My first time with Ich possibly

[squeegle]

So I went to feed my fish today which is normally one of my favorite things to do but I was a little troubled by what I saw. My undulated trigger seems to have some light colored, not quite white, spots between his eyes and all around that area. He's the only fish in my tank besides my about 8 inch snowflake eel.
I didn't qt because I simply haven't had an extra tank (broke college chick be broke). My dad did get me a 10 gallon last week but I'm almost certain it is too early for me to be using it at this point.
I'll get my water parameters asap and I'll also try and take a picture but the spots are pretty hard to see even just looking at my little guy so I don't know if they'll show too well in a photo.
Is there any advice I could get about what to do in this situation?

 

[mr. limpid]

Yes get a good picture up right away. And post prams. How is his breathing?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squeegle http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515117
So I went to feed my fish today which is normally one of my favorite things to do but I was a little troubled by what I saw. My undulated trigger seems to have some light colored, not quite white, spots between his eyes and all around that area. He's the only fish in my tank besides my about 8 inch snowflake eel.
I didn't qt because I simply haven't had an extra tank (broke college chick be broke). My dad did get me a 10 gallon last week but I'm almost certain it is too early for me to be using it at this point.
I'll get my water parameters asap and I'll also try and take a picture but the spots are pretty hard to see even just looking at my little guy so I don't know if they'll show too well in a photo.
Is there any advice I could get about what to do in this situation?
Hi...Welcome to the site, sorry it's under such bad circumstances.
If you have filter material from the display, You can use it in the HT, just put it in the tank with an air line (no stone) to agitate the water surface. Add a piece of PVC pipe or other plastic fake tank decor and you have an immediate usable hospital tank...a HOB little whisper filter is all you need...put the seasoned material right in the little Whisper filter for the water to flow through.
P.S.
If it is ich...you will have to leave the display fishless for about 8 weeks, or as soon as you return the fish, it will be infected all over again.

 

[squeegle]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515133
Yes get a good picture up right away. And post prams. How is his breathing?
Still working on the picture just waiting for my camera to charge up a bit. I think I found the source of most of my problems. My nitrates are WAYYYY high. Like 80ppm. Which I honestly can't understand why becaue I use a nitrate reducing filter. Other than that pH is 8.2 and ammonia and nitrites are 0.
His breathing looks fine. I just checked on him again and I definitely see more distinct white spots on his fins too nowthough. Before I was on the fence about there even being a problem (I thought he may have just had a few sand particles on him haha) but now I'm more concerned.

 

[squeegle]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515163
Hi...Welcome to the site, sorry it's under such bad circumstances.
If you have filter material from the display, You can use it in the HT, just put it in the tank with an air line (no stone) to agitate the water surface. Add a piece of PVC pipe or other plastic fake tank decor and you have an immediate usable hospital tank...a HOB little whisper filter is all you need...put the seasoned material right in the little Whisper filter for the water to flow through.
P.S.
If it is ich...you will have to leave the display fishless for about 8 weeks, or as soon as you return the fish, it will be infected all over again.
What do you mean by filter material? I use the Deep Blue nitrate reducing filters that you cut yourself (although as stated in my above post they don't seem to be working to reduce nitrates). Should I cut down the one I currently have in my display and put it in the 10g filter? Also what do you mean by an air line? That may sound dumb I just don't know.
Also I have about 6lbs of live rock in my little tank now, since I was trying to cycle it to start a nanoreef, what should I do with that? I obviously can't put it in my dt or else it will get infested but I don't really have anywhere else to put it. Finally, what about my eel? I've read that they're pretty resistant, almost immune, to ich. Is that true?

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squeegle http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515175
What do you mean by filter material? I use the Deep Blue nitrate reducing filters that you cut yourself (although as stated in my above post they don't seem to be working to reduce nitrates). Should I cut down the one I currently have in my display and put it in the 10g filter? Also what do you mean by an air line? That may sound dumb I just don't know.
Also I have about 6lbs of live rock in my little tank now, since I was trying to cycle it to start a nanoreef, what should I do with that? I obviously can't put it in my dt or else it will get infested but I don't really have anywhere else to put it. Finally, what about my eel? I've read that they're pretty resistant, almost immune, to ich. Is that true?
Hi,
Filter material is floss or a sponge material that has sat in the filter system, and is the color brown with good bacteria colonies. Get a little HOB Whisper or penguin filter and put the sponge or floss in that for the water to flow through.
An air line; How to describe it...it looks like the small hose used on an oxygen line in the hospital...powered by an air pump, it plugs in and has a little nipple the hose attaches to. They usually have an air stone to create tiny bubbles, but in saltwater we want big bubbles...so don't use the littler air stone...I will attach a picture for you at the end of this post.
The live rock can go into the display or in a tub with a power head.
I don't know about the eel. It isn't good enough if it is immune "almost"... we don't want any critter the parasite Ich can attach itself to. Without a host, the parasite will die off in about 8 weeks. Snails, inverts, coral, and your live rock critters are not hosts, the parasite won't be able to live on them...so the tank needs to be fishless.

