Is this ICH??

[rturner241]

Thanks, these help.

In the last powder blue image, I can clearly see ich. The copperband shows ich on its tail as well.

What treatment options do you have?

Thank you for this!

I'm gutted but glad to get confirmation! Is there any short term relief I can provide whilst I look for a quarantine tank for all fish to leave the tank fallow for 80 days... My understanding is that this IS the ONLY cure?!

IF I were to treat the display tank with copper for this? It may be easier to remove my prize corals and inverts and risk killing the plating montis that cannot be moved, is that a possible scenario?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you for this!

I'm gutted but glad to get confirmation! Is there any short term relief I can provide whilst I look for a quarantine tank for all fish to leave the tank fallow for 80 days... My understanding is that this IS the ONLY cure?!

IF I were to treat the display tank with copper for this? It may be easier to remove my prize corals and inverts and risk killing the plating montis that cannot be moved, is that a possible scenario?

The fallow period is 60 days fishless.

I wouldn’t dose your display with copper, it is difficult to remove after.

You could move all the corals and invertebrates out and then run hyposalinity at 1.009 in your DT for 30 days. OR you can move all the fish to a treatment tank and treat them with Coppersafe or copper power for 30 days, and then hold them for another 30 days before returning them. The fallow period for a tank run at hyposalinity is less, the corals and invertebrates can be returned after the salt levels have been returned to normal, so about 35 days.

Don’t let the mildness of the symptoms now belay the fact that this disease can ramp up quickly to cause fish loss nearing 100% in a week or so.

 

[ReefTankENG]

I’ll go to the opposite side of the spectrum. Get a UV sterilizer, cleaner shrimp, and feed Seaweed often fortified with amino acids. This is the “live with ich” method. I like to think of it as part of the natural ecosystem. I see spots frequently on my tangs for the last 1.5 years. Doesn’t seem to bother them and they have like tripled in size. It was scary as first, but as long as everyone is healthy and happy, that’s all I care about. I couldn’t imagine doing the other crazy stuff :). But, I would act quickly!

 

[slingfox]

Thanks for your quick response! Sorry. Very new to posting on here!

It looks like the images have been compressed A Lot to upload? Is there any way of avoiding this?

The copperband was in my LFS display tank after being qt'd in copper on arrival... Or so they tell me...

Some LFS put all fish in low dose copper and/or hypo salinity. This is done to suppress disease rather than eradicate it. Unless you know their exact quarantine protocol and are comfortable with how they run things you should not consider any fish from them as properly quarantined.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’ll go to the opposite side of the spectrum. Get a UV sterilizer, cleaner shrimp, and feed Seaweed often fortified with amino acids. This is the “live with ich” method. I like to think of it as part of the natural ecosystem. I see spots frequently on my tangs for the last 1.5 years. Doesn’t seem to bother them and they have like tripled in size. It was scary as first, but as long as everyone is healthy and happy, that’s all I care about. I couldn’t imagine doing the other crazy stuff :). But, I would act quickly!

That process is called "ich management". It has a pretty high failure rate when the fish involved are recent additions like this. There are a number of different processes that need to be employed to try and get the best success rate. I've got a thread about it here:

"Ich Management"

Because this topic continues to come up, I wanted to create a sticky thread so that it is more easily referenced. Please understand that I am NOT presenting this as an optimum method for controlling marine ich, just putting it out there for people who want to try it. Also, do not pick and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReefTankENG]

Jay - I did all your steps except 5, 7, and 8. I’m not sure is my larger system (200g) also contributed to success

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Jay - I did all your steps except 5, 7, and 8. I’m not sure is my larger system (200g) also contributed to success

Step 5 is the most important of those three steps. I added 7 and 8 because people also do that a lot, but I don't have enough data to rule them in or out of the process. Siphoning the bottom has been shown to help reduce tomonts though, which in turn reduce the numbers of theronts that they produce.

I don't know if tank size has a lot to bearing in the matter, but fish bioload does - more fish per gallon = more tomonts produced. Mechanical filtration can also help reduce the number of theronts, but the old "use a diatom filter to eliminate ich" rarely, if ever, works by itself....at least I've never had it work.

 

[rturner241]

Thank you all!

