Add fish or retreat in QT

[nkyreef]

Looking for some advice from some experienced fish keepers. I had a blue hippo and a melanarus in QT. After quarantine I added the melanarus one night then added the tang the next day.

When I placed the tang in the acclimation box white spots instantly showed. I attributed it to the stress of being moved however I never saw them during quarantine. I pulled the tang and now holding him in the QT again.

Occasionally I've seen a spot or two pop up on my established purple tang. I've read the ich management thread and believe that it's there and do what I can to keep everyone healthy.

Question is do I add the hippo tang back and manage what I have or keep him in the QT and retreat?

 

[Ranjib]

#reefsquad

 

[saltyhog]

If he is eating well and doesn't look bad I would just put him back in the display if you're not going to pull all fish and go fallow. (What I would do) No sense to me to put him through the stress to treat him and put him back in to a tank we know has ich if he's not "sick". Keep good water quality and feed nutritious foods and lots of nori and hope for the best.

 

[Reefahholic]

Looking for some advice from some experienced fish keepers. I had a blue hippo and a melanarus in QT. After quarantine I added the melanarus one night then added the tang the next day.

When I placed the tang in the acclimation box white spots instantly showed. I attributed it to the stress of being moved however I never saw them during quarantine. I pulled the tang and now holding him in the QT again.

Occasionally I've seen a spot or two pop up on my established purple tang. I've read the ich management thread and believe that it's there and do what I can to keep everyone healthy.

Question is do I add the hippo tang back and manage what I have or keep him in the QT and retreat?

So there’s a few ways to do it. As you already said...you can live with it and try to manage it. I haven’t had the success I would like doing it this way. Eventually I always had a “mysterious” fish death or disappearance.

So my preferred method has been QT and prophylactically treat. I never have mysterious fish deaths anymore. Once I get the fish through QT and Treatment...I never loose fish. Some fish are too weak or too infected and may die in QT, but I’d rather it there then in my DT or they introduce a parasite or protozoan into the system.

If you plan to QT and Treat...all fish must be removed from the system and the DT needs to stay fallow (no fish) for 6 weeks with temp at 81+ degrees. The old fallow period was based on a cold water study that required 72-76 days which was a worst case scenario and the longest known time that an Ich protomont will remain dormant. There’s two other studies that suggest that if the temp is 86 degrees the life cycle will be completed in 2 weeks. There are a few exceptions to the rules, but I feel very confident that 6 weeks will get it done. The higher the temp the better. As long as corals can tolerate it. If no coral I’d go for the 86 degrees.

As far as treatment my preferred choice is Copper Power at therapeutic level verified via the Hanna Copper Meter. This eliminates both ICH and Velvet. You can do transfers inbetween treatments to reduce the overall QT time. Transfer every 3 days are 72 hrs. I usually do 2-3 transfers and dip the fish inbetween to ensure they’re squeaky clean. At the same time I clear the gut with Metronidazole. You would be amazed what’s inside a fishes poop. If it’s not taken care of...as soon as they poop it’s in your tank.

If you manage the Ich...the goal is to boost the immune system through quality foods so they can fight it off and develop some immunity.

Hope this helps.

 

[nkyreef]

Thank you all for the help. I thought my QT standards were good but they must've failed somewhere. I don't QT everything wet so that may have been my downfall. I believe something has made it to the display but when/how is unknown. There's too much in there to go fallow. Whatever is in there will have to been managed by quality foods and husbandry like @Reefahholic advised. Thanks again everyone.