Ich? Purple Tang HELP

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exiowans

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
16
Location
Orange Park, Fl
Sorry for this no pic post, but need some advice. I introduced a small purple Tang late yesterday and I haven't seen much of him as he has spent most of the day yesterday behind the reef and swimming in the shadowed caves in my reef. He would poke out once in a while. Today he has been more active and is acting normal, but I have noticed a bunch of pure white specks on him. Just on the purple. They are about the size of half a grain of sand (or smaller) round and are definitely on top of his slimecoat. It is almost as if he has sand on top of his coat only much, much smaller. He is not rubbing, but is allowing my coral banded to pickthem off. Unfortunately, when he sees me he hides and I can't get a picture.
I have not had ich in my salt tank, but have in my fresh tank and this doe not look like ich in a fresh water tank, but may be wishful thinking on my part. BTW he had been at the LFS for nearly a month and I watched him eat and interact before I brought him home he appeared fine. I did about a 2 hr drip in as I don't have a quarantine tank. Let me know your opinions please. Thanks
 
Sounds like pretty text book Ich to me. I don't have the link at the moment but i'm sure others will provide one for hypo-salinity treatment. You will need to get your self a QT tank either way. I would run out and pick up a 10 gallon tank, sponge filter, and some ammo lock to help keep the ammonia and nitrites out of your QT while you are treating. You will also need to do a bunch of water changes on the QT so i would get some water mixing up as well. If you don't have a refractometer you will need one for accurately lowering the salinity level.

Your other option is copper but it is a bit more harsh and if you have caught the ich early hypo seems to be less stressful for the fish overall.
 
In addition to what Pat said, you would also have to take all of your fish out and treat them AND leave the tank fallow of all fish for at least 8-weeks in order to get rid of the ich from your tank.
If I were you and in my experience, I would NOT take the little purple tang out yet. Especially since he is the only one showing signs of ich. First I would try to boost his immune system to naturally fight off the ich by feeding him a lot of healthy food through out the day and keeping pristine water conditions. If the signs of ich go away and stay away, then great. You will still have the ich in your system but your fish will be healthy enough to fight it off with their own immune systems. Just my .02
 
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