(HELP) I may have to give up !

ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
Originally Posted by Emporer
Theres a huge problem within my main tank... I have to solve it once and for all. A hospital tank is for a fish to get better then to put it back.. If i do that ,, I will put it back into an infested tank. WHY DOESNT ANYONE UNDERSTAND??? I have to remove the parasite as much as possible from my display.
Actually, several of us have tried to explain that you have a VERY SIGNIFICANT problem in your tank that is causing the fish to stress and become ill. The mere existence of this parasite is a reality but HEALTHY UNSTRESSED fish should be able to overcome it, IMO. You MIGHT be able to remove it by putting everything in QT and leaving the tank without fish for 6 weeks or whatever, but I reckon you might get an outbreak if there is something wrong with the tank that is causing the fish to stress....and with any fish added later that is not fully put through QT. We've tried to really get into possible issues in your main tank without a lot of progress. So, in this case, I agree with the above that you should remove the fish to a QT tank, treat with hypo (though it would be good to have a cycled QT tank or you'lll have other issues with that) and leave the main tank free of fish for 6 to 8 weeks. We realize you have a significant problem with your main tank, several people have echoed it...but it is not necessarily just the fact that this parasite is in the system. There might be something else involved that you can correct.
 
R

rei511

Guest
emporer-
these people are trying to get you to start a quarantine tank to save your fish. they understand there is a problem with your display tank. you have to remove the fish to treat/fix the problem IN THE DISPLAY tank. the fish will be ok in the smaller tank for 4weeks. look at what they live in at the store. (five gals at the most,right?) btw, how big are your fish anyway?
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
it is possible that your tank does not cause stress. it is possible that the fish you bought from your LFS already had been stressed there, or shared a community water source , where if one fish had it then its in the water there and they all have it. that is exactly the situation i see at the three LFS i go to. you probably bought them with ich, and put them right into your tank with out QTing them. (because you DONT HAVE a QT). thats 1 awesome reason to have a QT. the other is for the situation you have now, you have fish that are sick. they are big , you can catch them. put them in a QT and treat with any variety of treatments (only 1, please) there. the fish will get better, if it is not too advanced. then as stated by everyone else, the ich will die off in the display tank with no host to perperuate its life cycle. put em back in 6 weeks.
also your UV sterilizer is doing nothing for you unless the water is pushed through at a VERY SLOW drip like rate. that gives the UV time to burn off whatever goes through it. at that rate, it takes about 1 month for the water to be 'sterilized'.
then keep your qt running and ready , for when you add new fish, and if , hopefully never again, they get sick.
DO NOT PUT COPPER in the display!!! that will surely cause you to quit the hobby, when you realize that there will ALWAYS remain residual copper in the diplay, that can never be cleaned, and will not allow you to keep LR , LS or inverts in there ever again.
listen to the people on this board, they are educated and well versed in these textbook examples of ich infestations. they are here to help people , and not to make a dollar.
hope this helps.
 
nemo lover

nemo lover

Member
duh! what type of water do you use? :D

Also, What exactly are you feeding these guys? Are they getting proper diets? I I don't think you posted what your ph is? How long have you had your tank set up?
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
So far, everyone is asking great questions to help him solve his problem but there are no answers appearing to any of them.
We are waiting on:
-Type of water? (if you are using unhealthy water, this could be causing stress)
-If they were added at the same time or not? (this DEFINITELY would cause a stress on the bioload)
-do you have a refractometer? (You shouldn't attempt hypo without one.)
-why you are so reluctant to set up a small hospital tank and treat them with copper in there instead of ruining your main tank with copper that will never come out?
 
emporer

emporer

Member
I am Using NYC Tap ( very good)
I added the 6 in purple tang and 6 in butterfly together
2 weeks later i added the sweetlips ang angel
I do not have a refrag--- the lowest reading i get is .12
can i put them in a 20 with copper??
I actually decided to go with hyposalinity without using copper in my display.
Truthfully I spent sooo much $ on fish and all these things-- i dont have so much more to spare.. I know i need a refrag .. but i just cant get it now.. can i just go with a hydrometer that gives readings of low salinity... so far i lowered the salinity to .17 mine goes to 12 .. and ive been calculating on the ammount of water i add for the amount of the salinity to drop. I know im not doing things correctly... and im unorganized... and i am paying for it. But the fish have 1 life to live.. I do care And i truley am doing what i can....
I am putting lots of time into this and i will QT any fish i get for the future... but i dont have $$ to spend on a qt now with proper filtration.
FACTS:::
I am providing excellent nutrition for the fish.. Im using frozen mysid shrimp, frozen angel formular, silversides for (EEL) i soak everything in garlic and Zoe.
So far i started hypo... this will be the 2nd day.. im planning on dropping it to .12
I have a 20 gallon without anything in it
If you guys tell me to put some fish in that and use copper .. I will
Keep in mind i can only do water changes in there -- I cant get a filter
If you guys Also reccomend I give away my fish to the lfs -- ill do that also
 
