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Ack! Ich!

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628 views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  cutietwo 
#1 ·
So I recently got ich in my main display (popped up sometime this week.) Fish are all still healthy, but the pallet and powder brown displayed some significant bumps. It was not salty like it typically is, but then again the fish barely displayed any "sick" behavior (heavy breathing, panic or lack of appetite.) I'm figuring it must have come in on either some corals I didn't QT or possible (and probably) 3 small chromis I didn't QT (I had taken the QT down by then and was being lazy.)

So now, I'm preparing a long term hospital/QT to be as stress free as possible. All inhabitants are currently eating, grazing and actually look much better after upping feedings and an addition of amino acids to their food. But I'm not going to risk it. All 20 something fish will be added to the QT and the 8 week adventure of copper, amino acids, garlic and multiple per day feedings is ahead of me.

Remember kids, always QT from the beginning. It's that "eh, it will be okay this time..." will bite you in the behind sooner or later.
 
#4 ·
yea, I have larger problems to worry about now. My QT tank has a leak, so now I need to figure something else out. I was considering getting a tomato bin to keep as a LR sump, so I may just pull the trigger on that and make that a QT before putting it into service. I need to look into copper removal though (I know it can be done, just not sure how it will affect the plastic bin.)
 
#6 ·
Copper removal can be a lengthy process. I have read about it many times but have never put it into practice. Basically it involves the chemical to remove the copper and about 2 months to properly do t correctly. Some people have used cuprasorb: but it only works if you treat everything over a long period of time. I think you can do this to live rock. But I wouldn't want to be the one to try it. The copper is attracted to pourus material and will leach out slowly over time. Leaching copper from pourus material is kind of like leaching phosphate from bound live rock. It takes a while to make sure it's all gone.
 
#7 ·
Just wanted to give an update to this whole debacle:

New QT tanks were procured. Access to 40 breeders are the biggest life-saver in this hobby (IMO). So are PraziPro, ParaGuard and generic copper-aid.

All fish are doing fantastic so far. All are eating, are active and seem like themselves. The shrimp and inverts seem to be over enthused to have the tank to themselves. I've never seen my blood shrimp so often now that there are no fish to scare them. On a related note, the shrimp have found each other. So my two blood shrimp, and my two Scarlett cleaner shrimp are now enjoying each others company. Which I thought was not a thing (I thought they would fight and kill each other.)

So now it's just a waiting game. Hopefully this will continue and we will see no losses. Still kicking myself for not QT'ing the corals or chromis (I know it was the chromis fault, I just know it....(3) $5.00 fish could potentially cost me close to $1000...ugh)

We all make mistakes in this hobby, and we all need to listen more closely to the advice we dole out to each other. Even after years of caring for fish, we all sometimes succumb to shortcuts. Live and learn I guess.
 
#8 ·
I am also in your situation. I have 13 fish and i recently traded my pair of clowns for a pair of black darwin clowns which brought in ick.

Im taking a different route however, it will be the start of week 3 this weekend since introduction, everyone is still viciously eating, i have upped my feedigs from 2 to 4 feedings a day feeding blender mush of fresh seafood and blackworms. The olderst 3 fish i have i have had since i started this tank around 2 years ago and the rest ive had for months to a year.
 
#9 ·
I have mine on blender mush too. They get blender mush for one feeding, mysid and brine for another, a sheet of nori for a 3rd, and elive marine granules (cleaner wrasse loves them, an he is a picky eater, so they're pretty much just for them.)

My blender mush is a combination of mussels, clams, scallops and purple nori. I also add amino acids directly to the tank. Omega makes a solid product.

Good luck with your fight! So far so good over here, fingers crossed!
 
#10 ·
Same to you! Everything is going fine here, it was 90% clear for several days, only the kole tang was showing serious signs of stress then over the weekend i revampes my lighs, added moonlights and that really hit everyone hard and caused alot of stress. I came home to a tank full of awake fish when its usually pitch dark and everyones sleeping. But they seem to be pulling through that bout of ich okay. Its about time for the cysts to start dropping off again so we will see how many take hold onto the fish on the next round. I may treat again with stress coat again once most of the cysts drop off in hopes to enhance thwir slime coats to fight the next wave.

The only other food i do is a nori sheet, i basically always make sure nori is available so once its all picked off yhe clip i restock it the next day.

I think this is a great way to show two completely different ways to handle the same problem
 
#12 ·
This weeks update, everyone seems to be doing fine. The black clowns still show very vague signs of ick and the kole tang isnt 100% stress free, maybe 90%. He also has a bacterial infection noted by a white mass on one of his fins, comes and goes from time to time but never is big or stays for more then a few days. I never did treat with api stress coat. Just going to maintain the tank like i always have. Im adding sand tonight so that will be weird.
 
#14 ·
I hope everything works out for you. It is a hard step to always do (QT). Sometimes your like "this fish looks healthy it's eating and there are no other sick fish in with it...its been here for awhile..."
I've made the same mistake too many times as well! Good luck I hope everyone continues to do well for you.
 
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