QT help! Please

[merlberg]

So im moving 6 of my fish to a Qt because 3 of them have ich and my tomato clown eyes look foggy now.
My qt is an 18 gallon and it'll have to do for the next 3 months.

My fish in my tank green chromis, domino damsel, humu trigger, niger trigger, tomato clown, wrasse and a stars n strips puffer which looks like a goner but i will add him in the qt anyway. So that is really 7 but i dnt think the puffer will last long.

1. Should i remove all the fish
2. How do i knw for sure it is ich, i do see spots n somtimes it comes and goes on them for the past month i would say. My only other fish that died so far within the past month has my cowfish.
3. Can it be any other disease before i remove all the fish from my DT?
4. If it can be any other disease can i treat in the Dt? But i do have live rock and live sand
5. How do I transfer all 6 fish to my Qt?
6. How do i keep my nitrite down? Because the last time i had a 10 gal qt n i had a nitrite problem.
7. Do you guys think all of my fish together will be ok, im worried about my humu trigger because he is kind of medium and some what aggressive? I also have a wrasse who im worried about because he is always hidden because of my trigger and only comes out when its time for feeding.

I might have more questions, i will add as i remember. Thanks!

 

[merlberg]

I set up my QT already and i added prime, i just read that prime should not be added, should i do a water change?

 

[merlberg]

@Humblefish i need your help please

 

[twilliard]

Yes remove all the fish. The main tank has to be fish free to end the cycle of life for ich.
I don't know about prime and to keep your no3 down just keep up on balanced water changes.
I also don't know the compatibility of the fish.
@Humblefish will have more insight.

 

[merlberg]

Thanks @twilliard

 

[twilliard]

Thanks @twilliard

Any day!
Sorry I don't deal much with fish parasites.

 

[melypr1985]

The reason you can't use prime is because it will cause the copper needed for treatment to become toxic. They can't be used together. I would change the water.
Your best bet is to get some bacteria in a bottle and make lots of saltwater to do water changes often. I do them daily and i have 7 fish in a 40 gallon QT. Get an ammonia alert badge to monitor your ammonia. An HOB filter with only a sponge soaked in the bacteria in a bottle product, a heater, the alert badge, a power head and something for them to hide it (like pvc pieces) is what you need. That 20 gallon tank may be too small for them all. Good luck.

 

[twilliard]

The reason you can't use prime is because it will cause the copper needed for treatment to become toxic. They can't be used together. I would change the water.
Your best bet is to get some bacteria in a bottle and make lots of saltwater to do water changes often. I do them daily and i have 7 fish in a 40 gallon QT. Get an ammonia alert badge to monitor your ammonia. An HOB filter with only a sponge soaked in the bacteria in a bottle product, a heater, the alert badge, a power head and something for them to hide it (like pvc pieces) is what you need. That 20 gallon tank may be too small for them all. Good luck.

Mel your awesome

 

[melypr1985]

Mel your awesome

Your pretty awesome too.

I just did all this for mine and finally found my rhythm with it. It's tough and scary at first, but once you have a routine and know what to look for, it gets much easier.

 

[Merck]

1KORDON ICH ATTACK IN MAIN TANK (100% NATURAL IN GREEN&WHITE BOTTLE)
2DO A COLD WATER FRESHWATER DIP 60 DEGREES 3TO 5 MINS ON EACH FISH.
3 MARDEL( COPPERSAFE ) IN SPARE TANK & HAVE PRAZIPRO ON HAND.
4 LOWER THERE STREE BY MEDIUM FLOW & HIDING PLACES.
5WATCH TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EATING ENTICE THEM BY ADDING GARLIC
TO THERE FOOD. HOPE THIS HELPS

 

[domination2580]

You could do copper...but have to be In qt tank if you have a reef or invertebrates. Ich has a life cycle...pretty much the adults attach to the fish, taking nutrients I think...and they then let go and drop to the floor and lay eggs...if they are on the fish if I remember they won't be affected or the eggs. But when they are swimming in the water column trying to find a host they are vulnerable. So you have to qt up to like 7 weeks to make sure there aren't any of the life cycles still there

 

[atlfishes]

Is Ick killing the fish? Do you see a few white dots or are the fish covered? Would have to remove all fish, but unless it is a severe outbreak you may do more harm in such a small QT tank. I'd get a bigger QT if it is severe or leave the fish in the tank. Some fish are more susceptible to Ick and can do fine in a non stress environment. Have to weigh the risks at this point. See why it is so important to QT in advance. .

 

[Humblefish]

Are the spots that come & go roughly the color/size of salt sprinkles? If so, then this is likely ich. Velvet would have killed by now.

So long as the puffer is still alive, copper is not a good option for you. Also, as mentioned above, the presence of Prime will turn any copper you add toxic. I would suggest hyposalinity for your current situation (see below). You can raise the SG back up and go a different route if the puffer dies.

 

[Humblefish]

Hyposalinity: Treats Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) only.

