Ich/Ick or whatever its called. I think I have it

[gopens]

Well just what the title says. I think i have it. This last Friday, I had a close friend and a LFS owner swing by my house to check my water levels for me (my test kits are on there way via internet). After checking all my levels, he informed me that everything is perfect. All my levels are were they need to be. so I asked what my next step is. He told me if i wanted, I could pick up a few cheap hardy fish and see what happens. So I picked up a couple damsels (sp) and a couple clownfish (I know they weren't all that cheap, but reading some articles on line, they seemed hardy). Lets remember this was friday. Well one of my clowns started showing this white flakey looking stuff on him the next day (saturday). But all fish seemed to be doing great. Swimming around and eating. well yesterday, I looked really close, and I saw a tiny spec of white, on the second clownfish. but again, they all looked great. Well this morning, I got a good look at the damsels and they too have some white stuff on them. All my fish have this white stuff on them, and one of my clownfish isn't looking all that great. he seems week. but all the others seem to be fine. Now, how can I treat this problem, or can I. I have read stories were people will catch there fish and put them in a "hospital tank". that is not an option for me, being when i just open my canopy doors, the fish will swim and hide. thanks and any help would be awesome.

[CCR]

White spots, probably ich, but flaky stuff, remember pics, pics,pics. And catching fish!!! Who is smarter? our water conditions may have showed perfect, but adding 4 fish, to a new tank, at the same time is a no, no. You changed the bio load overnight.

What are you feeding??

and how often?,

and how much?

Ick is a stress condition

When your water was checked. Did you keep a log?

[Michael7979]

....... but adding 4 fish, to a new tank, at the same time is a no, no. You changed the bio load overnight.

What are you feeding??

and how often?,

and how much?

Ick is a stress condition

When your water was checked. Did you keep a log?

 

What size tank? But I agree 4 fish at once is a huge NO NO!!

[gopens]

Well I don't know if this matters. but they were not all the same day. I know I made it sound that way. I added the damsels early friday. than I added the clowns mid-day saturday. i figured with them being such a small speciman that it was no big deal. I am not sure what I am feeding them. The LFS gave me some food from a huge foil bag that he uses with his fish. it is green flakey stuff. I feed them 2 times a day with each time being a good pinch worth. i have been reading about feeding them fresh garlic from another board. is there a way i can treat them in the show tank. I am still trying to complete this set-up. i surely don't have the scratch to run out and do a q-tank. i will get some pics up in a bit blaine. i know the rules, lol. Thanks

[Michael7979]

You should have waited a week or two after adding the damsels. Two fish at a time is a stretch on the bio-load unless the tank is very large. The tank needed time to adjust to the new load. Adding the clowns on Saturday was where you ran into problems and most-likely is the stress that caused the ick outbreak. Just my $.02.

[Reefin']

well i think your clown has Brooklynella. does it look like something is sloughin off? by the time you notice it on the fishes body...its to late........also sounds like your other fish have Cryptocaryon Irritans (ich)...i would do a 30% water change and THEN next you need to lower the salt level(hyposalinity) GRADUALLY from 1.025 to 1.009 by removing some water from tank and replacing with fresh water(dechlorinated).....any lower could be harmful to fish......lowering salt does two thing ....... kills the tomouts (ich offsping) and make it easier for the fish by not having as much salt to process in their body(conserves energy) i would do this for a minimum of 4 wks.. 6 wks. is prefered.......the water change is to lower the bad water conditions that arised from the bioload shock, which is what caused the outbreak.......... and you can do the treatment for ich in your tank being its only fish in there at the moment, other wise you would need to do it in a hospital tank

.....id help with the clown but at this point it would be a waste of money, beings that you would need to have the meds on hand to administer at first sign..........FYI in the future i would add fish slowly and add only after being quarantineed first to watch fish for illnesses before puttin in and infectin others........here is more info on the exact procedure....HTH

 

 

http://petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

[SnowboardKid26]

Hypo salinity will also kill the ick. If you don't have any corals in there you can try upping your salinity to 1.030 and keep it there for a week. I haven't done it, but my good friend does with his FOWLR tank.

[SnowboardKid26]

oh yeah, and DON"T PUT ANY COPPER MEDICINE in there if your going to keep any corals EVER!

[Reefin']

Hypo salinity will also kill the ick. If you don't have any corals in there you can try upping your salinity to 1.030 and keep it there for a week. I haven't done it' date=' but my good friend does with his FOWLR tank.[/quote']

 

i think he meant Hypersalinity....youll need to get it up to 1.033, but this is more harmful to the fish than ich.....check out this link,scroll down about half way and it mentions hypersalinity

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2004/mini4.htm

[gopens]

so are you saying that the clownfish are not treatable and are going to die.

