Ich

[KevBodd]

Hi, I had a powder blue tang which got ich and died within a few hours. I also lost a long nose yellow butterfly which also got ich and died. I’ve almost lost all my fish this week but no white spots on them. Nothing that I can actually see. All my parameters are acceptable. My temp was at 77 f for some reason. Would this be the cause of my fish dying. I’ve bought a new heater and bought the temperature down to 25c. I’m still loosing fish. Should I take out the 3 fish I have left and treat with copper. Also what do I do with the tank ie do I change all of the water or do it gradually. It’s a 300 litre . Thanks .

 

[bluemon]

77 is perfectly fine for fish.

If your fish had no white dots, how are you sure they had ich?

Do you have pictures?

More details about the tank would be nice.

Everything you can give

 

[mcarroll]

My temp was at 77 f for some reason. Would this be the cause of my fish dying. I’ve bought a new heater and bought the temperature down to 25c

I don't understand the switch in units there...or something. 77ºF isn't too hot......and 25ºC is 77ºF. And that won't kill fish.

Should I take out the 3 fish I have left and treat with copper.

If you're set up for that, yes....although it is slightly redundant since the ich and the fish are both in the display tank already. You may want to consider this...

Adding a UV filter and/or and micron filter can be a big help. Depending on your needs, both together is better than one or the other.

UV and micron filtration can be deployed in the display tank, even with corals...or elsewhere like a QT tank. Very handy.

Also what do I do with the tank ie do I change all of the water or do it gradually.

How do you know they had ich, BTW? (vs something else?)

It would be great to know more about the symptoms the fish were exhibiting. You said no white spots and that's the #1 sign of either ich or velvet.....so it kinda leaves the door wide open for speculation.

At least on the current diagnosis, personally I think I'd be tempted to take it easier on the remaining fish and go the UV + micron filter in the display route....perhaps adding in a reef-safe ich treatment like Ruby Reef's stuff.

But you're there....if you gut says get them out and treat them, then that's probably the right thing.

 

[KevBodd]

My temp was at 77 f for some reason. Would this be the cause of my fish dying. I’ve bought a new heater and bought the temperature down to 25c

I don't understand the switch in units there...or something. 77ºF isn't too hot......and 25ºC is 77ºF. And that won't kill fish.

Should I take out the 3 fish I have left and treat with copper.

If you're set up for that, yes....although it is slightly redundant since the ich and the fish are both in the display tank already. You may want to consider this...

Adding a UV filter and/or and micron filter can be a big help. Depending on your needs, both together is better than one or the other.

UV and micron filtration can be deployed in the display tank, even with corals...or elsewhere like a QT tank. Very handy.

Also what do I do with the tank ie do I change all of the water or do it gradually.

How do you know they had ich, BTW? (vs something else?)

It would be great to know more about the symptoms the fish were exhibiting. You said no white spots and that's the #1 sign of either ich or velvet.....so it kinda leaves the door wide open for speculation.

At least on the current diagnosis, personally I think I'd be tempted to take it easier on the remaining fish and go the UV + micron filter in the display route....perhaps adding in a reef-safe ich treatment like Ruby Reef's stuff.

But you're there....if you gut says get them out and treat them, then that's probably the right thing.

Sorry it was at 27.5 c now it’s at 25c . The start of it was a powder blue which had white spot. Then my long nose yellow butterfly had white spots. All the other fish that have died over the last few days have no spots. The powder blue was rubbing himself against rocks. The others were not doing that. I just thought it must have been ich to begin with.

 

[KevBodd]

77 is perfectly fine for fish.

If your fish had no white dots, how are you sure they had ich?

Do you have pictures?

More details about the tank would be nice.

Everything you can give

The first two that died had white spots. The others didn’t have any spots or anything you could see. Unbelievable I can’t post any photos not sure why

 

[bluemon]

do you have the pictures?
There should be a picture icon when filling out a comment

 

[KevBodd]

My temp was at 77 f for some reason. Would this be the cause of my fish dying. I’ve bought a new heater and bought the temperature down to 25c

I don't understand the switch in units there...or something. 77ºF isn't too hot......and 25ºC is 77ºF. And that won't kill fish.

