New clown with ich

[Katweet]

I picked up my first marine fish today, two young (1.5") percula clowns. At the LFS, I couldn't see that they had ich spots on their fins until I brought them home. I saw both individuals eat flake food with vigor at the LFS and they're hovering together in the tank now, munching on passing sand flecks and ocassionally taking short exploratative ventures into the rockwork.

I know these were tank-bred, but were overnighted from across the country last night and spent only today at the LFS, so I understand they might just be a bit stressed.

Should I treat them asap or wait to see if it disappears on its own? What treatment would you recommend that wont kill my bivalves and microfauna?

 

[Sniperhank]

I'd treat. Once those cysts fall off it will be in the sandbed, if it isn't already...and probably is.

 

[Katweet]

Im hella confused... I looked at them just now and their spots are just gone! I dont know if I was mistaken or if ich blisters can disappear so quickly if conditions improve. Both fish seem to be 'playing' in the strong current right out of the powerhead but I don't know if its really a game. One pokes his head above the water once or twice every few minutes, is that cause for concern?

 

[Sniperhank]

The cyst is the only phase of the life cycle of ich we can see. There are three phases. It matures in the sandbed, then becomes free swimming where it swims up to find a host. Once it finds a host, it turns into a cyst to grow into more ich. Once the cysts vanish, they have really burst and fallen into the sandbed for the cycle to repeat itself.

 

[PB_Smith]

Im hella confused... I looked at them just now and their spots are just gone! I dont know if I was mistaken or if ich blisters can disappear so quickly if conditions improve. Both fish seem to be 'playing' in the strong current right out of the powerhead but I don't know if its really a game. One pokes his head above the water once or twice every few minutes, is that cause for concern?

if they have ich the first place it collects and attaches is in the gills which cause the fish to breath heavier.
Them staying in the current at the surface of the water could be a sign they are having difficulty.

BUT, clown fish do often like to swim against a current.
Do they appear to be breathing very rapidly or otherwise seem distressed?

 

[Katweet]

I haven't seen enough clownfish behavior to know what is normal, but they haven't gone back into the rockwork yet, choosing instead to stay up at the front of the tank and swim around together. The powerheads are pointed at the front glass so the current is strongest here. They also swim in front of and around the stronger powerhead itself. Today they were still poking their heads up into the air every so often.

If I come over to the tank they'll start to interact with me, they have strong appetites and last night, from what I know, they sat in the sand and never went up for air or anything.

 

[Sniperhank]

Good to hear. The going up to the surface is odd though...is there circulation breaking the surface for co2/oxygen exchange?

 

[Katweet]

Yeah, the bigger powerhead forces the water to pool higher and ripple violently out into the rest of the tank. I don't remember what it is but the bigger powerhead is way overrated for the size tank I have and it's pointed slightly upward, plus there's a second smaller one. I can add an air stone or two and see if the behavior stops? Idk if it matters, but the clowns seem to only poke their heads up in the bubbly wave the big powerhead makes, so maybe its possible they're being pushed up out of the water?

 

[Sniperhank]

No, don't add an air stone. It might just be an odd behavior rather than a symptom. That airstone will build up salt creep as the bubbles pop on the surface. That salt falls in the tank, it can burn gills or whatever it touches.