Fish showing signs of ich but going on vacation

[cww81]

My fish are showing signs of ich today, hitting bodies against rocks but have no spots. They all eat good and aggressive too. The problem is I’m going on vacation the 13-18 and have nobody to look after a hospital tank. Will it be ok for the time while I’m gone with medicine? It seems very risky to leave them in medication while not being here but also risky to wait a week until I get back to treat them. I’m very nervous and looking for any help!

 

[fishguy242]

hi,try to post pics,as much info as possible asap,tank size,fish,corals,etc,
let call some expert help..
@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My fish are showing signs of ich today, hitting bodies against rocks but have no spots. They all eat good and aggressive too. The problem is I’m going on vacation the 13-18 and have nobody to look after a hospital tank. Will it be ok for the time while I’m gone with medicine? It seems very risky to leave them in medication while not being here but also risky to wait a week until I get back to treat them. I’m very nervous and looking for any help!

A lack of spots would lean me away from an ich diagnosis. Flukes will cause flashing/scratching, but not have the spots that ich will show. As @fishguy242 said, a picture, video and more information is needed. Can you rely on the person looking after the fish to handle any medications if needed?

The link below my name here is a file that offers tips as to what additional info we'll need.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

To add, ich & flukes are not always visible because ther sometimes harbor inside the gills out of sight. Same holds true for velvet, as a fish can die from asphyxiation before visible physical symptoms ever manifest. If visible symptoms do show on the skin, realize that velvet looks the same as ich, except the fish will usually be totally covered in a dust that looks like the solar system.
Note also that flukes live mainly inside the gills, so you have to look for behavioral symptoms instead of visible ones. Behavioral symptoms for flukes include yawning, heavy breathing, head twitching, scratching (targeting the gill area) and acting lethargic.
Sometimes fish do this scratching as it is a part of behavior, however do not rule out any thing mentioned or what Jay mentioned. We humans need a back scratch once in a while- So do they . . . LOL

 

[FreeEnergyReefer]

If u have a uv hook it up n enjoy ur vacation stress free. I bought a tang 2weeks ago dont have a quarantine tank atm. When I got a chance to really look at him he had 3 spots on his tail and 1 on each fin. Not only did he not transfer it to any other fish in about 10 days all spots are gone and he's about 3x as fat. Super healthy fish. I have a pair of fire shrimp though too so I cant give %100 credit to the uv. But yea there's some advice hope it works out for ya and whatever u do hope ur minds at ease on the vacation

 

[cww81]

Ok everyone thanks so much for the help. To start off the tank is a 125 and has coral and inverts. 3 out of 12 fish are showing symptoms, my wrasse has been scratching for about a week and it does seem like it’s the gill area. The clownfish isn’t scratching to my knowledge but he is just staying in one spot and not swimming around the tank. My sailfin tang just showed symptoms today and is hitting very rarely on the rocks as well, wasn’t able to tell if it was gill area as it only happened for about 15 seconds before I realized what was going on. All my other fish, 6 chromis, leopard wrasse, another clown, and 2 gobies are not showing any symptoms. Also I don’t have anyone to watch the tank, I have an auto feeder set up that has been working for about 3 months now and is trusted. I also have a wifi cam to watch and see if anything goes wrong I can call my parents but they live over an hour away and is a last resort since they have work. @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081

 

[cww81]

Update, the 3 fish still show no spots but are a little lethargic and the wrasse is still scratching at the gill area. The tang seems to hang out in the rockwork or under one of the frag racks when he’s not swimming around. @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081

 

[cww81]

Here are a few photos of those showing the symptoms, the tang, the white clown, and the paddle fin wrasse. The clown just stays right by my overflow and doesn’t move away unless I feed. The tang hides for a few minutes every now and then and the wrasse swims around everywhere just scratches at gill area about 5 times then will swim off again until he scratches again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I would give the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip to eliminate any flukes. Thereafter a 75-90 minute formalin bath using quick cure then ruby rally pro which cures a lot of ailments

 

[cww81]

I would give the fish a 5 minute freshwater dip to eliminate any flukes. Thereafter a 75-90 minute formalin bath using quick cure then ruby rally pro which cures a lot of ailments

If I do the 2 baths will they be safe for all fish and the wrasse too? Also will they be ok to go back into the dt afterwards due to leaving for vacation this Tuesday? After I get back from vacation I’ll put all the fish into a 40 breeder hospital tank I can set up but that’s not until the 18th. I just really don’t want to have a fish die at all but really not while I’m away and have it crash the tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

If I do the 2 baths will they be safe for all fish and the wrasse too? Also will they be ok to go back into the dt afterwards due to leaving for vacation this Tuesday? After I get back from vacation I’ll put all the fish into a 40 breeder hospital tank I can set up but that’s not until the 18th. I just really don’t want to have a fish die at all but really not while I’m away and have it crash the tank.

