Ick? (pics)

[ironmanxl1]

http://home.nycap.rr.com/ironmanxl1/tank/clown001.jpg

http://home.nycap.rr.com/ironmanxl1/tank/clown002.jpg

http://home.nycap.rr.com/ironmanxl1/tank/clown003.jpg

I bought this clown two days ago. He seemed fine the first day but he has been hanging around the bottom
of the tank and not swimming as much as his buddy. I currently have the two clowns a just bought and 1 damsel.
I think i remember him and the other clown
having these same spots on them on day one. The spots on the other clown are gone.
The sick clown is breathing heavy and hasn't eaten today. Do I have the dreaded ick?

 

[steve-s]

Do I have the dreaded ick?

At first glance it would appear so. The fish shows no other symptoms? cloudy film or color loss?

Cheers
Steve

 

[ironmanxl1]

No cloudy film, but he is looking a little paler than the other clown.

 

[steve-s]

You need to quarantine all the fish and treat with either hyposalinity if you have a refractometer or copper (preferabley cupramine).

Cheers
Steve

 

[spongeynip]

and if you have shrimps or unsecured corals or other inverts, you might want to remove them since they are intolerant of copper based meds.

 

[steve-s]

Do not add copper or any other kind of med to your main system. Remove only the fish and acclimate/transfer them to a quarantine tank. Then begin the treatment.

Cheers
Steve

 

[ironmanxl1]

Unfortunately i don't have a QT right now and I won't be able to make one until next thursday. The other clown is starting to act up as well. This is what I get for cheaping out and buying fish from Petco.

 

[SeriousDude5]

Looks like ick grr. I would suggest a cleaner shrimp hence the name cleaner they will clena the ick off natures way of curing ick.

 

[steve-s]

natures way of curing ick.

Nature didn't intend for the fish to be cooped up in a glass box. The only reason biological cleaners are effective in the wild is the fish is not confined to a given space where it is at risk of repeated infestation. Cleaner shrimp do not eliminate the parasite only remove some of the overtly visible signs, cleaner wrasses or gobies have absolutely no effect either.

Cheers
Steve

 

[SeriousDude5]

Thank you steve didn't know that learn something new everyday. But yes then you will need to quarintine them and treat them with a medicine not the main tank though because it will harm corals ect. in future. As mentioned above I belive.

 

[Phyl]

Until you can get your QT up and running dose Garlic and Selcon in their food. Also if you can find fresh ginger in your grocery store (usually in the produce isle) fresh ground ginger added to their food. You won't be able to "cure" it this way, but you can help your fish fight it off until you can properly QT them all. Good luck.