My first encounter with Ich

[two11devan]

I just purchased an Eibl angelfish and It now appears to have ich. No, I did not QT it before I put him into my tank and now I'm paying for it (i tried the QT tank with some chromis before and I couldn't keep the ammonia levels down so I gave up on the QT)It has been in the tank for 3 days and I'm noticing spots around his face and a few along one of his sides. One of his eyes is a little cloudy and I saw him flash today.

How can I treat this guy? I will be more than willing to set up a QT but I need to know what size tank I should use. If I run a sponge filter in my sump how long can before I can even set up the QT? Will it be too late?[/i]

 

[ezy33]

IMO it's too late for a QT. I would treat the tank with garlic.

IME I use garlic in the water and on the food. I have never lost a SW fish due to ICH and I don't quarantine, unless the fish is getting stressed by the other fish. When I stocked my 180 and spotted the first signs I added so much in the water (a little at a time) I could smell it. Every time I fed the tank, I would soak the food, with a squirt for the tank. After a couple of weeks and a couple of water changes all was right. now if I see a fish scratch it's self I put garlic on the food for 2 or 3 days.

From the advice from a high end LFS owner. He said ICH was like the common cold, It's always around and you catch it when your immune system is compromised. Moving a sick fish to a QT tank adds to it's stress. Stress=Ich.

I've been told on this site that garlic won't cure ICH. Garlic Extreme works for me.

 

[two11devan]

I'm sure the guy was stressed to the max when I first put him in. My yellow tang terrorized him the whole evening. He chased him and smacked him around with his rear fin and 'spike'. I originally thought the spots on his side was from the tang but now I'm leaning towards ich.

Could I try hyposalinity in the main?

 

[seaham358]

Can you take a pic? Your not sure its Ich? Ich looks like salt stuck on the fish, and it usually will show up in more then one spot.
What do you have in the main tank? Inverts, corals..

 

[two11devan]

Got a few pics. The best I could do for now. As far as the main tank, I have 1 yellow tang, 1 sailfin tang, 1 watchman goby, 1 6 line wrasse (got the same time as the Eibl), some crabs and hermits...just added a banded star and a sand aifting star. No corals yet.

I looked at him this morning and it looks like his eye has cleared up. Haven't seen him rub at all today but the "spots" are still there.

 

[melosu58]

You cant do hypo in the main. Your inverts will not make it. I personally dont think that Garlic will cure ick. It has it`s purposes but IMO that is not one of them. If you are not going to QT then you`ll need to make sure of excellent water conditions and make sure he is feeding. Here is a good article on garlic by one of our members.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/sp/index.php

 

[two11devan]

I purchased a sponge filter and will set up a QT tank but I realize it will take time to run the filter in my main sump before setting up the QT. How long do you suggest I run the filter in the sump prior to transferring it to my QT. I had a 10 cal QT before with a biowheel and lost my chromis due to ammonia. the filter was in my QT for over a month if I recall correctly and I couldn't keep the ammonia down. This time I plan on getting a 15-20 gal QT tank. Is this a good size?

He is eating well and very active. I will treat food with garlic (can't hurt I guess) in the mean time while I wait for the bacteria to build up on my sponge filter. Should I QT him even if he shows no signs in a week or 2? I realize the ICH will probably be in the different stages within the tank so I guess my only option would be to QT all of the fish?

Based on the pics do you think its ich? The spots look like raised bumps. I originally thought they were wounds from my tang beating him up.

I bought an Elite Sponge Filter like this one.. http://www.amazonmoosey.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jncoiserm

Will that work?

 

[melosu58]

Do me a favor and read this article on QT

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.php

Also some good info on ick.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-10/sp/feature/index.php

 

[two11devan]

I have read all three of those articles...good info. The QT article mentions running the filter in the sump one week before setting up the QT. The last time I set one up I was told to run it for at least 4 weeks. Thats why I asked about the time frame.

Do my pics look like the fish has ich? I have seen pics of ich and they look like white salt flakes. This guy looks like he's got raised bumps, almost like pimples.

 

[two11devan]

Anyone??? Do the spots look like ich? They almost look like white pimples on the fish, not specks of salt. My sponge filter has been in my sump for almost a week, going to purchase a new QT tank and set it up soon. What size would you suggest? 15 or 20 gal? Thanks!

 

[Agnate80700]

If its pimple-lookin its probably not ich. Ich definitely looks like salt or sand is stuck to the fish.

It could be wounds from the tang, maybe but his cloudy eye probably isnt.

It almost sounds like flukes (sorry cant really tell from the photos) or could be a bacterial infection.

I would say give him a freshwater methylene blue dip. Get a bowl to the parameters of the water hes coming from (but freshwater) and squirt a bunch of the blue into it, make it look like toiletbowl water. Let Mr. Fishy chill in there for maybe 5 minutes.

Give him that treatment if he doesnt improve in the next day or so. If it is just boo-boos from the tang, they should clear on their own and then you'll know

 

[melosu58]

I`m still having a problem seeing it. Could you post a pic closer to the fish. I still think it`s ick but I need a closer look to be sure.