Ick making me sick!!!

[trillyen]

ok I just got 2 blue tangs and 1 ended up with a bad case of ick all over its body and its been in qt for about a week now as I have been dropping the salinity level gradually and as it has been dropping the ick seemed as if it was going away...

Until today it was like baam all over like crazy. Tonight I gave him about a 10 to 15 second fresh water dip and fed him or her after words and it was still eating good and looks to be in great health but the ick didnt just pop of the fish like in a post I read on this site there still there

I'm sure they will gradually die off but I dont see how I can go from getting better to a full all over the fish out break at a 1.009 salinity level

I dont under stand it

 

[krisfal]

How long have you had them in hypo? Have you been able to maintain the 1.009 consistently? If the salinity is not maintained well (evaporation causing a increase in salinity) it is possible the ich was able to get a foot hold again.

I would suggest posting your problem on Lee's Fish forum and see if he can help.

Good luck! Those blue tangs are known as ich magnets for a reason!

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Check you salinity with a different refractometer

 

[trillyen]

he's been in hypo for about 2 weeks almstan
d
I wish I could afford another refrac LOL. I dont have that luxury not even some one to borrow 1 off of

I am going to start trying to maintain that constant salinity level though
thanks

 

[krisfal]

Have you calibrated your refractometer recently? Also you could take sample to an LFS and have them test to see if they get the same reading you do.

I know I had to be real attentive to keep my salinity where I wanted it, and I was running a 55g QT, if you have a small QT you really need to pay attention, I imagine one day of evaporation could swing the salinity out of hypo levels.

A trick I used was when I got my QT to the desired salinity I put a piece of tape on the tank to mark the water level. That way I could add fresh water in the morning before work to bring it back to the marked level without taking the time to test. I would then do the same thing when I got home from work and then test to make sure. Filing to the mark always worked to keep the salinity where I wanted it.

 

[trillyen]

ey thats a really good idea il

I'll give that a try something has gotta give

I figured the fresh water dip would do the trick

 

[Herefishyfishy]

No reason for FW dip if doing hypo. In fact as far as ich goes, hardly ever any reason for the dip unless the fish is in extreme distress and trouble breathing

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

You are using a refractometer, and not a hydrometer... right? Just making sure.

 

[diablo]

what brand of hydrometer you using? some are better than others. none are exactly accurate. The instant ocean on is the closest one I have seen to being right.

 

[krisfal]

I agree with Mike, the FW dip is only used with ich to help a fish in real distress, usually due to the fish having breathing issues due to the ich on the gills. I think the dip will help reduce the number of cyst to give the fish some relief, but it will not cure the problem. It takes 6-8 weeks of hypo to eliminate the ich.

If you have not already done so you should read Lee's post regarding ich http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27003

 

[OldFishMan]

Hyposalinity

Hello;

To make this a little easier. While the ICK (Trophont) is feeding on the fish it maintains a certain internal salinity as the fish will adapt to the surrounding water salinity to maintain internal normal salinity. When the Trophont feeds and grows enough it falls off the fish. It now encysts (it makes a protective shell -- a Cyst). Normally, it falls off the fish and usually goes to the substrate, live rock, filter, etc,.

After 3-days ---- depending on temp, or the "Phase of the Moon" --- don't know --- may take a little longer. The Cyst opens and releases new Thermonts --- some say may release hundreds --- and these Thermonts are now in the water looking for a new host to feed on.

It is hard to kill Ick on a fish because it feeds on the fish (internal fluid) and unless you poison your fish with Copper or some other toxic substance (medication) not much will affect it. However, when the Trophont releases from the fish at a different salinity than the surrounding water -- Osmoses --- the fresher water ( less salinity ) migrates into the Trophont and explodes it.

Also, the Cysts that have already formed open eventually and release hundreds more Thermonts who either find a host soon or die ( hyposalinity is effective at this stage also)

If you remove your fish to a QT tank with hyposalinity --- can reduce this slower than just dumping them in. I decrease the salinity over 2-days. The Ick in the main tank will die when all the Cysts open and the Thermonts cannot find a host fish to feed on --- this may take a couple of weeks.

