Clowns with ich?

[cplawrence]

I am a bit confused right now. I was just feeding my tank (29 gal, 2 clowns are the only fish) and I noticed white spots on the clowns. I have not seen marine ich before, but it certainly looks similar to FW ich. The reason I am confused though is that they have been in the tank for going on a year and a half and I am now seeing this problem. The most recent addition was a leather coral about two months ago I believe. Is it possible that the ich came into the tank then? Could it have been there for quite some time now just under the radar and the fish have finally succumbed? Or is it possibly something else wrong with them?
Thanks,
Chris

[Kurt_Nelson]

If it looks like salt granules sprinkled on your fish, that mysteriously appear and disappear... it's ick. Sorry.

It could've been there all along, but I'd put money on it coming in with the leather. While corals can't sustain ich, it could've come in with some of the water when you transferred the leather.

[Marc118]

I cant stress this enough, DO NOT put water from the LFS in your tank. There are a few things that cant be exposed to air, and I have my methods for that. But anything else can be in air for the literally 1 second you use to take out if out the container and into your tank after acclimation.

Was the leather in a coral/invert only system? Or is it all plumbed together with the fish?

[cplawrence]

I was under the impression that corals needed to be transferred while never exposed to air--correction noted. The coral display tanks are plumbed with some of the fish (the main fish displays are treated with copper and are plumbed separately). Well, that being the case it sounds like QT the fish for 6-8 weeks to eliminate ich from the main. As for treating the fish, Fluff's article indicates hypo is the way to go. I also read Fenner's book last night and he seems to indicate copper. Is the latter just outdated? Should I use them in tandem?
Thanks again,
Chris

[Sadielynn]

Sounds like you have ich I agree... I would not dose copper especially if you dont have a QT to do it in as you wont be able to keep inverts now or later. Ich treatment should always be done in QT . So yes you could do the hypo , keep your water clean and pristine , you could feed garlic to help stimulate their feeding response and a bit of selcon this will boost their immunity and allow them to fight it off easier . Treatment should last for about 8 weeks this kills all stages of tomites to the adult and also allows the tank to go fallow for that period and starve off ... Copper needs GREAT care and testing while dosing it so that it does not go to toxic levels .

[austinsdad]

There are a few things that cant be exposed to air, and I have my methods for that.

You should share. Always been interested in how one does that.

[roka64]

Some sponges shouldn't be exposed to air, linckia stars either. I have read folks will place them in a small container from the drip acclimation and add them to their tanks. Of course, you will still be getting a little of the LFS water in there, but the concept is to get as little as possible....
Cplawrence, I would do hyposalinity in the QT. Do you have a Refractometer , this will help when doing hypo...

[cplawrence]

I do not have a refractometer. Is it reasonable to try a hypo treatment with a swing arm hydrometer?
Thanks again,
Chris

[austinsdad]

Is it reasonable to try a hypo treatment with a swing arm hydrometer?

Not even close. It won't work.

[Marc118]

I will take some pics of my acrylic water bridge I use if I get some time today.

[cplawrence]

Originally Posted by austinsdad

Not even close. It won't work.

I have been planning on getting a refractometer anyway, so now I am ordering one. Seeing as I won't have it for a couple of days (could not find one in town), would it be better to treat with copper, start lowering the salt level (just not as low as 1.009), or hold off until I have it?

Thank you all very much,
Chris

[roka64]

Originally Posted by cplawrence

would it be better to treat with copper

I wouldn't panic yet.
Is he still eating?
How bad is the ich?
I would also get some Selcon , Zoe , Garlic Guard while you are at it.

[cplawrence]

Still eating as normal (in fact, they were begging as I walked up to the tank just now to check on them). I often soak their food in vita-chem (is this equivalent to Zoe from another manufacturer?). I also rotate with Garlic Extreme and Selcon, so I am set there. Would one of those be preferable at this point, or should I continue rotating through them? One of the fish only had a few spots on it. The other had them scattered a bit more across his body. Today, they are looking better. The first has almost no sign of it right now. The second has several spots, but much better than yesterday.
Thanks,
Chris

[melosu58]

Just realize that the ich will fall off the fish making it seem like it is gone but will fall to bottom and over two hundred more called tomites will come back up to the fish and the cycle starts all over.

[cplawrence]

Originally Posted by melosu58

Just realize that the ich will fall off the fish making it seem like it is gone but will fall to bottom and over two hundred more called tomites will come back up to the fish and the cycle starts all over.

Understood, but if I am interpreting roka64 correctly, it seems the best course of action is to hold off the couple of days until I am ready to start a hypo treatment?

Chris

[roka64]

Yeah, if you can get that refracto pretty quick, I would hold off on the copper treatment. You could get them into a QT with a lower salinity, I would shoot for 1.020 (my hydrometer was about .005 off from my refractometer). Remember to acclimate them to the QT. At the lower salinity they should feel more at ease. I read an article that said the garlic helps their immune systems. I soak all my food in garlic, zoe and selcon.
I imagine the vita-chem is just as good as what I soak my food in.

[melosu58]

I dont see any info on your info site so what kind of inverts are in your tank? I`ve seen that hyposalinity is not too invert friendly. I know you have at least a leather coral.

[cplawrence]

I will try and update that shortly. For the record, there are a couple of shrimp (cleaner and peppermint), various snails, blue-leg hermits, and some soft corals plus a candy cane coral. I realize that nothing else on that list would survive hypo. I was planning on doing it in QT for the 6+ weeks to let the ich die in the main.
Thanks again,
Chris

[roka64]

Originally Posted by cplawrence

I realize that nothing else on that list would survive hypo. I was planning on doing it in QT for the 6+ weeks to let the ich die in the main.

That is very sound reasoning!