Question about ICH and QT tank.

[kelley5454]

Hi, (I'm a newbie and glad to be here!)
I have read most of Beth's posts and think they are great! Here is my question. About two weeks ago my coral beauty died from some type of infection (had cloudy eye and a couple of white spots) my LFS gave me melafix (I think thats what it is) Now I have noticed my royal gramma has a few small white spots on her tail fin. (my cleaner shrimp apparently doesn't clean this).
So, I think she might have ich, there are 3 other fish in the tank. 2 green chromis, 1 yellow tailed blue damsel. They show no signs. I know that hypo is the way to go, here is my question.
How long can she make it without hypo?
Current water is:
80 degrees
0 nitrite
0 ammonia
0 nitrate
8.1 ph ( I have ph buffer)
salinity is with a plastic hydrometer around 1.022 or something like that. I can check when I get home. I know I will also need a refractometer, where would I find one for a reasonable price?
I have a new 55 gallon currently cycling and I was going to move all the fish, inverts LR and LS in it and use my 12 as a QT tank. But the 55 is not ready for all of the inverts yet and I can't use it as a QT as I have curing LR in it. I think it maybe another week or two before it is ready and I have no other tank.
Will she be gone by then? Is there something I can do to keep her holding on until I can QT her and her tank mates and do hypo? She is swimming around in the mornings before the light turns on but is acting a bit strange and I don't think she has eaten much as she has been hiding during feeding time.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Kelley

 

[beth]

Hi, Kelley, and welcome to Saltwaterfish.com!
The swing-arm plastic hydrometer is pretty unreliable, and measuring salt is very important for marine animals. You can get a refractometer for around $50. in online hobby stores, including Saltwaterfish.com. It a a vital instrument ad pretty much need for hyposalinity.
In the meantime, you're best bet is to get a glass hydrometer. They run about $12 and should be available at your local fish store. You may also be able to get a refractometer there as well, but be sure it measures salinity as well as specific gravity.
Ich is highly contagious and could kill your fish pretty fast, so if you have this problem, now is when you need to treat it. If you can move your live rock over to your new tank now, that would probably be the best bet. What are the ammonia and nitrite levels in the new tank now?
You could ready treating the tank your fish are in now, if you can move your live rock and inverts. Know that you may be contaminating the new tank with ich as well, but if that tank is left without fish for at least 3 week, ich will die off there.

 

[kelley5454]

Beth, Assuming she is still alive I will test the new tank as soon as I get home and post the settings here. I am a bit worried about moving my rock and inverts in there as the new rock has only been there a week and had some pretty funky stuff on it. (I posted pics in a thread under newbies)
I am trying to call my fish store to see if they will stay open for me to get the glass hydrometer or refractometer.
Would I also need to move the LS into the 55 gal?
Kelley

 

[beth]

Alternatively, a rubbermaid container from home dopot, a heater (if needed) and a couple of powerheads will make a great temporary home for live rock and inverts (not corals or anemones).

 

[kelley5454]

Ok it was a no go on the hydrometer refractometer but I have ordered one. Sherbert (the royal gramma) was out swimming a bit and did come out to eat a bit of dinner (am feeding marine cuisine) I have noticed no new spots they are still just on her tail. I am testing the water in the 55 as we speak.
Any ideas without the hydrometer?
Kelley

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by kelley5454
Ok it was a no go on the hydrometer refractometer but I have ordered one. Sherbert (the royal gramma) was out swimming a bit and did come out to eat a bit of dinner (am feeding marine cuisine) I have noticed no new spots they are still just on her tail. I am testing the water in the 55 as we speak.
Any ideas without the hydrometer?
Kelley
Add some fresh, it must be fresh (see Beth's FAQ for crushing it), garlic to the fish's food. Did you get a time frame for when your refractometer will arrive?

