Please tell me its not ich!

Cindy I agree with Malachi about the Garlic there does seem to be some truth ( IMO) that garlic helps with ich, I use Seachem Garlic Guard my self. I add some to my Marine cuisine and let it soak for a while. The fish go nuts over it.
I started using it because a friend had a hippo tang with a mild case of ich he gave his fish food soaked in garlic and the ich was gone in a little over a week! Maybe it was the garlic maybe not but I figure it can't hurt to give it a try.

Cindy I believe that your regal Tang is of the East Africa variety by the yellow belly I may be wrong but if it is they are supposed to be a little more hardy of a fish than the Indo- Pacific variety ............... John

 

Thanks, I'm going to give the garlic a try for a few days, increase my tank temp a little and decrease the salinity in my tank a bit. Not much, but down to about 1.022-1.023. Its around 1.024-1.025 right now so we aren't talking about a lot. If I do decide I need to do the QT thing, I have a couple of tubs to use and have plenty of water made up. I bought an air pump, hose line and a couple of air stones. Will that work ok? I will be using two different tubs. One for the tangs, since I can't use copper with them , and a tub for the rest of them. Someone suggested me getting rid of some of my fish to reduce the stress but that will be hard to do. I really like them all. I have a 120 gl tank and have 20 fish with three of those being regal tang, yellow tang , and foxface. The rest are all smaller.

I've read several of the links and they all have good info. I just need to finish reading the rest of them.

When fish have ich aren't they suppose to look bad, not have an appetite and shy away. That doesn't describe mine at all. Shouldn't the spots be getting more numerous and larger? They are staying the same size and are fewer.

I have an open brain in my tank that is dying. Could that be causing any problems?

Well, my darling little Dori is hungry so I better go feed her.

Thanks for all of the support!

Cindy

 

Matt, thanks for all of the links. I haven't read all of them yet but so far there are a couple of them that I had not seen.

Fletch , I'm glad to hear about your personal experience. That encourages me. I had no idea of what "brand" of tang I had. I'm glad to hear that it is a heartier kind. I'm going to hang in with the garlic I think for about a week before I try to start catching anything. Do you think a week is long enough to wait on the garlic?

I better go feed them. I think I hear all of them calling their mommie.

Cindy

 

Cindy If it were me I wouldn't change the tank temp or decrease the salinity as IMO you would want to keep everything as stable as possible to keep the stress to a minimum.
   The good thing is that she is eating well and still active!
............................................................... John

BUT I AM IN NO MEANS AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT

 

John, I had wondered about slightly lowering the salinity since #1 it might help plus 1.022-1.023 is where it usually is. More often 1.023. Just this last water change I've increased it to where it is now 1.024-5 so I thought maybe just taking it back where it had been. Do you still feel I should leave things as it is? And as far as temp goes I'm only talking about 84 degrees. It pretty much stays between 80-82.It is 84 right now because I turned the fan off earlier and the lights are on. Should I turn my fan back on and go back to 82?

What is everyones opinion (please don't be too brutal and remember I didn't buy these they came with the tank)-except for the anemone.) as far as my getting rid of some fish? Again my tank is 120 gl. When I move the tank I will use less rock and that will allow for more swimming room. I really don't want to get rid of any of them. THey are my BABIES!!
Here is my inventory:
Regal Tang, Yellow Tang, Foxface, 4 lyretail anthias, two zebra GOBIES, clarki clown, watchman gobbie, and a ? gobie shrimp, Coral Beauty, Christmas wrasse, 3 blue-green chromis, Spotted Hawkfish, Two-Spotted Hog fish, and 2x 6 Line wrasses. Also a sifting star fish, a red open brain that is struggling to stay alive, a green open brain and a crocea clam along with a few snails and a couple of red leg crabs. Oh yes, how could I forget, one huge BTA.

Cindy

 

Well as I said I am no expert, But I do know that putting the infected fish in a hospital tank with a lower salinity ( hypo-salinity ) 1.021 or so is supposed to help, But I wouldn't change it in your main tank! 1.025 or 1.026 is what is recommended for a reef tank. You may damage your corals.
Also the temp I would leave in the 80-82 range, But that is MO and I am sure that Craig, Gresham, JohnO or Matt would be of more help as they have a lot more experience than I do.......................... John

 

I have a question. I havent seen it mentioned yet, I dont think. But won't a UV Filter also kill the ICH ??? Some bed up in the sand but continous use would do it wouldn't it?

I thought it killed parasitic organisms too..???

Any ideas?

Scoffer

 

Cleaner Shrimp are an important preventative measure as is water quality and a tranquill and not overstocked aquarium. The stronger the fish the more resistant to ich they will be.

My two Red Skunk Cleaner shrimp routinley clean any fish in need and will eat the ich parasites. I have two tangs and have never had ich in almost three years. My tank was established in May 2002.

 

[quote author=Craig_Manoukian linkCraig, you say that you use skunk cleaner shrimp. Will any cleaner shrimp do just as well and how many do I need. I was hesitant to pay $50.00 for a pair of cleaner shrimp at my LFS. Isn't that a bit high?

I know I'm over crowded but I can't just throw them out in the back yard and I don't have anyone around here that is interested plus I think my hubby would have a stomping fit if I got rid of any of them.

I've recieved my new sump and have my new equipment ordered as of this morning. As soon as it comes in I'll buy my sand and get someone to help me break down my tank. This will eliminate the water paramater problems that I've been having. If I continue seeing spots on the tang, at the time of the break down I will probably QT all fish. At least it will be easier to catch them at that time. I've bought a couple of tubs to use as tanks and I'll have a couple of power heads and heaters.

If I QT in a tub what do I use as a filter?
I am soaking the food in garlic. THey don't eat it too well.
I bought the Kyolic garlic extract cap. The store didn't have liquid. I thought the caps were liquid filled but its a powder. I mixed this with a little water and soaked the food in it. Do you see any problem with my using this powerder form for the food? I also used fresh minced garlic but it made a mess and stopped up my skimmer.

What is lymphocytis and what does it look like? I tried to find it in RC but never found a pic of it. I didn't know if mine is lymph or ich.

Somehow the tang looks better when the lights first come on . I can hardly see any spots. The longer the lights are on the more spots there are. They still aren't any larger.You have to be up real close to the tank to even see the spots they are so tiny.

ANy other advice?

Cindy

 

This is what you want Cindy - (Lysmata amboinensis).  The well being of fish is well worth the cost.  Two pairs would be needed for proper coverage in a 125 gallon.  The image is from www.LiveAcquaria.com.  Did you have a chance to check out the links I gave you?