How To Treat - Place the fish you wish to treat in a quarantine tank with SG & temperature matching the tank they came from. Over a period of 48 hours, gradually lower the SG down to 1.009. You must use a perfectly calibrated refractometer at all times while doing hypo. Treat for 30 consecutive days, and during that time the SG must always remain at 1.009. If it inches up even slightly, the 30 day clock restarts. For this reason, many people use an auto top off system while performing hyposalinity. Some have even used hypo to successfully rid their display tank of ich, while others have failed. All corals and inverts must be removed beforehand if you wish to try this.

One of the challenges posed by hypo is maintaining a proper pH for the entire duration. While fish aren’t overly sensitive to low pH for short periods of time, anything continuously lower than 7.5 is going to be a problem. So, you will have to constantly test and then buffer the water to raise the pH. This can be accomplished by using supplements (available at most LFS) or you can “bake” your own DIY supplement by using baking soda. Spread baking soda onto a clean baking sheet, and bake at 300F for 1 hour. This process drives off water and carbon dioxide from the baking soda, and the result is an effective pH buffer. You will need to experiment (start with a very small amount) to determine how much is needed to raise your pH to the desired level.

Pros - Chemical free solution to ich, gentle on the fish.

Cons/Side Effects - Difficult to execute properly, and hypo resistant strains of ich have been proven to exist (study done by Yambot in 2003.)

 

[Humblefish]

If the puffer is close to death, give him a FW dip (see below.) A puffer should handle this quite well and it might relieve some of the parasites from inside his gills.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[merlberg]

The reason you can't use prime is because it will cause the copper needed for treatment to become toxic. They can't be used together. I would change the water.
Your best bet is to get some bacteria in a bottle and make lots of saltwater to do water changes often. I do them daily and i have 7 fish in a 40 gallon QT. Get an ammonia alert badge to monitor your ammonia. An HOB filter with only a sponge soaked in the bacteria in a bottle product, a heater, the alert badge, a power head and something for them to hide it (like pvc pieces) is what you need. That 20 gallon tank may be too small for them all. Good luck.

Yikes, ugh i wish i read that from before but ok ill jist toss all the water out n make a fresh batch. Thanks!

So is the bacteria in the bottle going to produce good bacteria since i have nothing live in the qt?

 

[merlberg]

1KORDON ICH ATTACK IN MAIN TANK (100% NATURAL IN GREEN&WHITE BOTTLE)
2DO A COLD WATER FRESHWATER DIP 60 DEGREES 3TO 5 MINS ON EACH FISH.
3 MARDEL( COPPERSAFE ) IN SPARE TANK & HAVE PRAZIPRO ON HAND.
4 LOWER THERE STREE BY MEDIUM FLOW & HIDING PLACES.
5WATCH TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EATING ENTICE THEM BY ADDING GARLIC
TO THERE FOOD. HOPE THIS HELPS

So i should still medicate my DT even of there are no fish in there?

 

[merlberg]

Is Ick killing the fish? Do you see a few white dots or are the fish covered? Would have to remove all fish, but unless it is a severe outbreak you may do more harm in such a small QT tank. I'd get a bigger QT if it is severe or leave the fish in the tank. Some fish are more susceptible to Ick and can do fine in a non stress environment. Have to weigh the risks at this point. See why it is so important to QT in advance. .

Well my cowfish dies but not sure from what since my water parameters were off. All my fish are eating normal and 1 minute my damsle is coveres n the next he is all black again. This morning tho my niger trigger had a few spots. Yes my qt is small but and i do not want to do more harm to the fish esp since they all seem to still be eating and fighting it but i want my tank to be ick free so i'd rather leave it empty for a few months. There is no way i can get a bigger Qt :/ i barely had space for this one.

This seems so stressful and i dnt want to do more harm to any of my fish esp since they are all fine for now. Idk

 

[merlberg]

Are the spots that come & go roughly the color/size of salt sprinkles? If so, then this is likely ich. Velvet would have killed by now.

So long as the puffer is still alive, copper is not a good option for you. Also, as mentioned above, the presence of Prime will turn any copper you add toxic. I would suggest hyposalinity for your current situation (see below). You can raise the SG back up and go a different route if the puffer dies.

Yes the spots come and go and has been going on for a month now but all my fish are still doing fine and eating well.

This morning it was all over my black damsel n this afternoon it was all gone. N now all over my clown. I dnt want to do more harm in the qt since its so small so im just really confused as to what i should do!

 

[Humblefish]

This morning it was all over my black damsel n this afternoon it was all gone. N now all over my clown. I dnt want to do more harm in the qt since its so small so im just really confused as to what i should do!

This doesn't line up with ich. The trophonts should remain on the fish for a minimum of 3 days. Not be there in the morning, gone in the afternoon. Are you sure it isn't just sand sticking to his skin? That happens a lot if you have a critter which likes to stir up the sand and then the flow blows it around your tank.