Purple Tang Covered With Ich

[jktenpro]

I have a tang in a 20 gal quarantine and he has had ich for about 5 days now. He is almost totally covered(more than in the last couple of days), fins, body, gills and eyes. I have just dropped down to hypo levels tonight at 1.009 but not sure if it will work in time. Should I maybe do a fresh water dip.
He is breathing a little harder than normal, still eating well and not even scratching on anything, but looks bad.
My other isssue is the quarantine has spiked the last four days.
Ammonia-.25 to .50
Nitrite-.1
Ph 8.3 (added buffer)
Temp 79
I even went and bought Bio-Spira last night and 2 hrs after adding it I was like wow.
Ammonia- under .25
Nitrite-0
I thought it was doing great until this morning the levels had spiked again. Obviously have been changing water to bring salinity level down but not sure how else to do it. Actually the nitrite is up a little from yesterday. I have had 3 other fish in the quarantine prior without a problem with spiking and they are doing great in my 90 gal.
He is thick and maybe I've been feeding a little more the last few days but nothing that he hasn't eaten so I don't understand the spike. I have 2 HOB's, an Aqua Clear and a Millenium both for up to 40 galons. My first experience with Ich, and he dosen't look good to me.
After all of that, I am just wondering if the hypo will work in time or should I use copper(Seachem's Cupramine which I have) at this point, even though it will diminish the good bacteria. and maybe an idea on how to bring down ammonia

 

[beth]

The reason he is breathing hard is because of the ammonia and nitrite! Did you just set that QT up? Add some sand from you display to the QT. Do water changes.
What are you using to measure salinity? Are you checking pH?

 

[jktenpro]

The quaranteen has been set up for 6 months thats why I dont understand the spike. I have monitored the Ph and added buffer.The Ph seems to be holding at 8.3. I use a refractometer for salinity. I changeed 15% of the water 4 days ago and bringing the level down to hypo I've been changing it should I do more. I will try adding some sand from the main, anything else. He is still looking the same this morning but definitely not listless and eating

 

[beth]

How did you keep the QT cycled in the absence of fish?

 

[jktenpro]

I fed the tank every other day sometimes feeding a little more to see a spike and push the cycle without the presence of fish and the ammonia and nitrite stayed at o for the most part. The last fish I had in there was a firefish about 6 weeks ago and kept him there for 3 weeks with no problems. The tank didn't spike at all. I went three weeks without a fish until the tang and fed the tank like I have always done but this time I'm having touble but fine for the first week the fish was in quarantine. I know I'm feeding him more than with any fish prior.
I added sand this morning and tonight:
Ammonia-,25 to .50
Nitrite- .1
Ph 8.2
Like I said I added the Bio-Spira one night and Amquel Plus one night, with the Bio-Spira initially helping to drop levels faster than the Amquel Plus but both short lived. Would both of these products decrease the nitrifying bacteria overall because I am suprised by this continued spike, both Salifert and Am Ph test kits.
The tang tonight(one day into hypo) is still covered with spots, darting a bit more, but robust, energetic and eating well. I feed, Formula I,II, mysis, ocean plankton, Julian Spring's green seaweed, alternating the meats and seaweed(soaked in Selcon) every other day and feeding once a day. I added about a pound more sand tonight.
I would appreciate any more suggestions Beth and thanks.

 

[jttenpro]

The tang is about the same with maybe a minimal decrease in spots. The ammonia seems to be up a tad this morning(about .40) and I only fed him a few pieces of seaweed last night. Could the salinity at 1.009 be effecting the test kits, I wouldn't think so. I did add Amquel Plus(2nd time in a week) this morning. Should I maybe do a 20% water change tonight, and so, would it be better to take it from the main tank or use new water, aged?
Have to get this ammonia down somehow, this fish is a trooper!!

 

[beth]

Use amequel and keep doing water changes. Add sand from your display into the QT.

 

[jttenpro]

The tang has been in hypo for 8 days now, 1.009(refractometer). The spots have cut down a lot but still on eyes about 10 spots on each eye(2 days spots were almost gone) some on the fins and a few left on body. His breathing is not labored and still eating fine. My quaranteen seems to still be going through a cycle. I have added more sand from my main and have been changing water every other day or so about 20%.
Ammonia .1(down from .4)
Nitrite .5>
I must not have been feeding the tank enough in the absence of fish for the few weeks before adding purple tang for this semi-cycle to be happening(first time experiencing this). I even added an Emporer 280 filter to the tank and left the bio-wheel in my main for a couple of days all for naught.
Adding Amquel Plus still ever other day but only an immediate change for a few hours or so.
Questions:
Any other suggestions for bringing down nitrite or does it have to cycle on its own? Does the product cycle work?
Could adding the sand from the main tank and going from 1.025 to 1.009 be causing a spike from the bacteria dying?
People say to leave the fish in hypo after all the spots are gone for 3 to 4 weeks, and since its been 8 days and some of the spots are still there will an additional 4 weeks, after they are gone, weaken or kill the fish?

 

[jktenpro]

Anyone

 

[unleashed]

amquel does not remove ammonia from the tank it only detoxifies it making it safer for fish so you will still get a reading of ammonia .you can however be roving more beneficial bacterias by removing too much water in a short time trying to reduce these reading (i made this mistake once.)add some bacter vital to this tank it will increase ammonia and nitrate eating bacteria.I have found I prefer Prime over amquel it also works for nitrate chlorine and chlorimine..keep feeding your tang .you can also add the selcon directly to the tank water giving it more effectiveness through absorbtion direct to the bloodstream through gills.i also use thera+A non medicated antiparesitic formula pellts by spectrum 2 times per day part of thier reg diet.my fish love this stuff very high in nutrients and garlic with a high diet of aglae based foods.and seaweedselects also soaked in selcon on a clip in qt for grazing at leasure

 

[shameless]

try a fresh water dip

 

[jttenpro]

I thought about doing that when he was completely coved but now with his spots at a minimum I figured the fresh water dip would just stress him out more with the water parameters not the best.
This morming:
Ammonia .1
Nitrite .4>
I think maybe I was doing too many frequent water changes like unleashed said and I am wondering if there is die off from the live sand I was adding from my main tank. I read elsewhere that bacteria will die from live sand in hypo conditions, but who knows. It seems just letting the tank sit is bringing nitrite down a little quicker so no more water changes for the time being.
Just wondering if the ich should be gone by now, he still has a few spots 10 days into hypo.
How much longer should he stay in hypo?

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by jttenpro
I thought about doing that when he was completely coved but now with his spots at a minimum I figured the fresh water dip would just stress him out more with the water parameters not the best.
This morming:
Ammonia .1
Nitrite .4>
I think maybe I was doing too many frequent water changes like unleashed said and I am wondering if there is die off from the live sand I was adding from my main tank. I read elsewhere that bacteria will die from live sand in hypo conditions, but who knows. It seems just letting the tank sit is bringing nitrite down a little quicker so no more water changes for the time being.
Just wondering if the ich should be gone by now, he still has a few spots 10 days into hypo.
How much longer should he stay in hypo?
he will need to remain in hypo for at least 30 days possibly longer depending on how soon the fish clears up

 

[jktenpro]

The purple tang has been ich free for one week, will stay in hypo for 3 more weeks.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-.1(was up to almost1.0)
Everything is well and thanks for advice