with ich: you cannot use the two treatments at the same time.

[yokoyii]

Should i change all of my filter catridges in my display tank now, and wait my fishes ready to return? Sorry I got too many questions~~~ :)

[Sk8r]

I don't think it matters on the display: you're just waiting for the parasite to die out. BUT!!!! do NOT use filters with carbon where you are medicating!!! In the trashcan/qt use only plain floss [carbon removes the medication and ruins the treatment!]. That's why you have to test so often: carbon helps remove ammonia, but you can't use it in the quarantine/treatment tank.

You might, while you are waiting for the ich to go away, give a read to this file---it's very good and may answer many of your questions. RC Staff put this together to help new hobbyists.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1031074

[yokoyii]

So, I just need power heads, heater in the Brute can,right? No rock and sand. What plain floss?

[Roger928]

Sk8r is moving you in the right direction. Crypt. (ich) is literally the most feared plague in the hobby.

Do Not medicate the main display.

Some additional reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm

Good luck.

[Sk8r]

Blue-white filter medium, available in packages at the fish store. COmes in sheets, cut with scissors. That's floss.