Got some questions please help!!

[jbyrd]

9 weeks ago my tank had a case of the notorious ICK. I waited to long to find a medicaton being I have a reef tank. My LFS had some RxP (pepper based) that was reef safe. Needless to say it was to late for the fish. Only used acouple of treatments and followed directions to a T. I did some reading and made myself more knowledgeable about this parasite. I followed the advice of waiting 8-9 weeks before introducing another fish. Meanwhile the only thing I had left in my tank was acouple of corals and 2 shrimp. Time came and I finally went and purchased another fish. Only after a day of being in my tank guess what? You answered it Ick AGAIN. Caught it this time right away. Started with the Garlic and followed the RxP directions, 3 treatments with the addition of any new fish to the system everyohter day with a treatment of Poly Ox inbetween. The small case of ick has gone for now, I hope for good. The only thing is the fish looks like his scales have dried (no slime coat maybe) and he is constanly infront of my powerhead. In my observation I believe he looks like this because of the RxP treatment. He is healthy and eating well other than his scales look like this. So in otherwords has anyone else ran into this and is this because of the treatments? This week I will be ordering a UV to help prevent this again along with a future purchase of a quarintine tank from a friend.

 

[lion_crazz]

Kent's RxP causes the fish to produce an excess amount of slime. That is most likely why the fish looks the way it does. The ich will most likely return. You need a quarantine tank and I would recommend setting it up ASAP. With all the money you spent on the meds, that could have bought you a QT. A quarantine tank will only run you $50. I am guessing you spent that much on medications. I would get a quarantine tank, set it up, and hypo the fish, while leaving the display fishless for 6 weeks. This will kill the ich on your fish and in your display. Then, you will have a quarantine tank to quarantine all new additions and prevent ich from ever getting in your display again.
I would also forget about the sterilizer. That will not prevent ich very well. Any ich that comes in on the fish will not be killed by the UV. The UV can only kill what flows through it. The UV will not kill the ich living and breeding in the rocks and substrate and hosting off the fish. That money will be much better spent on a quarantine tank and a refractomer to perform hyposalinity.

 

[jbyrd]

O.K. Fine, what size of quarantine tank would you recommend I get? What kind of filtration (Bio-Wheel) be suffice? No Substrate? Leave my 75gal empty for 6 weeks except for the L.R. shrimp, snails, and blue-leg crabs? I also check my water today being I lost my Yellow Eye the yesterday (no signs of Ick!) and my Powder Brown today. Amonia - 0, PH - 8.4, NO2 - < .08, salinity - 1.024 what else would be good to test

 

[beth]

JB, lion is correct. The quick fix products just do not have a good track record. There is info in the FAQ Thread on QTs. I find a 20L will take care of most situations, as long as only one fish at a time goes into the QT and no really large fish goes in.

 

[jbyrd]

Originally Posted by Beth
JB, lion is correct. The quick fix products just do not have a good track record. There is info in the FAQ Thread on QTs. I find a 20L will take care of most situations, as long as only one fish at a time goes into the QT and no really large fish goes in.
Ok then what do you do if you have 6 fish for instance in your show tank and 1 starts to show signs of ick? By placing one in the QT does this help in preventing the others from getting ick? Also I have heard that ick is always present in a system and it takes some kind of stress to make it break out bad. Is there any truth to this? And last but not least Drs. Foster & Smith sell a product called Marine Max I believe is this product any good in the prevention also along with the QT of any new additions? I now that Tangs are notorious for Ick but to me these are some of the best fish and I would really like to be able to keep acouple. This is why I ask so many questions so I can make my self knowledgeable. Thanks J

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by JByrd
Ok then what do you do if you have 6 fish for instance in your show tank and 1 starts to show signs of ick? By placing one in the QT does this help in preventing the others from getting ick? Also I have heard that ick is always present in a system and it takes some kind of stress to make it break out bad. Is there any truth to this? And last but not least Drs. Foster & Smith sell a product called Marine Max I believe is this product any good in the prevention also along with the QT of any new additions? I now that Tangs are notorious for Ick but to me these are some of the best fish and I would really like to be able to keep acouple. This is why I ask so many questions so I can make my self knowledgeable. Thanks J

