Ich Question

[Sculpin]

I've been stocking my new 180 with fish and I guess I went a little too fast because I just noticed the beginning of an ich outbreak. I still have my 125g set up and it has a few lose corals, live rock and 4 fish (Purple Tang, 6 line, and two anthias). The new tank has a blue jaw trigger, a blue hippo, 3 macosker wrasse, 4 firefish, 2 clown fish, and a diamond goby. I also just bought a 30 gallon tank to help with quarantine.

I'm planning to treat the ich with copper and lowering the water salinity.

I'm debating between:
1) Putting my 4 remaining fish and corals from my old 125g tank into the 30g tank, and putting the new fish into the established 125 (with all the rock and corals have been removed) or
2) Putting all my new fish into the 30g and keeping the 125g tank the way it is.

For the 30g I was just planning to use a sponge filter, while the 125 has the nice skimmer, a chiller, auto top off, etc.

The 125 is much bigger so that might help the fish stress level, but I don't want to get my healthy fish sick as a result.

Thoughts?

 

[Sasquatch]

you couldn't qt all those in a 30g, is the new tank fish only?

 

[Aquanaut]

QUICK!!! CHECK LEE'S SITE ON QUARANTINE METHODS. DO NOT LOWER SALINITY WHEN USING COPPER!! Instant death and don't use Amonia removing chem either, deadly. You won't be able to use your 125 except to add finished 8week QT'd fish. QT in a separate rubbermade bins at the very least w/small pumps and heaters. Filtration won't help at this stage. Just rely on lots and lots of water changes every other day for 14days min w/cupramine. Please seek Lee's help to prevent losses. Main display must go fishless 10 weeks. I've learned the hard way and am in this situation myself. A very hard lesson to swallow. QT, QT, QT, no exceptions even from a safe source.

Good luck.

 

[Sculpin]

Thanks Aquanaut! Great article by Lee. I tried doing a search for Ich yesterday and came up blank?!?

I haven't started treatment, so no damage done.

 

[Sculpin]

Out of curiousity, I was planning to stock my 180 with the following fish. Is that too much fish load for a 180g reef tank?

Purple Tang
Blue Hippo Tang
Pair of blue mouth triggers
Pair of clown fish
4 firefish
3 mccosker wrasse
3 bartlett's anthias
1 damond goby

Because most of the fish small, I figured I'd be ok. I haven't purchased all the fish, so let me know if I need to throw on the breaks.