So now I live with the consequences of an ick management tank...

[csb123]

Everybody in my tank has been super healthy for 8 months, until today. My Foxface is sick and in some distress. He is hovering new the top of the tank, and breathing heavily. He has a smattering of white spots, and my cleaner wrasse keeps working on him. My other fish seem perfectly fine. It’s a real bummer, I’ve had this guy from the start

So it’s happening, a sick fish with ick. Now what do I do? I’m sure I can catch him.

Help
Sean

 

[WIReefer]

Well depends if you want to eliminate ich totally or tolerate it. Also do you have a QT large enough for all fish?

 

[lakai]

only 8 months ? go fallow and QT.

 

[csb123]

Well, 8 months since I lost a fairy wrasse...I don’t know if that one was illness or bullying.
The tank has been up for 4 years. I’ve been using @Humblefish ick management strategy. Homemade food made with live clams, live black worms, whole dried copepods...
As well as live black worms when I can get them(rarely). And I’m about to add the first bucket of Tigger pods I’m culturing.
I am unable to quarantine my whole tank, presently. Additionally, I’m really leery if it’s worth it, considering all the ways ick can sneak back into your tank.

 

[creativeballance]

Well, 8 months since I lost a fairy wrasse...I don’t know if that one was illness or bullying.
The tank has been up for 4 years. I’ve been trying @Paul B ick management strategy. Homemade food made with live clams, live black worms, whole dried copepods...
As well as live black worms when I can get them(rarely). And I’m about to add the first bucket of Tigger pods I’m culturing.
I am unable to quarantine my whole tank, presently. Additionally, I’m really leery if it’s worth it, considering all the ways ick can sneak back into your tank.

Don't give up.

 

[WIReefer]

Well, 8 months since I lost a fairy wrasse...I don’t know if that one was illness or bullying.
The tank has been up for 4 years. I’ve been trying @Paul B ick management strategy. Homemade food made with live clams, live black worms, whole dried copepods...
As well as live black worms when I can get them(rarely). And I’m about to add the first bucket of Tigger pods I’m culturing.
I am unable to quarantine my whole tank, presently. Additionally, I’m really leery if it’s worth it, considering all the ways ick can sneak back into your tank.

I agree it can be added so many ways, I follow @Paul B no QT and feed live foods.

 

[csb123]

Don't give up.

I wondering if there anything I could do for my Foxface.

 

[creativeballance]

I wondering if there anything I could do for my Foxface.

My tang came home with Ich. I kept him fed well, and he's doing great now. Had it for a bit over six months now.

 

[Doglips56]

I wondering if there anything I could do for my Foxface.

Do you have a separate hospital or qt tank. If not you need to get one ASAP. If money is an issue you can get small aquarium setups pretty cheap used. Otherwise get a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with salt water add heater and air stone until you can get a proper qt set up. It will reduce stress for the fish and you can medicate it. Do you have any prime? This is a very temporary solution due to ammonia buildup unless you do daily water changes. If you belong to a local reef club in your area or there is one you can join do so immediately. Local reefers are your very best resource in emergency or urgent situations and will often loan you a powerhead or hospital tank to use. Keep us posted.

 

[Jet915]

Well, 8 months since I lost a fairy wrasse...I don’t know if that one was illness or bullying.
The tank has been up for 4 years. I’ve been using @Humblefish ick management strategy. Homemade food made with live clams, live black worms, whole dried copepods...
As well as live black worms when I can get them(rarely). And I’m about to add the first bucket of Tigger pods I’m culturing.
I am unable to quarantine my whole tank, presently. Additionally, I’m really leery if it’s worth it, considering all the ways ick can sneak back into your tank.

Do u have a large oversized UV?

 

[Paul B]

Congratulations. Now that you have ich in there your tank will probably live on forever with no problems. As long as you feed correctly of course.

 

[KrisReef]

Do you feed Nori? My tangs and foxface like Hikari spirulina and brine shrimp. Foxface like to eat greens, not just proteins.

 

[creativeballance]

I think that you need to realize that just because your fish shows signs of ich does not mean its going to die.
If you put it into a QT you are more likely to stress it out and kill it. As long as your fish is still eating, it will be fine.

 

[4tanks]

Welcome to the club it's really not bad seems to be a post everyday about this and it just comes down to simple stress free inviroment and good quality feeding and building good immune systems have a read on @Paul B b methods which i try to follow collecting sand or mud from beach and allowing the fish to develop the ability to fight it on its own.

 

[Filipart]

Ive never had a saltwater ich problem with proper quarantining. So if you are doing proper quarantine of just about anything you put into your tank, then I would be more suspicious of bullying.

I agree with above comments that quarantine may stress the fish out unless you have a nice QT tank set up with hiding spots and all.

If i were you I would just observe for another couple of weeks and if gets worse I would treat the whole tank. Why exactly cant you treat the whole tank? Is it a fish only system? I would wait to add the bucket of tiger pods and just treat the whole tank to keep things simple.

 

[csb123]

Do u have a large oversized UV?

It’s pretty big. The bulb is 3 feet long.
He is the biggest fish in the tank. No one bothers him.

I’ve had minimal minimal outbreaks in the past. Mostly just a sprinkle of spots here and there.

Happily, he is still alive, but still near the surface breathing heavily.

Would a fresh water water dip give him some relief?

 

[csb123]

Update, I’m confident now, that my Foxface is going to pull through. I appreciate everyone’s input. The only thing I changed is feeding for nori.

Now going forward, this is what I’m planning to do to avoid future outbreaks:

Ive never had a saltwater ich problem with proper quarantining. So if you are doing proper quarantine of just about anything you put into your tank, then I would be more suspicious of bullying...

1. The bullying issue raised a red flag for me. So over the last few days I’ve been watching out for aggressive behavior. I’ve narrowed it do to two fish that are causing most of the chasing around, my Christmas wrasse, and especially my newly acquired Marbled wrasse (4 months in the tank..). I’m planning to trap both, and sell the Marbled wrasse, and isolate the Christmas, and see what happens.

2. I’m ordering grindal or white worm starter cultures, a la @Paul B . Live food and their attendant micro fauna will be a more regular food source.

And onward into the mysteries of this hobby,
Sean