Sudden Ich Outbreak

[ken_wied]

Hi all,
Looking for some advice. My main tank, 75g until 210 is ready was fine last night and woke up this morning to my dog face puffer and sweetlips covered in white spots. The sweetlips was a problem eater to begin with and now the puffer wont even consider food. My baby trigger and clowns seem to be unaffected by it. My LFS gave me copper and I pulled out my snails and hermit. How long is this going to last??? Any ideas?? I stopped skimming and carbon operations and am feeding bare minimum.
I have heard about quarantining fish to another tank, but all I have left is a 29g and not sure all the fish will be comfortable in there. Also heard about hyper or hypo salinity. Could anyone elaborate?
TIA

 

[melosu58]

This explains ick and hyposalinity

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=50

 

[ken_wied]

Thanks. My puffer is about 6"long, and my clown trigger is only about 4 (both are juveniles yet). Would it be ok to put them both into the 29g for hospital tank for hypo salinity treatment? Its only after I started copper treatment that the puffer stopped eating. Im really concerned as this is my favorite fish. If that is acceptable, then the entire 75g will be taken down and soaked in vinegar or left as is with no feeding to starve parasite out. 210g should be ready within 2 weeks so after hospital tank, the fish can go into there.
thank you

 

[melosu58]

It sounds like you treated your main with copper. You or anybody else will not be able to have coral or inverts in that tank for a long while. You should never treat your main with copper. They need to be treated immediately so I would either treat with hypo or copper in the 29 gallon tank QT. I hope all goes well.

 

[ken_wied]

Thanks for the tip. The 75 will be taken down anyway as the 210 is going to be the main tank after this episode. I am planning on soaking the 75, the sump and all related items in vinegar and drying them completely. Will that take care of the copper issue in the event I would want to set it up again in the future?

 

[melosu58]

I dont think just soaking will take care of the copper. I think they have something that will remove copper but I dont know what it is. Maybe others will know.