Marine Ich in the DT

[Kevp99]

Hi Lee, I have been reading some of you threads regarding marine ich and would your advice please??? Some info for you; I have had my tank for about 6 months and now I seem to have a really bad breakout of ich. I have researched the Internet to make sure it is ich and all the signs point to ich!! My regal tang, cardinals, yellow tang and Banner have it, My regal is the worst! I don't use a sump I have a Fluval 305 and a protein skimmer and I'm thinking about setting up a QT so I can use a copper medication! Any advice would be brillient! Thanks p.s The fish seem ok and feeding like normal as well, ammonia and nitrites are ok nitrate is a little high salinity 39.

[leebca]

I moved your post into it own thread, since it was a shift in topic from the thread it was posted in. No biggie. . .

Well Kev, the best advice is to start with this post and just follow it along: Curing Fish of Marine Ich

Very sorry to hear this. If you care about fish like I do, then I can imagine how you must feel right now. It is rather heartbreaking to find this parasite in the display tank (DT) running the show. Your fish have become a bit of an 'all-you-can-eat buffet' for the parasite. I would suggest getting the parasite out of the DT system and then keeping it out. Like you'll read, the abbreviated process is to move all fish out of the DT and treat them. Let the DT system go fishless for no less than 8 weeks. Keep all the snails, crabs, worms, and other invertebrates in the DT system. Keep the DT system running 'as usual' at the usual temperature, lighting, etc. Keep feeding the life in the DT system and do regular water changes and the usual maintenance, until the time passes.

As for the treatment, I would choose using Cupramine as the copper treatment. The parasite has gone too far it sounds, and you need to get relief to your fish as soon as you can. The above link takes you through the treatment process. Not sure if this medication is available to you or not. If not, then choose a chelated copper medication that is available, follow its directions, and then hold the fish in quarantine to verify they have in fact been rid of the parasite.

As for keeping it out. . .After it is out of the DT system and your fish are safely back in you want to use a quarantine system before introducing any life form into the system. That is, you don't want to reinfect the DT system.

If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.

[Kevp99]

just got back from work and the regal is getting worse, dont think she is going to survive much longer! i have my QT already to start but unsure how to set this up, i have read a lot of different threads regarding the set up of a QT, and this is what im going to do; fill my tank with water from the DT, insert my sponge filter and place some plastic ornaments in there for the fish so they can hide. is this ok? i will turn on the lights only when i feed them and monitor the temp and water parameters every day. how long till i can add the fish to the QT? as i think i need to do this straight away!!also when do i need to add the cupramine?

[leebca]

If the filter is not ready to handle biological filtration, you compensate until it can by doing daily or even twice daily very large water changes. Waiting for the filter to become 'seeded' is not in the interest of your fishes. As you noted, time is short.

Set it up as you indicated, using DT water. Might leave a room light on. Turning lights on and off can be upsetting to the fish. Just leave a low wattage light on (over the tank or in the room) during regular daylight hours. The parasite doesn't like light, so you don't want to make the parasite too comfortable and yet you don't want to make the fish too uncomfortable.

Once setup, move the fish into the QT. Once fish are in, add the first dose of Cupramine (follow directions -- you add one dose now, then another dose the next day). Measure the amount of copper in the water after each dose to make sure your dose was correct.

Get ready to make large, frequent water changes. Make sure the incoming water has Cupramine in it, at the proper copper level. All incoming water after the initial setup needs to be newly made up water. You should follow these guidelines for making such large water changes: How to Make a Successful Water Change Try to make water changes above 75% if you can. Make a water change anytime you detect the presence of ammonia. Take ammonia measurements 1-2 hours after the feeding. Remove all uneaten foods within 1 hour after feeding time.

Eventually the filter will be seeded and start performing biological filtration. Still, every other or third day you want to change out the water.

The above info is in the QT post and you should look that over, to make sure I haven't missed some important detail.

[Kevp99]

Thank you for your advice, my QT is up and running! all seems good in the DT no ich as well! but i noticed my salinity has dropped a lot it's at 0.015 think my flat mate was using just RO water when changing water whilst i have been away! How can I get this back up to normal? Also my yellow tang is ill I think she was eating fine yesterday but today she hasn't eaten a thing, also I can see what looks like her stomach it's red any way! All other water peramiters are fine but I haven't been able to check my ph! Wat should I do as I don't want lose my tang!!

[Reefing Madness]

Thank you for your advice, my QT is up and running! all seems good in the DT no ich as well! but i noticed my salinity has dropped a lot it's at 0.015 think my flat mate was using just RO water when changing water whilst i have been away! How can I get this back up to normal? Also my yellow tang is ill I think she was eating fine yesterday but today she hasn't eaten a thing, also I can see what looks like her stomach it's red any way! All other water peramiters are fine but I haven't been able to check my ph! Wat should I do as I don't want lose my tang!!

Your supposed to only use RO/DI water when doing a top off. If you used saltwater your SG would rise to much. So a 50% water change, bring that SG back up above 1.017, at minimu. I noticed in you rother thread that your Trites are up also, your water change is what you want at this point, you have to get the stress off the fish.