HELP my sailfin tang please!

[gatrpetvet]

Starting this morning I noticed my sailfin tang has "ick" - looks pretty classic from the pictures I looked up on this site. The only other fish I have in the tank is a clownfish which has no signs of ick (yet?). However I have crabs, snails, starfish, and live rock and live sand in the tank. So I know I now need to set up a hospital tank ASAP (which will be in the morning) BUT I have questions about it that I couldn't find answers too by searching the boards. Tank is 48 gallon bow front, have had it about 3 months, have had the fish about 4 weeks.
1. Should I treat the clownfish too even though he looks ok so far?? IF I leave him in the display tank while i hospitalize the tang, couldn't the ick then colonize the clownfish? I read no fish=no ick.....So should I just treat the tang and the clownfish in the hospital tank just in case?
2. This will be an emergency hospital tank set up- can i use water from my display tank as the water for the hospital tank? I thought this would be ok even if the ick is in the water because it will be killed as i treat the fish anyways. Is that correct? I don't have time to cycle the new hospital tank!!
3. The tang not only has the classic white ick spots but also looks really pale today- is this just stress form the disaes or the disease itself? Is this common??He is still eating and active.
4. I watch my fish every day and just started seeing the spots this AM. Do you think the tang will survive? Have I cuaght it early enough? Even waiting overnight to get the hospital tank supplies is KILLING ME.
5. Sounds like everyone thinks hyposalinity is the best treatment? True???
Thanks so much in advance, sorry for the long message but I love this tang and am really nervous.....
Karen

 

[hot883]

Yes, run the Main tank fishless for 4-6 weeks. Place the 2 fish in QT or hospital tank with water from the MT. You will have to frequent small water changes to keep the quality of the water good. Search the disease thread for hypo and follow it to the "T". You will need a refractometer and not a plastic hydrometer if doing hyposalinity. "Beth" is the resident disease expert. Hopefully she will see this. Good luck.

 

[beth]

PetVet, check out the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum. You should find some helpful info on QT and ich there.

 

[gatrpetvet]

Thanks both of you. I read everything I could find about the QT tank and ick. Will set up the tank today. This morning the tang looks a little better but that doesn't really mean much right now. I just hope I can save him.
Actually last night I was watching the tank and one of the white "spots" fell off of him and swam away!! It was interesting to see it hatch but I was not happy!!! Ugh.
Thanks again for the help
Karen

 

[beth]

Karen, ich does not "swim away". Perhaps you have another problem. Perhaps you are seeing bubbles on the fish? Can you post a picture of your fish?

 

[gatrpetvet]

Thanks Beth,
At first I DID think it was air bubbles. BUt the clownfish does not have them and they are getting worse. Also today it seems the spots are turning darker instead of white. He is still eating and active, but he also looks really pale. Today ph was 7.9 (too low); sg was 1.027 (toohigh!), ammonia was just above zero, nitrites zero, nitrates low (i am so sorry I don't remember the exact numbers, I was at the lfs). Anyways today have gotten the sg down to 1.024 and the ph to 8. installed a uv sterilizer. plan to do a freshwater dip tomorrow. holding on the hospital tank for tonight although I realize it will probably come to this.
I took some pics but they are horrible, I will post the best ones although I do not think it will be much help. I would love to do a wet prep but am afraid it will stress the tang out too much.
Having trouble with my camera so I will do my best to post pics for you to see soon.

 

[skywatcher]

You have a sailfin tang in a 48 gallon tank, that is not good. That small of a tank might be causing it stress, which will weaken it's immune system. I would advise taking this fish back if possible.

 

[gatrpetvet]

Skywatcher- Definitely not possible to take the fish back- you know most lfs will not take back fish. If what you are saying is true, it makes me mad that they would have even sold it to me. They know me and my tank. The sailfin is about 2 inches long.........
Also did a freshwater dip last night which got rid of the VISIBLE ich on the fish but thats just a temporary fix so..........