nemo lover

nemo lover

Member
WHAT MAKES NYC TAP WATER SO GOOD?
WHY HAVEN'T YOU MENTIONED YOUR PH? (ARE YOU NOT TESTING FOR IT)?
YOU NEVER TOLD US WHAT YOUR VOLTAGE READING WAS!
HOW LONG HOW LONG HOW LONG HAS YOUR TANK BEEN SET UP?
maybe you could add some seaweed selects for the angel to graze on. and some grass shrimp for the sweetlips.and a little more meaty foods for the butterfly.
impo maybe adding two six inch fish at one time wasn't the best choice, and then adding two more two weeks later. sounds to me like the tank couldn't keep up with all the new bioload. That w/ using tap water will cause stress, and cause ich.
emporer-set up that quarentine so it will be ready for you. keep it up and ready all the time!
I aslo think you should read and research alot on this hobby.
 
darth tang

darth tang

Active Member
What did you do with your live rock in the main tank........please tell me it isn't in the Hypo as well.....
 
scubadoo

scubadoo

Active Member
If you do not drop the salinity to below 1.010 you are waisting your time. Those that feel it does not need to be below this are misinformed. They feel that since inverts cannot live below a certain salinity level then neither can the parasites.
It has been DOCUMENTED that ich will only be killed off at salinity levels below 1.010. at 80 degrees. Perhaps you can borrow a refractometer form a lfs?
NYC tap is probably filled with wonderful stuff! You should consider discontinuing using this and placing it in your system.
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
well actually i used to be from nyc area, and they have the #1 rated cleanest and best tasting TAP water... unfortunately, no TAP water can ever compare to the quality H2O you get from distilled / RO /DI. you need to either start buying it from the home depot / grocery store , or invest in RO/DO unit.
do you have continual problems with diatoms?
also in your QT you can just use one of those bio wheels off the side. for emergencies, you can add the bacteria that changes the ammonnia / nitrites / nitrates into your system. i dont know what it is called, but you can get it at your LFS, and just add 1 tea spoon a day until the bio load is stabilized and nitrates are at zero. its 2 different bottles wrapped together, one is the bacteria and the other is some oxygen booster to help them out. its refrigerated. that will help until its mature enough tank to not need any.
 
scubadoo

scubadoo

Active Member
Unplug your equipment one piece at a time. Check the voltage as you unplug...this is how you identify the faulty equipment. Once identified remove and/or repair.
 
emporer

emporer

Member
The LR is in a rubber pale by itself.
My Ph is 8.2
Im going home in a lil while and ill mess with the voltage meter... and evaluate with my tank some more... I want everyone to know i appreacite the help-- and i really am looking foword to enjoying my tank.. like i did before my 1st wipeout
 
scubadoo

scubadoo

Active Member
I can assure you most folks want to help you and want you to be happy and to succeed. Most are trying to help and give you advice...good advice to avoid making mistakes which are costly, frustrating, and hard on the animals.
We are trying to advise based on our own experience/history. You have an oppurtunity to learn from our experience/history. If you do not learn form our history as well as your history...you will live to see history repeat itself...over and over.
When you get a chance read this thread....do some reserch to find out how you should approach the hobby as well as maintaining a closed marine system. THere is no lack of info...if you want to devote the time.
Never listen to the lfs....verify what they tell. Knowledge is power and can save you from throwing money away. Once you are confident you have a reputable/knowledgable dealer/store...then you can listen...but still verify. Some lfs's mistakes are unintentional and come from ignorance ...how do you know unless you research first?
You need to stop dumping that NYC tap/turlet water in your system....your fish and inverts will thank you with health and happiness.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Hey, they pronounce toliet "turlet" here in new orleans! And we change the earl in our cars. :D
 
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