Dead Tang, Kick-Ich, & Emerald Crab Question

[conrad]

Well it finally happened. We lost a fish. Actually three of them. I have a 90gal FOWLR (ETS Skimmer & Great Lighting) and I have been fighting the ich problem. I did a treatment with the herbal stuff that is supposed to be safe for LR & anenomes. That did not work. So I did a 25% H20 change and turned the skimmer back on for a few days. I purchased a bottle of Kick-Ich at the LFS (their suggestion) and started a new treatment 3 days ago.
I come home for lunch today and my HI Naso Tang is dead and being chewed on by my very large Emerald crab (AKA The Hulk). I dont think it was the crab that killed him. Has anyone ever heard of Kich-Ich killing off fish? The Tang looked much healthier than most fish in the tank. It had very few signs of ich and seemed healthy. I also had two Catalina gobies that were MIA that are now confirmed dead. They had serious Ich problems and I already chalked them up to the disease. This all is quite disturbing, however, I knew this day would sooner or later come.
Background: Like most, I listened to the LFS on everything. No QT tank (I know now) and I jumped the gun and probably bought too many fish (and other critters)in a short period of time. The tank has been up and running since early March. I just thought because I had such a good skimmer, great lighting, and impecable H20 quality, that fish could be added at quicker rate. Right now I have:
Golden Scale Angel, Emperor Angel, Maroon Clown, and two scissortale gobies. 20 snails, many blue-leg hermits,
4 emeralds, 4 cleaner shrimp, & 1 anenome
This pretty much covers it. I guess my questions are:
1) Does Kich-Ich hurt/kill fish?
2) Did I cause to much stress in a short period of time?
3) Once the Emerald Crab gets a taste for meat, will he only eat meat & should I pull him out?
(He was also seen munching on one of the Catalina gobies)
I am new to this list and would appreciate any help possible.
Thanks.
Conrad the Caterpillar

 

[chevytrks]

i used kick-ich for a cycle once on a FOWLR aggressive setup
some of my inhabitants prevented me from hypo (shark, eels, etc)
my LR was not disturbed, i did not loose any fish, and it seemed to help calm down the ich.
While i was using the product, i also started bathing all foods in garlic xtreme and vitamin- c, this seemed to work as good as kick-ich if not better
I dont think your emerald crab is now a meaty-saurus, he is just an opportunistic critter.

 

[beth]

Originally posted by Conrad
This pretty much covers it. I guess my questions are:
1) Does Kich-Ich hurt/kill fish?
The so-called reef safe meds are known to have more of a detrimental effect on corals than fish. Your fish probably died of ich. However, check you water quality with test kits to be sure that you do not have a water problem.
2) Did I cause to much stress in a short period of time?
Yes, definately, live and learn. We have all made big mistakes. What matters is that you realize your mistakes and are willing to improve. Get a QT and QT all new fish. Take a look at the FAQ thread at the top of the forum.
3) Once the Emerald Crab gets a taste for meat, will he only eat meat & should I pull him out?
(He was also seen munching on one of the Catalina gobies)
He is eating what is already dead.....which is why you got him, right? Clean up crew?
I am new to this list and would appreciate any help possible.
What books have you read, if any? There are some good books out there that are great for new hobbyists...and even those not so new.

 

[conrad]

Thanks Beth & chevytrks. It is always good to get advice from people who know what they are talking about.
Beth,
Can I test the H20 even though I am in the middle of the Ich treatment? I know it will not hamper the treatment, but will the tests come out skewed in any way?
Also, the ich is mainly on the Emperor Angel. He is looking better & seems to be more active. However, he seems to have some discoloration on the main part of his body. I sometimes think this is from possibly scratching himself. Does ich sometimes cause something that looks similar to scratches? I have also heard of something called "velvet". What does that look like?
Thanks,
Conrad

 

[beth]

Conrad: The scratches are likely from scratches. This isn't velvet, otherwise all your other fish would be dead by now.
Yes you can test the water.
Why don't you set up a QT and treat the fish appropriately? Your fish will LOVE you for it
And, it will be a step forward for you as an aquarist.