[CCR]

so are you saying that the clownfish are not treatable and are going to die.

 

 

Welllll. not good. Do a little reading of the links, re adjust salinity. And as above^^^. do not, again, DO NOT use ANY type of copper treatment

[SeanF]

Unfortunately a lot of times they will die once the parasites become visible. The parasites have already been working over there gills while the parasites were still small. The other thing to keep in mind is that the parasites have about a 30 day lifecycle in your aquarium so if you want to prevent the next fish from getting it you will need to keep your aquarium free of fish for that long. For what it is worth you might set up another small tank to quarantine your new fish in before adding them to the tank because most stores don't do anything to prevent parasites from accumulating in their tanks. The other thing is that Aquarium Systems just came out with a nice new medication called Lifeguard that is an antiparasite, antibacterial med. The only thing with using this med is that it destroys at least most if not all of your beneficial bacteria so you have to keep an eye on your levels.

[Nyles]

QT your fish! Get a rubbermaid tub and a filter, nothing fancy and do water changes as needed. I have a QT tank for my fish and treat with copper (simple acrylic tank), and I have a QT for my corals thats copper free. NOTHIING special, you dont have to go buy a tank, its not for show.

 

If you want to have good success your going to need to get a QT setup, without it if you have any trouble with anything, you will infect others. Kinda like taking your kids to school. :(

[gopens]

QT your fish! Get a rubbermaid tub and a filter, nothing fancy and do water changes as needed. I have a QT tank for my fish and treat with copper (simple acrylic tank), and I have a QT for my corals thats copper free. NOTHIING special, you dont have to go buy a tank, its not for show.

 

If you want to have good success your going to need to get a QT setup, without it if you have any trouble with anything, you will infect others. Kinda like taking your kids to school. :(

 

thanks for the advice. I am going to set up a q-tank. but how do I get my fish out of the tank. Do i have to tear down my rock work everytime or is there some trick i can use i.e. ACME, lol. Also a heads up, one clown is dead. I am so bumbed out. Its not really the money that bothers me, its the fact i feel i failed at this. oh well. Thanks guys and gals

[CCR]

Ok Snap out of it!!!!(threaten) SH*t happens, your not alone. To catch fish. Try this. put yur net in the tank. And leavit for awile. Let them get a little use to it. After abit, your going to comaly go to your tank, with a little food. if you can turn your flow down first, this will help. Your gona have food in one hand, pinched between your fingers, as you don't want to just put it in. The sent from the food to bring them out, and as there comming out, maby a flake releast, to get them closer, as in the other hand your gona have the net, move very slowly,don't move all around or have soeone walking up to the tank and spook em, If you have stopped feeding them, this will work a lot better. Now you MUST very carefully click your heals 3 times, and say "I can do this, I am smarter" again, no fudging either, Must be 3 times. Now if this doesn't work, you fudged. I suggest you setup a video camera. So we can be sure you did this right.

 

It is very depressing to loose a fish(es)> We all have, and feel your pain. good luck, and report back.

[SnowboardKid26]

i don't use rock in my QT.

[Nyles]

If his trick dont work you will need to make a 2 liter bottle fish trap, they never work for me but others swear by them. Cut the top of a 2 liter off (clear type is best) and take the label off,You want it as invisible as possible. Take the top you cut off right before it turns in... and turn it upside down. It should be glued in like that. So where the mouthpiece was is now facing inside the bottle. Put food inside and you may need to cut it a little to make big enough for fish.

 

The alternative and works well for me up to a 6" fish:

Go to walMart go to the storage section, get one of the clear rubbermaid tubs about 8" x 8" x 6" square (they are about 97 cents. These snap close and are hinged. I drill a hole next to top by the hinge and one near where it hinges. Run a string through so when you pull the string it forces the lid shut. Drill 2 holes in the back bottom and tie in some stinky food. it may take a few days. I actually recommend throw in the trap, and don't feed for two days. Then pull the trap out and get some food in there, you can try first day but they usually wont bite.

 

 

Worst case get a 20 gallon rubbermaid tub or a few in alot of cases and put your rock in there while you fish him out.... But with patience you can get them.

 

OH and I almost forgot... clowns get easily blinded, so if you know where he hangs out wait till 3-4 am and shine a light in his eyes, they will usually be stunned for 10 seconds or so, but act quick. Good luck and FYI clowns are one of the easier ones to catch!

 

Nyles-

[CCR]

Yea, still, only after he chants!!!!!!!!!!!!! And last, a barbless hook with shrimp, works every time