ready to give up

[chill1]

I had a large tank got red slime bad so I got rid of it after trying everthing.Moved all my inhabs to a 37gal and started setting up a 135gal.Lost all my fish so last week I bought 4 damsels (small) to put in the 37gal which the tank itself is perfect, but my damsels are starting to get ick.I was going to use the damsels to start my 135gal. Me and my wife almost die ever time we lose a fish it kills us to see a fish go to waste. Is there anything I can do to treat the fish without hurting the tank and its inhabs.Willing to do any thing.Please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nick76]

U need to QT them, and then use Hypo or meds to kill the Ick.

 

[royal gang]

keep bumping this thread, see if the ick goes away

 

[nick76]

Originally Posted by ROYAL GANG
keep bumping this thread, see if the ick goes away
Once in the tank Ick will never completly go away without removing the host fish from the tank for at least 6 weeks.

 

[chill1]

so I had a clown fish die in this tank from ick and your telling me that the ick was still in the tank from that clown?

 

[chill1]

forgot to mention that I was planing on using the 37gal as a QT tank for the 135gal.

 

[renogaw]

yes, ich can live for up to 6 weeks without a host fish. look up the disease in the disease forum and how to deal with it.

 

[chill1]

do I need a protien skimmer for a 10gal QT tank

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by chill1
I had a large tank got red slime bad so I got rid of it after trying everthing.Moved all my inhabs to a 37gal and started setting up a 135gal.Lost all my fish so last week I bought 4 damsels (small) to put in the 37gal which the tank itself is perfect, but my damsels are starting to get ick.I was going to use the damsels to start my 135gal. Me and my wife almost die ever time we lose a fish it kills us to see a fish go to waste. Is there anything I can do to treat the fish without hurting the tank and its inhabs.Willing to do any thing.Please help !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First off, welcome to the boards!!!!!! Your DO need to qt your new fish, this will prevent disease from EVER entering your display tank. Please don't cycle your new tank with fish, there are many effective ways to cycle the tank. Live rock, live sand, even a piece of shrimp (the kind from the grocery store) All your new tank needs is an ammonia source to get the beneficial bacteria to eat and breed. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask!!!! There are many helpfull people on these boards that are more than happy to answer anything at all that you may be wondering about!!

 

[chill1]

I have a 150lbs of live rock cycling in the big tank right now I was going to put the damsels in that tank before adding anything pricey.Even though I find the damsels to be beautiful.I was going to use the 37gal as a QT tank but I have live rock and inverts in it as well from my last big tank that had the red slime .I guess im going to set up a third tank a 10gal as a QT tank didnt know what equip I would need to have just for a QT tank

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by chill1
I have a 150lbs of live rock cycling in the big tank right now I was going to put the damsels in that tank before adding anything pricey.Even though I find the damsels to be beautiful.I was going to use the 37gal as a QT tank but I have live rock and inverts in it as well from my last big tank that had the red slime .I guess im going to set up a third tank a 10gal as a QT tank didnt know what equip I would need to have just for a QT tank
For just a qt all you need is a filter, heater, and thermometer, perhaps a fake.......something (pvc pipe works well) for them to hide in. The rock is all you need to cycle the tank. If it were me, I would finish cycling the 135, add the stuff in the 30 and then use that for the qt. Don't add damsels unless you actually want to keep those fish. Please keep in mind that they are VERY territorial and will harass whatever else you put in there if you put the damsels in first!

 

[chill1]

I have the 37gal set up in my office and my customers enjoy it . So I was going to put the damsels in the big tank then move them back to the 37gal afterwards to keep for the customers . I think the ten gallon is my best bet what do you think I have everything here for it if I dont need a skimmer. I also have some old live rock I could put in the 10gal for hiding. I am very thankful for the help .I employ a guy that has owned and worked at many pet stores also has worked at zoos ,but he does not know everyting about saltwater tanks though he is a big help. So I turn to this board for help