Should I take out the 3 fish I have left and treat with copper.

If you're set up for that, yes....although it is slightly redundant since the ich and the fish are both in the display tank already. You may want to consider this...

Adding a UV filter and/or and micron filter can be a big help. Depending on your needs, both together is better than one or the other.

UV and micron filtration can be deployed in the display tank, even with corals...or elsewhere like a QT tank. Very handy.

Also what do I do with the tank ie do I change all of the water or do it gradually.

How do you know they had ich, BTW? (vs something else?)

It would be great to know more about the symptoms the fish were exhibiting. You said no white spots and that's the #1 sign of either ich or velvet.....so it kinda leaves the door wide open for speculation.

At least on the current diagnosis, personally I think I'd be tempted to take it easier on the remaining fish and go the UV + micron filter in the display route....perhaps adding in a reef-safe ich treatment like Ruby Reef's stuff.

But you're there....if you gut says get them out and treat them, then that's probably the right thing.

Thank you for this. The first two fish that died had white spot but the others didn’t have anything on them. Can I put the uv in the sump? How long would I have to wait before I introduce new fish? The remaining fish in the display tank haven’t got any spots . I don’t really want to go down the road of medication in a separate tank as I’m new to this and not sure what to do.

 

[KevBodd]

do you have the pictures?
There should be a picture icon when filling out a comment

It won’t send for some reason.

 

[bluemon]

I don't understand the switch in units there...or something. 77ºF isn't too hot......and 25ºC is 77ºF. And that won't kill fish.


If you're set up for that, yes....although it is slightly redundant since the ich and the fish are both in the display tank already. You may want to consider this...

Adding a UV filter and/or and micron filter can be a big help. Depending on your needs, both together is better than one or the other.

UV and micron filtration can be deployed in the display tank, even with corals...or elsewhere like a QT tank. Very handy.


How do you know they had ich, BTW? (vs something else?)

It would be great to know more about the symptoms the fish were exhibiting. You said no white spots and that's the #1 sign of either ich or velvet.....so it kinda leaves the door wide open for speculation.

At least on the current diagnosis, personally I think I'd be tempted to take it easier on the remaining fish and go the UV + micron filter in the display route....perhaps adding in a reef-safe ich treatment like Ruby Reef's stuff.

But you're there....if you gut says get them out and treat them, then that's probably the right thing.

If several fish already died, UV and a micron filter will be of little help.

Ich management is only doable at very early stages

 

[KevBodd]

do you have the pictures?
There should be a picture icon when filling out a comment

It won’t send for some reason.

 

[bluemon]

It won’t send for some reason.

Does it give you an error?

The images might be too big.

You can also host them on an external site like Imgur and link them

 

[bluemon]

Can you get pictures of them in white light?

Also do you have the pictures of the fish that died that had the white dots?

Thank you for this. The first two fish that died had white spot but the others didn’t have anything on them. Can I put the uv in the sump? How long would I have to wait before I introduce new fish? The remaining fish in the display tank haven’t got any spots . I don’t really want to go down the road of medication in a separate tank as I’m new to this and not sure what to do.

If the fish really did die from ich like you said, then UV now will not help.

And you can’t “wait it out” until you add new fish. The tank will forever have ich unless you treat all your fish in a separate QT tank while your display stays fish free for two months

 

[KevBodd]

My temp was at 77 f for some reason. Would this be the cause of my fish dying. I’ve bought a new heater and bought the temperature down to 25c

I don't understand the switch in units there...or something. 77ºF isn't too hot......and 25ºC is 77ºF. And that won't kill fish.

Should I take out the 3 fish I have left and treat with copper.

If you're set up for that, yes....although it is slightly redundant since the ich and the fish are both in the display tank already. You may want to consider this...

Adding a UV filter and/or and micron filter can be a big help. Depending on your needs, both together is better than one or the other.

UV and micron filtration can be deployed in the display tank, even with corals...or elsewhere like a QT tank. Very handy.

Also what do I do with the tank ie do I change all of the water or do it gradually.

How do you know they had ich, BTW? (vs something else?)

