Icky Dilemma

[ShrimpBandit]

I've got a 120g mixed reef that has been up for about 4 months. Everyone's doing well, but I just noticed a couple of ick spots on my tang (looking at a few new invert additions?) It's an ick-management type situation. Do I:

- keep feeding nori and frozen cubes with selcon, continue with regular tank maintenance, and hope he clears it?
- try to catch him for a trip to QT? Obviously, this may be a bit of a challenge.
- add something else to the DT to help boost his immune system/fight the ich?

I'm sure this is a question that's been asked 100k times, so links to helpful threads are also appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Unitylover]

pics? Ive heard that some tangs have stress spots. If theres a pattern, and they dont seem to move, stress spots. But if the spots move and multiply, its ick

 

[Unitylover]

qt is best choice though, as ich will almost always go on and infect other fish

 

[ShrimpBandit]

qt is best choice though, as ich will almost always go on and infect other fish

Yeah, the trick will be catching him. It's definitely ich. I can get pics when the lights come back on tomorrow.

The clowns in this tank have had it in the past (when they were the sole inhabitants of a previous tank) and recovered without issue. I'm not concerned about them so much as the other newer additions - a lawnmower blenny, royal gramma, and two banggai cardinals.

I know tangs are prone to it, and that my clowns seem to move right past it. I'm just not sure how the others will fare. And really, even though he's the only one showing signs of it, everyone one else is obviously exposed already.

I'm not going to take everyone out for a fallow period, so the benefit of putting the tang in QT would be to medicate him, specifically. Not the worst idea, but would that improve the chances of helping the others avoid infection if it's already in the tank?

 

[Unitylover]

Its would improve the chances of the not catching it. If they catch it, you have to fallow.

 

[GARRIGA]

If the clowns previously had it in another tank then could be they transmitted it or new inhabitants including the tang introduced it. At this point it’s more likely the tank has it and merely removing the tang may not solve the tank having it. Clowns may have developed immunity to it but if overwhelmed by it again may not come through it. Clowns are tough little fish, however.

Safest route would be using traps or those cups with magnets to catch all fish and transfer them to QT then follow for 72 plus days.

I’m likely just adding Ultrafiltration or DE filtration to an existing tank were I to get infected and remove as much of the free swimming while feeding my fish and allowing them to build up immunity. Those showing the worse signs pulled and possibly medicated or placed into QT with with out gravel or rocks and just a few elbows for cover and giving the Ultrafiltration/DE a better opportunity to remove free swimmers before having a chance to infect and allow the fish a better chance to build up an immunity. Copper being the last resort.

In the process of building a prototype QT based on filtering bs medicating. Internal parasites addressed via medicated food and dips.

 

[ShrimpBandit]

So I managed to catch a coupe clear pics of the little guy (plus some clown photo bombers), and really, it seems like he's already looking better. No spots at all on one side, less than five on the other.

Certainly not having any issues with energy/eating/breathing, as far as I can tell. If I can catch him, I might try a paraguard dip, but at this point, if he's looking better and catching/dipping/QTing would be more stressful, I might just keep an eye on it for the moment. Unless, of course, you all tell me that's the worst idea.

 

[piranhaman00]

Catching dipping and returning to the same infected tank makes zero sense.
You have two options, ich management or catch all fish and qt with fallow

 

[Sean Clark]

Ok, I have to admit I was duped by the title. I read "Icky Dilemma" and expected to see something gross and a question about how to deal with it. Facepalm.

 

[ShrimpBandit]

Ok, I have to admit I was duped by the title. I read "Icky Dilemma" and expected to see something gross and a question about how to deal with it. Facepalm.

Gotta make those titles catch attention, amirite?

 

[Unitylover]

Tangs do get stress spots, but those are symmetrical. there look random, so its ich. you can do hyposalinity or qt copper

 

[damsels are not mean]

QT is pointless in ich management. It's one or the other. The fish will either make it or not and that's the risk you are taking with management as opposed to QT and treatment.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Taking it out will stress it and may make things worse. Maybe you treat it but the tank has ick now. So it's going to go through all the stress of copper or TTM and then go back into ick soup with its guard down.

