Marine Ich - Which Treatment?

[indir-emir]

Hi everyone,
Just noticed an ich outbreak in my tank tonight Was not there this morning, but i see it on two fish so am quite angry with myself mainly as i know where it came from. Anyway enough of that, have been googling the crap out of this and there seems to be a few different ways to treat.

The most popular of which seems to be hyposalinity. Im just curious, what is more effective at treating ich, the "3 tank method" or hyposalinity treatment? The 3 tank method being moving the fish to the next tank every 3 days and letting the other dry out for atleast 24 hours to kill remaining ich (cant remember scientific name now, stressing out) incase people arnt sure on what that is.

If i use the 3 tank method, over a month they shud all be removed from the fish... Down side of this stress of moving fish every 3 days + no filter so my need water changes alot... While down side of hyposalinity is, the low salinity is stressfull to the fish over the 6 week period (thats how i understood it anyway).

Also, what QT sized tank would i need for my fish, i have:
1 x Coral Beauty Angel
2 x Occy Clowns
1 x Cleaner Wrasse
1 x Lyretail Anthias
1 x Mandarin Dragonette

All fish are still eating well, and are otherwise in a good condition..

Would a standard 2 foot tank suffice for the 6 weeks? Or would i be better of with a bigger tank? Or splitting them into 2 x 2 footers?

Also do i need to treat the starfish + snails + peppermint shrimp? Or can they stay in the DT for the 6 week no fish period... From what i understand the inverts are not affected and can stay in the DT for the 6 week period.

Oh and also, how do i filter the QT tank without any live rock or already cycled sponge/etc? Does the QT need a power head for just the fish?

Thank you in advance, im a bit stressed out after seeing this

 

[ben1987]

in my experience the most effective way to rid your tank if ws is to properly treat the fish in a qt and allow your display tank to run fallow for around 12 weeks

 

[indir-emir]

Thank you for your reply. However, i have made the decision to treat the fish in a QT tank. just need my answers above answered as i am a little confused on a few things...

But it looks like im on my own with this one.. Going ot have to sort of wing it and do a fair few water changes.

 

[seffieuk]

Ben is right,what he failed to say is treat the fish with a copper based medication to rid them of the ich - dont mess around moving them from tank to tank it will just stress the fish and they will never get better!! To use the copper based meds you will need to leave your inverts in the main display tank.

You can use just an external filter in your QT tank with a powerhead to keep the clowns happy, they like flow.

Now what was your other question......oh yes, size of tank - the two footer isn't great but better than leaving htem in the tank

Seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Thanks seffie.

I am going to use the hyposalinity treatmnt as i dont wish to use copper to treat my fish. It can have severe effects on their organs (and have one case when using fresh water fish which this ended up the case (i believe so anyway))...

Can i split the fish up into 2 x 2 foot tanks? Or use a single 3 foot tank for the all?

I have no filter with seeded media, so it would be an uncycled filter.. If i treat with hypo salinity can i grab a rock or two out of the display tank to keep the tank free of ammonia and nitrites along with water changes?

 

[seffieuk]

If i treat with hypo salinity can i grab a rock or two out of the display tank to keep the tank free of ammonia and nitrites along with water changes?

Yes you can, be aware though that you will kill any bacteria etc on the rock the same as it will kill the ich, so will not filter ther water after a while.

Is it just the clowns at the moment? Clowns have been known to develop what looks like ich and then after a couple of days it disappears!!

seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Nah its the anthias and my cleaner that have it. The other fish appaer to be unaffected (visually). But am going totreat them all..

Going to be a HUGE pain in the #16##### to get the mandarin out, she loves the rock work lol.... Long day ahead of me tomorrow. Nee dto guy buy some makeshift QT tanks (plastic tubs ) with some power heads. And pick up a whole bunch of salt water for water changes, plus some RO water to lower it slowly.

God damnit Didnt think and i didnt want to put my feather duster ( who trns out is a feather star ) out of water and got ich a few days later Sigh.

 

[indir-emir]

Ok managed to find a 150L plastic tub which is outside filled up to make sure it wont break apart if i fill it up lol. So this should be big enough for all the fish

Now, how do i filter this thing so i dont kill the fish while i try to treat them to prevent death lol... I know i cant use the live rock as itll become useless due to the hyposalinity treatment itll go through. I have a HOB filter that was used on a diff tank which from memory is rated at 40gallons or something along those lines (not sure where the box is but ill find it)... Can i grab some media for this thing and hook it up? OR would that just end up cycled after the 6 week period and not help me out in the situation?

Is my best option just to do daily water changes (bit expensive since i buy NSW ).

