Possible Ick Outbreak or Stress Reaction?

juliesfish

juliesfish

Member
Well, this is what I get for putting off setting up a qt tank. I bought a little blue hippo tang yesterday. Got him home and acclimated him properly. I noticed a few hours after adding him to the display tank that he was rubbing against some of the rocks. I found out that this can be a symptom of ick so I checked him out and he has a tiny white spot on his side. I'm assuming this is ick. We also noticed tonight that his tail is looking kind of shredded. Does anyone think this could be a stress reaction to being moved yesterday? I'm going to get a qt tank set up tomorrow. Don't have a refractometer yet, so I'm going to pick up some copper medication also. I'll have to order a refractometer, don't think the lfs has one.
Oh, he's eating well, and otherwise acting fine. I put some green seaweed under a rock and it took him a couple of hours, but now he's eating that too and seems pretty happy.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
could be a sign of bad water quality or another member of the community picked on him in ur DT or the LFSs....wat size tank is this? (urs)
 
juliesfish

juliesfish

Member
90 gallon
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 10
Don't think it's the water quality. I tried to get some pictures. Don't know if anyone can see well enough to diagnose ick.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Well from the white spots in the pics and that fact that you purchased the fish that has been branded as the King of Ich. I feel pretty safe to say I think your fish has Ich. I could be wrong, it could be sand particles. But my money is on Ich.
It's tail fin (caudal) is pretty tore up too, is someone picking on him?
 
juliesfish

juliesfish

Member
Yeah, we noticed his tail fin tonight. I haven't noticed anyone picking on him. The only other fish I have are an ocellaris clown and a firefish. Both are very calm and non aggressive. I was pretty sure it was ich too. Will set up a hospital tank and qt all of the fish tomorrow. Pretty sure I'm going to have to take a lot of my rock work apart to get that firefish. Oh well, guess we'll just take advantage of this moment to rearrange.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member

and that fact that you purchased the fish that has been branded as the King of Ich.
LOL
Yeah, it is ich. Yeah hobbyists who wish to have fish in their tanks need to have a QT set up as much as they need to add salt to water. You will need to treat all your fish now, since they have been exposed.
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/386687/possible-ick-outbreak-or-stress-reaction#post_3397853
Well from the white spots in the pics and that fact that you purchased the fish that has been branded as the King of Ich. I feel pretty safe to say I think your fish has Ich. I could be wrong, it could be sand particles. But my money is on Ich.
It's tail fin (caudal) is pretty tore up too, is someone picking on him?
Sometimes tangs get a rough/tore tail from all the scratching on the rocks - the tail gets beat against a rock everytime he scratches. I've seen tails just like the OP's on tangs with ich in a DT with Live Rock.
 
S

siptang

Guest
Welcome to world of Dori.... I have never yet encountered a person that didn't have to deal with ich with blue hippo tang at least once.
Looks like its getting tore up if you look at the tail. Treat the tank quickly to get rid of this pest because it will potentially kill everything.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang http:///forum/thread/386687/possible-ick-outbreak-or-stress-reaction#post_3397972
Welcome to world of Dori.... I have never yet encountered a person that didn't have to deal with ich with blue hippo tang at least once.
Looks like its getting tore up if you look at the tail. Treat the tank quickly to get rid of this pest because it will potentially kill everything.
LOL...You have now.....I have a blue hippo tang...got her about quarter size 3 years ago.....she is in my 225G and I have NEVER had ich

I also have no QT....DO NOT RECOMMEND this......just saying
 
S

siptang

Guest
I stand corrected.
I had 3 hippos before 1st one was size of a quarter and it just died next day. Second hippo wiped out my tank one time and my third and current one (size of Kennedy half dollar) came down with ich also which I had to treat with quick cure on DT. I know... Yikes...
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member

I also have no QT....DO NOT RECOMMEND this......just saying
 
Are you kidding? You can't post in the Disease Forum if you are anti-QT.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I lost my hippo....I got it when it was the size of my pinky fingernail..smaller than a dime. Oh the hell I went through to get rid of ich, and that fish ... if no other fish would be affected ..he would, even a tiny water change stressed it enough to get it again because the parasite was in the DT and it was a reef so no meds worked. I had too many fish to quarantine and leave the tank empty for 6 to 8 weeks.
He lived 6 or 7 years with me, and was over 5 inches, now my tank is so empty...90g is really too small for them so I won't be replacing him.
Juliesfish...it sure is a cutie...After you clear the tank of ich...I hope you have it for many years. I got into saltwater because I loved that fish...I had no idea they needed such a large tank, I had a 55g back then.
 
S

siptang

Guest
yea... pain in the butt that fish is... treat it with extreme care you must.
 
juliesfish

juliesfish

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siptang http:///forum/thread/386687/possible-ick-outbreak-or-stress-reaction#post_3398312
yea... pain in the butt that fish is... treat it with extreme care you must.
LOL! Just had a Yoda flashback. Yes we are taking care of him. I think I'm very lucky he seems like a strong little guy. We now have all of the fish in the hospital tank being treated. He is already starting to look a little better. And yes, I do think he tore up his caudal fin scratching against the rock.
Just a quick question. Do I need to put an air stone or anything in the hospital tank to oxygenate the water? I'm not sure that the filter that's on it is enough.

And I have so learned my lesson. From now on when a fish is brought home it will go into quarantine. I am lucky to have a LFS not too far away with very healthy fish. But I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. And I have to look on the bright side. We rearranged our rock into a nicer shape since we had to tear everything apart to get to the firefish.
 
S

siptang

Guest
nice lol.
air bubbles won't hurt although filtration system should be sufficient as long as there is gap between water coming down and the tank.
good luck with your fish! I will post pic of mine. She's doing freaking fantastic and is a pig that eats EVERYTHING. Fights with triggers for food and that says for something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top