Clownfish has ich and I can’t catch him

[glb]

My clownfish has little white spots on him that I’m almost positive is ich. Problem is I can’t catch him to treat it. So far he is active and eating fine, and the other fish are unaffected. How am I going to get him out of the tank? It’s only a 40g, but the net scared him and I don’t want to stress him out. Would a freshwater dip do the trick if he’s in good shape otherwise? What is the best treatment for my little guy Jack? I just lost a fairy wrasse and didn’t realize it at first, so maybe there was a small ammonia spike that stressed him out. The fairy wrasse might have had ich. I’ve never set up a hospital/QT tank before but I have an old 12g biocube I could use. Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[Joe31415]

Put some food in the net, leave the net in a place where you can quickly lift it out of the water or get it against the glass and see how greedy it is. Otherwise, just be persistent, he'll make a mistake at some point.
I've also found it's often easier to use a bigger net (don't know what you're using). You might not be able to move it quite as fast, but it's a lot harder for the fish to swim around it. If this tank isn't well established and you're comfortable taking some rocks out, that'll help as well.
I've yet to have to do that, but when I take a fish out of QT, I usually take all the PVC out first just to make it easier.

 

[glb]

Put some food in the net, leave the net in a place where you can quickly lift it out of the water or get it against the glass and see how greedy it is. Otherwise, just be persistent, he'll make a mistake at some point.
I've also found it's often easier to use a bigger net (don't know what you're using). You might not be able to move it quite as fast, but it's a lot harder for the fish to swim around it. If this tank isn't well established and you're comfortable taking some rocks out, that'll help as well.
I've yet to have to do that, but when I take a fish out of QT, I usually take all the PVC out first just to make it easier.

Thanks. The tank is four years old and this is the first ich I’ve had. Should I try a freshwater dip before I QT?

 

[Jekyl]

Where does it sleep? Mine have always slept on top of the water by a powerhead. Get your fish while the lights are off, much easier. That or look up how to make a bottle trap, it's very easy

 

[paparoof]

You could try a trap. I recently used one of those acrylic box type traps to remove a bully damsel. After I placed the trap though, my clown entered the trap literally within seconds of my hands leaving the water.

So nice not having to disturb the entire tank chasing fish around with a net.

 

[glb]

You could try a trap. I recently used one of those acrylic box type traps to remove a bully damsel. After I placed the trap though, my clown entered the trap literally within seconds of my hands leaving the water.

So nice not having to disturb the entire tank chasing fish around with a net.

Tell me about it. They were all freaked out.

 

[glb]

Any chance I can just do a freshwater dip and put him back in the DT? I’ve never treated ich before.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any chance I can just do a freshwater dip and put him back in the DT? I’ve never treated ich before.

Yes on FW dip (same temp as display tank) for 5 minutes. Seems to be more start of brook than ich. Ich should have covered more of the body at this stage. FW dip offers temporary relief. You will need to use a formalin bath treatment and even ruby rally pro which covers a broad range of issues, just takes a little longer but is ref safe

 

[fishface NJ]

Any chance I can just do a freshwater dip and put him back in the DT? I’ve never treated ich before.

No if it's ich

Ich has and lives in cycles. Disappearance is generally temporary and you must assume that there is still presence. Reason being :
- Free-swimming cells called dinospores are released from a mature cyst and go in search of a host fish.1 Typically these cells can survive seven to eight days without a host, but in lower tank temperatures at around 75-80 degrees, some strains may last up to 30+ days.
- Once a host is found, typically heading for the soft tissue inside the gills first, the dinospores lose their swimming capabilities and become non-motile parasitic trophozoites. At this stage they turn parasitic, as each attaches to the host fish by sending out a filament for feeding.
- After deriving nutrition for 3 days to a week the trophozoites become mature and drop off into the substrate, may remain hidden in the mucus membrane, or sometimes be deeply embedded in the tissue of a host fish, where at this point each forms a type of hard shell covering.
- Inside each encrusted cyst the cells, now called tomonts, reproduce internally by non-sexual division. Upon reaching maturity in about five days, each cyst ruptures and releases hundreds of new free-swimming dinospores to start the cycle all over again, but in much large numbers.