Also, do i need a power head? If so what size would be enough? Is a 400L/h power head enough?

I will set up some PVC pipes and things along those lines as hiding places.

Thank you in advance for the help.

 

[seffieuk]

Is my best option just to do daily water changes (bit expensive since i buy NSW ).

Also, do i need a power head? If so what size would be enough? Is a 400L/h power head enough?

Yes, it probably is - just do a 10% water change ever day along with testing every 48 hrs to check on ammonia etc

I would put a small powerhead in, just to create flow, our fish tend to be happier with some flow and of course, dont forget a heater and a lid!

Seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Thank you seffie.

Is a 400L/h power head good enough? or go smaller liek a 200L? or larger?

Should i bother with the HOB filter to help out with keeping ammonia down along with the 10% water change daily?

I will be using fly screen meshing over the top so i can check n the fish and prevent them from jumping out... This should be ok though i think. Heater will be there, but its getting into warm spring times for us in aus so it wont come on much i dont recon.. Going to try ad keep it in a colder and quiter room though...

 

[seffieuk]

Too be honest, the powerhead isn't 100% needed, they just enjoy the flow, so anything will be ok imo

Wht not put the hob on, just keep a check on your stats

Dont forget to take us some photos please of the QT set-up

Seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Will do seffie.

For now it is just a 150L plastic tub untill i can get a hold of a cheap 2 x 18 x 18 glass fish tank. As that is all i truely have room for (which is about 130L i think).

Going to start treatment tonight, hopefully all goes well..

 

[indir-emir]

After a few hours of dismantaling the tank, catchin the fish and rescaping the tank (not by choice!) i have finally got the fish in the QT tank.

Sadly, i must have startled the anthias quite badly and it must have hit something as its jaw was stuck open, it appeared to be dislocated and i did my best to help it out but sadly i have lost it So RIP my lyretail anthias (Named peach by the missus).

Going to start reducing the salinity tomorrow, so the fish can have a rest tonight.

The qt tank is 150L plastic tub, with pvc pipes for hiding places, and a little HOB filter for the sake of helping deal with the ammonia, etc (has not been cycled). Will be doing daily 25L water changes on the tank to prevent ammonia, nitrite and nitrate problems.

I have also put fly screen pegged to the top of the tub as i have no lid, and this is to prevent the fish jumping.

I am hoping my mandarin is still eating frozen and will try to feed them tomorrow night. The mandarin was fairly stressed and had lost a fair bit of colour but im hoping it will settle back in and be okay...

Hoping to bring the salinity down to 1.009 in 2-3 days. Will put about 20L of fresh water into the tank every 12 hours or so to bring it down by approx 0.002 points every 12 hours.

Photos and hwat not will go into my journal. ALong with the process of eliminating ich so people can follow it in the future (and for my own personal reference in the future).. So tired and sore right now.

 

[seffieuk]

How is it going?

Seffie x

 

[indir-emir]

Hi seffie,
Posted on my journal but no one seemed to be following

Im still reducing salinity as ive been flat out with uni the past week as well as work. So only reallybeen doing 20L change per day. Am currently at 1.013 i think it was. Going to do the last 20L change in the morning and hopefully it shud be down to 1.009-1.010. Im shooting for 1.009 though.

Have not seen any signs of ich as of several days ago however... My cleaner wrasse had what appeared to be ich (stupid plastic tub, need to find a 2x18x18 tank so i can see through the side) spots.. Not many, but a few. However, since ive been dropping the salinity and monitoring have not seen any signs in about 2 days now... So hoping everything is going to be ok..

My goni in the tank is doing great guns. The new scape is nice and i quite like it. I believe my peppermint shrimp has released shrimplets into the display tank.. She had brown eggs for a week or so (that i saw) and had greeny brown eggs for a week or 2 before that. Now it appears not to have any eggs left, so i think they may have release into the tank.. What are the chances for them?

My fish have not been as keen on rushing to the top when i come by for food. However, they are eating. Which i am pleased about. Even my cleaner is eating mysis again, after a day of not eating.. The coral beauty hides a fair bit but comes out and gets the piees that sink deeper in the water..

Not 100% sure if my mandarin is eating.. However the bottle that i fill with a bit of mysis for her gets emptied between feedings.. So something is eating it lol... Only other fish that can fit in the bottle/diner is the cleaner wrasse, but again im not sure if its her or not... Not sure how to test this..

Im becoming more and more interested in purchasing and underwater webcam and hooking it up as a live feed to see what goes on at night

ANyway, that is about it for now Pop over to my journal for a few updates pics and such..