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View Full Version : Need some advice -- is this ich?


anarchyx914
04/28/2016, 09:44 AM
Hello,

I have been pretty religious with my new tank setup for the past 2 years and have been disease free up until now.

I recently got 2 new fish -- A Harlequin Tusk, and a Clown Trigger. I took both fish and did TTM with prazi with them for 15 days, transferred fish at the 68 hour mark. I followed all proper protocols. Tanks were vinegar sprayed and dried with a fan as were all PVC and heaters and airstones/lines changed during each transfer.

The fish looked great and were eating great as well. I put them into another tank for just a few days of observation before adding them to my DT. I should also add that i just started up my DT with biopellets a few weeks ago as well as I added some Red Gracialara to my sump to grow for my tangs which now that i think of it may have introduced something into my system.

The only two fish currently showing a symptom are the harlequin tusk and the clown trigger. They both have some spots on their tails/fins but no visible spots on their bodies. They have been in the DT for about 12 days. I haven't noticed any spots or anything on my other fish yet in the tank with the exception of my porcupine puffer who has kind of a similar cloudy spot on his tail which I couldn't get a good shot of on my camera as his fins are always moving.

I am thinking this is ich but not 100% sure as I havent really delt with it much other than before which the whole entire fish had the sprinkled with salt look, it could be something bacterial because of the biopellets increasing that population. If its Ich I aboslutely cannot do TTM on my fish. I have many 8-10" fish and dont have tanks to accommodate all of them. I have a packet of 50G of CLoroquine Phosphate which was what i planned to use as it will not nuke my rock. I can empty all of my sand out of the DT into a bin and bleach for several weeks to hopefully kill any ich in it as well as make the CP more effective as a treatement in the DT as I have read that it sometimes has issues with sand.

Here are some pics to hopefully help:

http://www.x0e.org/pics/fish/pic1.jpg

http://www.x0e.org/pics/fish/pic2.jpg

krullshards
04/28/2016, 10:38 AM
I put them into another tank for just a few days of observation before adding them to my DT.

I think the prescribed time most folks here would say to observe the fish before putting them into your DT is 5 weeks. There's no telling at this point if the ich was just not eliminated with the new fish or if it came in with the macro algae you added or maybe it was already there before.

anarchyx914
04/28/2016, 10:58 AM
I think the prescribed time most folks here would say to observe the fish before putting them into your DT is 5 weeks. There's no telling at this point if the ich was just not eliminated with the new fish or if it came in with the macro algae you added or maybe it was already there before.

I see. It was my understanding that 4 separate tank transfers spaced ~72hrs apart completely eradicates any form of Ich in new arrivals, but I must have misunderstood. I actually did 5 tank transfers to give it an extra time and then around 5 days of evaluating afterwards. At this point I guess I am just trying to determine what this is so I can treat accordingly. If I know its ich for sure I'm going to remove all substrate from main tank and use CP on it as tank transferring all of my fish (several 8-10" fish) isnt really an option.

Dmorty217
04/28/2016, 11:03 AM
I see. It was my understanding that 4 separate tank transfers spaced ~72hrs apart completely eradicates any form of Ich in new arrivals, but I must have misunderstood. I actually did 5 tank transfers to give it an extra time and then around 5 days of evaluating afterwards. At this point I guess I am just trying to determine what this is so I can treat accordingly. If I know its ich for sure I'm going to remove all substrate from main tank and use CP on it as tank transferring all of my fish (several 8-10" fish) isnt really an option.

Looks to be ich to me. You did TTM right but if you don't QT EVERYTHING that is wet you can get disease that way too. Coral, inverts, macro, substrate, rock... any of it can harbor disease and be brought into a tank that way

anarchyx914
04/28/2016, 12:10 PM
Looks to be ich to me. You did TTM right but if you don't QT EVERYTHING that is wet you can get disease that way too. Coral, inverts, macro, substrate, rock... any of it can harbor disease and be brought into a tank that way

So its either the macro brought the ich or my tank has always had it but fish were so healthy they had always had a resistance to it. That really sucks, was hoping maybe it was bacteria or something. Still a bit odd that none of the fish seem to show any spots on them just these two with spots on fins/tail.

I'm wondering if I should just maintain my aggressive feeding regimen and dose Metroplex/focus in the food to see if I can get the tusk and clown trigger to kick it and then maintain my heavy feeding levels with them to keep them strong and healthy.

I know people locally who have had fish with ich that simply keep them fat and happy and the fish naturally deals with it. It is just a bandaid on the situation though so I am contemplating CP.

anarchyx914
04/28/2016, 01:44 PM
So Assuming I go the route of CP, It would probably be in my best interest to suck all of the sand out of the tank and bleach it. I may not even add it back in it doesnt really matter to me. I know ideally that the best way to treat is in a separate QT system but that just isnt possible with the number of fish I have and the space I am limited to. My system does have live rock and I know I will have to remove my red gracialiaria because the CP will nuke it. I may just keep it forever in a separate system or at least let it be fallow for 72 days before reintroducing, hell I can probably keep it outside all summer for max growth.

I would disable all UV sterelizers, lights (other than ambient), and carbon before and during dosing obviously. Do we need to stop skimming with CP also? I also have alot of prime on hand for when I always dose it the 2nd day of TTM.

This seems like my most reasonable course of action given my current situation, I don't think I will ever buy another fish or plant again after this lol. 2 years of no issues stinks to have to deal with this, the fish don't even act sick as they all keep eating like pigs.