Yep, the problem with reef keeping is not having an Ich outbreak but keeping a reef tank with expensive, showy, beautiful fish like tangs.
I've been keeping salt water fish for almost 40 years now and have had reef tanks for the past 20 plus years. Learning from experience, and I'm retired now and have worked in a pet store part time... fish dept. I've talked to a zillion people about there fish / tank problems.
What I'm getting at is that for a large part of aquarium keeping its our own choices which get us into trouble... such as expensive ' ornamental ' fish in a reef tank.
We all know we can not effectively treat fish diseases while they're in with inverts. But we mix the two nonetheless... bad idea ! Ornamental fish belong in a fish only tank. Inexpensive ' write-off ' type reef fishes belong in a reef tank.
When disease breaks out in a reef tank with ornamental, expensive fish in it we never net up the fish and move them to a hospital tank... the whole tank needs treatment but we can not possibly subject our corals and inverts to about the only thing that'll effectively check Ich... and thats copper.
Also, a reef tank is more than corals and inverts... there's myriads of tiny creatures lurking in the shadows which all add to the life and the joy of the reef tank. So now what ?
If I were you, I'd start a second tank with the fish only... after cycling, I'd put in all my fish from the reef tank and leave it alone... enjoy it as is for a time and add inexpensive reef fish to the first tank... but showy, ornamental, expensive, beautiful fish rightly belong in a fish only tank since they are biologically a world apart from corals and inverts .
After I'd start up a fish only tank and am satisfied everyone is cured, I would then add some live corals to the ' fish only ' tank. That would give me nice flexibility in having an option I do not have with keeping just one tank.
In review... the first reef tank has common, inexpensive reef fish which, if disease breaks out, they are expendable. No treatment to be given by reason of chemical additives... just keep a high end UV light going... even a diatom filter.
The second tank would be a fish only tank with high end, expensive fish and no corals... never put in inverts. A few easy move corals could be added for show but at least I have the option of moving the few corals to my first reef tank should disease break out... then I could treat with copper.
Anyway, conscience tells me to blame myself for keeping a reef tank with expensive fish... fish and corals are biologically worlds apart and should the fish catch disease it is a complete hassle to treat them effectively... everything outside of copper is nothing more than snake oil.
