Large Ich Outbreak in 125 Reef, Potential Treatment Method?

[Peeko]

Hi y'all, I came home today to a rather terrifying sight of multiple fish having little white specs starting from their fins and am fearing the worse, Ich. So far the fish i've seen with ich are: B+W Heniochus, Lunar Wrasse, Clown Tang, and a Stripped Dogface Puffer. There are also a wide variety of corals and inverts in the tank right now which makes dosing the whole thing much harder, especially with copper. I do have 2 20 gallon QTs, however actually getting all of the fish out of the main tank and into the QTs is proving to be a pain.

I was curious if I were to do the following steps would this help out with treating the tank of ich?

1. Water change, gotta get some fresh water in there and it would definitely be beneficial to all the fish in there

2. Get all of the corals and most of the snails out and transfer them to one of the QTs without Copper dosing in them. The tank is fairly new so none of the corals have really taken off and rooted down so moving them would be fairly easy.

3. Dosing the whole 125 without any inverts in there with all of the fish in there should work in theory. The only fish im really worried about though is the puffer, as those guys from what i've researched are a lot more sensitive.

4. Do this for a month or so, keeping the copper dosing up. Eventually though I can stop and do water changes to remove the copper and eventually reintroduce corals into the main tank.

Some other things I was thinking of during the whole process was starting to add GarlicGuard to the food to make sure everyone's eating, maybe metroplex mixed in afterwards to prevent any post ich infections? I'm open to suggestions and feedback and would greatly appreciate the help!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi y'all, I came home today to a rather terrifying sight of multiple fish having little white specs starting from their fins and am fearing the worse, Ich. So far the fish i've seen with ich are: B+W Heniochus, Lunar Wrasse, Clown Tang, and a Stripped Dogface Puffer. There are also a wide variety of corals and inverts in the tank right now which makes dosing the whole thing much harder, especially with copper. I do have 2 20 gallon QTs, however actually getting all of the fish out of the main tank and into the QTs is proving to be a pain.

I was curious if I were to do the following steps would this help out with treating the tank of ich?

1. Water change, gotta get some fresh water in there and it would definitely be beneficial to all the fish in there

2. Get all of the corals and most of the snails out and transfer them to one of the QTs without Copper dosing in them. The tank is fairly new so none of the corals have really taken off and rooted down so moving them would be fairly easy.

3. Dosing the whole 125 without any inverts in there with all of the fish in there should work in theory. The only fish im really worried about though is the puffer, as those guys from what i've researched are a lot more sensitive.

4. Do this for a month or so, keeping the copper dosing up. Eventually though I can stop and do water changes to remove the copper and eventually reintroduce corals into the main tank.

Some other things I was thinking of during the whole process was starting to add GarlicGuard to the food to make sure everyone's eating, maybe metroplex mixed in afterwards to prevent any post ich infections? I'm open to suggestions and feedback and would greatly appreciate the help!

Instead of stripping your tank, utilize separate tank, tub or similar as coral and inverts cannot go back in once coppersafe is added. the best and most effective method after removibg fish to another tank is to use coppersafe at therapeutic level 2.25- For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off

 

[Peeko]

Instead of stripping your tank, utilize separate tank, tub or similar as coral and inverts cannot go back in once coppersafe is added. the best and most effective method after removibg fish to another tank is to use coppersafe at therapeutic level 2.25- For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off

Main problem with going full fishless is I don't think I have the space/room for all the fish. I've got 2 20 gallons however the display has:
5 Green Chromis
B+W Heniochus
Tomato Clown
Lunar Wrasse
Smaller Metallic Squirrelfish
Indigo Hamlet
Engineer Wrasse
Freckeled Hawkfish
Starry Blenny
Clown Tang
and a few others

I don't think I can fit all of these guys in two 20 gallons comfortably for well over a month!

However In theory I could get the copper levels down to zero if after the treatment period I do more frequent water changes and stop dosing copper right?

 

[fishywishy]

Main problem with going full fishless is I don't think I have the space/room for all the fish. I've got 2 20 gallons however the display has:
5 Green Chromis
B+W Heniochus
Tomato Clown
Lunar Wrasse
Smaller Metallic Squirrelfish
Indigo Hamlet
Engineer Wrasse
Freckeled Hawkfish
Starry Blenny
Clown Tang
and a few others

I don't think I can fit all of these guys in two 20 gallons comfortably for well over a month!

However In theory I could get the copper levels down to zero if after the treatment period I do more frequent water changes and stop dosing copper right?

If it is ich i would remove as many inverts as you can and do a hyposalinty.

