ich?

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lilismom1

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Jul 22, 2003
Messages
154
Location
fort lauderdale, fl
this morning i added my kole tang to my display tank after 2 weeks qt at lfs and 2 weeks to the day in my qt tank. after about 4 hours i noticed a teeny tiny white spot, like a small grain of salt, at the very tip of his dorsal fin. i did not notice this spot before but could have missed it due to the much inferior lighting in qt tank. i also witnessed him rubbing up against a rock on a very brief journey out from behind them. i'm not familiar enough with this fish to know if this is normal. he was fine in qt. i didn't notice anything weird. what do i do now? if it is ich and i remove him immediatley are the rest of my fish going to get it? what about the whole garlic thing? someone please help because i am very upset. i've tried so hard to take every precaution with my tank and i'll be heartbroken if my little guys get sick.
 
If it is ich, the best thing to do for him is to QT and properly medicate it. The Garlic is not a cure all. For the most part, I think the only thing its is really meant for is to help entice a fish to eat who is not eating. Your other fish are also in danger of getting ich as well. I think the best thing to do is remove all the fish from your display tank QT and medicate them, and leave the desplay tank fishless for no less than 4 weeks. I am fairlly new to this hobby so this advice is to the best of my knowledge. Someone please correct me if im wrong here!
 
lilismom1,

Even though it was in a QT system at the LFS you should still QT the new fish at your residence for no less than 4 weeks prior to placing in the main display tank. Even if the LFS had the best intentions do not trust the safety of your tank and animals to unknowns. This longer period allows for more beneficial amount of time to pass for possible maladies to show up. The garlic as two11devan has said should not be used as a remedy but can in fact be used as an aid to help the cure you choose.

two11devan said:
I think the best thing to do is remove all the fish from your display tank QT and medicate them, and leave the desplay tank fishless for no less than 4 weeks. I am fairlly new to this hobby so this advice is to the best of my knowledge. Someone please correct me if im wrong here!
Exactly correct (y)

I would recommend either copper or >>hyposalinity<<

Cheers
Steve
 
well it was EXTREMELY difficult but i got him out of the main tank and into qt. i have not treated him yet because i'm still not sure what it is. my lfs says i need to relax because apparently i overreact about things. my boyfriend said i've been driving them crazy with all my questions and i guess he was right. anyway, the fish is acting normal again. eating great (no garlic) and not scratching (only saw him do it once). i'm going to observe him and see if something changes before i subject him to chemicals that may not be needed. i have GREENEX just in case. do you have any advice on this product? i know that you recommended copper, but i'd rather try the hyposalinity or the greenex because i have live sand in my qt. it was the only tank before we bought the 72gal.
 
If those are the only options then I'd go with the hyposalinity if it is indeed ich and not simple paranoia :wink: .

Just be very careful to read and follow the instructions in the link provided. Remember that all fish need to be treated for long term effectiveness. If you treat only the one fish, the others in the tank are still at risk of the subsequent theronts as they emerge from their reproductive cysts. Before you take any additional action, please be sure of what you are treating!!

GreenEx contains malachite green and quinine hydrochloride, not what I'd consider very friendly ingredient and not always very effective.

Cheers
Steve
 
is there anything that will not kill my sand? provided that i have to use something to treat the hypothetical ich! and yes, i will treat all the fish. i do not want to prolong this process, should there be one, ha ha. and by the way, what link? maybe i am crazy!
 
The link was in my first post to this thread.. >> http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

No treatment will allow for the safety of the fauna in the sanbed really and still be affective against C irritans. It will howver have no affect on the bacteria and will still provide the necessary nitrification as long as the bacteria has been fed.

Using a substrate in a QT is highly unrecommended for this reason as well as being able to absorb medications making it unstable. It can also be a concern of releasing meds back into the water after treatment is done. Hyposalinity will not have those concerns but will still kill the fauna.

Cheers
Steve
 
Fauna are the animals that live in the sand, worms, pods and other macro life. The bacteria is not considered fauna and most treatments except anti-biotics or extreme heat will have no affect on bacteria.

Cheers
Steve
 
well, still no change with the white spot. has not gotten any more either. cleaner shrimp jumps on him frequently and doesn't eat that one spot. what else could it be? i tried to take a picture but it's so small you can't see it.
 
well, still no change with the white spot. has not gotten any more either. cleaner shrimp jumps on him frequently and doesn't eat that one spot. what else could it be? i tried to take a picture but it's so small you can't see it.
 
lilismom1 said:
well, still no change with the white spot. has not gotten any more either.
Might not be anything worth concern then. Fish do get abnormal marking as well as other "unidentifiable" blemishes. Keep watching but if nothing developes and your other fish remain healthy , then just enjoy.

cleaner shrimp jumps on him frequently and doesn't eat that one spot. what else could it be? i tried to take a picture but it's so small you can't see it.
I'm guessing the fish is still in the main tank with the mention of the shrimp?
If you do ever get the opportunity to post a pic in future by all means 8)

Cheers
Steve
 
i bought the shrimp two days ago just for him. i put him into the qt tank with the tang and he jumped right on him. the tang seemed to really like it. he opened his gills really big so the shrimp could get in there. it was sooo cool. that shrimp has been over every inch and i've seen him at the "spot" but doesn't eat it. i thought i'd need to keep them both in qt for four weeks. right?
 
yes indeed. QT all new additions to your tank.

can I ask how you are acclimating your fish, to the QT tank and from the QT to your main tank?
 
i have tubing with a little valve that i use to drip them into a bucket or pitcher depending on the size. it's been taking about an hour. so far everyone has done great even the corals. the tang was already in qt but i thought i saw ich on him so i took him back out. the reason i had him qt at the store for 2 weeks is because i had another fish in there already and i didn't want to start over. also, this is suggested in the article on qt as an option or i wouldn't have excercised it.
 
i have tubing with a little valve that i use to drip them into a bucket or pitcher depending on the size. it's been taking about an hour. so far everyone has done great even the corals. the tang was already in qt but i thought i saw ich on him so i took him back out. the reason i had him qt at the store for 2 weeks is because i had another fish in there already and i didn't want to start over. also, this is suggested in the article on qt as an option or i wouldn't have excercised it.
 
well, the "spot" has been gone now for 2 days. don't know whether it fell off or was eaten by shrimp. the majority of it was gone the first day and the tiny bit remaining disappeared day 2. if this was ich about how long before it starts to manifest itself again as "spots"?
 
lilismom1 said:
if this was ich about how long before it starts to manifest itself again as "spots"?
Anywhere from 1-7 days depending on how many trophont left the fish to become tomonts and multiply. It can take upto 2 weeks before a few parasites becomes an infestation.

Cheers
Steve
 
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