 

[squeegle]

Thank you. I'll definitely put some filter material in right away and get an air line going asap when I get paid. Things seem to be escalating pretty quickly. Earlier today he was swimming around fine and now he is mostly sticking to the bottom of the tank and not really moving around. I'm trying to get a picture but I can't seem to get one that isn't blurry.
I tested the levels in the potential HT and the ammonia was at .5ppm and the nitrates were 80. I'm sure this is just because it's cycling but I'm still nervous to put my trigger in there because I feel like it could potentially do more harm than good. How long usually do you have before the damage is irreversible? I want to do everything in my power to save this little guy. He has so much personality!

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Squeegle http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515193
Thank you. I'll definitely put some filter material in right away and get an air line going asap when I get paid. Things seem to be escalating pretty quickly. Earlier today he was swimming around fine and now he is mostly sticking to the bottom of the tank and not really moving around. I'm trying to get a picture but I can't seem to get one that isn't blurry.
I tested the levels in the potential HT and the ammonia was at .5ppm and the nitrates were 80. I'm sure this is just because it's cycling but I'm still nervous to put my trigger in there because I feel like it could potentially do more harm than good. How long usually do you have before the damage is irreversible? I want to do everything in my power to save this little guy. He has so much personality!
Hi,
You can't wait, ich is a parasite and it clogs the gills of the fish...dump the water that is in the HT and cycling.............Then do a water change in the display, but instead of dumping the old water ...fill the 10g with it, and put the new mixed water in the display. Take the filter material, and put in the penguin./Whisper filter. No substrate...no rock. Bare bottom tank, and a piece of PVC pipe or a plastic decoration for the fish to hide. Follow Beth's instructions about doing hypo, or use medicine to dose. A hospital tank doesn't have stuff in it to absorb the medicine, and the 10g makes it easy to know exactly how much medicine is needed per gallon. Don't forget the air line to move the surface water as well, you may have to borrow money if it's before payday. An air pump only costs about $12.00, $20.00 for a pump with to nubs to do 2 tanks at once (I think that is the best way to go) and the airline tubing costs about $4.00 for a big rope of it. They do sell little regulaters to allow you to run two lines off of one pump, but then you need a better pump then the $12.00 cheapy. (***** has cheap pumps).
Keep premixed saltwater handy to do water changes if there is a spike of ammonia at all. Get some strip type saltwater tests for ammonia only. That way you can do an instant check for any spikes...do a water change right away if any ammonia shows at all. You have to set up another hospital tank for the eel, I did a little research, and from what I have read, the eel is not immune to ich. It doesn't matter that it isn't showing signs...the display must go without any fish in it for 8 weeks, otherwise the ich will attack the fish as soon as you put it back in the display, and then your problem continues. So you need another 10g tank, or a 20g would be even better. That means another llittle filter as well for the second tank.
Don't be concerned about the water from the display being contaminated, the medicine or hypo will kill that off, and the ich without a host will die in the fishless display tank.

 

[jay0705]

If u need it cheap. Fishing dept in your local Wally world or what have you will have battery powered pumps. Comes w tubing just add batteries. There about 5-7 bucks. The batteries last about 3 days

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jay0705 http:///t/394901/my-first-time-with-ich-possibly#post_3515211
If u need it cheap. Fishing dept in your local Wally world or what have you will have battery powered pumps. Comes w tubing just add batteries. There about 5-7 bucks. The batteries last about 3 days
Those are perfect for power outages, but wouldn't you would want one with an electric cord for 8 weeks of use? The cheap comes out expensive if you tally up what batteries cost.

 

[squeegle]

Thanks for all the input. I do agree I think a chorded one would be better but I will look into both options. After work today I broke down the 10g I had going; took all the water, sand and live rock out and then put water from my DT in. Here's a pic:

my fish loves that stupid tiki and blue plant so I wanted to put them in there to make him as comfortable as possible. How does it look?

 

[flower]

You didn't put sand in there did you? Hospital tanks need to have a bare bottom. If your fish loves those objects and you are going to do hypo for treatment...that's fine. However if you opt to use medication such as copper...you don't want to use decor you want to keep. The copper treatment will kill inverts that live in your rock and your CUC. The copper absorbs into the plastic and you can't use it again in the display. Is the black looking thing on the right the filter? You have to move the water or it will go stagnant and then it's no good to use.
Get your airline going and be sure to have premixed saltwater handy so you can do a WC fast and easy if you get any ammonia spikes.