Well first take care of the ich in your Dt. You have 6 fish? How much rock do you have? Any possibility of moving your rock and inverts into a rubbermaid tub for now? You can hypo the main. Being the qt you will set up is going to be new and uncycled I think your best option would be to move the rock and inverts. They will produce a very small bioload, where your fish will create a high bioload on a new qt. You would have to be on top of water changes probably daily. For now you can just get a large rubbermaid tub and put your rock and inverts in there with a filter and a heater. Do get yourself a qt for future fish purchases and you will save yourself all of the hassle you are going through now.

 

[jbyrd]

The 6 fish is hypothetical just a senario, But I do have 2 shrimp, snails, crabs, and 75lbs LR with a few coral. So what do I do with the coral? How long do I leave the rock and inverts in the rubbermaid? What kind of filter, just a regular carbon filter? I do have a 30 gal. with 3 (5") goldfish in them that I have thought of turning into a QT. I also am getting a 55 gal tank w/ stand from a co-worker for nothing.

 

[jbyrd]

Also couldn't I leave my main tank empty for 6 weeks and QT any new fish first?

 

[lion_crazz]

Right now, you need to quarantine ALL of your fish and run them through hyposalinity. This will kill the ich on your fish, and since your display will be fishless, that will kill the ich in your display. Now, you are starting with a clean slate. When you do buy a new fish, quarantine him and observe the fish closely for 3 weeks. If you see one spot of ich, put it through hyposalinity before entering your display tank. Thus, ich is never getting back in your display tank again. Your clean slate will remain clean unless you fail to quarantine a new fish.
By placing one in the QT does this help in preventing the others from getting ick?
No. If one fish had ich, they can all get it. Removing the infected fish does not help much at all. All fish need to be removed when ich breaks out.
Also I have heard that ick is always present in a system and it takes some kind of stress to make it break out bad.
This is 100% wrong. If you quarantine your fish and run them through hyposalinity now, and then allow your display to run fishless for 6 weeks, all ich is gone. It is not coming back unless you slip and fail to quarantine a new fish.
And last but not least Drs. Foster & Smith sell a product called Marine Max I believe is this product any good in the prevention also along with the QT of any new additions?
I would definitely not waste your money on the Marine Max. All you need is a quarantine tank and the knowledge of how to do hyposalinity if and when it is neccessary. That way is much cheaper, too.
I now that Tangs are notorious for Ick but to me these are some of the best fish and I would really like to be able to keep acouple.
Tangs are a little more known for having ich issues, but hyposalinity works just as good on them as it does any other fish.

 

[lion_crazz]

How many fish do you have? I would probably just leave your display be and quarantine/hyposalinity all your new fish in the 55 you are getting for nothing. That would be a much better plan.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by JByrd
The 6 fish is hypothetical just a senario, But I do have 2 shrimp, snails, crabs, and 75lbs LR with a few coral. So what do I do with the coral? How long do I leave the rock and inverts in the rubbermaid? What kind of filter, just a regular carbon filter? I do have a 30 gal. with 3 (5") goldfish in them that I have thought of turning into a QT. I also am getting a 55 gal tank w/ stand from a co-worker for nothing.
How many fish do you have? I would probably just leave your display be and quarantine/hyposalinity all your new fish in the 55 you are getting for nothing. That would be a much better plan.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by JByrd
Also couldn't I leave my main tank empty for 6 weeks and QT any new fish first?
All new fish should be QTed as soon as you take them home. This will prevent ich from having the chance to wreak havoc in your display tank.

 

[jbyrd]

What kind of filter would you recommend I get for the 55? Do I leave this tank empty i.e. no substrate?

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, you do not want a substrate on the quarantine tank.
I would run at least an emporer 400 on the 55. That will turn the tank over 8 times.