Is this ich?

[JFish107]

I had two clownfish die this week. One lodged itself in a cave and another got stuck on the back of a power head. Now I notice my pink spotted goby is acting lethargic, not eating much, has clamped fins most of the time and became a bit dull. A closer look shows he has some sort of dots on him. There’s something wrong with him I’m just not sure what. My water parameters have been normal. The tank is an IM 15 that has been up and running for two months now.

 

[mmorrison55]

#fishmedics

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had two clownfish die this week. One lodged itself in a cave and another got stuck on the back of a power head. Now I notice my pink spotted goby is acting lethargic, not eating much, has clamped fins most of the time and became a bit dull. A closer look shows he has some sort of dots on him. There’s something wrong with him I’m just not sure what. My water parameters have been normal. The tank is an IM 15 that has been up and running for two months now.

Looks to be ich and fish and any other fish will need to be treated with coppersafe at 2.25 ppm monitored with a Hanna brand copper test kit in separate tank and display left without fish for 45-60 days to assure parasites die off without a host fish

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I had two clownfish die this week. One lodged itself in a cave and another got stuck on the back of a power head. Now I notice my pink spotted goby is acting lethargic, not eating much, has clamped fins most of the time and became a bit dull. A closer look shows he has some sort of dots on him. There’s something wrong with him I’m just not sure what. My water parameters have been normal. The tank is an IM 15 that has been up and running for two months now.

Welcome to Reef2Reef

One thing - if the clownfish had died from ich, they would have been covered in spots the days before they died. You noticed the spots on the goby, but did you see similar spots on the clowns?

 

[JFish107]

Welcome to Reef2Reef

One thing - if the clownfish had died from ich, they would have been covered in spots the days before they died. You noticed the spots on the goby, but did you see similar spots on the clowns?

No I didn’t notice any spots on them. Everything was going fine this week and the two clowns died in what seemed like freak accidents on the same day.

 

[JFish107]

Looks to be ich and fish and any other fish will need to be treated with coppersafe at 2.25 ppm monitored with a Hanna brand copper test kit in separate tank and display left without fish for 45-60 days to assure parasites die off without a host fish

Darn, Thank you. I’m going to to set up a qt tank as soon as I can. I have a pistol shrimp in the tank. Will it be ok to stay in the display during that 45-60 days?

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Yes leave pistol shrimp and any other invertebrates in display tank and move all fish to quarantine tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

Darn, Thank you. I’m going to to set up a qt tank as soon as I can. I have a pistol shrimp in the tank. Will it be ok to stay in the display during that 45-60 days?

All coral and inverts can remain in display tank during fallow period

 

[Jay Hemdal]

No I didn’t notice any spots on them. Everything was going fine this week and the two clowns died in what seemed like freak accidents on the same day.

Very unlikely that the clowns died from accidents, the only real accidental death in aquarium fish is jumping out. Everything else has some root cause….for example, if you see a fish caught in a pump, there was something wrong with it that allowed that to happen.

At this point, I agree with treating the goby for ich.

 

[JFish107]

Thank you all for the help and advice. I took the day off today and hit a few LFS to get the supplies to put together a qt. I ended up with a $45 10 gallon kit from the big box store. Space was an issue so I opted for the 10. The transfer didn’t go great, he jumped out when I was trying to carefully net him. I got him off the floor and in the qt so we will see. He doesn’t look great it almost looked like he was coughing but I’m crossing my fingers. I dosed per the directions using seachen cupramine and tested with a seachem copper kit. I may order the Hannah copper checker tonight. I will dose again in 48 hrs per the instructions. To bring it to therapeutic levels.

All future fish will be qt’d before going in my display. Luckily I only have a small tank and he was the only stock. I can’t imagine having to do this with a heavily stocked large tank.

 

[JFish107]

Looks to be ich and fish and any other fish will need to be treated with coppersafe at 2.25 ppm monitored with a Hanna brand copper test kit in separate tank and display left without fish for 45-60 days to assure parasites die off without a host fish

I just realized you recommended coppersafe specifically. I raced to the LFS last night and got there 2 minutes before close. I grabbed cupramine in my haste. Any issues with this product?

 

[Uncle99]

I just realized you recommended coppersafe specifically. I raced to the LFS last night and got there 2 minutes before close. I grabbed cupramine in my haste. Any issues with this product?

That’s what I used without issue.
And several times over the years.
Shouldn’t he have a small plate of sand for comfort?
If you do, after your finished, the sand cannot be reused.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just realized you recommended coppersafe specifically. I raced to the LFS last night and got there 2 minutes before close. I grabbed cupramine in my haste. Any issues with this product?

It’s a little more potent
Treat at .45 instead of.5ppm

 

[JFish107]

That’s what I used without issue.
And several times over the years.
Shouldn’t he have a small plate of sand for comfort?
If you do, after your finished, the sand cannot be reused.

He is a watchman goby and not a diamond so I did not put any in. However I’m a newb and will add some if he needs it.

 

[Uncle99]

He is a watchman goby and not a diamond so I did not put any in. However I’m a newb and will add some if he needs it.

Watch man loves sand.
Just an inch, on a plate or shallow bowl.
He’s going to be in QT for a bit.

 

[JFish107]

Watch man loves sand.
Just an inch, on a plate or shallow bowl.
He’s going to be in QT for a bit.

I will add some for him thank you!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I just realized you recommended coppersafe specifically. I raced to the LFS last night and got there 2 minutes before close. I grabbed cupramine in my haste. Any issues with this product?

Cupramine is just a bit harsher than coppersafe, it works fine though. I think you’re good with the Seachem copper test.

If you do get the Hanna unit, I’m pretty sure you need the low range version, not the high range. However, there was some issue - their literature didn’t list saltwater testing for their low range kit, just freshwater.

 

[larrysaltisfun]

For what it’s worth for my one and only ICH outbreak I bought Cupramine (before I joined R2R) . At The time I didn’t realize the difference between this which is ionic copper and chelated copper, which is copper power and copper safe.

The Hanna high range copper test did work fine for me and it was kind of a saving grace because of the higher potential for toxicity with Cupramine, So It might be worth the extra $75. Also, make sure you buy a box of test packets because the copper checker only comes with six.

 

[larrysaltisfun]

Disregard my post above ….. after doing some research which I should have done first I realize I’ve spoken error and Seachem is preferred for Cupramine, sorry for the misinformation

 

[JFish107]

Unfortunately the fish did not make it. I don’t think I caught that it was sick in time and it seemed to progress very quickly. At one point it did have stringy white feces.

Huge bummer and I should have done my due diligence and developed a quarantine procedure.