Your QT tank must be cycled or you will just stress your fish further and may kill the weakened Ick infested fish. If you have a fish only tank with no inverts you can treat the main tank. There are usually little crustations in the substrate and on live rock if your tank was started with "live" sand or gravel, rock, etc,. that may die off.

I QT for 4-weeks ---- your option.

I hope this helps!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What would you do with a brain if you had one!"

"Dorothy -- Wizard of Oz"


Enjoy!

OFM

 

[buffalo]

Would it not be just as easy to set up an aquarium especially for the fish and treat them with copper. Copper won't harm the fish but will killl the ick. Just make sure copper don't make it to your reef.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Would it not be just as easy to set up an aquarium especially for the fish and treat them with copper. Copper won't harm the fish but will killl the ick. Just make sure copper don't make it to your reef.

The reef tank would still need to be without fish for 6 weeks to let the ich all die out there. As long as the fish need to be in QT for that long, might as well go with hypo.

 

[krisfal]

I agree with Mike, might as well go hypo. Even in trillyen situation where these fish haven't been in the display I feel hypo is safer. With Copper you need a copper test kit and whenever you top off your water/do a water change you have to be careful to keep the copper level high enough to be effective, but lower than toxic levels. I think hypo is safer and easier for the treatment of ich, it justs takes longer.

 

[buffalo]

Ok i see your point especially if the fish are not strong enough not to being infected again. they will only be infected when returned to the system.

 

[trillyen]

wow thanks for the detailed posts old fish man thats give me a real good understanding of thecsituation I have at hand

The lil guy is doing real good though I kinda understand why he got ick again it was on him in the first place I just couldn't see it

I also use a refrac not a hydrometer hydros do not have a accurate salinity level reading

Thanks for all the help guys but if my blue tangs die I dont think I'm gonna get anymore ever there just too sensitive

Did I mention that my blue tang in my 125 gallon has spots on it but it looks more like a fungus than ick

I feed selcin and garlic but MOT at the same time a different dose of one ever time I feed 1 selcon and at a different time I feed garlic I need to get some kind of immune system booster

Man if my fish in my 125 gets ick I dont know what I'm gonna do cause the salinity level in my qt is 1.009 so I'm outta luck for the next 5 weeks but maybe longer cause I dont start the counting process till I see the last grain of ick fall off

Thanks again guys

 

[OldFishMan]

You are very welcome

Feed them well !

OFM

 

[krisfal]

Did I mention that my blue tang in my 125 gallon has spots on it but it looks more like a fungus than ick



Man if my fish in my 125 gets ick I dont know what I'm gonna do cause the salinity level in my qt is 1.009 so I'm outta luck for the next 5 weeks but maybe longer cause I dont start the counting process till I see the last grain of ick fall off

Thanks again guys

Fungus is pretty rare in marine fish I believe, and not very treatable, can you get a picture? Could it be Lymphocystis, I think we talked about that regarding your trigger last year? See post #7 at this link http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127010.

I have acclimated a fish straight into hyposalinity before with no issues.
I took a few hours doing a drip acclimation, remember fish can adapt to lower salinity pretty quickly, it is going higher where you need to be real slow. Also you can always get a second QT (can't have too many tanks right insert manly grunting sound here). I recently picked up a 10g full system set-up at Walmart for about $30, all I had to add was a heater (I had one laying around). Wish you were closer, I have 5 empty tanks sitting in the room with me right now-ranging from 2g to 45g.

 

[OldFishMan]

Hello;

I think I will try to use terms as they are used in the trade/hobby --- like QT for watching the fish and Hospital Tank for treating the fish --- I am old and get confused!

I QT my new fish for 4-weeks in hypo-salinity. I treat my infected fish for 8-weeks in a Hospital Tank with hypo-salinity.

Sorry, for the confusion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Put a drop on a slide and look at it with a microscope, if the stuff is moving everything is okay. If is is not moving, change water!"

Enjoy!

OFM