Auroraz
New Member
Hi everyone,
I'm still fairly new to reefing and would really appreciate some advice on how to move forward with my tank. Here's a quick overview:
Red Sea G2 425 Max, about ~2 months old
Stock:
3 clownfish
3 fire gobies
1 brown Zebrasoma
1 blue powder tang (yes, I know… risky choice
)
2 cleaner shrimps
Corals: Duncan, Hammer, Bubble Coral, and a few other small LPS
The Issue:
About 3 weeks after adding the blue powder tang, ich appeared. A week later, the Zebrasoma showed signs too. I tried Polyp Lab Medic for a week with no improvement. I then set up a 75L QT tank (better late than never) and moved all fish there for copper treatment. So far, they’re eating well and look healthy.
Before QT:
A week in QT with copper treatment:
Water Parameters (Display Tank):
Ammonia: 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite: 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate: Undetectable (Red Sea) / 0 (Hanna)
Phosphate: Awaiting Hanna tester (Salifert shows undetectable)
pH: 8.4 (Red Sea)
Salinity: 1.023
Alkalinity: 9.1 (Hanna)
Temp: 25C (77F)
Even after moving the fish to QT, I’ve kept feeding the display tank with:
2 frozen cubes/day
1–2 pinches of flakes
Several pellets/day
Concerns & Questions:
1. Ich Treatment Strategy - I’m currently debating whether to go fallow for 72 days or return the fish to the display tank after about a month.
Realistically, I won’t be able to quarantine anything wet in the future (plan to QT all new fish from now on), so after consulting with several LFS in the area, I’m leaning toward ich management rather than eradication.
That said, I’m also concerned about leaving the tank fishless for so long, especially with nutrient levels already being so low.
2. Nutrient Levels - with all fish in QT, both nitrate and phosphate are reading zero. Should I consider dosing nitrate/phosphate?
It's also worth mentioning that during the first two weeks of the tank setup, I dosed a small amount of RedSea NOPOX. My LFS recommended it, but I didn’t fully understand its purpose at the time. I stopped using it as soon as I began testing for nitrate and phosphate..
3. Algae - I’m seeing some algae growth, which I assume is part of the “ugly phase.” Does this look typical for a tank at this stage, or should I be concerned?
Side Note:
I just want to say how amazing this forum is. Reading through Reef2Reef has been incredibly helpful in investigating issues and learning about the hobby. It’s one of the main reasons I felt confident enough to start my own reef tank - so thank you all!
Thanks in advance for any help or advice! I really want to make sure I’m on the right track.
I'm still fairly new to reefing and would really appreciate some advice on how to move forward with my tank. Here's a quick overview:
Red Sea G2 425 Max, about ~2 months old
Stock:
3 clownfish
3 fire gobies
1 brown Zebrasoma
1 blue powder tang (yes, I know… risky choice
)2 cleaner shrimps
Corals: Duncan, Hammer, Bubble Coral, and a few other small LPS
The Issue:
About 3 weeks after adding the blue powder tang, ich appeared. A week later, the Zebrasoma showed signs too. I tried Polyp Lab Medic for a week with no improvement. I then set up a 75L QT tank (better late than never) and moved all fish there for copper treatment. So far, they’re eating well and look healthy.
Before QT:
A week in QT with copper treatment:
Water Parameters (Display Tank):
Ammonia: 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrite: 0 (Red Sea)
Nitrate: Undetectable (Red Sea) / 0 (Hanna)
Phosphate: Awaiting Hanna tester (Salifert shows undetectable)
pH: 8.4 (Red Sea)
Salinity: 1.023
Alkalinity: 9.1 (Hanna)
Temp: 25C (77F)
Even after moving the fish to QT, I’ve kept feeding the display tank with:
2 frozen cubes/day
1–2 pinches of flakes
Several pellets/day
Concerns & Questions:
1. Ich Treatment Strategy - I’m currently debating whether to go fallow for 72 days or return the fish to the display tank after about a month.
Realistically, I won’t be able to quarantine anything wet in the future (plan to QT all new fish from now on), so after consulting with several LFS in the area, I’m leaning toward ich management rather than eradication.
That said, I’m also concerned about leaving the tank fishless for so long, especially with nutrient levels already being so low.
2. Nutrient Levels - with all fish in QT, both nitrate and phosphate are reading zero. Should I consider dosing nitrate/phosphate?
It's also worth mentioning that during the first two weeks of the tank setup, I dosed a small amount of RedSea NOPOX. My LFS recommended it, but I didn’t fully understand its purpose at the time. I stopped using it as soon as I began testing for nitrate and phosphate..
3. Algae - I’m seeing some algae growth, which I assume is part of the “ugly phase.” Does this look typical for a tank at this stage, or should I be concerned?
Side Note:
I just want to say how amazing this forum is. Reading through Reef2Reef has been incredibly helpful in investigating issues and learning about the hobby. It’s one of the main reasons I felt confident enough to start my own reef tank - so thank you all!
Thanks in advance for any help or advice! I really want to make sure I’m on the right track.
Last edited:
