Ich...

[knhassan]

Hello,

I'm new here and referred by a friend. I have 65g tank with 20g sump/fuge. Got ich on Banner Fish and 2 Clowns, moved them to QT and treated with Organi-Cure(copper). Clowns becomes clean in 2 days but Banner Fish still sick and not eating for 4 days.

She is covered with slime layer and lots of white spots all over the body. still swiming around but not eating anything and health is going down daily. I have some pics of her but can't figure out how to attach here. Please advise how to attach pic and how to treat her. Thanks!

Hassan.

[leebca]

For help with posting photos, I can't help you. But, you might go to the Photo Forum and ask Poseiden or send Poseiden a private message.

WELCOME HASSAN TO REEFLAND!

Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) isn't there. It takes weeks to eradicate the disease using copper. It goes through different life stages and the only one we can see is when it shows up as spots on a fish. A fish can still be infected and yet the parasite wouldln't be visible.

Copper is a poison. Not all fish respond well to a copper treatment. The sick fish could be reacting to the copper, it's not clear. A response to a copper treatment could generate a stop-eating scenario. It can also cause the fish to generate more mucous in its coating. I know that if I was using Cupramine, I would not be concerned about this possible poisoning. Then what would be 'blamed' is the stress the fish is under. A stressed fish will often stop eating as a first sign of stress.

I suggest for you to read this post:
Copper - Treatment, Use, Problems

If you want more information on the disease itself, this relatively short article has information:
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html

You want to be feeding immune boosters to the fish, if they are eating:
Fish Immune Boosters

I think after reading all the above, you might choose to continue the treatment and hope the fish pulls through, or to change the copper treatment, or to change the type of treatment to a hyposalinity (which also kills Marine Ich with much less stress on the fish).

During any treatment, controlling QT water chemistry and and quality is a challenge. Holding the pH steady is very important to the fish and its mucous coating.

[knhassan]

Thanks Lee, Since I have used Copper for past 4 days, I will try Hypo salinity now. Hope that help the poor fish.

[Reefland]

Re: Attachments:
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After posting, the image attachments may display a thumbnail, depending on the forum settings. To view the contents of the attachment (if it is not already displayed) simply click the filename link that appears next to the attachment icon.

[knhassan]

Thanks, Here are the pics.

[leebca]

Photos don't help too much, Hassan. Too blurry. The spots are obvious but not clear enough for me to say for certain that it is Marine Ich. I'll trust your diagnosis.

Be sure to remove the copper from the aquarium before you lower the salinity. Copper in low salinity can be lethal to some fishes.

Controlling pH in a hyposaline solution is difficult but essential. Hold the pH constant, but check it two or three times a day.

Good luck! Keep us informed. Let us know if you have any other questions.

[knhassan]

This afternoon, she looked better less white spots on the body. I don't know if its freshwater dip or whats worked. How can I remove the Copper from the tank. I have skimmer running since last night and also have 2 clowns in the same tank.

[leebca]

You can reduce the copper by a copper absorbing material, water changes, carbon, etc. As you dilute the salinity with water, make a large water change, would by my suggestion since you should be dealing with a small volume in the QT, but if you want to speed up the process, use a copper removing agent/absorbing material. Skimmer helps if the copper is bound to an organic molecule. A skimmer will help but only a little when the copper is chelated, and finally not much at all if it is free copper.

Just keep in mind that the number of spots is no indication of cure, improvement nor out of trouble. Give it the time it needs and keep watch for signs of infection. Good luck!

[knhassan]

Thanks Lee for all the help, Banner fish died last night

False Clowns are still in the QT with Copper. How long should I keep them there and in what conditions. Once I moved them over to DT, how should I clean QT. Thanks!

[leebca]

If you are continuing to treat with copper, follow the treatment guidelines provided by the medication manufacturer.

If you have now switched the treatment to a hyposalinity treatment, then watch for spots closely. When you no longer see any spot, continue the treatment for 4 more weeks. You should be controlling the salinity by use of a refractometer, not hydrometer. After 4 weeks, raise the salinity to normal over a period of 1 week. Then, hold the fish at the normal salinity for 3 more weeks to verify they are in fact cured. Treatment is then over.

With copper having been in the quarantine tank, you want to aggressively clean out very low quantities of copper. If the tank is glass, clean first with diluted bleach. Rinse in tap water. Clean then with diluted vinegar. Rinse in tap water. Clean again with a liquid soap solution in hot water. Rinse in tap water several times. Rinse in RO/DI or distilled water several times. Cleaning is over. However, don't forget equipment. Either it must similarly be cleaned or discarded/replaced.