Ich problem has claimed my Sailfin... so far

Well, about 2 weeks ago I decided to siphon out the settlement in my sump. Unfortunately I tried to use a gravel vacuum apparatus, which really only spread the sediment around so that my pump would spit it up into the main tank. I think this was the start of my problems... I finished the 10% water change and called it a night.

A couple days later I noticed a couple of the telltale white spots on my Hippo tang. I decided to watch the tangs closely for a day or 2 to see if it was just my eyes deceiving me or not and they weren't.

After 2 days I could see a few small spots on all 3 of the tangs, so I called my LFS and asked about any reefsafe ich cures, because the idea of tearing my tank apart to try to catch those tangs didn't appeal to me.

The gentleman recommended this new product called No Sick Fish. 99.9% reef safe, supposed to work really well, and a small bottle was $50.

Hoping to avoid the catch and qt approach I started the treatment as soon as I got the meds. I started feeding garlic soaked mysis and red/green algae only, no more flakes. At first it seemed to be helping, but as the week progressed the ich got worse on the tangs, until last night I went and bought Nox-Ich and went about catching all the fish and putting them in QT.

This morning when I woke up, the sailfin was laying on his side, floating around in the current, and when I dosed the tank with the meds, I think that was all he could take... My clowns and Powder brown seem to be doing ok, and the Hippo is doing what hippos do, lying on his side alot.

I am sad...

 

From what I understand my Powder Brown is taking his last breaths as we speak...

 

Sorry to hear about the loss of your fish. Tangs are very susseptible to ich because they get stressed easy and don't have scales. Hippos and powders are even more so!

 

If you believe the last one and others may follow you can always try a fresh water dip before putting them in quarantine.
It is pretty scary the first time you do it but typically some of the ich will die right away. Then again the fish may as well. I have had a Mandarin gobie die in my hand when going through an experience similar to yours yet when i gave my salfin and hippo tangs the fresh water dip them managed to fight back to health in a week. I would keep all your fish in QT for a good 3 weeks.

 

Ohh yea.
From my research people will do a fresh water dip anywhere from 15 seconds to almost a minute depending on how well the fish is reacting.

Sorry for your loss.

 

I had a similar experience with my coral beauty. Out of all the things I tried on him I broke down and bought a UV light for my tank. I put that on it for 30 days, signs of ich disappeared within the first week. I've had the UV off for quite some time now and no signs have returned. Just a coincidence? Possibly, but I thought I would share this.

I'm terribly sorry for your loss, I know when it happens to me I feel almost sick. RIP Lil guy

 

You need to do FW dips for a minimum of 3 min to be effective. I dip all my new fish for 4-5 min. Many fish will lay down on their side in FW but dont be alarmed by this. Before doing a FW dip aerate the water for 20 min and adjust for pH and temp. FW dips will only remove the superficial ich.

I've researched "No Sick Fish" and every thing I find on the net alludes to this product as a snake oil cure- ineffective. Copper is the only known effective treatment. Remove all your fish to a QT tank and then let the main tank go fallow without fish for 10-12 weeks. If this does not effect a cure then you will have to break down the tank and start over. I've been battling ich for 1.5 years and finally just broke down my tank.

Of interest, there is a new product on the market for ich made by Life Guard. Its supposed to be reef safe but its reliability is not known yet.

 

I must say freshwater dips does have it's risk. I also resorted to 5 minute FW dip for an ick outbreak and lost 2 out of 8 fish. The 6 that survive and went into quarantine are doing great so far. But the 2 other fish went down hill from there and died the next day in quaratine with copper! I left my main tank empty for 6 weeks for the ick to die off and the fish never got ick again.

 

FW dips are good but with meth blue is the best but i would recommend just doing QT is your best bet if you are able to do a 6 week qt and have the fish ich free then add to your tank but with that said if it has it at anytime during qt you will have to reset the 6 weeks again

 

Powerbluetang's move is best for ich attacks. Remove all fishes (a daunting task if corals are in the tank but you have to go through it), quarantine for 45 days minimum (60 is too much but i'd go for it) making the tank fishless and your fishes medicated. Ich will begone forever unless you start dumping unquarantined animals again.