Need help with Ich

[Aw_Ref]

In trying to help a friend out, I have have created issues for my FOWLR tank. I had a buddy who had major die off several months ago (6 months) and just left his tank fallow with LR only. He was moving and needed someplace to keep his LR until he sets his tank up again. I volunteered to keep his rock, but now my powder blue appears to have ich. Is it even possible for ich to live that long in LR without a host fish?

I don't have a qt and setting one up for 3 tangs, a trigger, and a banded moray will be pretty large/costly (my main is 140 gal). Am I pretty much stuck setting up a large qt for 6-8 weeks, treating all fish with hypo and leaving my main (with my buddy's LR) fallow? In all of the posts, sounds like treating ich with hypo is the way to go, it just takes daily partial water changes. How much daily water changes and how large of a qt is needed?

Is it possible to pull the powder blue into a smaller qt tank and just treat him with a copper based medication so that I don't cause any more trouble in my main?

Thanks for all the help and expertise.

 

[tmkx3]

I am treating for ick too. I don't think the ick came from the rock if it was without fish that long. You have to treat all the fish. I don't think eels can get ick and i believe I have read that you can't use hypo on them either. you can use a rubbermaid storage box or anything that can hold water for that matter for a qt. You have to wait 6-8 weeks before returning your fish to your main. I am using coppersafe because I don't have a refractor. Good luck

 

[Fluff]

I don't have alot of experience in treating ich but here are two articles that may help you. One on different treatment options and one on hyposalinity. HTH

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/sp/index.php

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

 

[Aw_Ref]

Thanks tmkx3. I would have never thought of using a rubbermaid tub, but it makes perfect sense. Low tech and economical. So now, just add a powered HOB w/bio-wheel and a heater, maybe a powerhead to create movement and I think I'm set. I think I'm going to start with Cupramine. I've read a few posts that seem to show it as effective. No need for any lights, right? How much water are you changing on a daily basis, or are you just testing and changing when needed?

Fluff - thanks for sending the articles. Great information on how to set up a qt to the right way.

Now a general question on qt and new fish. Any opinions on automatically treating new fish in the qt with copper or any other ich treatment? I know the qt is meant to keep new parasites from being introduced to the main, just wondering what the general practice is. If I'm going to learn lessons of setting up the qt, I want to learn them all.

Thanks.

 

[roka64]

Any opinions on automatically treating new fish in the qt with copper or any other ich treatment?

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Basically it is used to watch fish and make sure they are in good health and have no signs of disease. I am not sure about hypo on a healthy fish. But it might be a good idea to kill and nasties, that we can't see.

Hopefully some one will describe their experiences on QTing new fish. I would like to learn as well.

HOB w/bio-wheel

You may want to remove the Bio wheel and carbon during some treatments, as the chemicals could possibly kill the good bacteria in the Bio wheel. I had to toss mine, after my clown died. I used the wrong medication....

 

[Aw_Ref]

For the ich treatment a bio-wheel will only be useful if treating with hypo? If I am treating with copper, is there any need/point in trying to cycle the qt? With no LR and no bio filter it sounds like daily testing and frequent water changes (10-20%?) are the norm. Please keep me out of the ditch on this because I would REALLY hate to make a newbie mistake and have an instant kill off. I was planning on pulling water from my main to fill the qt.

 

[roka64]

For the ich treatment a bio-wheel will only be useful if treating with hypo?

I would say yes, because there are no chemicals that would be absorbed by the Bio-Wheel.

If I am treating with copper, is there any need/point in trying to cycle the qt?

I would think, yes. So the good bacteria have a chance to develop. I think you can do this by adding a little food, to let it decay.

I'll let some one chime in here about cycling a QT.

 

[tmkx3]

I had a hob w/bio wheel on my main so I didn't have to cycle my qt. I am using coppersafe It says that it won't effect the beneifical bacteria. It must be okay cause I haven't had any ammonia spikes in the 3 weeks I've been treating. I haven't had to do any extra water changes. So far my fish seem to be happy eating and no ick!!!!!Yea.


I don't have a refactor thats why I went with the copper and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't have any bad effects on my fish. I have read that when using hypo you have to monitor your ph very closely and be prepared to buffer. I know that ph can be really tricky and it has to stay stable or it will kill your fish.The coppersafe hasn't effected my ph. I am by no means say that copper treatment is better but maybe a little easier to do. Copper can like all meds damage your fish and sometimes depending on the circumstances be worse than the ick. Hypo won't harm the fish if you can keep the water in check.

 

[Aw_Ref]

tmkx3 - You're not treating you main with coppersafe, you just seeded your qt with the bio-wheel from your main, correct? If that is the case it sounds like a great option. Since I've got a sump in my main, i guess I could just take the bio-wheel or filter pad and leave it in my sump for a week or so to seed it with bacteria.

Will keep all posted of progress.

 

[tmkx3]

yep thats basically what I did except I put the whole filter on the qt tank. I run the hob on the main to run carbon and to keep the filter seeded for the qt. Alot of people keep filter media in there sumps all the time just in case of emergencies like illness so they don't have to cycle their qt's. I don't have a sump so I just use the hob. I don't know how much bacteria you can get in only a week but it will definately help.