Gotta Love That ICH!

[tazielin]

Question on ich, unfortunately bad timing on new fish addition, but I recntly bought a Majestic Angel to add to my tank. After added, noticed an outbreak of white spots. I began using Ich Attack immediately. QT is not possible due to size of tank (210 gallons) and amount of fish in it. Show tank has become hospital tank. Anywho...my question is that the other fish (not all) have the white spots, but the angel is not showing anything yet (had less than a week)...is one option that I haven't had the "baby" ich yet and thus there are none on the angel? I know it's also possible that the angel has them, I just can't see them. Just wondering if my opportunity time to kill the ich is arriving shortly...next day or so...is this a good assumption?

[leebca]

ALL fish are infected whether they display spots or not. Best for you to learn more about Marine Ich.

Here are some things for you to read:
Marine Ich - Myths and Facts
and
Curing Fish of Marine Ich

I understand your challenges ahead, but don't make the challenges into absolute impossibilities. Too many fish for one QT? then use multiple QTs.

[tazielin]

Thanks for the info. I have now decided though to just make my showtank into a hospital tank. I only have hermit crabs in it (the big red kind) and so thought I couldn't use copper as these are invertabrates. Well my local LFS told me that I can use copper on hermit crabs as long as those are the only inverts in there. So I have now switched to copper because I was sick of the high nitrates from Rd-Ich. And no I will be doing things to get rid of the nitrates to help reduce the fish stress. Let m know your thoughts. Thanks!

[leebca]

It sounds like your LFS is working from experience. That is, your LFS puts low level copper in their marine water and they have had hermit crabs in that water for quite some time. As to the claim this is okay, I disagree.

I don't like hermit crabs at all -- they are reef terrorists as far as I'm concerned. But they are life. I would not put any invertebrate through the copper treatment process.

If the substrate and decorations have been removed from the treatment tank (which they should), it would be no great effort to remove the crabs.

[reefhead728]

Hi Lee one quick Q & A, Do you think i would be safe for Tazielin to us Tupperwear containers as small QT if he/she wouldnt be able to place every thing in just one QT tank?

[leebca]

Containers rated for holding food are usually okay for use for marine fishes. The downside is not being able to observe the fish from the side (unless the plastic is clear).