This is not a typical recommendation , but ruby rally is reef safe and you can try treating tank with it now. Do the baths though until you get the ruby Rally. Ideal is to treat for 10 days. Do you have anyone to watch or can watch your tank in your absence ?

 

[cww81]

This is not a typical recommendation , but ruby rally is reef safe and you can try treating tank with it now. Do the baths though until you get the ruby Rally. Ideal is to treat for 10 days. Do you have anyone to watch or can watch your tank in your absence ?

Sadly I don’t have anyone to watch the tank. I’m off at college and all my college friends are going on this vacation with me. I do have a wifi camera I can monitor the tank with and alert my parents when they’re off work of any emergencies. The thing is they’re over an hour away and have work all week while I’m gone.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sadly I don’t have anyone to watch the tank. I’m off at college and all my college friends are going on this vacation with me. I do have a wifi camera I can monitor the tank with and alert my parents when they’re off work of any emergencies. The thing is they’re over an hour away and have work all week while I’m gone.

Ouch.

 

[cww81]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal im starting the freshwater dips today. When looking at ruby reef rally pro I also saw that the same company also sells kick-ich and claims its reef safe as well. Should I try this? I obviously don’t want to lose any corals but I’m willing to sacrifice corals for my fish that me and my gf have bonded to. Thanks y’all.

 

[Tamberav]

I don’t like making big changes before leaving town. With meds in the water you would need to take the skimmer cup off and such. Reef safe meds are not cures. A huge good UV is probably more effective.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I don’t like making big changes before leaving town. With meds in the water you would need to take the skimmer cup off and such. Reef safe meds are not cures. A huge good UV is probably more effective.

UV units are less effective in existing parasites whereas it can prevent new ones cycles. I’ve will be effective and kill bacteria and algae but known to kill ich or velvet in it’s pretty-existing form.
it is also not feasible for many to spend $200-400 on a unit plus pump when saving for a vacation hence the recommendations given.
I stupidly bought a PBT knowing it would be a mistake from the particular store and had a tank of velvet within 5 days.
Polyp Lab Medic cleared it in 3-4 days and I Never had a reoccurrence and it’s been 2 years and happened when no UV Unit was present. Fir the future, I would agree with addition of a UV unit once issue is under control

 

[vetteguy53081]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal im starting the freshwater dips today. When looking at ruby reef rally pro I also saw that the same company also sells kick-ich and claims its reef safe as well. Should I try this? I obviously don’t want to lose any corals but I’m willing to sacrifice corals for my fish that me and my gf have bonded to. Thanks y’all.

I have no experience with kich-ich although familiar with it. I however love ruby rally pro

 

[cww81]

I have no experience with kich-ich although familiar with it. I however love ruby rally pro

Ok thanks for all the info and sorry this thread is getting long I just want to make sure I do the best and safest treatment. I read online that ruby rally pro does not treat ich. If not then what do I do about possible ich? Checked over all fish and none have spots still or any white mucus that would point me towards brook. Also my gf said she has noticed the wrasse scratching a month ago and he is still alive and scratching with no spots which leads me to believe anything but flukes would’ve showed up by now right?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok thanks for all the info and sorry this thread is getting long I just want to make sure I do the best and safest treatment. I read online that ruby rally pro does not treat ich. If not then what do I do about possible ich? Checked over all fish and none have spots still or any white mucus that would point me towards brook. Also my gf said she has noticed the wrasse scratching a month ago and he is still alive and scratching with no spots which leads me to believe anything but flukes would’ve showed up by now right?

Many wrasses scratch. They scratch because almost to say “ they feel like it”.
If you’re not seeing any symptoms, breathing is normal.and they’re eating..... I would not treat or acquire anything reverting to statement made by Tamberav to consider a UV for the future “ and test water Saturday and Monday prior to departure to assure tank has good water quality and utilize that camera you spoke of to observe the tank.
When I go to the Caribbean, I have a very experienced aquarist feed my tanks daily and observe.
One year he was not available and the fish went six days with only the auto feeder and no other feedings and tank was never clearer and fish were hungry

 

[cww81]

Ok thank you so much for everything. You’ve really taught me a lot and I want to thank you for that. I’m seeing the wrasse scratch a lot and the tang scratch every now and then, he also is hiding a bit more, but that’s all I see. No spots and eating as much as always. I was thinking of a prazipro treatment in tank since I have that on hand and it wouldn’t hurt to try right? It would eliminate all possible problems but ich and velvet and if they still show the scratch behavior I’d know I have a worse problem on my hands. I’m going to dose prazi today, then do a water change Monday night and dose again since that’s all the time I have and I assume it would be ok for a quicker dose if I run some carbon to get it out of the tank sooner.