 

[Fenral]

Do not dose copper or anything like it in your main tank!!! It will forever be leaching back out…

If you have a tractor supply co …

Else go to lowes or home depo and get a 55 gallon rubbermade trashcan - you can use either to hold your fish and treat them all…

And they are big enough you can also let your display go fallow and prevent a repeat if your lucky…

 

[Fenral]

Also feed fish / highly enriched and fortified food - the fish can sometimes fight it off. Most tanks have some level present waiting to break out - the fish tend to have some
Other stressor before the breakout…

 

[backbayreef]

Having gone thru this recently with VELVET on a 450g and lost all large 6 angels and 2 tangs (Gem & Koi) and a few others — I would go copper just to be safe. Yes, it was painful since it took 2 people 12+ hours to remove all the aquascape, catch the fish, and go fallow. I’m actually on my 30d tomorrow so another 47 long days (plan to go 77d actually) for velvet and ich, just to be sure.

Luckily I still have my old 175g to hold the rest of the fish. That’s what you’ll just have to bite the bullet and do — otherwise, ich will come back. Anyway, ich is manageable and you got time; but in my case, velvet killed fast (3-5 days)!!!

Good luck!

 

[Duane family]

Main problem with going full fishless is I don't think I have the space/room for all the fish. I've got 2 20 gallons however the display has:
5 Green Chromis
B+W Heniochus
Tomato Clown
Lunar Wrasse
Smaller Metallic Squirrelfish
Indigo Hamlet
Engineer Wrasse
Freckeled Hawkfish
Starry Blenny
Clown Tang
and a few others

I don't think I can fit all of these guys in two 20 gallons comfortably for well over a month!

However In theory I could get the copper levels down to zero if after the treatment period I do more frequent water changes and stop dosing copper right?

I'm not going to repeat what has already been said as @vetteguy53081 has given you easy to follow and the correct advice, its your choice to use it or don't and learn some hard and expensive lessons. Expensive because of the time factor involved afterwards to restore everything.

As for your question which was not addressed yes most certainly those fish split up in 2 x 20g tanks would be no issue for a month. I will add that make sure everything used in these tanks is plastic, it appears you do not understand that any other material or biological media will absorb the copper and remove its potency.
Your temp QT holding tanks can be very simple. Just a heater, airstone or 2, and a hang on back filter or similar. Some PVC pipe sections will be good for the fish to seek shelter in. And also make some type of cover, you have a few jumpers and fish in shallow QT tanks like to jump as you will be fairly busy often around the tank.

Let us know what you decided as there is pertinent follow up advice which will make the fish and your life easier to navigate this process.

 

[Lavey29]

As already been stated if you copper dose your main rank you will never get corals or inverts to survive in there again.

 

[Boreas_SA]

Before you go the nuclear option, see if you can find 10 micron filter socks somewhere to run on your overflow pipe in the sump, it should filter out the free swimming stage. Then do WC's and siphon out detritus as well. Can also add UV sterilizers, but that is a bit more involved than just starting with low micron filter socks and changing them daily. If you do want to get the tank WS free, don't dose copper in display, and keep it fallow for 2-3 months without any fish. Plus any new fish, corals and inverts (anything wet) will have to go through QT before adding them to the display. Also had a bit of an outbreak recently (despite QT-ing everything), and running UV, ozone and the 10 micron socks all but eliminated all visible spots, including on my regal tang, this is it yesterday:

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi y'all, I came home today to a rather terrifying sight of multiple fish having little white specs starting from their fins and am fearing the worse, Ich. So far the fish i've seen with ich are: B+W Heniochus, Lunar Wrasse, Clown Tang, and a Stripped Dogface Puffer. There are also a wide variety of corals and inverts in the tank right now which makes dosing the whole thing much harder, especially with copper. I do have 2 20 gallon QTs, however actually getting all of the fish out of the main tank and into the QTs is proving to be a pain.

I was curious if I were to do the following steps would this help out with treating the tank of ich?

1. Water change, gotta get some fresh water in there and it would definitely be beneficial to all the fish in there

2. Get all of the corals and most of the snails out and transfer them to one of the QTs without Copper dosing in them. The tank is fairly new so none of the corals have really taken off and rooted down so moving them would be fairly easy.

3. Dosing the whole 125 without any inverts in there with all of the fish in there should work in theory. The only fish im really worried about though is the puffer, as those guys from what i've researched are a lot more sensitive.

4. Do this for a month or so, keeping the copper dosing up. Eventually though I can stop and do water changes to remove the copper and eventually reintroduce corals into the main tank.

Some other things I was thinking of during the whole process was starting to add GarlicGuard to the food to make sure everyone's eating, maybe metroplex mixed in afterwards to prevent any post ich infections? I'm open to suggestions and feedback and would greatly appreciate the help!

