Parasite is back. Sick Clownfish. QT? Help

[MarinaClown]

I recently was gone over the weekend and left my reef tank alone for two days. I had a cherub angel and two clowns. When I got back I found the cherub angel fish dead. Ammonia was at 0.25 and nitrates were at 30ppm. Nitrite was 0 and pH was 8.3.
I did a water change and ammonia dropped to 0 within 2 days. My clowns have these white spots on them. They weren't eating food when I fed them for 1-2 days and now have started eating again a little bit using Garlic Guard dipped mysis shrimp. I went ahead and bought a quarantine tank and copper medication.

Should I treat them or will they fight it off?

Mine is a 40 breeder mixed reef. Ammonia is 0, nitrates 0-5ppm so very low, nitrite is 0 and pH is 8.3. Salinity is 1.024 dKH is 9. Just two clowns in the tank. Tank is established.

 

[MarinaClown]

Called my LFS and they said its Ich. QT not necessary and fish will fight it off on its own. But I'm keeping the setup and copper medication I just bought. Might need in the future.

 

[MarinaClown]

Another close up shot of one clown. They seem to be coming back to their normal behavior hosting in the brain coral although breathing is still a bit heavy.

 

[Ingy]

They are right in that clowns are a hardy fish and might be able to fight off the parasite. But not treating it will leave it in the tank, even if you stop noticing it. Any new additions will be immediatly exposed and will have a much harder time fighing it off. Not many fish are as hardy as the family of damsels and clowns.

 

[Kristy3693]

Called my LFS and they said its Ich. QT not necessary and fish will fight it off on its own. But I'm keeping the setup and copper medication I just bought. Might need in the future.

I am setting up my 29 gal qt right now, my fish are eating and doing well, but I want this gone. I don't like seeing them flashing, makes me feel like a bad momma!

 

[MarinaClown]

I want this s#it gone.

Me too. Sigh.

 

[MarinaClown]

QT work in progress. Clowns are not doing well. I am going to transfer them tonight by filling up the QT tank with water and a filter pad with beneficial bacteria from the main tank.

 

[MarinaClown]

Ok clowns are in the QT. please wish me luck. I need it.

 

[Ingy]

If you're using a copper treatment you'll want to remove the bio pad before you treat. The copper will not only kill all the bacteria, but it will get impregnated on the pad, contaminating it for any future use (such as putting it back in the DT/sump for future seeding.

If you're going hypo, the bacteria may die during the heart of the treatment, but some may survive and reanimate when salinity comes back up.

 

[MarinaClown]

If you're using a copper treatment you'll want to remove the bio pad before you treat.

Thanks. I was debating last night whether or not the stock cartridge containing carbon should be there as it may actually try removing copper thereby rendering the treatment useless. I took it out this morning but left the pad from the main tank because it is seeded with BB.
I plan on buying a test kit for copper to ensure the adequate copper level in the QT. my plan is to do PWC throughout the treatment and replenish whatever copper goes out with them.

 

[Ingy]

If the pad has been in the HT after copper was added, you'll need to buy a new one for the DT (if you want one, not really needed if you have plenty of LR) as that one will now be contaminated.

 

[MarinaClown]

If the pad has been in the HT after copper was added, you'll need to buy a new one for the DT (if you want one, not really needed if you have plenty of LR) as that one will now be contaminated.

I just have a giant poly pad I cut up and put it in my HOB filter plus the sponge. Yeah nothing from the QT will go in my DT. Appreciate your advice.

 

[MarinaClown]

Turns out the bio filter pad removes copper as well. So I took it out, cut a piece of sponge from my main tank and put it in the QT. now gotta test for copper to make sure levels are sufficient to fight off Ich.

 

[MarinaClown]

I ran a test for copper and it checked at 0.5. It appears that the bio filter had taken some of the copper out of the QT. I dosed more Coppersafe to raise it a little bit. Goal is to raise it to 1.5

 

[MarinaClown]

From drsfostersmith.com. Copper level only went up by about .25 and currently sits at .75 or so based on the test kit. I might have to raise it a little more later.

 

[MarinaClown]

Ammonia level went up through the roof. It's at 1 ppm to be exact. Clowns are flashing and its due to high ammonia. If these weren't hardy fish they would be dead by now. I don't know if I should do a water change with all copper in there. This is tough.

 

[MarinaClown]

Probably a false read

 

[MarinaClown]

Clowns are doing much better today. They are both active and lethargy has gone away. The larger clown is eating like a pig while the smaller one is just starting to eat little by little.

 

[MarinaClown]

Happy to report that clowns are doing much better. The smaller one is now eating like a pig too and his white spots are gone. The bigger clown still has white spots but they are almost gone. I think one or two more days and they are ready for. 100% water change in the QT.

 

[begginersluck]

I would recommend removing everything from your filter as it is not cycled. You most certainly do not want your QT to go through a cycle whilst treating your sick and stressed fish.

I would also recommend ditching the copper and going with hyposalinity as you don't have to keep replacing the medication every time you do a water change. It only takes one mistake to overdose on copper!

You may need to do daily water changes to keep your water stable but do what is necessary. You won't regret it in the long run.

After you've treated for ich and have allowed your tank to go fallow for 6-8 weeks and your fish are back in the DT then I would recommend putting all of your filter media back into the filter of you QT and cycle it. Cycle it well so you know it's ready for any new fish. Treat all new ish with hyposalinity whether they have ich or not as sometimes you just can't see it. Most people would recommend treating for worms and infections which can be used in conjunction with hypo. It cannot with copper!