Blueface Angel in end stage of Ich - Very sick

[tomtle]

I've been trying to treat my whole reef system from an Ich outbreak with Polyp Lab's Medic and UV sterilization for the past week. Tank is a Waterbox Marine X 90, 85 gallons total volume. My Blueface is the first one to get this bad. There are signs of fin rot as well. I have Seachem's Metroplex, Focus, and KanaPlex on hand. Also have hydrogen peroxide if it's useful here. I'm setting up a treatment tank now with freshly mixed saltwater at the same tempereature and salinity as the display tank. What can I do right now? What medications cdo I need right now to save him? Thanks! vid

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been trying to treat my whole reef system from an Ich outbreak with Polyp Lab's Medic and UV sterilization for the past week. Tank is a Waterbox Marine X 90, 85 gallons total volume. My Blueface is the first one to get this bad. There are signs of fin rot as well. I have Seachem's Metroplex, Focus, and KanaPlex on hand. Also have hydrogen peroxide if it's useful here. I'm setting up a treatment tank now with freshly mixed saltwater at the same tempereature and salinity as the display tank. What can I do right now? What medications cdo I need right now to save him? Thanks! vid

As you found out, Polyp Labs Medic does not work and if anything at very early stage as it's Peroxide salts and not an actual treatment and at$40 a pity. UV is effective but will not erase ich that is already present and going through reproduction as it addresses what is free floating and passes through the unit
Most effective will be coppersafe at level 2.25-2.5 for a full 30 days in a separate tank with new water. Other fish in the tank have been exposed and too will need to be treated. The display tank it's in will have to remain without fish for 6-8 weeks allowing the theronts and tromonts to die off without a host fish. Coral and inverts can stay in the display tank.
Add aeration during treatment and monitor ammonia with a reliable test kit.
For coppersafe, monitor with Hanna brand copper test kit

 

[threebuoys]

If not too late, isolation in a QT and treatment with CopperPower or CopperSafe is your best bet. See the link below on how to do this. Milder cases can be treated with hyposalinity in a QT or FOWLR. Scan the stickies in this forum for more info on these techniques.

 

[eecummins]

secondary bacterial infection - very common when a fish already has parasites or worms

the other possibility is flukes are feeding on his fins

 

[tomtle]

Looks like Coppersafe has the most success from others' experiences. I ordered some on Amazon but will try to run out to my lfs to grab some today. I'll treat the secondary infection with KanapPlex since it's a broad spectrum antibiotic unless you guys have better recommendations. What can I do to ease the pain and suffering whil it awaits transfer to QT? He's pretty stressed out. Getting my Hanna copper test today as well. Thanks!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I'm worried because the angel is also very thin - that makes any hoped for recovery much less likely, as the thinness will take time to recover from, even if it starts eating well again.

In the video, the angel is breathing fast, > 90 bpm, and is rocking forward with each breath. that tells me it may be moribund (actively dying).

You may have to count this fish out but focus on the remaining fish for "damage control" to see if they can be saved. None of the drugs that you have on hand are specific for treating ich.

I cannot see distinct ich trophonts on the angel, are you seeing them on the other fish? Ich can be tricky to diagnose - at first, the fish will have discrete pinhead white spots, but as time goes on, the spots coalesce and the fish looks sort of generally milky white.

 

[tomtle]

the Blueface had distinct white spots for several days while I was using Medic. It spend a lot of time at the cleaner shrimp cleaning stations and my powder blue tank and other fish show white spots. I'll be trying to catch them all to move into treatment and QT. The bluface has gotten worse and I fear you are correct in your diagnosis