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scratching fish

3K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Mkelly 
#1 ·
new guy on the block. Been reading on your site for a short while and learned so much already, thanks. I am having a problem, my tank is a 40g breeder that used to be fish only. 9 months ago I decided to go reef. upgraded lights to compact florescent and added 75lbs of fiji live rock.I recently started up a new DIY fuge
while leaving my old trickle still running for the time being. 4 days ago I noticed little bumps on my hippo tang and removed him into my 10gal. hosp. Everything seemed fine with my other fish until tonight I noticed my other fish scratching much more than usual but no apparent bumps or spots yet.Ran some tests ammonia-0 nitrite-0.1 nitrate2.5 alkalinity buffer cap is high and my calcium-450ppm. My biggest mistake and i know everyone will agree is not using RO water but if that was my mistake are there any suggestions on what i should do to remedy the problem without damaging my rock or inverts.Oh, no coral in the tank yet. Any feed back would be great.Sorry so long on my first question.
 
#4 ·
well if you cant move them, all you can really do is feed garlic soaked food to them and try to keep them happy with full bellies some fish will get over it,all new fish should be quarantined for at least 2 weeks before adding to the main display. Some people like to do a freshwater dip on the fish to try to knock off the parasites it is up to you on that though.
 
#5 ·
if you do a fresh water dip. count to ten before removing them from the fresh water. i would have a little ( another bowl) of saltwater on hand before you put them back in the the tank, if you do a fresh water dip some of your guys may not survie if you go to long in fresh water. i have done dips before. you may not get all of the ich to die (explode). i like copper better but one must do what one has to.
 
#7 ·
Dried sea weed soaked in garlic keeps my hippo scratch free, I feed him some about once a month. it along with good water conditions seems to work best. He may make it ok for now but eventually he will get it again, so isolationg him each time may be stressfull. If you can get nitrite-0.1 nitrate2.5 down to 0's that may also help!
Test with Saliflert test kits to make sure your readings are accurate.
 
#8 ·
thank you for your help guys I decided to move him to the hospital tank and treat him with copper. All my other fish seem to be fine and it has been a week.Sorry I didn't get back right away but I was taken away on buisness.I left the treatment up to my girlfriend and upon my return my hippo was healthy and my other fish have no signs of ick.I will consider dried sea weed soaked in garlic to prevent future problems.I haven't figured out why my tests were a little high but they seem to be getting there now.I wonder if it had something to do with adding the new filter.Again thank you for your help and sorry for the delay in my response.
 
#9 ·
I have a question, what do you use to soak the food in garlic? can you buy garlic 'juice' or do you just crush up some garlic and smoosh the food around in that? sorry for such an ignorant question :)
 
#10 ·
Kent Marine makes a liquid called Garlic extreme! I went to Wal-Mart and picked up garlic gel caps in the vitamin section! I don't know if this is the best way of doing it but it was all I could find in a short notice!

BTW: I don't think there such a thing as dumb or ignorant question, how else are you to learn!
 
#11 · (Edited)
I crush mine in a press, ya know the lil garlic press? then I boil a tiny bit of water and pour it in the garlic let it cool and pour it on the food =) Gets really strong this way.

Only thing I fear is this and I'm wondering how it effects aquatic life. Has to be some relation.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s945167.htm

Not all bad news though. If the snails start to have a negative reaction there is alwats this...

http://goodfood.hypermart.net/fr-side1.html

Mike
 
#12 ·
A man and his wife are fighting because for the last few months he has been coming home late from work (often 5 hrs late) very drunk indeed! Absolutely legless in fact.

So his wife decided that she would give him one more chance before asking for a divorce. She said that on friday she would like him to buy her her favourite take-away meal and should spend the evening with her ... in a romantic fashion, wink wink ... nudge nudge. Her favourite meal is snails in garlic sauce, from the local French restaurant.

So Friday comes around and her husband does the right thing and buys some garlic snails. On the way home however, he passes the pub. As he was passing his friends shout out and call him in for a beer. He politely declines and explains his problems with his marriage. So they invite him in just for a half pint so he can tell them about his troubles.

... Five hours later he is smashed!!!!

He stumbles home and falls up the steps to his front door, dropping snails everywhere. His wife hears him and opens the door. She shouts "Where the heck have you been?".

He reacts quickly, he looks down at the snails and says "Come along boys .... nearly there!!!!"
 
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