Major ICH

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

Its one thing after another, I swear. Just moved. Our puffer gets an infection after the move. Treat that, get him back in the DT. Now there is a major ich outbreak seemingly overnight. Like, its bad. Need some advice.

I attempted to treat in tank with polylabs medic, at least until I could figure out a QT situation for all the fish. It has done nothing and I have 3 dead fish as of coming home from work today (small clown, mandorin and a royal gamma).

Fish left in tank:

1 porc puffer
1 longhorn cowfish
1 gem tang
1 dragon wrasse
1 foxface
1 large clown
1 medium zebra eel

1 BTA
snails and cleaner shrimp

The cowfish looks really really bad. I am trying to get my 40g back up and running as fast as possible, but RODI takes time. So... options:

1. Take out the BTA and inverts, try hypo on the DT. Unsure where the inverts would go for now.
2. Wait for the 40g to get up and running and move all fish to hypo QT. I just don't know if the cowfish is going to make it.

I'm just frustrated at this point. Its always something.

vetteguy53081 · Jul 23, 2024

Baffels said:
Its one thing after another, I swear. Just moved. Our puffer gets an infection after the move. Treat that, get him back in the DT. Now there is a major ich outbreak seemingly overnight. Like, its bad. Need some advice.

I attempted to treat in tank with polylabs medic, at least until I could figure out a QT situation for all the fish. It has done nothing and I have 3 dead fish as of coming home from work today (small clown, mandorin and a royal gamma).

Fish left in tank:

1 porc puffer
1 longhorn cowfish
1 gem tang
1 dragon wrasse
1 foxface
1 large clown
1 medium zebra eel

1 BTA
snails and cleaner shrimp

The cowfish looks really really bad. I am trying to get my 40g back up and running as fast as possible, but RODI takes time. So... options:

1. Take out the BTA and inverts, try hypo on the DT. Unsure where the inverts would go for now.
2. Wait for the 40g to get up and running and move all fish to hypo QT. I just don't know if the cowfish is going to make it.

I'm just frustrated at this point. Its always something.

Polyp labs are peroxide salt and as you found- worthless and at a high cost. At the fast rate of infection may be velvet in lieu of ich but to best determine, Please post a video of at least 25 seconds under white light intensity- no blue. Hang in there- we'll get you through it

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
Polyp labs are peroxide salt and as you found- worthless and at a high cost. At the fast rate of infection may be velvet in lieu of ich but to best determine, Please post a video of at least 25 seconds under white light intensity- no blue. Hang in there- we'll get you through it

Video attached. Note that the longhorn has a lot of sand on him as well.

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

vetteguy53081 · Jul 23, 2024

Baffels said:

Audio plays only. Please try you tube version

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
Audio plays only. Please try you tube version

Try this:

vetteguy53081 · Jul 23, 2024

On most of the fish , I see mucus cones mixed in with ich and on the puffer appears to be velvet. Likely you are experiencing heavy breathing. loss of appetite, lethargic behavior as example. The good news is coppersafe will treat for both issues and will be needed ASAP
Use New seawater- not existing water and place in a minimum 40breeder tank or rubbermaid type tub and apply coppersafe at 2.25 monitored by Hanna brand copper test kit for a FULL 30 days. MONITOR AMMONIA LEVELS and add air stone for added and needed supplemental oxygen.
Leave the display tank free of any fish (fallow) for a full 60 days to assure all parasites have died off without a host fish.
After copper treatment, change water and assure the fish are free of parasites. You can follow as option treatment with praziPro for two 8 day treatments to assure no flukes or worms, etc.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 23, 2024

Baffels said:
Its one thing after another, I swear. Just moved. Our puffer gets an infection after the move. Treat that, get him back in the DT. Now there is a major ich outbreak seemingly overnight. Like, its bad. Need some advice.

I attempted to treat in tank with polylabs medic, at least until I could figure out a QT situation for all the fish. It has done nothing and I have 3 dead fish as of coming home from work today (small clown, mandorin and a royal gamma).

Fish left in tank:

1 porc puffer
1 longhorn cowfish
1 gem tang
1 dragon wrasse
1 foxface
1 large clown
1 medium zebra eel

1 BTA
snails and cleaner shrimp

The cowfish looks really really bad. I am trying to get my 40g back up and running as fast as possible, but RODI takes time. So... options:

1. Take out the BTA and inverts, try hypo on the DT. Unsure where the inverts would go for now.
2. Wait for the 40g to get up and running and move all fish to hypo QT. I just don't know if the cowfish is going to make it.

I'm just frustrated at this point. Its always something.

For a fish only tank, tap water is fine - you don’t need to wait for RODI.

I’d opt for hyposalinity in this case as the tang and the go face could have flukes, and hypo will handle those and ich at the same time. Also, you can use some rubble rock in the hypo tank to supply some biological filtration.

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

Jay Hemdal said:
For a fish only tank, tap water is fine - you don’t need to wait for RODI.

I’d opt for hyposalinity in this case as the tang and the go face could have flukes, and hypo will handle those and ich at the same time. Also, you can use some rubble rock in the hypo tank to supply some biological filtration.

oh, I didnt realize tap was ok. Ill get the 40g up and running this afternoon then.

resortez · Jul 23, 2024

Second all recommendations above, especially rubble rock to provide bioload, would go as far as transferring a few cups of dirty sand & any type of filter floss/sock if you have any to prevent further shock, keep an eye on parameter & add any buffers to keep it stable, plenty of aeration, would bump temps to 80 & feed only if the fish still have an appetite, might have to reduce feeding portion if the fish aren’t feeding. Good luck

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

Alrighty, 40g is full and mixing. Going to mix at 1.024 then reduce down to 1.011 over the next 48 hours, then to 1.009.

vetteguy53081 · Jul 23, 2024

Baffels said:
Alrighty, 40g is full and mixing. Going to mix at 1.024 then reduce down to 1.011 over the next 48 hours, then to 1.009.

You can reduce to 1.009 with 12 hours safely - 24hrs if you wish

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

Copy, thank you

Baffels · Jul 23, 2024

vetteguy53081 said:
You can reduce to 1.009 with 12 hours safely - 24hrs if you wish

Half the fish are in, other half acclimating. Do you think the eel should go as well? I know they are resistant to ick, but wasnt sure.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 24, 2024

Baffels said:
Half the fish are in, other half acclimating. Do you think the eel should go as well? I know they are resistant to ick, but wasnt sure.

They are resistant, but could still be a "carrier". I would run it through hypo as well.

Baffels · Jul 24, 2024

Well, two more fished passed during the evening. My Foxface and gem tang. Loosing hope here. 6 fish left. Salinity is dropped to 1.012, dropping to 1.009 over the course of a couple more hours.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 24, 2024

Baffels said:
Well, two more fished passed during the evening. My Foxface and gem tang. Loosing hope here. 6 fish left. Salinity is dropped to 1.012, dropping to 1.009 over the course of a couple more hours.

I don't think I mentioned this, but with ich infections, once fish loss has begun, it is typical for more fish to die before any treatment (copper or hypo) can begin to work. The turning point is typically 3 days - fish that make it through that point will usually be cured.