I run a UV steriliser and have replaced the bulb and reduced the flow rate to approximately 1.5 tank volume/hour

I am treating with a reef safe solution and vacuuming the sand bed until I can get a tank set up large enough to house my rock and corals..

I want to go for the cure here! @Jay Hemdal is Hyposalinity a guaranteed cure??

Rob

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you all!

I run a UV steriliser and have replaced the bulb and reduced the flow rate to approximately 1.5 tank volume/hour

I am treating with a reef safe solution and vacuuming the sand bed until I can get a tank set up large enough to house my rock and corals..

I want to go for the cure here! @Jay Hemdal is Hyposalinity a guaranteed cure??

Rob

Well, nothing is 100%, but properly done, it is very effective. Coppersafe / copper power is a bit more effective though. Neither can be done if any invertebrates are in your tank.

 

[rturner241]

Well, nothing is 100%, but properly done, it is very effective. Coppersafe / copper power is a bit more effective though. Neither can be done if any invertebrates are in your tank.

So... I've acquired another tank of similar size... I can either remove all fish and treat with copper in this new 'system' OR remove all rock, coral, crabs and snails to this system and treat the fish and substrate with Hyposalinity?

Following some research I'm concerned that if I do not maintain EXACTLY 1.009 s.g it will not be effective and/or I will lose fish?

I have wrasse, anthias, gobies and clowns that may not handle the Hyposalinity well?

What is your recommendation?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So... I've acquired another tank of similar size... I can either remove all fish and treat with copper in this new 'system' OR remove all rock, coral, crabs and snails to this system and treat the fish and substrate with Hyposalinity?

Following some research I'm concerned that if I do not maintain EXACTLY 1.009 s.g it will not be effective and/or I will lose fish?

I have wrasse, anthias, gobies and clowns that may not handle the Hyposalinity well?

What is your recommendation?

One thing about copper is that you need to avoid using any calcium substrates in the treated water as they can absorb it from the water.

One benefit of hyposalinity is that it slightly reduces the fallow period - from 45 to 60 days down to about 35 days (30 days of hypo and 5 days to ramp back up).

Here is my post on hypo;

Hyposalinity

Hyposalinity Jay Hemdal 2024 This term refers to a long-term bath treatment for marine fishes in which the salt content of the water is lowered and held below the point that certain parasites can survive. The salt level reached, and the time of the treatment are the two variables...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[rturner241]

One thing about copper is that you need to avoid using any calcium substrates in the treated water as they can absorb it from the water.

One benefit of hyposalinity is that it slightly reduces the fallow period - from 45 to 60 days down to about 35 days (30 days of hypo and 5 days to ramp back up).

Here is my post on hypo;

Hyposalinity

Hyposalinity Jay Hemdal 2024 This term refers to a long-term bath treatment for marine fishes in which the salt content of the water is lowered and held below the point that certain parasites can survive. The salt level reached, and the time of the treatment are the two variables...

www.reef2reef.com

I have now read through the above and it's pros and cons.



Hopefully just one final question before I proceed with either action;



Because I will be removing all of my rock with coral encrusted to a safe tank should I be concerned about protomonts or tomites on these rocks??

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I have now read through the above and it's pros and cons.



Hopefully just one final question before I proceed with either action;



Because I will be removing all of my rock with coral encrusted to a safe tank should I be concerned about protomonts or tomites on these rocks??

Yes - tomonts get stuck in rock crevices and can release tomites/theronts later on. The general though isn’t takes 60 days to ensure those die out from lack of hosts before using them in tanks with fish in it.

 

[rturner241]

Thanks for everything Jay!

Wish me luck!

 

[rturner241]

Hi guys! Just wanted to say thanks again, we're on day 14 of hypo now and everyone is looking well!

One Anthia showed signs of swelling and protruding fins but quickly recovered.

Small spike of ammonia at day 5 locked in with Amguard and treated with Stability. PH is holding steady at around 8.1

Hopefully just 21 days to go before raising the salinity slowly!

Corals are looking well in the separate tank, although one torch shed a lot of polyps in the transfer!

 

[strich]

I'm in the same boat as you at about the same time frame. Good luck friend!

 

[rturner241]

I'm in the same boat as you at about the same time frame. Good luck friend!

Thank you mate! All the best to you!