[pogodzib]

Those dots don't look like ich to me. Tangs can sometimes get scars on their fins that end up looking like that. Ich spots are usually more white and will look like a grain of salt. The scars will be lighter colored than the fin, but not pure white and are usually larger than ich.

[Poppinthekap]

That's pretty relieving thanks. I agree with you. Keep the opinions coming though!

My tomato clown still isn't eating (it has been about 3 weeks =/. I am worried he can't go much longer. My best guess right now is that the nitrite is too high because of the formaldehyde. I have discontinued formalin treatment and have been constantly doing water changes and adding Turbo Start Bacteria to try and get out the nitrite.

Peace, Poppinthekap

[jimw369]

Yeah, Im with brian on this one.

[Poppinthekap]

Great, that's awesome

[Poppinthekap]

Alright today is the day I start to raise the salinity! I believe at a rate of 0.003 SG a day correct?

My tomato clown still isn't eating and he is getting skinnier and skinnier, I doubt he would live much longer.

Everyone else is doing okay, I think the scooter blenny has gotten skinny without copepods, but he does eat some mysis and some pellets. He should be fine. Once he gets in the tank, we almost have a copepod infestation in the main tank without having any fish to eat them. That is only beneficial right, some of them are huge!

Peace, Poppinthekap

[pogodzib]

Yes, raising the salinity by around 0.003 per day is a good amount. I try not to go over that and I also try to raise the salinity in 2, .0015 increments per day instead of doing at all at the same time.

[Poppinthekap]

Should I raise the salinity on the tank with my tomato clown? Would that make him want to eat or would it worsen it. I heard they get more stressed with salinity raises so I thought it was a bad idea but my mom thinks it might be a good idea. What do you think?

Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

Before I begin, I still need somebody to address my previous post. Thanks

Now, I have been raising my salinity since Saturday and I am now at about 1.021 SG. I only have to raise it slightly more and I will begin putting in fish in my DT.

While my display tank is dormant like that does it lose some biofiltration and I need to add fish slowly or can I just add all of them at once?

Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

Ahh! Nobody wants to help me anymore >:O

Well anyway, I have started to raise the salinity in my clown fish's tank. He has started to eat some (more often bites it then spits it back out).

Yesterday I put in my Scooter Blenny because he was getting so skinny without copepods.

Today I am going to buy some Turbo-Start bacteria and add the rest of my fish (excluding clown fish) and while I am at the LFS I am going to pick up some other fish to begin QTing. It will be a few of the following depending on the stock of the store: sand goby, 2-3 black and white cardinalfish, copperband butterfly (or some other butterfly or angel), female and male anthias, and maybe a new clown tang.

That's the plan, Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

I have finished moving all of my fish back in except the tomato clown.

I went to my LFS and purchased 2 paired sand sifting gobies, 2 mated paired picasso clowns, and 1 flame angel. With the clowns, I will be bringing my tomato clown back to the store.

The flame angel is currently in the QT. The clowns had already been in copper water at the LFS for 2 months so they are QTed and the sand sifters can't be put in there because of the lack of sand.

Glad having things pretty much normal now!

Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

Alright, I brought back my tomato clown to my LFS and purchased 3 Bangaii Cardinals at another LFS. Now I have a flame angel and 3 Bangaiis in my QT. I just recently learned they will pair and be agressive to the 3rd so I will get that one out when and if that happens. I also hve a divide I can put in my QT to seperate any agressive fish.

Peace, Poppinthekap :cook:

[Poppinthekap]

Just recently I was able to see several ich spots on my flame angel and even a few on some of the cardinals. So it begins again...

I just took 4 gallons out of the 20 gallon tank and added 4 gallons of RO water. That took the salinity (SG) from about 1.023 to about 1.018-1.019. Another water change will be performed tomorrow, early morning.

Peace, Poppinthekap

[jimw369]

People dont realize the work involved adding fish to their tank. Its always something.

[Poppinthekap]

Yup, I am at about 1.13 SG now. I'm worried about my Purple Tang getting ich again because of a few strange spots (although I don't think they are Ich).

Anyway, I love having the fish back in the tank, it looks awesome! Especially my new picassos!

[pogodzib]

Hi Alex. I've been too busy vacationing in San Diego to be able to respond. I'm back now, but I still need to catch up on a few things. Hopefully, I can find the time later tonight to get back on here and respond to your previous posts.

[Poppinthekap]

Sounds great.

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Should I raise the salinity on the tank with my tomato clown? Would that make him want to eat or would it worsen it. I heard they get more stressed with salinity raises so I thought it was a bad idea but my mom thinks it might be a good idea. What do you think?

