What other than ich?

About 3 weeks ago, I got a Yellow Eye Kole Tang (of course, he was the last fish planned to be in the tank). I asked around about a couple spots I saw on him, people said it didn't look like ich, just some mechanical damage. I grabbed a pair of cleaner gobies to be sure that things wouldn't cascade too quickly if it turned out to be ich. I looked at my fish today, and every single one except the cleaner gobies now have spots of ich.

Now, I have to set up a hospital tank, but I have a few questions because of my peculiar stocking, listed below.

Ocellaris Clown
Yellow Eye Kole Tang
Rainford's Goby
Blue spot jawfish
banggai cardinal
hi fin red banded goby
2 sharknose gobies
large number of inverts

0. Is there anything that reliably cures ich that's safe for a highly diverse reef, given the directions are followed correctly?

1. I know many people recommend bare bottom for hospitals, but I have a blue spot jawfish. Is sand OK so it doesn't get too stressed out?

2. The tang is about 3-4 inches long, the jawfish about 4 inches, everything else is an inch and a half or under. What size hospital would be appropriate for everything to stay in for a full, 6-8 week ich-destroying marathon?

2b. Might it even be more appropriate to use 2 smaller tanks, for the BSJF+cardinal and the other tank for the rest?

3. Which treatment do you guys recommend for the long period, copper or hyposalinity?

4. Is natural sunlight at this time of year in Jersey (very cloudy) enough for the tank if it's under a window?

5. Would fake rocks for hiding spots be ok?

6. Does the amount of water flow need to be as high as the regular tank w/ corals, or would a smaller powerhead suffice for the fish?

7. Will copper/hyposalinity kill gracilaria? If so, what's a good method for getting a tang to eat prepared foods while it's surrounded by kelp and gracilaria?

8. Protein skimmer?

9. Having fun answering a bunch of oddball questions yet?

10. Pencils down! Test is over. ;D

 

I'd say leave them be. Don't worry to stress them out by netting them and putting them into a new environment.
Try soaking their foods in garlic and/or selcon.

0. Is there anything that reliably cures ich that's safe for a highly diverse reef, given the directions are followed correctly? Yep there are some meds available but don't rush into that just yet

1. I know many people recommend bare bottom for hospitals, but I have a blue spot jawfish. Is sand OK so it doesn't get too stressed out?yes and no reason why a BB is recomended is so that it will be easy to siphon ditritus as well as it doesn't facilitate a breeding ground for parasites. IMO, hejawfish would refuge in a hole in the rocks if no sand is present.

2. The tang is about 3-4 inches long, the jawfish about 4 inches, everything else is an inch and a half or under. What size hospital would be appropriate for everything to stay in for a full, 6-8 week ich-destroying marathon?At least a 40g breeder IMO although a 30g may suffice

2b. Might it even be more appropriate to use 2 smaller tanks, for the BSJF+cardinal and the other tank for the rest?I'd prefer to treat all fish together for stability reasons

3. Which treatment do you guys recommend for the long period, copper or hyposalinity?Hypo, try to stay away from copper unless it's completely necessary

4. Is natural sunlight at this time of year in Jersey (very cloudy) enough for the tank if it's under a window?Meaning to sustain corals? Suplemental lighting may be necessary on overcast days for corals

5. Would fake rocks for hiding spots be ok?I guess so

6. Does the amount of water flow need to be as high as the regular tank w/ corals, or would a smaller powerhead suffice for the fish?A small powerhead is good enough you may want to keep an air pump and air stone handy

7. Will copper/hyposalinity kill gracilaria? If so, what's a good method for getting a tang to eat prepared foods while it's surrounded by kelp and gracilaria?I think the copper may affect it but not sure hypo is okay but has to be brought down gradually

8. Protein skimmer?In your DT yes but in a QT, it will remove all meds immediately

9. Having fun answering a bunch of oddball questions yet?All questions are good questions

10. Pencils down! Test is over. This is a though one

I still stand by no chemicals let them fight it out. They should be fine in a few days as long as they are eating.

 

The only reason I'm about ready to jump to a hospital tank is because the tang went from nothing to a whole lot of spots. About 75% of his body is covered with spots within 1/8 inch of each other.

 

As long as he's eating, soak the food in garlic and selcon and it should go away within a week. If you like, you could also just QT the tang instead of putting all the others through stress. I'd also advise some cleaner shrimp. Two of em would be fine.

 

Well, I considered cleaner shrimp, but I've got a coral banded shrimp that's kinda big, so I'd need bigger cleaner shrimp to have a chance, and even then it's not 100% safe.

For the cleaners, that is. I have no doubts that the CBS would win in a fight.

As for garlic, do you have a favorite way of getting normal garlic onto fish food? Or do you just use garlic xtreme/garlic guard?

Also, the tang doesn't eat prepared foods, only every other fish does. It just eats kelp + gracilaria I have growing in the tank. No 'fuge, just in-tank.

 

I have gracilaria and kelp growing in-tank. How do I get the tang to get some garlic in him?

 

Ok, so I'm still unclear on getting the tang/rainford goby to get some garlic, they don't eat prepared foods, the algae is gorwin in the DT for the tang, the rainford only eats 'pods....

I'm figuring the best time to move the fish to a hospital tank is once they ich cysts drop off of the fish, and they're a bit less stressed cause they don't have these nasties all over them, so I'm going to have the HT set up to be ready for it.

The cleaner shrimp and cleaner gobies won't eat ich, as I've found out. The tang goes to the stations and spreads his fins like he wants to get cleaned, the gobies/shrimpp checks him out, and they don't eat anything. It's likely because ich burrows a bit into the skin/scales of the fish.