Recently added tang broke out with what appears to be ich, and I don't have access to a QT tank. What are my options?

[Thanos]

I dealt with ich once before and it was prior to me adding inverts and coral, so I just went with hyposalinity for a little over a month and it cleared up fine. About a year later now and I add my final fish to the tank, a juvenile Tomini tang. Its been a few days and its breaking out with white spots and so it looks like I have ich again. The only issue is my tank now has 20+ invertebrates and is well-stocked with a variety of softies and LPS. Additionally, I simply do not have any realistic way of setting up a quarantine tank in my current situation. I know this eliminates a lot of my best options, so I'm just wondering what my best course of action is right now. I've heard about Kick-Ich from Ruby Reef and how it's supposedly reef safe, and I'm considering giving that a try.

 

[Spare time]

You can play around with the reef safe options (ich shield food, polyp lab medic, etc.). However, I feel that most "success" with these may not be what people claim. I haven't heard much about ich shield food but it's one option to try just for the heck of it. A UV might help but it will at best likely have a small impact. Outside of a qt, which really just needs to be a any sort of bin (I've seen people use trash bin) with copper, pvc, and biosponges, there really is nothing you can do except hope the fish make it through.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I dealt with ich once before and it was prior to me adding inverts and coral, so I just went with hyposalinity for a little over a month and it cleared up fine. About a year later now and I add my final fish to the tank, a juvenile Tomini tang. Its been a few days and its breaking out with white spots and so it looks like I have ich again. The only issue is my tank now has 20+ invertebrates and is well-stocked with a variety of softies and LPS. Additionally, I simply do not have any realistic way of setting up a quarantine tank in my current situation. I know this eliminates a lot of my best options, so I'm just wondering what my best course of action is right now. I've heard about Kick-Ich from Ruby Reef and how it's supposedly reef safe, and I'm considering giving that a try.

If/when ich gets into the exponential growth phase, noe of the "reef safe" medications seem to work. In cases where the trophonts are limited in number, these products may work, but avoid the herbal tonics.

Jay

 

[Tamberav]

I would look into peroxide dosing if unable to QT.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can you post pics under white lighting to confirm what you have ?

 

[Thanos]

If/when ich gets into the exponential growth phase, noe of the "reef safe" medications seem to work. In cases where the trophonts are limited in number, these products may work, but avoid the herbal tonics.

Jay

At what point would you say it's too late for these medications to work? I have Polyp Lab Medic on order but it won't arrive until Monday unfortunately. Right now there are only about half a dozen trophonts on the tang and none on any other fish in the system. I plan on feeding much heavier and adding a little bit of garlic to their food to slow down the spread of the ich.

 

[Thanos]

Can you post pics under white lighting to confirm what you have ?

I'll send some tomorrow morning when my lights ramp up again, since it's a new fish it's a bit skittish still and so it'll probably just hide and get stressed if I suddenly turn my lights on again

 

[Jay Hemdal]

At what point would you say it's too late for these medications to work? I have Polyp Lab Medic on order but it won't arrive until Monday unfortunately. Right now there are only about half a dozen trophonts on the tang and none on any other fish in the system. I plan on feeding much heavier and adding a little bit of garlic to their food to slow down the spread of the ich.

That is a very light infection. I get worried if the number of trophonts reaches about 30 on one side of a fish. Poly Lab Medic is apparently a peroxide salt, so it may have some benefit, definitely better than tonics.
Jay

 

[Thanos]

I would look into peroxide dosing if unable to QT.

Can you please explain more of what this is, I've heard people recommend this but I can't really find any info on it.

 

[Thanos]

Can you post pics under white lighting to confirm what you have ?

All of the dots on the fish's actual body were gone by morning, but I still found 3 dots on its right pectoral fin, which I marked with red arrows. That white dot under its eye is just a natural feature of Tomini tangs and not whatever this parasite is. This tang usually sleeps in an old burrow my Diamond Goby used to use since he's really small, so I initially thought it was just sand, but to have it stay on the fish for such a long time makes me feel it's a parasite.

 

[jeffchapok]

I have managed ich in my tank for 2 years now. I run a UV sterilizer 24x7 and keep my fish well fed and healthy. I seldom see any visible signs of it at all.

Unbeknownst to me, my UV light burned out once (a Green Killing Machine) and I lost a tang to ich. So in my opinion, the UV is critical. And I only use a UV unit with some visible indication that the light is on.

 

[Thanos]

I have managed ich in my tank for 2 years now. I run a UV sterilizer 24x7 and keep my fish well fed and healthy. I seldom see any visible signs of it at all.

Unbeknownst to me, my UV light burned out once (a Green Killing Machine) and I lost a tang to ich. So in my opinion, the UV is critical. And I only use a UV unit with some visible indication that the light is on.

Yeah I've been considering getting one for awhile, even aside from ich I've heard they're just great for maintaining high water quality. Just kinda tricky finding room under my stand since they're somewhat large

 

[vetteguy53081]

All of the dots on the fish's actual body were gone by morning, but I still found 3 dots on its right pectoral fin, which I marked with red arrows. That white dot under its eye is just a natural feature of Tomini tangs and not whatever this parasite is. This tang usually sleeps in an old burrow my Diamond Goby used to use since he's really small, so I initially thought it was just sand, but to have it stay on the fish for such a long time makes me feel it's a parasite.

Very hard to tell what you have under very heavy blue lighting but for qt, you can get an aquarium starter kit at Walmart which has most of the needed essentials or clear Rubbermaid type tub
You will need coppersafe or copper power dosed at therapeutic level 2.25-2.5 for full 30 days monitored with a reliable test kit such as Hanna brand
UV unit will address any new trophants which pass through the unit- Not existing ones
Also display tank will have to be fishless (fallow)for 45-60 days

 

[52728299]

If/when ich gets into the exponential growth phase, noe of the "reef safe" medications seem to work. In cases where the trophonts are limited in number, these products may work, but avoid the herbal tonics.

Jay

Would hydrogen peroxide be an option here?

 

[radfly]

I have managed ich in my tank for 2 years now. I run a UV sterilizer 24x7 and keep my fish well fed and healthy. I seldom see any visible signs of it at all.

Unbeknownst to me, my UV light burned out once (a Green Killing Machine) and I lost a tang to ich. So in my opinion, the UV is critical. And I only use a UV unit with some visible indication that the light is on.

Agree, had signs of ich, added UV with slow flow rate and have not seen the issue since, over four months. Keep fish fed and healthy and they can deal with the little ich not killed by UV.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Would hydrogen peroxide be an option here?

Peroxide is tough to dose properly. The ability of the peroxide to kill theronts is dependent on dose, but also the amount of organics in the water (these tend to react with peroxide and render it ineffective). If you dose higher to overcome reactions with organics, once those are all oxidized, there is suddenly a jump in the amount of peroxide in the tank - that can kill snails and shrimp or even fish if it gets high enough. I would never dose peroxide without checking it with low range test strips.
Jay