blue tang scratching

bluetang67

bluetang67

New Member
Recieved a blue tang yesterday, hes is eating, swimming good, no labored breathing but is scratching.
Should I wait until he stops eating / develops spots, or start treatment right away?
 
bluetang67

bluetang67

New Member
ok...i can't find a store with Formalin in my area....
one store said to treat it with copper.
i can order it but i'm worried that it wouldn't get here in time to be much of a help.....should i begin copper treatment or wait?
 
robvia

robvia

Member
Isn't brooklynella what is also called black ich? Either way, isn't what you are dealin with a parasite? I have been fighting black ich (maybe the same thing) on my yellow tang. Formalin was suggested to me, but I haven't done it yet. I did fresh a water dip on my tang. It will bring some immediate relief to the fish, but it did not get rid of it completely. If you want to try something while you wait for the formalin, I would suggest that. You can also read some about formalin while you wait. Make sure you know what you are doing with formalin. It is a carcynagen and if not handled properly it can give YOU cancer.
Rob
 
razoreqx

razoreqx

Active Member

Originally posted by bluetang67
ok...thanks again
he actually seems a little better today.
Hes probably knocked the parasite off and its now reproducing eggs in your substrate. Not to worry you but this is something you will have to deal with now or later. Anytime you add fish, make changes to your tank, or large water changes you could stress the fish to a point he, or any other fish, could get the parasite again.. I would read up on QT or hospital tanks.... as removing hosts from your display tank, thus removing food sources for the parasite, is the best solution for killing the parasite completely.
My coral display has been infected with ick for over a year. Im just to lazy to go in and catch all those little fish, not to mention tear apart my reef! They just dont get stressed anymore and I minamize changes to that tank other than normal reef husbandries.
I know its there because once in a while you'll see a fish scratching against LR...
Just thought you should be aware that you will have the parasite until you treat it properly....
 
bluetang67

bluetang67

New Member
i know i didn't mention it but he is already in a qt....so no worries about my display tank...i've got the formalin coming overnight...can't find it anywhere around here
thanks for the help
 
robvia

robvia

Member
Remember as Razor said, if there are any fish in the display, the parasite will continue to live in that tank. It can live for a month in a tank without a host. If you don't kill it off in the tank, when you put that fish back in, it will likely get it again.
 
razoreqx

razoreqx

Active Member

Originally posted by krowleey
if thats true, how does the parasite reproduce if your fish dont get it
I think im understanding you so i'll answer.
If your tank is infected with ICK researchers believe your fish in fact do get infected with the parasite but not with visible symptoms you will easily see.
What I have seen is a fish will become infected but the only visible symptom I can see are the fish scraping against rocks.. Rarely have I seen visible evidence on the fishs body.. (often discribed as sprinkled salt which is actually quite accurate)
The parasite will feed off the new fish host until the fish successfully rubs the parasite off.
The parasite then rests back into the substrate where it can now reproduce.
 
krowleey

krowleey

Active Member
ohhh i didnt know they live on your fish with your fish not showing any signs, but i can see how this can happen, but how does your fish not show signs if the parasite is feeding off the fish, then dropping off for a new cycle ect? im just trying to understand what your meaning. i read where the parasite will feed off your fish untill its a big enough syst to see, like the grain of salt
 
robvia

robvia

Member
The fish will not show signs until the parasite breaks through the slimmy layer on a fish. That is why stressed fish are more likely to get it. When a fish is stressed it has less slim on it. When you net a fish, it scraps the slim off and stresses the fish. That is why it is recommended that you use a clear container to catch a fish and not a net. Tangs are sensitive to ich. I don't know for sure, but I bet if someone did a study, they would find that they loose their slimmy layer more easily than other fish.
I guess it's like a masquito. If you have a coat on, you are more protected. If you don't, you get bit.
If it is hard to get your fish out of your tank, the proccess of QTing every fish become much more important.
Not taking the fish completely out of water will also help.
Rob
 
robvia

robvia

Member
There is a really good article published by Advanced Aquarist. It is on their web page. It is a five part article starting in the november 2003 issue called News From The Waterfront. It's all about marine ich. Pretty easy to find in their archives. They have a .com page. Give it a read and you will learn a lot about ich.
Rob
 
robvia

robvia

Member
Very good article Terry. I tried to post a link to it, but they took it off. I don't get it. I think all should read your article.
Rob
 
robvia

robvia

Member
Terry - Since you wrote the article, I have a question. Maybe more, but this to start. Can ich live on a fish for an extended period without the fish showing any signs? Can it live in the slimmy external layer and remain to small to see and not cause the fish to scratch? Or, does it either have to grow or die?
Reason to know. If you know you had ich in your tank, removed the fish that it was causing trouble to, but couldn't remove all the fish. You see no signs for 1 month or even 2 months. Would it or could it still be in the tank?
Will copper kill live rock?
 
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