[mr_lock02]

I have a sick blue hippo tang. She has ich, or atleast I think its ich. I have had her for about 5 weeks and she has had the white spots since day 2. She has acted fine even though the white spots continue to show up. I tried no-ich marine and it seemed to do fine. At first. The spots left for a couple days and I continued with the treatment like the directions said, but the spots came back. She hasnt become sluggish, eats like a pig and swims around with my clown like nothing is wrong. She used to go over to my peppermint shrimp for a cleaning, but now I got an actual cleaner shrimp and she uses him now. The spots remain and now I just lost a green mandarin that I got the same day as the tang. It died today with white spots everywhere. I also lost 2 cardinals only days after getting them. I lost a purple psuedochromis about 10 days ago. I think she is spreading this disease, but Im confused because it seems not to affect her. So I got a 10g starter tank and hope to set up this hospital tank for her, and any new additions. Is there anything special I need to do for this tank? Will the ich remain in my main tank if I keep my clowns and a yellow tang still in it? Im lost and need to know what to do!!

[leebca]

Sorry to hear of the many losses and ill fishes. I'm proceeding on the basis that you have a correct diagnosis and that, in fact, your fish are infected with Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans).

My 'beef' with the 'miracle reef-safe cures' is that while they are used, the disease spreads and becomes worse and, as you've experienced, leads to unnecessary deaths. Whereas if the correct treatment was done at the start those fishes would likely still be alive.

Fish can and do develop a resistance and/or an immunity. They are infected or may be infected, but still live. But I'd like you to consider what this means to the fish: While infected, the condition is to the fish what would be to you and I like having two or three dozen mosquito bites all over our body. Not too comfortable? The fish is being stressed and likely loosing years off of its potential captive life.

ALL fish must be treated, whether or not they appear infected. They are to be moved to a hospital tank of appropriate size, or multiple hospital tanks. The least stressful treatment is to give them a hyposalinity treatment. However, since the infection has progressed so far, they should be copper treated. Since the fish you have are sensitive to copper treatments, the only copper medication I'd recommend you use is Cupramine. Cupramine is added in two doses to bring it up to the proper concentration. For this treatment, you need to have either the Seachem Copper test kit or the Salifert Copper Test Kit to keep the copper in the proper concentration. If the concentration is too low, the parasite won't be killed. If the concentration is too high, the fish will be poisoned.

The thing to begin with is reading:
Marine Ich - Myths and Facts
Copper - Treatment, Use, Problems

During treatment, provide the proper nutrition to all fishes AND provide immune boosters: Fish Immune Boosters

If the fish are removed from your display tank/main system and you leave that system fishless, the Marine Ich will die out in about 8 weeks or less. Leave it fishless for 8 weeks. After the fish are cured return them to their 'new' and disease-free aquarium. From then on, quarantine all marine-life and fish to prevent the parasite from getting into the display system.

Ask if you have questions. Good luck!