Ich advice

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125 gallon +25 gallon sump. tank is about 9 months old. Did fine until a week or so ago. Couple of mid sized tangs, clowns, an angel, hawkfish, reef friendly star, cleaner shrimp, anemone, etc. developed ich a weekish ago. Did a 20% water change. Started treating with Kordon ich attack. But not before I lost 2 cardinal fish and two other small angels. Was treating with 1/3 cup of Kordons. Just upped it to 1/2 cup

Water was cloudy (bacteria bloom) which got under control pretty quickly. Turned off my protein skimmer. Local saltwater store recommended against doing another water change until I was done treating. Ich has slowly gotten getter.

My question is should I do another water change and risk stressing the fish more than necessary?

 

[Fish Fan]

Could you post some clear pics or a short YouTube video of the fish for confirmation? Please use bright white light, with no blues, for clarity.

If it's Ich, treating with copper would be a better option than the Kordel product.

 

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white lights, best I could get. The Sailfin shows ich the most. Better than he was.

 

[Fish Fan]

white lights, best I could get. The Sailfin shows ich the most. Better than he was.

I can't see it clearly from the video, but bump for the #fishmedic team.

 

[winxp_man]

Video is blurry. Try to get the glass scrapper and clean the glass. I can see what would resemble ich.

If you’re see the spots clearly, you will need to QT all the fish.

Copper Power or Copper Safe at 2.25ppm min. Copper power can do 2.50ppm max.
Hanna HR Copper checker for checking copper levels.

30 day QT for fish, 60 day fallow DT for disease elimination.

 

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Is copper reef safe?

 

[Fish Fan]

Is copper reef safe?

Unfortunately, no. It really needs to be used in a bare quarantine tank that's separate from your main display tank, as the copper is highly toxic to any inverts such as corals, shrimp, crabs, etc.

Here's the R2R QT protocol that has more info on setting up a QT tank and using copper medications like Copper Power to treat Ich:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/

Another option is hyposalinity where you lower the salinity of the water as a way to treat the Ich. This too is toxic to inverts, but in your case it may be easier to remove the inverts from your main tank into a temporary tank that can be something like a reef-safe storage tote, and then safely treat the fish in your main tank. Here's Jay Hemdal's thread on hyposalinity:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hyposalinity.880546/

This, of course, is assuming Ich is what you're dealing with

I hope this helps; post back with any further questions!

 

[winxp_man]

Is copper reef safe?

No, it’s why I stated QT not in DT.

 

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Setting up a 35 gallon tank now for quarantine. Copper power on order for tomorrow

 

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ich seems to be improving, but I'm still loosing fish. Started copper power a few days ago. slowly added trying got get to 2.50. Was at 1.70 yesterday and added a bit more, measured this morning and read 3.60

Doing a 10%+ change to get things down. Having a heck of a time. I never had this many problems years ago.

I am fairly certain the problem came from new fish from a store I trusted. They had just moved into a new location and were reestablishing their setup. One of the two cardinals began showing ich. started treatment but it was too late. I'd always trusted this store (one of two) I buy fish from and never had a problem. They were showing some of their display had been taken in on trade. I stayed away from those fish. Thinking it all stems from there.

Kordon seems to have done nothing.

feels like I'm fighting a loosing battle. On the plus side the invertebrates I moved to a 35 gallon tank are all doing well.

 

[Fish Fan]

ich seems to be improving, but I'm still loosing fish. Started copper power a few days ago. slowly added trying got get to 2.50. Was at 1.70 yesterday and added a bit more, measured this morning and read 3.60

Doing a 10%+ change to get things down. Having a heck of a time. I never had this many problems years ago.

I am fairly certain the problem came from new fish from a store I trusted. They had just moved into a new location and were reestablishing their setup. One of the two cardinals began showing ich. started treatment but it was too late. I'd always trusted this store (one of two) I buy fish from and never had a problem. They were showing some of their display had been taken in on trade. I stayed away from those fish. Thinking it all stems from there.

