Purple tang in QT

[Eackone]

I have a 5 foot tank that’s been established for about a year. I did not quarantine my fish, a decision I know might regret, but I was willing to take that chance when I started up the tank. All my fish have done well, but I realize I have added particularly sensitive fish to my system. I suspect my DT has ich as I did notice a single small speckle on a fin of my Royal gramma a couple days after adding it but it was gone the following day. Haven’t seen any other signs of disease.

Unfortunately, even though I regret it today I do not have the room to do a full tear down and run the tank fallow. I WILL consider doing it and treat all my fish when we move out of our bachelor.

Fast forward to today, I have a nice purple tang in a QT, I picked it up from my trusted LFS. They’ve had it for 10 days prior and it was looking great with no apparent sign of disease.

I decided to QT it to observe as I knew it was a bit more sensitive (and pricey) than my other fish. Tonight I noticed it has a couple dots along its body which seem to be ich. I also has a small marking along the side of its face that could either be from fighting at the store or the beginning of HLLE.

Is treating the QT worth it considering I haven’t QTed other fish. My DT likely has ich as previously mentioned so my logic is that further stressing the fish by medicating it and worsening the possible HLLE wouldn’t be the best course of action. The fish is eating well both spirulina brine and red nori from a clip so I was thinking of trying to beef him up and see how things fare for him.

What would you do in my situation? I’m feeling a bit out of my league as I’ve never had to deal with medication before. I’ve been reading on FW dips as well but I’m terrified of trying it on this fish.


Current stocking for what its worth:

2 Black photon clownfish
1 Chalk Bass
1 Royal Gramma
1 Radiant Wrasse
1 Red Mandarin Dragonet
1 Yellowwatchman Goby

*My apologies if this doesn’t belong in emergencies, figured I post here as I’ve “less urgent” matters posted here before*

 

[ZachR32]

I would check to be sure it’s not velvet. At the very least make sure the purple tang is eating well and symptom free for the best bet upon introduction to the DT.

 

[Geebs19]

Can you post pictures?

 

[Eackone]

I would check to be sure it’s not velvet. At the very least make sure the purple tang is eating well and symptom free for the best bet upon introduction to the DT.

Will do. It ate well today and was eating at the store as well. Its a start.

Can you post pictures?

I'll try to get a better picture but this shows the marking by the face and a few dots. (the bigger discolorated dot on the back end is just something floating in the water)

 

[Geebs19]

Really hard to tell anything with that picture.

 

[Eackone]

Hopefully these are more helpful... I'm having a hard time flicking him.

 

[Liron Mishal]

sure looks like ich to me..
I would treat with copper before putting him in the dt.

 

[Eackone]

Might be a stupid question but does medicating with copper still have a purpose if their might be fallow ich in the DT?

Not arguing just trying to understand

 

[Eackone]

Might be a stupid question but does medicating with copper still have a purpose if their might be fallow ich in the DT?

Not arguing just trying to understand

 

[Eackone]

Might be a stupid question but does medicating with copper still have a purpose if their might be fallow ich in the DT?

Not arguing just trying to understand

 

[Liron Mishal]

I would treat, not for eradicate ich from the dt, but in order not to introduce more of it with the tang to the dt.
also, as the purple tang would be new to the dt and tank mates, you want him as healthy as possible in order to cope with the stress.
introducing a new fish with ich to any tank, ich free or not, is not a good starting point IMHO, even though purple tangs are considered as hardy fish

and there are no such thing as stupid questions:D

 

[Eackone]

I would treat, not for eradicate ich from the dt, but in order not to introduce more of it with the tang to the dt.
also, as the purple tang would be new to the dt and tank mates, you want him as healthy as possible in order to cope with the stress.
introducing a new fish with ich to any tank, ich free or not, is not a good starting point IMHO, even though purple tangs are considered as hardy fish

Makes sense... I guess I will have to swing by the LFS and get a crash course on medicating copper ;Spitoutdummy

 

[Liron Mishal]

Why would you want to do that, when we have the best guys right here?
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ratios-for-dosing-copper-power.385871/

Also go to the fish disease forum and have a look at the sticky section
All the info needed is right there

Good luck and keep up posted!

 

[JasonK84]

Why not QT every fish you currently have and eradicate the ich from the DT? Then there won't be the worry about fish that may be sensitive to it or you worrying about a severe outbreak every time you see a spot on a fish. Leaving the tank fishless (fallow) for 76 days will wipe the ich out. All coral and inverts can stay.

Meds I would suggest:
Copper power
Prazi pro
General cure
Focus (binder for the general cure)

Use the general cure and focus with food to kill any internal parasites and worms. Use the scoop that comes with the focus and add 1 scoop of general cure and 1 scoop of focus to 1 tablespoon of frozen/thawed food. Mix well and feed for 14 days. This can be done while treating with copper.

Start ramping up copper power over several days to 1.75ppm (Hannah copper checker works great for checking levels) and hold it there for 30 days. Don't let it drop below 1.5ppm or go above 2.5ppm.

