One thing after another!

[wentom7]

Started a nice 90 gal. tank. Had proffessional do it. Good guy, smart, knows alot. First my VERY young tang and sweetlips got sucked to the pumps.
Then trying to make sure my goby got enough to eat, I overfed the tang, he got stressed and got ich. Cut way back on food, getting much better. NEXT
yesterday AM, dwarf zebra lion hunting around, then I'm assuming it went behind live rock to rest and someone ate his tail! I'm so discouraged. Is it just me? Wonder if I should give up. Wanting to create nice eco system and home for these guys and I feel I'm bombing out! Breaks my heart. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[TheTodd]

How did the tank cycle? How long ago did you add the fish and was it all at the same time? What are your water parameters? Did this guy suggest those fish? What kind of Tang? What is your entire stock list? Sorry for all the questions, but we need more info...

For starters from what we know...Sweetlips are extremely difficult to keep alive and they get huge. They are "expert-only" and require a 500g tank. A 90g for even the smallest is a bad idea. Problems with that one does not surprise me at all.

 

[Mr. Crabs]

If you've lost fish due to Ich (Crypt) you do have a problem on your hands that won't fix itself under the current conditions. Hate to say it, but you will lose all the fish and even ones you introduce to replace the losses.

Without allowing the tank to go fallow (Fishless for 8-12 weeks)and treating the reamining fish in a separate QT tank with copper, ich will continually infect your current and new fish. It's an endless cycle with every fish you add acting as a new host for a growing population of the parasite. Stress from water conditions and other factors lowers a fishes' immune system and tolerance to fight off the parasite with a healthy slime coat.

 

[wentom7]

I didn't see this till today, my mac decided to put it in a different file!
Cycled 2 weeks with his sand in sump and tons of live rock. Then we added a few fish. TINY blue hippo tang and TINY sweetlips, dwarf lion, fire fish and dotty back and green goby. As I said, within 2 days both tiny fish got sucked to pumps. No other issues.
About 5 mo's later added med blue tang, 2 clowns, lg. coral banded shrimp, anemone, and a few soft coral that he gave me. Parameters are perfect. All is well except. . . No, I always wanted a sweetlips, not his idea. Tang is a PIG, swoops thru the tank getting majority of food. Belly bloats up and here came a little ich. He's had me cut way back on food and done 3 water changes this week. Tang looks much better. Been keeping an eye on other fish, none are affected. (thus far) Thank you for all the questions and help.

 

[sjjennings13]

I have a question if anyone can answer. The 55 g tank I have. My fish got ich. I removed the fish over to the qt. Can ich grow/live in the substrate oand live rock. If so how do I treat or clean it?

 

[Ingy]

No. It will die if it cannot find a fish host at the appropriate stage of its life cycle. 6-8 weeks is the accepted absolute maximum they can survive without a host.