 

[rmorris_14]

I don’t know. I think the spots look a little big to be ich. Could it be Lymphocystis?

If it is ich, I agree that removing for treatment would be pointless as you would be putting it back in an environment where it will catch it all over again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is not ick but lymphocystis and is viral- Not parasitical although often confused with ich and appears a pebble or wart-like nodule most commonly seen on the fins, skin, or gills of the infected fish.
Lympho is often associated with water conditions and /or dietary issues.
What test kits are you using ?
Assure water quality is good and you are providing more than just flakes and pelleted foods. Some recommended foods are:
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health
With proper management, this will fall off on its own

 

[Jedi1199]

Gotta make those titles catch attention, amirite?

It worked for me.. I expected either a gooey mess or an "I have ich" thread.

I agree with Vetteguy, Does not look like Ich to me. I would follow his advice and the problem should clear up on its own.

Good luck!!

 

[ShrimpBandit]

This is not ick but lymphocystis and is viral- Not parasitical although often confused with ich and appears a pebble or wart-like nodule most commonly seen on the fins, skin, or gills of the infected fish.
Lympho is often associated with water conditions and /or dietary issues.
What test kits are you using ?
Assure water quality is good and you are providing more than just flakes and pelleted foods. Some recommended foods are:
-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health
With proper management, this will fall off on its own

Okay, so it's not "definitely ich." My bad. I was not previously familiar with lympho. R2R teaches me something new every day!

To answer your question re: test kits, Hanna for dKH and PO4, Salifert for Mg, still on API for everything else. I am currently battling red slime in my newish tank (with noticable progress). Regular weekly 20% water changes, skimmer, new filter socks every other day, fuge, and a UV sterilizer.

In terms of food, I feed frozen cubes and phyto daily, with nori every other. I've been using selcon and garlic with every feeding since I noticed the spots. I use seaweed extreme sometimes because my tang seems to otherwise focus on the meaty foods while the snails eat the nori. I've also got some mysis and veggie marine included in the frozen cube rotation.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Okay, so it's not "definitely ich." My bad. I was not previously familiar with lympho. R2R teaches me something new every day!

To answer your question re: test kits, Hanna for dKH and PO4, Salifert for Mg, still on API for everything else. I am currently battling red slime in my newish tank (with noticable progress). Regular weekly 20% water changes, skimmer, new filter socks every other day, fuge, and a UV sterilizer.

In terms of food, I feed frozen cubes and phyto daily, with nori every other. I've been using selcon and garlic with every feeding since I noticed the spots. I use seaweed extreme sometimes because my tang seems to otherwise focus on the meaty foods while the snails eat the nori. I've also got some mysis and veggie marine included in the frozen cube rotation.

Phyto not needed daily
I suspected high ammonia And/or nitrate why I questioned test kits
Api is notorious for false results and your readings are likely higher
Take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does Not use API test kits and see what readings they come up with so you know whete total water sits

 

[ShrimpBandit]

Phyto not needed daily
I suspected high ammonia And/or nitrate why I questioned test kits
Api is notorious for false results and your readings are likely higher
Take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does Not use API test kits and see what readings they come up with so you know whete total water sits

Lol, if only I had a trusted LFS. Closest option is four hours away in the Twin Cities.

I've also used the fluval set or some expired salifert kits when something seems off. Right now, I'm guessing the cyano is sucking up nitrates so the tests read <5 ppm. I've been focused on reducing nitrates for a month or so. The test kit still reads <5 ppm, but the red slime is a fraction of what it was.

I've only been feeding the phyto daily because I also just added pods and kind of hope all that stuff will help in the red slime fight.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Lol, if only I had a trusted LFS. Closest option is four hours away in the Twin Cities.

I've also used the fluval set or some expired salifert kits when something seems off. Right now, I'm guessing the cyano is sucking up nitrates so the tests read <5 ppm. I've been focused on reducing nitrates for a month or so. The test kit still reads <5 ppm, but the red slime is a fraction of what it was.

I've only been feeding the phyto daily because I also just added pods and kind of hope all that stuff will help in the red slime fight.

A friend or local club can be an option