Kordon seems to have done nothing.

feels like I'm fighting a loosing battle. On the plus side the invertebrates I moved to a 35 gallon tank are all doing well.

What are you using to check the copper level? You don't need to ramp up Copper Power like that, going slowly let's the Ich continue to multiply and get worse.

 

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Hanna copper device

https://www.amazon.com/WLR-Industries-Hanna-Copper-Colorimeter/dp/B0D7N6BPG8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JOJ6JDLGZ8CB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BRxaiFMdgLmV0skobp9XVes5yEO4t1RfqGQ5vSmHztqVx2cXup9de-bBD-Y4jA6-QLTzxNNAVrhimqbOBqFD-NRrjREKaslNO00tOlNwypy09B8YFv7zT08xoNh6-xqorJNxaJVpZCefb8ChACwnnQxl8loK6d3oX-Do70c7bkv4xYoiosGzPAoAa70_3mtIPFNrgFexabMf2BFXyoKXvJTZwrvedxg49tV1gfsMwek.TkTe7KV0Fb7nu_AcfZTvfFWE-x_znfjexhC0r_KeKP4&dib_tag=se&keywords=hanna+copper+checker&qid=1792375193&sprefix=hanna+copper,aps,214&sr=8-1

still working my water change to get it down to 2.50

 

[Fish Fan]

Hanna copper device

https://www.amazon.com/WLR-Industries-Hanna-Copper-Colorimeter/dp/B0D7N6BPG8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JOJ6JDLGZ8CB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BRxaiFMdgLmV0skobp9XVes5yEO4t1RfqGQ5vSmHztqVx2cXup9de-bBD-Y4jA6-QLTzxNNAVrhimqbOBqFD-NRrjREKaslNO00tOlNwypy09B8YFv7zT08xoNh6-xqorJNxaJVpZCefb8ChACwnnQxl8loK6d3oX-Do70c7bkv4xYoiosGzPAoAa70_3mtIPFNrgFexabMf2BFXyoKXvJTZwrvedxg49tV1gfsMwek.TkTe7KV0Fb7nu_AcfZTvfFWE-x_znfjexhC0r_KeKP4&dib_tag=se&keywords=hanna+copper+checker&qid=1792375193&sprefix=hanna+copper,aps,214&sr=8-1

still working my water change to get it down to 2.50

That's good, the Hanna Copper Checker is a reliable device.

Try to get to that 2.25 ppm to 2.50 ppm copper and hold it there.

Let us know how it's going; good luck

 

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Go copper down to 2.41. All thats left is a tang, a foxface, a goby, and 2 mollys. The tang looked HORRIBLE a week ago. Since I started the copper he has slowly gotten better. Today you'd barely know anything was ever wrong. The foxface was touch and go for a while but he is pulling through.

The funny part? There was a snail I missed pulling out before I started the copper treatment. That snail is alive and kicking! I'll continue the treatment for the next two months. I lost well over $1k in fish. 9 month old 125g.

I hate that it happened but know its a risk. I should have pulled a cardinal out at the first sign of ich. Maybe the Kordon would've been enough?

Regardless, visual cues say I'm out of the danger zone. I did get a 35g set up with my invertebrates. Right next to where I eat breakfast, so thats a win!

 

[Fish Fan]

Go copper down to 2.41. All thats left is a tang, a foxface, a goby, and 2 mollys. The tang looked HORRIBLE a week ago. Since I started the copper he has slowly gotten better. Today you'd barely know anything was ever wrong. The foxface was touch and go for a while but he is pulling through.

The funny part? There was a snail I missed pulling out before I started the copper treatment. That snail is alive and kicking! I'll continue the treatment for the next two months. I lost well over $1k in fish. 9 month old 125g.

I hate that it happened but know its a risk. I should have pulled a cardinal out at the first sign of ich. Maybe the Kordon would've been enough?

Regardless, visual cues say I'm out of the danger zone. I did get a 35g set up with my invertebrates. Right next to where I eat breakfast, so thats a win!

I'm sorry for your losses, but glad you're things are improving for you now!