Purple Tang W/Ich Hospital Tank ??

[fishforme]

I've got a 90 Gallon Reef Tank, 100Lbs LR, 20Lbs LS, Cleanup Crew (Hermits, Snails, Crabs), Blonde Naso, Blue Headed Wrasse, Orchid Dottyback, Clarkii Clown, Multitude of Corals and A Blue Haddoni Anenome (http://www.slabe.net/Reef.htm). My Purple Tang looks as though he has ich, little white spots on his body -- almost like he was sprinkled with some salt. Now... as of today, I do not have a quarentine or hospital tank however, in my garage I managed to salvage a 30 gallon tank with extra Argonite sand and an old freshwater type hang-on-the-tank bio wheel type filter. It's not plugged in yet, but I will be getting it together ASAP for a Quarentine/Hospital but I don't think it's going to be of any help for a while. This brings me to my point -- how do I get rid of the ich at this point. I read everything on the hyposalinity technique but I have questions: I can't just remove the purple tang into a quarantine tank because the ich still exists in the other fish? Do I have to remove all the fish into the other tank and then treat them all? Does an anenome count as a fish?
Next, my hospital tank isn't setup yet. Even if I get water in it tomorrow and let the sand settle and get a damsel in the tank by Wendesday, it's still going to need to cycle. That might take a month or so at which point all my fish will be dead? Someone please help. I'm willing to do anything to save the expensive fish (the Naso, the Blue Haddoni, the Purple Tang).
Hopefully I won't have this problem in the future with a Quarantine/Hospital Tank...

 

[ren]

ya know that ya are gonna catch it from terry for not quarentining! I think that if you can use the main tank water your hospital tank won't cycle (too bad) but you need to get the fish outta the main tank and it needs to sit fishless for a month. Otherwise all will die. Now once they are all out figure how you are going to treat- perfered here is hypo however you MUST use a refractometer for accurate salinity which is critical. Read Mr. Tangs post on hypo therapy for procedures. If you decide on another route maybe copper? This seems to have worked for my purple tang (Still in treatment but he's survived!). you should post more info as tank parameters too. BUT, IF YOU ARE SURE ITS ICK, time is of the essence! My purple went downhill FAST!!!!

 

[fishforme]

Terri,
Let's assume that I use 15 Gallons of water from my Main Display into my 30 Gallon Hospital Tonight (that won't fully cycle the tank though -- will my fish live through that?), do I then transfer ALL my fish into the hospital tank including what appears to be the healthy ones and treat them all with HypoSalinity and then after three weeks put them back into the main tank display?

 

[jester]

Do not use sand in the qt tank. No substrate at all. Just use a few pieces of pvc for hiding.

 

[harm89]

Yes, all fish have to go into the Q-tank & you should not have a base, just a bare tank. You could use a hang on filter, use a poly filter instead of a carbon & test the PH often you should be fine. Hope everything works out for you!!!! If you are still unsure? Do a search on HYPOSALINITY it will help!!Good luck.

 

[fishforme]

One Last Question: How the heck to catch all the fish?

 

[harm89]

Try to use a plastic bowl of some sort, do not use a net you can hurt the fish. But make sure the plastic piece you use is big enough & long enough!!!!