It would be great to know more about the symptoms the fish were exhibiting. You said no white spots and that's the #1 sign of either ich or velvet.....so it kinda leaves the door wide open for speculation.

At least on the current diagnosis, personally I think I'd be tempted to take it easier on the remaining fish and go the UV + micron filter in the display route....perhaps adding in a reef-safe ich treatment like Ruby Reef's stuff.

But you're there....if you gut says get them out and treat them, then that's probably the right thing.

Also I forgot to mention I was dosing with poly p lab medic as I was told it could clear up the white spot. Maybe this combination with high temperature could have starved the fish with oxygen ?.

 

[bluemon]

Also I forgot to mention I was dosing with poly p lab medic as I was told it could clear up the white spot. Maybe this combination with high temperature could have starved the fish with oxygen ?.

77 is not a high temperature by reef standards. That alone shouldn’t delete oxygen.

Neither will polyp lab medic, which are just peroxide salts, largely ineffective in treating ich, and will not deplete oxygen.

What do you have in terms of water movement in your tank? Do you have a skimmer?

Also, a blue tang cannot do well long term in a 300L.

Needs at least 700L

 

[KevBodd]

Can you get pictures of them in white light?

Also do you have the pictures of the fish that died that had the white dots?

Thank you for this. The first two fish that died had white spot but the others didn’t have anything on them. Can I put the uv in the sump? How long would I have to wait before I introduce new fish? The remaining fish in the display tank haven’t got any spots . I don’t really want to go down the road of medication in a separate tank as I’m new to this and not sure what to do.

If the fish really did die from ich like you said, then UV now will not help.

And you can’t “wait it out” until you add new fish. The tank will forever have ich unless you treat all your fish in a separate QT tank while your display stays fish free for two months

I can’t sorry this is a photo before he died.

This is a clown that died with no white spot.

 

[bluemon]

Can you get pictures of them in white light?

Also do you have the pictures of the fish that died that had the white dots?

Thank you for this. The first two fish that died had white spot but the others didn’t have anything on them. Can I put the uv in the sump? How long would I have to wait before I introduce new fish? The remaining fish in the display tank haven’t got any spots . I don’t really want to go down the road of medication in a separate tank as I’m new to this and not sure what to do.

If the fish really did die from ich like you said, then UV now will not help.

And you can’t “wait it out” until you add new fish. The tank will forever have ich unless you treat all your fish in a separate QT tank while your display stays fish free for two months

I can’t sorry this is a photo before he died.

This is a clown that died with no white spot.

Did the fish have nipped fins before death or is that post mortem?

Without any good pictures of the symptoms of fish, it’s hard to ID the disease.

Can you post more info on the tank info?

Age, inhabitants, equipments etc

 

[winxp_man]

Ich does not kill within hours unless there are under lying issues.

The pic you posted looks like ich but the white might be something else. The white patch. Also the fins on the fish don’t look in good shape.

Pics under bright white lights, and a 20-30 second video under same lights might show more issues.


Edit: how were the fish acting? Erratic swimming? Gasping for air? Swimming in the current? Velvet is what kills super fast. As for ich I have had fish covered from head to toe and still made it past ich no problem in copper QT.

 

[winxp_man]

Did the fish have nipped fins before death or is that post mortem?

Without any good pictures of the symptoms of fish, it’s hard to ID the disease.

Can you post more info on the tank info?

Age, inhabitants, equipments etc

This right here, list of tank members.

 

[KevBodd]

Ich does not kill within hours unless there are under lying issues.

The pic you posted looks like ich but the white might be something else. The white patch. Also the fins on the fish don’t look in good shape.

Pics under bright white lights, and a 20-30 second video under same lights might show more issues.

One of the other fish had attacked it after it had got white spot. It was a file fish that did the damage when it was already sick. Which didn’t help. But it was already covered in spots. I’ve disposed of the fish since so I am unable to send any photos. I might be able to retrieve the fish when I get home. If so I’ll post some photos.

 

[winxp_man]

Post pics of fish that are still alive if possible. The deaths will not show much in the realm of disease once dead and out of water for a time.