Keeping Achilles tang ick free in reef tank

[Armon_p]

I have naso tang, blue hippo, yellow wrasse, leopard wrasse and percula clownfish. 5 fish. Also 1 cleaner shrimp

 

[Humblefish]

I have naso tang, blue hippo, yellow wrasse, leopard wrasse and percula clownfish. 5 fish. Also 1 cleaner shrimp

The shrimp and all other inverts/corals shall remain in the DT. The tangs shouldn't be too hard to catch. Just bait (with nori) a fish trap made out of eggcrate (see pic below - props to "coralfragger101" from RC). The wrasses are going to be a lot harder. I've had some success catching those using a "bottle trap". Look here: How to Trap a Fish - Reef Cleaners

CHEAP: Spare eggcrate, zip ties and fishing line.

If anyone is trying to catch a fish that could go through the eggcrate then you could easily just attach some sort of netting to the trap with more zip ties.

 

[Humblefish]

Easiest treatment option would be copper, but leopard wrasses are notoriously sensitive to that (and any chemical treatment, for that matter.) So, tank transfer method would be "best", at least for the Leopard wrasse: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-diagnosis/192655-tank-transfer-method.html

This link discusses copper in more detail: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-diagnosis/193343-copper-treatment.html

This link is a "how to" guide for setting up a QT: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/fish-disease-treatment-diagnosis/189815-how-quarantine.html

 

[Armon_p]

So for info, I take everyone out and put them in quarantine tanks and Medicate them, them after 75 days I put them all back in the DT? And how should I catch my wrasses without destroying my aquascape

 

[Keepswiming]

I had my leopard and achilles in a 60g qt with cupramine and prazipro...

 

[haleyf1024]

If you don't want to treat with medication, treat them with hyposalinity (1.009-1.010). That's what I am doing and all fish are fine and ich free now. I caught my wrass by just waiting, as soon as he came near the surface I quickly scooped him out

 

[Triggreef]

I've had an easy time catching even the leopards in the trap mentioned about. You'll need to leave that trap stationary in the tank for a couple days though. I used anything from clam on the half shell to mysis in zip lock baggies with holes rubber banded to a rock. My leopards even went in it for nori as they ate along side the tangs I was trying to catch. I would only feed in that trap starting from when you put the trap in. If going in is the only way to get their meal, eventually they will go in. No free meals while the trap is in use.

 

[Armon_p]

Should I have a sandbed in the quarantine and rock? And would a 55 gallon tank be big enough?

 

[Keepswiming]

Should I have a sandbed in the quarantine and rock? And would a 55 gallon tank be big enough?

No live rock. Use some pvc or little caves from walmart is what i used. Also put a small tupperware container with some sand for the wrasse.

 

[Armon_p]

Is having a full sandbed a bad idea? And is 55 gallons enough for all the fish?

 

[miyags]

No sand. I treated 4 different types of wrasse without sand and they all did just fine. and don't worry if fish stop eating while being treated with cupramine. some fish will lose their appetite.

 

[Keepswiming]

Is having a full sandbed a bad idea? And is 55 gallons enough for all the fish?

yes, just run a little container to lower the stress on your leopard. If you dont you will see his face go into the bottom of the tank looking for sand, and it stresses me out i cant even imagine how they feel. lol

 

[Keepswiming]

No sand. I treated 4 different types of wrasse without sand and they all did just fine. and don't worry if fish stop eating while being treated with cupramine. some fish will lose their appetite.

Is this a joke? Dont worry if they stop eating?

 

[Armon_p]

Ok so 55 gallon tank, box of sand and what filtration should I use?

 

[Keepswiming]

Ok so 55 gallon tank, box of sand and what filtration should I use?

Water changes and monitoring closely. Also want to put the heater and pump for flow would be best...

Here is mine!

 

[Humblefish]

Ok so 55 gallon tank, box of sand and what filtration should I use?

55 gal tank is more than fine for that bio-load. As far as filtration is concerned, you have two choices: 1) Monitor ammonia and do water changes as needed or 2) Use a filter on the QT that utilizes bio-media capable of housing nitrifying bacteria (I personally use an Aquaclear HOB power filter, utilizing the “foam insert†as my bio-filter.)

Being you are going to need to house these fish in QT for 72 days, I think option #2 is a no-brainer. Normally you could just “seed†the foam insert in a high flow area of your DT's sump for one month prior to QT - but you probably don't want to wait that long to begin this process. There is a workaround. You can just pour one of those bacteria in a bottle products (exs. Bio-Spira, Stability, Dr Tim's) over the foam to have an immediate working bio-filter.

 

[Armon_p]

The 55 is an ex reef that still has biological filter; sand bed and rock. Should I just take the sand and rock out, and leave the water? Or clean the sand and not have rock?

 

[Humblefish]

The 55 is an ex reef that still has biological filter; sand bed and rock. Should I just take the sand and rock out, and leave the water? Or clean the sand and not have rock?

What treatment plan are you going to use? If copper, I would remove all the sand/rock as those will absorb copper and make it difficult to maintain a stable level.

If going hypo, you can probably leave it all in. Hypo is not without its pitfalls, however. It requires constant SG monitoring (using a perfectly calibrated refractometer) to ensure the SG never ticks up past 1.009. Also, hypo resistant strains of ich have been proven to exist (study done by Yambot in 2003.)

There is also the possibility of bacteria dying off in the rocks when exposed to hyposalinity, and thus triggering an ammonia spike. I have been told this risk in minimal by those who have successfully rid their DT of ich using hyposalinity. I personally have zero experience using hypo in any setting. I have extensive experience using copper, chloroquine phosphate and tank transfer method to eradicate ich.

 

[Armon_p]

But will most bacteria stay with hypo salt?

 

[Armon_p]

But I still don't understand how ick will be eradicated in my DT. I have been told that ick is like the common cold, it is always there it's just a matter if you get it or not.