So There Was An Oops...

[ThePaliga]

Good Morning Guys.
So yesterday, as I'm sure everyone is aware, there were some pretty good deals out there... Including a Kole Tang for $25 in the states. Fish was swimming around the giant tank like nothing, picking at rocks and loving life. I will admit, I didn't fully examine the fish before my girlfriend decided we had to have him. First opps... The border guard was more interested in how he could start a saltwater tank than he was on bothering me about the fish. Seems like a great day.
Well, we got him home. As I was setting up the QT, I asked my girlfriend to float the bag until I could get everything ready. To her this meant float the bag, watch the fish get stressed trying to escape the bag, feel terrible that this wild creature is stuck in a little plastic cage and decide to free the tang so that he could go swim freely. Second opps.
My parameters are on point but I had no idea what the FS' water looked like. Worried all night until this morning when the new member was swimming freely, checking out all the new rock, testing out hiding holes and such. Sounds like I lucked out. Wrong.
The tang is covered in ich. Probably close to a dozen or so spots on him and I can't seem to catch him without ripping ALL of my LR out. He set up camp under one of the huge base pieces (almost 2 feet long piece at the very bottom, supporting the majority of the scape on that side of the tank).


So I guess I have to ask everyone's opinion. It's a mixed reef with about 60+lbs of live rock, coral, inverts and fish. I can't seem to catch the tang to QT him. What's next?

 

[TORX]

Ick is pretty much in every tank out there. Just with most tanks, it lays dormant and not affecting fish, although it may appear periodically if the fish get stressed. If you add any water from a store ever, or from just about anyones tank, you can pretty much assume that you have introduced it to your tank. Your best bet is to feed heavy and make sure he is eating. Leave lots of seaweed available and garlic soaked food, basically find what he likes to eat. So long as it is eating/swimming, and so long that the parasite does not attack its gills heavily, he should be fine. There is no way to safely remove the parasite from your tank once it is introduced without removing all livestock to QT and treating for 8 weeks while the parasite dies off due to lack of hosts. Even if someone has not had signs of ick in years or ever, there is a great chance that they have it.

 

[dale]

not much, your tank already has ich, (most always do), getting him out would be optimal, but if you cant, as long as the other fish arnt stressed they should resist it, imo your best bet would be to get all of the fish out and do a hypo salinity run, then do it for every new fish.. that would also involve every coral and rock must be fishless for a month before it goes in also...= no ich

 

[ThePaliga]

Appreciate the timely advice guys. I don't quite have the room to set up a whole new system to quarantine everything for treatment (well I do but the boss won't let me lol). So I'm going to have to try waiting it out. This is the first time I've added a fish without letting it sit in the QT for a 2-3 weeks and being treated so I guess its going to be an interesting few weeks. All of the residents seem to happy with their new neighbor and are more curious as to him than anything so stress shouldn't be a big issue. I'll get on the garlic soaked nori ASAP and go from there. Fingers crossed gents

 

[Joshbrookkate]

I have selcon, if you want to use it. And I have easy access to the garlic supplement.
In case you don't have any on hand.....

 

[AdInfinitum]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with the "ich is in every tank" statements. Anyone who has had to maintain viable colonies of the parasite for research will attest to how hard SW ich is to keep going long term.....but that's a whole other discussion.

Consider trying NLS Ichshield medicated food with choloquine as long as you can keep it out of LPS (pumps off for feeding, put it in away from corals that eat chunks). As long as all of your fish will take pellets...the medication will make them unsuitable as hosts. It's the only real option other than total teardown...but remember not all spots are ich...

 

[ThePaliga]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with the "ich is in every tank" statements. Anyone who has had to maintain viable colonies of the parasite for research will attest to how hard SW ich is to keep going long term.....but that's a whole other discussion.

Consider trying NLS Ichshield medicated food with choloquine as long as you can keep it out of LPS (pumps off for feeding, put it in away from corals that eat chunks). As long as all of your fish will take pellets...the medication will make them unsuitable as hosts. It's the only real option other than total teardown...but remember not all spots are ich...

You are quite right about the spots. I've seen many a disease over the years (fortunately enough, not in my tank). But in this case, I can assure you, it's ich. I'm going to have to look into ichshield though. Never heard of it. Appreciate the advice Infin!

And JBK... I'm pretty sure I have some selcon lying around somewhere but the garlic supplement I'll have to pick up. Can I just use Garlic oil?

 

[Nighthawk26]

I have a local friend off the boards who simply told me to overfeed, and increase tank temp a few degrees. I have had a few times my hippos showed symptoms and with 2 days, it is gone. Stress will bring it out. This is why I agree with both camps on ICH. I am sure it is not in EVERY tank, but when in QT, you can have it there as long as you like, if it's not stressed, it might not show signs, so weeks and weeks pass and we think it's all good. Reality is, I believe it is most certainly in the majority of systems, but if you keep good parameters, keep feedings up, and have enough hiding spots, and keep appropriate tank mates, you mitigate stress, and as a result the instances of Ich, and many other issues come up.

My advice, like others, feed more, and I will add increase tank temp a few degrees.

 

[heath]

And JBK... I'm pretty sure I have some selcon lying around somewhere but the garlic supplement I'll have to pick up. Can I just use Garlic oil

I make my own.. better and a lot cheaper..
I do agree with the using the ichshield pellets, I keep them on hand..
If you are feeding a frozen, thaw it in garlic water as well..