URGENT advice needed please :/

[MarkW19]

If a fish has whitespot etc. how likely is it that it'll be passed onto other fish in the tank?

If I find all the fish to have it, can I treat them all at the same time in a QT with medication?

Can inverts (crabs/shrimp) catch it?

Could it "attach" itself to things in the tank (rock/powerheads etc.) so that they'd have to be bleached etc. and the tank left fallow?

 

[fishman]

Its higly likely the others have it...you need to QT and treat all of the fish in the same tank. I used Cupramine...no inverrts from my understanding can not get it. and yes the ick can be in the substrate and such...need to leave the tank fallow for 6 weeks.

 

[MarkW19]

OK - this is the problem.

My nitrites in my QT (15gal) are quickly rising - at 0.5 at the mo. I've done a 50% water change but they haven't gone down.

Since they've started going up my butterfly in my QT hasn't been his usual self. He's stopped eating and is docile and not swimming about much. He was fine before this and swimming away, very active and eating well.

No other signs of problems with him.

I'm thinking about putting him in my main tank which has a ocellaris clown and banggai cardinal in it.

He's been in QT for 10 days.

I know it's a risk - if it's a disease he's got he could pass it onto my other fish.

But, I don't want to lose my butterfly because of the problems I'm having getting the Nitrites down - just trying to make a decision on what to do, based on the potential problems and likeliness of being able to get rid of the ich from the main tank.

Do you think my clown, banggai and long-nosed butterfly could live fairly ok for 6 weeks in my QT if the worst came to the worst? I'd have to do waterchanges every day I guess.

Don't know what to do :/

Should I do a fresh-water dip if I decide to put the butterfly in my main tank, to lessen the chances? If so, how exactly do I do it? Heater in the water? Just fresh water (RO or tap?)? How long for? How can I tell if he's too stressed by it? Do I acclimate after the dip (ie. put him back into some QT water then acclimate him?

:/

 

[malkore]

fresh water dips just reduce the number of parasites. your fish is already infected so a dip isn't gonna help.
puttin him in the main tank will surely put the other fish at high risk, and you NEVER want to medicate teh main tank since pretty much all parasite meds will kill live rocks and inverts.

Keep him in the QT tank. .5 nitrites isn't deadly for most species of fish, but it is going to make fish sluggish as their gills won't be able to absorb as much oxygen as normal.

I'd definitely keep the fish in QT, or you risk losing all fish livestock. You may have to do 2 water changes a day to keep the nitrItes reasonable.

 

[MarkW19]

I don't know if he is infected - there are no signs of ich etc. I'm guessing he's just unhappy because of the high nitrites.

It currently takes me 24 hours to do a water change (making RO water/mixing etc.).

As it's an emergency, will using tap water (TDS 150, not too bad) be ok and mixing the saltwater for just a couple of hours be ok? Just for the next few times to get the nitrites back to 0?

 

[MarkW19]

He *may* have a few tiny white spots on his clear fins, but I don't think so. I think it's just the texture of his fins.

Hmm what to do! :/

 

[MarkW19]

Athough, I've heard ich described as "grains of salt" on the body and fins. There's nothing on the body, just perhaps a few "bits" on his fins but they're certainly not as big as grains of salt...

 

[MarkW19]

Anyone?

 

[darb2]

C. irritans has a stage of development: where they are not visible. you should maintain qt fo 5-6 weeks After there is no sign of infection.
And for a qt water with tds of 150 aren't that bad. But when salt is freshly mixed, it consumes alot of O2. Properly airting for 24 hrs is reccomended, which shouldn't be a problem, since I wouldn't reccomend more than 1 water change per day

 

[MarkW19]

If I put him in my main tank and notice any signs of ich, can I transfer him straight to my QT and contain the ich within him, and not pass it onto my other fish?

 

[darb2]

I think the egg or larval stage comes before the stage where you can actually see it show up as white spots. That would mean the others will probably be exposed to the ick before you can Qt them

 

[MarkW19]

And after they're exposed, if I treat them all in QT with Cupramine, what are the chances of them getting back to full health?

 

[Atari]

Mark, keep it in QT and keep doing water changes.. Tap water is fine, but you need to get a larger container so you can make enough for a couple changes and still aerate for a good 12 hrs.

Seriously, I know it seems like you should just add it to the main to increase it's chances of survival but you would definitely risk losing all 3. Imagine trying to keep the nitrites down if they were all in QT right now.

Keep doing frequent large changes and you'll come out on top.

 

[MarkW19]

Cheers Atari, I'll take your advice.

 

[MarkW19]

My Ammonia is at 1.5mg too.

I'm just mixing some saltwater now, it'll be ready in 24 hours. Hopefully he'll still be alive by then and the levels won't have got much higher!

 

[Atari]

Anyway you can get some more bacteria in there? A piece of sponge from the main perhaps?

Also, try to feed very sparingly and take out any uneaten food straight away.

 

[MarkW19]

How about a fake coral thats been in my main tank?

 

[Atari]

Yep, should help a little.

 

[MarkW19]

Well, the morning after my waterchange (today) my nitrites have gone down a bit to 0.25, but my Ammonia has gone up to 2.5mg.

My salt (with tap, not RO water) has been mixing for 12 hours now. Can I do a 50% waterchange with the water, or should I wait until the full 24 hours is up for the mixing?

 

[darb2]

mixing sw for 12 hrs in a qt is ok.