 

[kelley5454]

Ok the numbers for the 55 gallon tank would kill anything. For Nitrite it is way above 5 as a matter of fact I have never even seen that color before when I did the chemical test! Nitrates are off the charts at 80 - 100 ph is 8 - 8.2 and Ammonia is .25 or so.
I will get the garlic on my way home. I am so worried I do not know what to do, she is hovering next to the heater when she is not in her hole and I think I saw another small spot on her forehead, just above her eyes in the middle.
Does anyone have any suggestions for these fish while I am waiting for the 55 to cycle? I would be very upset if the one sick fish I got a month ago (it dies) killed these other 4. I can't wait till the 55 is ready that way I can use my nano for a QT tank.
Kelley

 

[beth]

It could be spot due to lymphocyctis, not ich. Take a look at the picture examples in the Diseased Fish Thread, and info on lymphocyctis in the FAQ Thread.

 

[kelley5454]

Beth, she pretty much looks like the picture of the hippo tang, with small dots on her fins like in that photo just not as many. I would take a pic of her for you but I can't get her to cooperate. She either hides behind the heater (nose facing the sand tail facing the surface) or she hides in her whole....I read the garlic post. How much garlic would I put in if I feed my fish 1/2 of a little marine cuisine cube? I really hope she makes it until I can do hypo on them.
You have been great so far! Thank you so much!
Kelley

 

[kelley5454]

Ok I gave them garlic like in Beth's post. But she is swimming on her side and now I can see litlle tiny specks all oill chasingver her face. she is fighting hard and stil is chasing off the chromis and the damsel when she can...I wish there was something I could do. I tried to take pics but she is not cooperating. Is there anything I can do??? fresh water dip anything? She's my favorite fish....
Kelley

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by kelley5454
Ok I gave them garlic like in Beth's post. But she is swimming on her side and now I can see litlle tiny specks all oill chasingver her face. she is fighting hard and stil is chasing off the chromis and the damsel when she can...I wish there was something I could do. I tried to take pics but she is not cooperating. Is there anything I can do??? fresh water dip anything? She's my favorite fish....
Kelley

I wouldn't do a fw dip. So your fish have ich. Do you have a refractometer? Do you have LR and inverts in your tank? Can you remove them to a tub or another tank? BTW, hippos lay on their side when they are stressed. Don't count her out yet.
Nitrates are off the charts at 80 - 100 ph is 8 - 8.2 and Ammonia is .25 or so.
These need to come down big time!!!! This is stressing you fish even more.

 

[al mc]

Kelly..To bring the nitrogen products down (trites and trates) large water changes and the use of a product to bind them like Amquel plus until the tank becomes fully cycled should/could help.

 

[kelley5454]

um the trates and trites are in the new 55g tank. There are no fish or inverts in it because of that. What I have done is give her fresh garlic twice and medicated the tank lightly with No-ich. I know this will not kill the ich but she is feeling better. I am just trying to get her to hang on until the 55 is ready for inverts. Because then I will move the LR LS and inverts to the empty 55g and do hypo in the nano. She definetly looks like she will make it long enough. She is not hiding by the thermometer anymore and she is swimming and eating. I am keeoing my fingers crossed.
Kelley

 

[kelley5454]

So believe it or not the royal gramma is still hanging in there. She has days where she just does not look good at all but she is a fighter. I was able to move all my inverts and LR to the new 55g DT this weekend (there is some mention of this tank, which was confused with the nano tank). I have begun hypo in the 4 fish in the nano tank. So far we are down to 1.0185. I never new it would take so much water to bring the salinity down. It should be down to where it needs to be by tomorrow morning, I just hope it's not to stressful on her and doesn't kill her after all she's been through. Wish her luck. Also the new DT tank nees to remain fish free for awhile as I moved the old LR from the tank the ich was in to the new one correct?
Thanks
Kelley

 

[kelley5454]

So the gramma has been in hypo with her friend Damsel for a week. She still has spots. I am absolutely certain it is not lympho, it looks just like the ick in the tank. My water levels are good (zeros all the way around, 1.009 - 1.010 sailinity, 79 degrees) Is there anything I can do to speed this along? There are no inverts or rock in the QT. I have rid ick but I stopped using it when I started hypo. I could probably move the Damsel its healthy as an ox, but I don't want to shock it changing salinty levels too fast, or take it out too soon. Shouldn't some of the ick have fallen off by now?
Thanks
Kelley