Yellow Tang Ich?

[gunflintcamper]

Three days ago we cleaned the tank a bit and noticed some white specks on the yellow tangs fin. Thought it was just sand dust that was stirred up. Two days ago they were still there and we did a 20% (planned) water change. Saw a few more specks so I added metroplex and focus to the food that night.
Yesterday there were way more specks...and I’ve been overwhelmed with all the info and decisions to be made.

A fellow reefer said to take him out immediately and put in QT...but we didn’t have it set up so we used main tank water and a few bio media spheres. He also said treat with API Super Ick (don’t have yet) and after researching I’m afraid it’s not effective on saltwater ich??

Immediately after catching him and moving him to the QT tank, half the specs were gone.

New tank, not quite two months old, cycled with clowns (look happy and fine) added this LFS QT’d tang 5 weeks ago. Added captive bred Coral Beauty almost a month ago after panicking when she almost died for no real reason in QT. Not a spot on anyone but the tang.

The only things we’ve added since CB was10 days ago...our 3 first frags and some snails. No QT all from same LFS as everything but the CB.

Broke down QT after Coral Beauty scare and decided to pay LFS To QT our next two fish which were had hoped to get in a month.

Currently tang is in the uncycled QT tank while I try to decide how to proceed. I’m aware of the management vs eradication of ich issues but first...IS IT ICH FOR SURE? If is is ich...i feel like putting him back and just treating foods and running UV would be less stressful than a 20g uncycled tank with tons of water changes. Maybe adding PolyMedic??

Or is this not ich? Assuming if it was velvet he’d be dead already.

80g display 30g sump
No ammonia or nitrites
Nitrates at 10
pH 8
Temp 77.5
Salinity 1.025

And I was cycling a 20cube display cuz we were having so much fun but now I just wanna cry.
I read soooo much and somehow completely missed the QT corals and snails part. Ugh.

Photo was yesterday before removing from main tank...video is right now.

 

[gunflintcamper]

Looks like the video from doesn’t wanna post. I’ll try again with a still pic also.

 

[aquakj]

Yea thats ICH, and yes that is the big issue removing him and causing more stress which could lead to the tang not feeling well and dying, or leaving him in and always having ich in your display, and everyone on here is going to tell you QT youre going ot have to QT all your fish and leave the tank fishless for about 76 days or so. Currently I am on the same boat as you I have a sailfin tang who has ich and eeveryone else in the tank doest, right now im doing ich management, but the ich has not gone away once this whole time, the sailfin has had spots this entire time which is making me lean towards setting up a QT for all my fish. I would suggest feeding the tang getting him nice and fat and healthy with supplements im using garlic gaurd and Marine selcon and then slowly transfering into the QT.

 

[gunflintcamper]

Yea thats ICH, and yes that is the big issue removing him and causing more stress which could lead to the tang not feeling well and dying, or leaving him in and always having ich in your display, and everyone on here is going to tell you QT youre going ot have to QT all your fish and leave the tank fishless for about 76 days or so. Currently I am on the same boat as you I have a sailfin tang who has ich and eeveryone else in the tank doest, right now im doing ich management, but the ich has not gone away once this whole time, the sailfin has had spots this entire time which is making me lean towards setting up a QT for all my fish. I would suggest feeding the tang getting him nice and fat and healthy with supplements im using garlic gaurd and Marine selcon and then slowly transfering into the QT.

Ok thank you!

So let him eat and treat foods...manage it while I get the QT cycled....then begin the whole fallow thing?

How does one actually cycle a QT tank with no bio media? I was just reading that I should remove any bio media when I treat with copper...so the biospheres I had planned to toss when done shouldn’t even be in there anyway?
Or do I bite the bullet and put all the fish right in QT now?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The delay in treatment did not help. Metro/focus will do nothing right now
Tang needs copper based treatment and with copper, a test kit is a Must!!
My fear is that this may develop into velvet
Start with a freshwater dip to give fish temporary relief with the water temperature same as tank
Provide additional oxygen such as pump and air stone during treatment and monitor ammonia and nitrate daily. For bio, a sponge filter will suffice while adding a little liquid bacteria daily

 

[aquakj]

Ok thank you!

So let him eat and treat foods...manage it while I get the QT cycled....then begin the whole fallow thing?

How does one actually cycle a QT tank with no bio media? I was just reading that I should remove any bio media when I treat with copper...so the biospheres I had planned to toss when done shouldn’t even be in there anyway?
Or do I bite the bullet and put all the fish right in QT now?

You can add turbo start (live bacteria) or if you have an extra sponge from your display tank and run a filter on the QT with only the sponge nothing else or you can do a sponge filter... If hes eating thats a good sign, fish that eat dont die! but also dont wait to long before things get worse.

 

[Uncle99]

There are only 3 proven methods for treating fish for ick, Hypo, TTM and Copper, and in a separate tank. Anything else is quite doubtful.
DT fallow period best outcome for ick is 70ish days.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Looks more velvet-y to me. How is the fish's condition. How fast is it escalating?

 

[gunflintcamper]

Looks more velvet-y to me. How is the fish's condition. How fast is it escalating?

It’s had dots since Saturday...appeared to be sand on his fins.

Sunday was the same...water change seemed to stress him and last night was the worst.

less dots today and he’s acting fine I think...but he’s made about being moved to QT.