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by chill1
I have the 37gal set up in my office and my customers enjoy it . So I was going to put the damsels in the big tank then move them back to the 37gal afterwards to keep for the customers . I think the ten gallon is my best bet what do you think I have everything here for it if I dont need a skimmer. I also have some old live rock I could put in the 10gal for hiding. I am very thankful for the help .I employ a guy that has owned and worked at many pet stores also has worked at zoos ,but he does not know everyting about saltwater tanks though he is a big help. So I turn to this board for help
A 10 gallon Qt would be OK if you are only planning on getting very small fish. If I understand you correctly, the 37 gall is in full view of the customers so you want it to look nice. Well, when you are QTing new fish the customers will be able to look at the new fish for 4 weeks. When your tank is stocked as you would like it, THEN you could put a damsel or two in the 37. They will have plenty to look at in the meantime. Let the 37 be the QT. If you qt all of your fish then disease will never be introduced into your big tank and you will have nothing to wory about. You could take a nice piece of rock from your display and put it into the 37 (please note that should you ever have to use any form of treatment in the Qt that the rock will then have to be removed) I do wish you the best of luck!!! Again, if there is anything that you are unsure about, please ask us!

 

[chill1]

maybe Im misleading here goes ,The 37gal is completely set up live rock shrimp green emarld 2 anemones snails and hermits .I know its to much oh also three damsels. I plan on putting some of this in the 135gal. Im going to set up the ten gallon and medicate the damsels they are small, but I guess know Im going to have to wait 6 weeks to put anything back in the 37gal as far as fish goes. My 135gal is about a month out before I cuold put anything in it liverock is still curing.The live rock I was planning to put in the QT is old and has been out of water for about a year so will medication hurt it ? Does all of this sound right and do you think the ten gallon is my best bet know or do you suggest something else.any comments are welcome

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by chill1
I have the 37gal set up in my office and my customers enjoy it . So I was going to put the damsels in the big tank then move them back to the 37gal afterwards to keep for the customers . I think the ten gallon is my best bet what do you think I have everything here for it if I dont need a skimmer. I also have some old live rock I could put in the 10gal for hiding. I am very thankful for the help .I employ a guy that has owned and worked at many pet stores also has worked at zoos ,but he does not know everyting about saltwater tanks though he is a big help. So I turn to this board for help
you will never ever get them out unless you totall take down your rock. don't invite the beings of death into your tank unless you want to keep them there.
don't put live or base rock (which is basically what you have now) into your qt. if you have to medicate the tank the live rock will die and you'll get ammonia spikes. just put some pvc fittings from your local plumbing wholesaler or something made specifically for salt marine tanks from your local pet store. i have a sanitary tee in my qt along with a litlte mountain with a hollow base.

 

[symon]

Sorry to hijack the thread, But i was under the impression that ick parasites lived in the fish naturally, so there is no way to rid yourself of them completely!
You need to control the environment , limit the stress to the fish , increase the turn over rate to your water column, proper filtration!
So yes running the tank empty for 6-8 weeks will kill an infestion of ick, if you do not cure the problem that caused the outbreak, You will get it again!
This is how i understand it, someone correct me if i am wrong!
I can feel the flame coming!

 

[chill1]

If that is true then why the 6 weeks at all.Seem like it would be a waste of time

 

[symon]

Not a waste of time, once the infestation has happened, with fish in the tank you will never be able to fight them off, it will eventually take your fish. But that's why they are saying to run the tank free of fish to allow the life cycle to run it's course, And in the hospital tank you will need to medicate the fish to rid them of the parasite aswell!
On the main page it an archived section that so really good folks have put together trying to help us all! https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/f/
As i was saying before, I personally think that this parasite lives in all fish, just not at a high enough rate to kill them ( in the wild) But once it has the confined spaces of our tanks, it is now allowed to build up in greater numbers!
So with that said, ( as i was saying before) once you have the infestation , you will have to QT and med your fish, BUT you still have solve the issue of what is causing the stress that is in turn causing the outbreak!
Again, I am by no means an expert, I am only going by what i have read, there is some personal experiance thrown in, I have dealt with ick and won, I had to reduce the amount of fish i was keeping, I can now enjoy my tank without alot of stress myself !

Shesh, that requires way to much thinking so early in the morning!

 

[chill1]

I have read about some stuff that is for controling ick not curing I wonder if it works Probiotic marine formula I thought about ordering it today it says it is a desease preventive