Feeling discouraged

[sooju]

Treating with hyposalinity is a lot of work, as many of you know, and I'm feeling very discouraged because a month ago my gramma showed the telltale white spots so I removed all of my fish to a hospital tank and have been keeping it at 1.009 or 1.010 and doing water changes at least every other day and yet my jawfish died, then my gramma died, and now my wrasse has died. All three fish that showed any sign of ich have died. The remaining two cardinals and three clowns look happy and healthy and wondering what the heck they're doing in a hospital tank. Are these results typical? Was I totally foolish to hope that I could cure the sick fish? I loved that wrasse, he was beautiful and friendly and curious.

 

[Innovator]

Of course you weren't foolish, but every dog has its day. Fish are difficult to remedy, but I rather bite the bullet in a controlled environment than possibly decimating a main display. Once you get used to proactive quarantine procedures you won't think twice about the work involved. The benefits far outnumber the negative aspects.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Agree 100% with Innovator. The other way to look at it is that if you would've done nothing and left those fish in the display and let them "heal on their own", they probably would've died also. And then you'd be sitting there wondering when the other fish would come down with it.

 

[ezy33]

I have had good luck using garlic extreme in the main tank. Any time I add a new fish or see any flashing i dose the tank and add it to the food. It won't cure Ich but will boost the immune system to help the fish cure it's self. I don't quarantine as I beleve the extra stress promotes Ick. I have yet to loose a SW fish to Ick.

 

[melosu58]

I agree with Innovator. It just wasnt meant to be on the fish that died. If they were too bad off than nothing would not have worked. QT works and I know many that have had good results with it.

 

[sooju]

Thanks for your encouragement. I will definitely quarantine any new fish I add from now on. I'm thinking about using this opportunity with a fishless main tank to rethink my stocking options. I'll probably keep one of the cardinals and take everyone else back to my LFS for credit (once they're done with treatment and back up to normal SG). That will allow me to add some more docile guys first, since the clowns were not very nice to new additions.

I'm considering adding a mandarin, since there will no longer be a wrasse competing for pods. I'd love to hear from anyone who has successfully been able to keep one. All I see when searching on this forum and others is failures and warnings, but there must also be some success stories?? Any suggestions for a successful quarantine period?

Would this group work in a 55G reef tank, and is this the right order to add them??

bangaii cardinal
green mandarin
yellow coris
royal gramma
flame hawkfish
ocellaris clown

 

[joeyfromlawrenceville]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I have seen you signature line about QT for Ich for a while it seems. I have been able to relate to you , as my fish went into hyposalinity Ich treatment on Dec 14th. It has been very hard on me, every night after work I do a 40-50% PWC in the 10 gal QT ( drip new H2O over an hour). Then make a new batch to 1.009 , put in PH and heater, test like crazy and such.I was amazed at the ammonia level even with all the PWC. I would take a sample of water every night and add salt to the sample to get SG 1.020-1.1025 so I can get a color to match the test stips. My ammonia still runs in the .025 range by next PWC. I worry about my fish as they all belong to my 6 year old daughter, she pays for half of her fish, and they all have names. I am hoping they make it through, as I caught the Ich very early. Just figure, all said and done it will have taken 40 hours of time and a bucket of salt to pull this off. Again, I know how you must feel going through that long of a treatment to loose the fish, that sucks, good luck with repopulating your tank to the way you want it, not that it is good, but you get a chance to do it again with more knowledge.

 

[sooju]

Thank you so much for your message. Yes, the hypo has sucked but maybe that's what I needed to drive home the importance of quarantining all new additions.

I'm lucky in that my hospital tank is 26 gallons with an HOB filter and a large piece of sponge that came from the main tank and with only five fish ammonia hasn't been an issue. I'm able to get away with doing water changes every other day to maintain pH and siphon out their waste. They've been in there since mid-November but I'm in the home stretch - only 2 1/2 more weeks to go. I'll keep my fingers crossed that all your guys make it through!!

Having learned my lesson, I now have a 10 gallon QT tank next to my desk (I work from home) so I have a little fishy friend to keep my company while I work. He's a cheerful yellow coris (wrasse) and he's getting used to tank life. It's so hard to believe that most of the fish we keep in our tanks were once swimming in the vast ocean and now they're surrounded by glass and expected to eat frozen or frieze dried foods!