[mlwoo103]

We have finally reached our six month mark on our first tank with no catastrophies or casualties to speak of...until this week.

I posted a few months ago when my foxface got ich, and we decided to attempt to eliminate all stress from the environment and let the fish ride it out.

I'm glad to say the foxface is still very alive and eating (although constantly covered in his little white freckles )
but this week, we lost three fish...
My two bartlett anthias and a little royal gramma. All were infested with the stuff when they just sort of disappeared... so far I have only found the body of one anthias.

I'm afraid the foxface may be next if we don't take action now. Aside from him, all that is left is two false percs and a scooter who all look healthy. They will be easy to catch, but I don't know how I will get the foxface out of the tank

I also don't have a QT set up right now, and all I have is a ten gallon...which I'm fairly certain will be too small for foxface.

Someone please give me some advice on what to do??

 

[Solace87]

A QT does not have to be a tank, it can be a cheap storage tote.
Where are you located? My favorite puffer just got Ich and I am setting up a large QT tonight. If you are anywhere near chicago I wouldnt mind QTing it for you.

My advice would be to get a storage tote or something like that if you dont already have one. You can get a 40 gallon one for like 10 dollars. Plenty of room.

how big is the fox face? my favorite method to catch fish is lure them with food then dunk in a wide mouth container, the suction will suck them into the container.

 

[mlwoo103]

unfortunately I am no where near chicago haha. I found a large clear rubbermaid tub in my closet that I can use though once I clean well.

correct me if I am mistaken...but is there any point to cycling a QT tank if I intend to dose it with copper once the fish are in?
wouldn't that just kill any micro organisms in the water??
Maybe I'm just being dumb, but I always wonder this...

 

[Solace87]

Perfect, that will work well.

Keep in mind this is just my opinion but no I dont think there is a point to cycle it and more importantly there is no time. Get a sponge type filter and air stone/aerator and test the water parameters and change water as/if they get high.

I always wonder about stuff like that too, like if I get a large supply of top off water or the people that keep a hundred gallons of water change water store, how long till that cycles and what if I put it in while its in the middle of it?

 

[Steamon]

if your tank is a fish only and if your not intending to put corals in why not just dose the display tank. If it is white spot copper sorts it out quickly.
Y could put the air stone filter in the display tank for a day or so and bacteria will colonize on the filter wool and prevent an amonia spike in the QT. The copper doesnt kill the nitrifing bacteria but i think it slows it down or represses it. So during treatment try to reduce waste in the QT or DT which ever you treat.

good luck
ste

 

[Solace87]

The copper doesnt kill the nitrifing bacteria but i think it slows it down or represses it. So during treatment try to reduce waste in the QT or DT which ever you treat.

good luck
ste

Interesting, I always heard the quote "copper kills your nitrifying bacteria"
If thats not true then this changes alot. Yeah by all means use some used filter media.

 

[Steamon]

Aqua Medic do 2 different treatments for this, pointex and exodin, Exodin is reef safe and can be used with corals and inverts, pointex is copper based and is not safe for reef use. I just checked the instructions and neither harm the bacteria but do suppress it and it recommends a bacteria booster after treatment.
Personally I found that exodin didnt work very well, i had a regal tang and exodin just wouldnt shift the spots, it died but exodin did work on all the other fish.
Copper is the most reliable treatment IMO, and i never bothered with a bacteria booster lol

Ste