Ich free tank

Nyx101

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Messages
172
Reaction score
88
Location
Quebec
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi y’all. I’ve come a long way since I started Reefing about 3 years ago.
I have to say I never knew hatred until I met ich. Watching fish flash and scratch without noticeable afflictions successfully drove me crazy and so, since awaiting the arrival of a 72 by 24 by 16 inch waterbox frag tank next month I’ve finally decided to take the bull by the horns. I did not quarantine at first of course essentially due to limited funds. Though since the pandemic has hit and I work in healthcare I’ve been working my butt off and managed to save up enough money for a new start which includes bigger tank and quarantine tank. I feel sad for our little finned friends as I regularely go to fish stores and notice they are all contaminated with some sort of parasite. Even a purple tang I bought from a fellow reefer a few weeks ago was completely covered in white dots which I eradicated by doing TTM before putting it in the display. My display has a ich strain in it that my other fish successfully live with but I’m tired of feeling the guilt so now I have Removed all rocks sand and means of filtration and replaced it with brand new 8l of Matrix cycled with Bio-Spira.
I will be treating with copper power until the new tank gets here (about 28 days) Thanks you so much @Humblefish for all your threads and YouTube videos explaining the necessity and care to be taken while treating.
Ich management isn’t the way to go for me anymore and I am very grateful for being able to get all the information I need online. From BRS TV to Inappropriate reefer I could not have managed to do so much if it was not for dedicated reefers who genuinely care for our animals. If you have had success or failure with copper power I would like to read about it. Also if you manage ich I would also like to hear from you. Thank you for reading and have a nice day everyone :)
 

ichthyogeek

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 26, 2020
Messages
2,072
Reaction score
2,056
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm a big fan of the Tank Transfer Method and letting things just lie fallow fo 11 weeks if they're not fish method. Copper kinda scares me, especially since I don't have a test kit.
 
OP
OP
Nyx101

Nyx101

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Messages
172
Reaction score
88
Location
Quebec
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm a big fan of the Tank Transfer Method and letting things just lie fallow fo 11 weeks if they're not fish method. Copper kinda scares me, especially since I don't have a test kit.
I understand why you’d avoid copper unfortunately I have no choice since there’s just too many fish in my tank. So far after half the dose of Copper Power every fish is doing fine and eating including Leopard wrasse and princess anthias. I will give feedback after 30 days.
 

Keen4

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 19, 2020
Messages
525
Reaction score
172
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok so I just bought a couple of tangs to add to my reef tank. Now there is ich. I’m in the process of moving which is already stressful. I can’t imagine what the fish are going through. This is my first ich encounter. How should i proceeed?
 
OP
OP
Nyx101

Nyx101

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 6, 2018
Messages
172
Reaction score
88
Location
Quebec
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok so I just bought a couple of tangs to add to my reef tank. Now there is ich. I’m in the process of moving which is already stressful. I can’t imagine what the fish are going through. This is my first ich encounter. How should i proceeed?
If you don’t have a big enough qt for tangs I would remove all inverts and store them in a 5g qt (with a light if you have corals) remove all rock, sand and bio media susceptible to absorb copper & store them in a brute trash can with heater and flow for 76 days. Treat the display with copper power. I am currently on day 20 at 2.08 ppm. I have wrasses and princess anthias just to name a few and all are still good and eating. Had to buy PVC pipes and 8L of matrix i then cycled with Dr. Tim’s one and only. No absorption from the matrix and no water changes since I started treating. Stressful but effective so far. No more spots.
 

ZoWhat

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
9,897
Reaction score
17,531
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok so I just bought a couple of tangs to add to my reef tank. Now there is ich. I’m in the process of moving which is already stressful. I can’t imagine what the fish are going through. This is my first ich encounter. How should i proceeed?
I have 20yrs experience with Tangs

Tangs will get ICH if stressed due to:

* Poor Immune System due to low to medium food quality. Using a garlic supplement doesn't cure ICH (meaning the garlic doesn't boost their immunity). Adding garlic supplements only sparks the Tang to eat more and more food which equals a better immune system...BUT.... if you are feeding low nutrient foods, the amt of food needed, pollutes the tank with Tang POOP. SOLUTION, buy a liquid vitamin supplement (like Selcon or Vita-Chem) to lightly soak every food you use before feeding the fish. The GOAL is to feed Tangs with the highest form of nutrition without all the food volume. Food should have a high nutritional PUNCH. Captive tangs should be feed lightly with a high-impact nutritional food, not heavy feeding with a lot of waste.

* Water Temp Swings larger than 5 degrees. Especially if the temp change is immediate. Gradual swings are ok but not optimal. Best to keep swings under 2 degrees. Stress=ICH

* Salinity changes where the salinity in a matter of hours goes UP. salinity going down is fine, but a semi-immediate increase in salinity will produce stress. Again Stress=ICH

* Low oxygen levels. Poor water quality with super high NO3/PO4 will grab oxygen right out of the water bc algae is always first in line to consume nutrients and oxygen. If oxygen is not optimal, Stress=ICH

* Bullying. If another fish bullies a tang for territory, the Tang does have the option to swim beyond the glass box to submit to giving up territory. Stress=ICH

* African Cleaner Wrasses / Cleaner Shrimp are great bc they pick at the Tangs outer layer and keep the Tang clean. A clean Tang is a happy tang that has low stress. Just think of how better you feel after a nice shower. It improves your health and well being. Same with Tangs getting cleaned by wrasses or shrimp

So to review, TWO major factors in keeping Tangs happy

1) superior nutrition with a vitamin supplement to boost immunity

2) low low stress levels giving them stable water temp, salinity, territories, high oxygen levels, and a wrasse/clean to keep them clean
 
Last edited:

Uncle99

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 22, 2018
Messages
8,726
Reaction score
12,859
Location
Province of Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So all fish come out of DT for one of the three working treatments, Copper, Hypo, or TTM.

The DT runs as normal (without fish) for 70ish days. This ends the ick in your tank.
 
Back
Top