After the 30 days of copper treatment do a very large water change to get as much copper out as possible. Dose prazipro (this is for the flukes) at the directed level on the bottle and wait 5 days. Do a 50% water change and do a second dose and wait 7 days. You should be good now but leaving in QT an additional 2 weeks to observe and make sure nothing pops up is a good idea.

Do not introduce any fish back to the DT before the 76 day fallow period is finished and make sure you aren't cross contaminating from the QT to the DT either. All it takes is 1 drop of water with ich to foul all of this effort.

 

[Eackone]

Why not QT every fish you currently have and eradicate the ich from the DT?

I've thought about that ever since I spotted the single dot on my basslet many months ago now. There is no doubt I will be doing so when I move.

For the moment I don't think I'd have room for a QT big enough for those fish. My tang is in a QT which is 30g, it cant hold many fish. Let alone for 76 days..
The yellowwatchman wont come out without a full tear down I'm guessing.
Plus I don't really see my mandarin surviving that transfer, he's been thriving and growing in the DT.

Don't get me wrong, I realize its ideal thing to do. But I run into a few issues which make me think that if the only solution is full tear down I'd rather part ways with the tang if it comes to that as everything else is thriving.

Luckily, he seems to be looking a bit more active tonight and eating voraciously. I've been reading up in the disease forum and will be loading up on a few meds when I visit my LFS tomorrow. I'll be sure to grab something copper based and see what else is available. I'll use this as a learning experience..

 

[O'l Salty]

I wouldn't be so quick to assume you have ick in your DT. I had a wrasse with a couple spots but they went away and 1 1/2 years later I have no ick. At least none of the fish I've introduced got ich including a yellow tang.

 

[Eackone]

I started treating with cupramine on Feburary 6th as its all I was able to find.. I dosed it as instructed (20 drops per 10.5g and then redosed 48 hrs later).

At this point, I don't see any more dots on it but I realize the treatment. He is eating some nori soaked in Aquaforest Garlic Oil everyday (except he didn't show much interest today for the first time); I also feed it spirulina brine and some ocean planktons.

I noticed today that its fins are starting to be significantly discolored around their edges which I suspect some fin erosion. How concerned should I be? I've never had to medicate before so im hoping it'll repair overtime..

I wouldn't be so quick to assume you have ick in your DT. I had a wrasse with a couple spots but they went away and 1 1/2 years later I have no ick. At least none of the fish I've introduced got ich including a yellow tang.

I guess I'll have a better idea when the Purple tang makes it into the DT, we'll see if he breaks out.

 

[SeaDweller]

I thought I eradicated ICH with a fallow period, TTM, qt for days on end- you name it. Somehow still lingers in my system so something brought it back in. I usually always advocate qt, but I have lost more fish trying to treat ICH (not prevent it) than leaving things alone. I'd treat the PT in qt to prevent introducing THAT strain into your system. If you want a truly ICH-less system, you have to let your DT run fallow for 76 days (which failed for me). I think it's key to prevent its introduction, but once it's in there, I myself haven't gotten rid of it completely, sadly.

I've given up on trying to treat ICH. Good luck, but I'd prevent it from getting into your system with that purple tang. Think about getting rid of it with your current DT.

 

[JasonK84]

I thought I eradicated ICH with a fallow period, TTM, qt for days on end- you name it. Somehow still lingers in my system so something brought it back in. I usually always advocate qt, but I have lost more fish trying to treat ICH (not prevent it) than leaving things alone. I'd treat the PT in qt to prevent introducing THAT strain into your system. If you want a truly ICH-less system, you have to let your DT run fallow for 76 days (which failed for me). I think it's key to prevent its introduction, but once it's in there, I myself haven't gotten rid of it completely, sadly.

I've given up on trying to treat ICH. Good luck, but I'd prevent it from getting into your system with that purple tang. Think about getting rid of it with your current DT.

@TitanCi here is an article from @Humblefish that explains how a fallow period can fail. Maybe something to look at if you decide to try it again.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fallow-periods-going-fishless.190324/

 

[Nhltc99]

I started treating with cupramine on Feburary 6th as its all I was able to find.. I dosed it as instructed (20 drops per 10.5g and then redosed 48 hrs later).

At this point, I don't see any more dots on it but I realize the treatment. He is eating some nori soaked in Aquaforest Garlic Oil everyday (except he didn't show much interest today for the first time); I also feed it spirulina brine and some ocean planktons.

I noticed today that its fins are starting to be significantly discolored around their edges which I suspect some fin erosion. How concerned should I be? I've never had to medicate before so im hoping it'll repair overtime..


I guess I'll have a better idea when the Purple tang makes it into the DT, we'll see if he breaks out.

A lot of people recommend to dose Cupramine slower than the bottle instructs, over 4-5 days when possible (except in the case of Velvet). The lack of interest in Nori today could be from the cupramine. If he continues to not eat I would do a water change and to lower cupramine dosage until he starts eating again. Hopefully it was just a one day thing though!