looks like ich

[pcdebb]

my 44 gallon fowlr looks to be infected with ich. i noticed it on my 2 stripe and 3 spot domino really bad. then the two seargent majors, one is really spotted up and the other one is almost dead my three stripe and my two yellow tails look to be unaffected so far. I was able to catch the seargents and put them in qt, but catching the others is pretty much impossible, and I need to treat the whole tank.

I have no corals, just live rock, what's the best treatment? I normally use coppersafe and raise the temp, will this be okay in this tank?

 

[kdpuffer]

I would recommend removing all fish to quarantine and treating there. If you treat with copper in the main tank it will absorb into the silicone and rock which will make the tank uninhabitable to inverts. It would be worth the effort of removing rock to get the fish out as opposed to never being able to have inverts (this includes crabs and shrimp). If you are bound and determined to treat the main tank then just do a hypo salinity treatment. This would be my preferred method. I don't know exact details on it other than the salinity needs to be greatly reduced.

 

[tonedogz]

If you have inverts or corals you can't do hypo on a dt.The salinity needs to be 1.008 to 1.009 also you will need a refractometer to be sure that the salinity is correct.

 

[kdpuffer]

Ya sorry I didn't relay that part, it was early lol. Tha point being made you can't have inverts during hypo however it won't be an issue after the treatment because its not poisoning the tank. Copper will be released back into the water from the rock and silicone after the treatment and this effect can last for a very long time, perhaps even be permanent. Hypo will only effect the tank during treatment and once salinity is returned to normal then inverts will be fine. Also something to note is you need to watch your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels closely during hypo as the bacteria will likely be effected. Also a refractometer is a must for hypo as your salinity has to be spot on to work.

 

[pcdebb]

The mistake I just realized is I never removed the carbon from the filter....duh. I was able to catch the sergeants after some work, one died. The main tank will never have inverts in it, maybe in the 75 but not this one. I'm using instant ocean lifeguard. It was recommended to me, don't know much about it but I will see. I'm premixing some water to get ready for a large water change soon.

 

[Beengirl]

Sorry about your fish. Hope it goes better from here on.

 

[tonedogz]

If your removing all the fish to a qt you don't have to do anything to the main tank just leave it fishless for 4 to 6 weeks and the ich will die off, they can't survive without a host fish

 

[pcdebb]

Whatever that instant ocean medicine is I like it because its working.

 

[melosu58]

Some good info on the parasite and treatment.

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II by Steven Pro