Baby Hippo Tang has Ich...

My boyfriend and I recently bought a baby Hippo Tang. He's just about an inch in length and appeared really healthy at the store, he was eating and frolicking with his mates in the tank so we chose to take him home with us! He's been with us just shy of a week and he has developped ich covering his scales the poor boy. I would absolutely love to remove him from the tank and put him into a QT to treat him with copper but i'm wondering if that may in fact stress him out too much or if copper could have a more negative effect on him because of how tiny he is. He's still eating and very playful...he's shy of course but i think that comes mostly with the discomfort of new surroundings etc. I've also heard that it is not unusual for Hippo's to develop ich and then lose it almost daily, apparently they are sickly fish to begin with? Anyways anyone with any idea of what i should look into doing next please feel free to fill me in (oou ps. Sterling says to mention that not only does he eat but he grazes all day long on algae and other fun stuff!!!)
thx for the help in advance

 

Yes these fishes sometimes do develop ich and it usually goes away in a couple days depending of course on nutrition and water quality. I wouldn't be too worried as yet.
My advice would be to not use any meds as yet. You can up the water changes a bit and supplement food with vitamins and garlic. Also try feeding some Nori soaked in some garlic. If that doesn't work, gradually drop the salinity during water changes. Taking him out to treat him would stress him out and, if he has ich, chances are, the entire tank has it but it's not prominent as yet.

 

Feed it a very nutritious, varied diet while keeping the water as pristine as possible. Nori sheets, spirulina, frozen mysis, along with a couple of different flakes would be best. Soak all food with a little garlic juice, vitamin c, and selcon.
Above described method has yet to fail me. Worked on my hippo, and is currently working on my henio

 

I recently lost a baby hippo and a baby percula by trying the whole quarintine and meds. I believe it just stresses them out way to much. Recently replaced the percula and it broke out within a week also. Did the garlic soaked food and left it alone in DT and all spots went away within a week. If your hippo is still eating I would suggest the garlic as well and leave him be.

 

How is your hippo doing?

 

+1 on the garlic i have a hippo about quater size had ich first week.Now hes nice and healthy

 

"Squirt" is doing well.
he's still got ick every now and then but its not so bad. he's been eating these tiny little white creatures on the glass. an assortment of flakes, mysis shrimp, veggies, and nori all soaked in garlic smells great!
I'll post a picture of him asap

 

the tiny little white creatures are most likely copepods. They're like shrimp but not as evolutionarily advanced.

 

I am glad to hear things are going well. Almost posted a response suitable to the question posed but saw the thread's start date. Most excellent news.

When any of my fish get anything, I soak Nori in garlic and put it in. Very good for the fish. Also, I have had wonderful success with Melafix. I use this as a second line agent for Ich (first line is patience and garlic). I use it as first line in fin rot (along with garlic). I just dip food in it and feed the fish.

I have long since abandoned the notion of a QT. I am probably going to get skewered for this, but in almost all cases, i think the QT is a way to stress out fish above and beyond what they are already going through. If something arises that needs more meds than I am willing to throw into the tank, I will do a dip. Then back into the DT.

 

I actually agree with you pharmerjon, I pannicked when my hippo came down with it and went out and bought a quarentine tank and tried the dips. Both fish died within a couple days. I wish I knew then what I know now with the garlic. Would have saved me $100 in fish and whatever it was that I paid for the other tank.