If your DT will still have the tomont stage that can release theronts that can infect fish placed back into that tank. It takes 45 to as long as 76 days for the tomonts become unable to release theronts.

 

[glb]

No if it's ich

Ich has and lives in cycles. Disappearance is generally temporary and you must assume that there is still presence. Reason being :
- Free-swimming cells called dinospores are released from a mature cyst and go in search of a host fish.1 Typically these cells can survive seven to eight days without a host, but in lower tank temperatures at around 75-80 degrees, some strains may last up to 30+ days.
- Once a host is found, typically heading for the soft tissue inside the gills first, the dinospores lose their swimming capabilities and become non-motile parasitic trophozoites. At this stage they turn parasitic, as each attaches to the host fish by sending out a filament for feeding.
- After deriving nutrition for 3 days to a week the trophozoites become mature and drop off into the substrate, may remain hidden in the mucus membrane, or sometimes be deeply embedded in the tissue of a host fish, where at this point each forms a type of hard shell covering.
- Inside each encrusted cyst the cells, now called tomonts, reproduce internally by non-sexual division. Upon reaching maturity in about five days, each cyst ruptures and releases hundreds of new free-swimming dinospores to start the cycle all over again, but in much large numbers.

If your DT will still have the tomont stage that can release theronts that can infect fish placed back into that tank. It takes 45 to as long as 76 days for the tomonts become unable to release theronts.

Oh wow. There’s no way I can house all my fish in another tank for that long. I just don’t have a setup for that. If I remove him and treat him, would that work? The other fish show no sign of ich.

 

[glb]

Also, does Polyp Lab Medic work? I read that it can be used in the DT. I’m also wondering if it’s time to get a UV sterilizer.

 

[jstephens1]

There is some promising progress treating your DT with H2O2. It’s over on the humble fish forums

 

[glb]

There is some promising progress treating your DT with H2O2. It’s over on the humble fish forums

Thanks!!

 

[fishface NJ]

Oh wow. There’s no way I can house all my fish in another tank for that long. I just don’t have a setup for that. If I remove him and treat him, would that work? The other fish show no sign of ich.

@vetteguy53081 said it could be brook.

 

[Holst]

Hi.

I have had luck catching fish during the night. Use a red lamp as light source. Fish does not see the red light as we do, and there you have an advantage.

If it is ich, then it is in the tank and not Only on the fish. There is a few ways to treat, but it is all the fish..
copper treatmemt.. this is quite toxic to the fish as well, and it needs to be done in a quarentene aquarium.
Another treatment is the Tank-to-Tank treatment with 3 different tanks. Break the cycle from the parasite by moving the fish to another tank every third day for a while. Then the parasite won’t have a host to sit on cause the fish has moved to another tank..

Find more about the treatments online..
please dont dip the fish!! You will only get the parasites that is on the outside ans not the once Deep in the flesh.. and it is very stressfull for the fish and will not cure it..

Best of luck!

 

[glb]

@vetteguy53081 said it could be brook.

Brook is worse right? I have no idea where it came from. No new fish for ages. I’ve added coral but carefully dip everything.

 

[jiffyjhn]

+1 for trying red light at night.

 

[glb]

If it’s brook is there anything I can do?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Also, does Polyp Lab Medic work? I read that it can be used in the DT. I’m also wondering if it’s time to get a UV sterilizer.

Its a salt based treatment but it did work for me. Did you see my mention of likelihood of brooklynella? I'll invite a second opinion @Jay Hemdal
Again, for either, ruby rally pro will treat either

 

[glb]

Its a salt based treatment but it did work for me. Did you see my mention of likelihood of brooklynella? I'll invite a second opinion @Jay Hemdal
Again, for either, ruby rally pro will treat either

I did see your thoughts about brook. I’ll order the ruby rally pro. Thanks so much!