A better option than running copper in your main tank would be to move all of the corals/invertebrates out and running hyposalinity on your main tank. That would treat the fish in place, and would also shorten the fallow period needed to have the ich parasite die out. Here is a post about that:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hyposalinity.880546/

 

[Merge_595]

Hi y'all, I came home today to a rather terrifying sight of multiple fish having little white specs starting from their fins and am fearing the worse, Ich. So far the fish i've seen with ich are: B+W Heniochus, Lunar Wrasse, Clown Tang, and a Stripped Dogface Puffer. There are also a wide variety of corals and inverts in the tank right now which makes dosing the whole thing much harder, especially with copper. I do have 2 20 gallon QTs, however actually getting all of the fish out of the main tank and into the QTs is proving to be a pain.

I was curious if I were to do the following steps would this help out with treating the tank of ich?

1. Water change, gotta get some fresh water in there and it would definitely be beneficial to all the fish in there

2. Get all of the corals and most of the snails out and transfer them to one of the QTs without Copper dosing in them. The tank is fairly new so none of the corals have really taken off and rooted down so moving them would be fairly easy.

3. Dosing the whole 125 without any inverts in there with all of the fish in there should work in theory. The only fish im really worried about though is the puffer, as those guys from what i've researched are a lot more sensitive.

4. Do this for a month or so, keeping the copper dosing up. Eventually though I can stop and do water changes to remove the copper and eventually reintroduce corals into the main tank.

Some other things I was thinking of during the whole process was starting to add GarlicGuard to the food to make sure everyone's eating, maybe metroplex mixed in afterwards to prevent any post ich infections? I'm open to suggestions and feedback and would greatly appreciate the help!

Research Hydrogen Peroxide Ich Treatment. Copper in your main display is a definitely NO. Otherwise Hyposalinity or get them out asap. Regardless you can go through everything & have 1 stress event months later & BOOM back again. UV & healthy fish is the key in the long run..

 

[Peeko]

Based on everyones feedback so far, I think im gonna do a Hyposalinity treatment on the main tank. Gonna go with this treatment as i've got a RoDi machine at home and it would make keeping the salinity at 1.009 a bit easier. I'll move the corals into a side tank and keep them in there for awhile, who knows maybe I can move the coral lights off the main tank and place em on the side tank for some new growth. Though from what i've looked into wrasses seem to be fairly sensative to Hyposalinity treatments so I may have to go with copper for them, though im open to other suggestions. The 2 wrasse in the main tanks are a Lunar Wrasse and a Cleaner Wrasse, the cleaner is very sociable so getting him out wouldn't be too hard though the Lunars gonna be fun.

Thank you so very much for everyone's help on this! I'll post any updates on the situation soon!

 

[MnFish1]

Hi y'all, I came home today to a rather terrifying sight of multiple fish having little white specs starting from their fins and am fearing the worse, Ich. So far the fish i've seen with ich are: B+W Heniochus, Lunar Wrasse, Clown Tang, and a Stripped Dogface Puffer. There are also a wide variety of corals and inverts in the tank right now which makes dosing the whole thing much harder, especially with copper. I do have 2 20 gallon QTs, however actually getting all of the fish out of the main tank and into the QTs is proving to be a pain.

I was curious if I were to do the following steps would this help out with treating the tank of ich?

1. Water change, gotta get some fresh water in there and it would definitely be beneficial to all the fish in there

No. may cause more stress, won;t change ich (unless there is a chemistry problem)

2. Get all of the corals and most of the snails out and transfer them to one of the QTs without Copper dosing in them. The tank is fairly new so none of the corals have really taken off and rooted down so moving them would be fairly easy.

Yes except your rock will be contaminated with copper - and it will.can be difficult to remove.

3. Dosing the whole 125 without any inverts in there with all of the fish in there should work in theory. The only fish im really worried about though is the puffer, as those guys from what i've researched are a lot more sensitive.

See # 2

4. Do this for a month or so, keeping the copper dosing up. Eventually though I can stop and do water changes to remove the copper and eventually reintroduce corals into the main tank.

Yes after making sure you have several days with no copper levels you can use various copper removing resins and water changes

Some other things I was thinking of during the whole process was starting to add GarlicGuard to the food to make sure everyone's eating, maybe metroplex mixed in afterwards to prevent any post ich infections? I'm open to suggestions and feedback and would greatly appreciate the help!

No dont think that will help - agree with hyposalnty

 

[schooncw]

Dated info but IMO, still the best and most comprehensive info. https://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1985626