Peace, Poppinthekap

Raising the salinity should help get him to eat better, as long as the tank is ich free. Keeping the salinity in the 1.017-1.020 range will help keep pests away if still present and relieve some stress from the fish.

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Before I begin, I still need somebody to address my previous post. Thanks

Now, I have been raising my salinity since Saturday and I am now at about 1.021 SG. I only have to raise it slightly more and I will begin putting in fish in my DT.

While my display tank is dormant like that does it lose some biofiltration and I need to add fish slowly or can I just add all of them at once?

Peace, Poppinthekap

Yes, your DT may have a mini-cycle if you add the fish all at once, but it will be minimal if you feed lightly.

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Ahh! Nobody wants to help me anymore >:O

Well anyway, I have started to raise the salinity in my clown fish's tank. He has started to eat some (more often bites it then spits it back out).

Yesterday I put in my Scooter Blenny because he was getting so skinny without copepods.

Today I am going to buy some Turbo-Start bacteria and add the rest of my fish (excluding clown fish) and while I am at the LFS I am going to pick up some other fish to begin QTing. It will be a few of the following depending on the stock of the store: sand goby, 2-3 black and white cardinalfish, copperband butterfly (or some other butterfly or angel), female and male anthias, and maybe a new clown tang.

That's the plan, Peace, Poppinthekap

I'd wait a little bit before buying more fish just to make sure that no signs of disease re-appear and gives you another option for removing your fish if you get a stressed out fish. BTW - How many fish do you have now?

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

I have finished moving all of my fish back in except the tomato clown.

I went to my LFS and purchased 2 paired sand sifting gobies, 2 mated paired picasso clowns, and 1 flame angel. With the clowns, I will be bringing my tomato clown back to the store.

The flame angel is currently in the QT. The clowns had already been in copper water at the LFS for 2 months so they are QTed and the sand sifters can't be put in there because of the lack of sand.

Glad having things pretty much normal now!

Peace, Poppinthekap

First off, no fish should ever be in copper for 2 months. It is too hard on the fish. Secondly, I still wouldn't trust that the fish are ich free and would still quarantine them. More than likely, the LFS has added new fish to the tank on and off over the past two months. Each time new fish get added, they could be bringing in ich.

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Alright, I brought back my tomato clown to my LFS and purchased 3 Bangaii Cardinals at another LFS. Now I have a flame angel and 3 Bangaiis in my QT. I just recently learned they will pair and be agressive to the 3rd so I will get that one out when and if that happens. I also hve a divide I can put in my QT to seperate any agressive fish.

Peace, Poppinthekap :cook:

Once again, how many total fish do you have? Adding fish very slowly and quarantining everything is one of the best ways to keep diseases and parasites out of a tank. My current 300 gal system has been set up since the beginning of December and I finally added my 5th & 6th fish into it last night.

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Just recently I was able to see several ich spots on my flame angel and even a few on some of the cardinals. So it begins again...

I just took 4 gallons out of the 20 gallon tank and added 4 gallons of RO water. That took the salinity (SG) from about 1.023 to about 1.018-1.019. Another water change will be performed tomorrow, early morning.

Peace, Poppinthekap

Once again, you are seeing why you add fish slowly and quarantine everything.

Originally Posted by Poppinthekap

Yup, I am at about 1.13 SG now. I'm worried about my Purple Tang getting ich again because of a few strange spots (although I don't think they are Ich).

Anyway, I love having the fish back in the tank, it looks awesome! Especially my new picassos!

The previous picture of the Purple Tang was hard to tell if it was ich, but it didn't look like it and your main DT should not have any ich present anymore so there should be no way it will come down with ich again. The best thing you can do for your tang now is to feed lightly for a week to make sure you don't have a nitrate spike and then ramp up your green foods and garlic feedings to fatten your tang up again.

[Poppinthekap]

Thanks for that post pog, as always very informative and also makes me realize I am doing everything wrong lol! Well my mother and I are still being extremely paranoid about some spots (1 or 2 on my powder brown I notice too), so I hope they aren't ich or we might commit suicide. Now you make me realize I probably should have kept my QT open for a little longer.

As for how many fish I have in the DT, I have 4 tangs, 2 picasso clowns, 2 sand gobies (should I have QTed them despite the lack of sand?), 2 neon gobies (so 10 total in the DT) and 2 Bangaii Cardinals (one died yesterday) and 1 flame angel in the QT (so 3 in the QT).

I will heed all of your advice and would love to hear any more you have on your mind. Thanks.

Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

Unfortunately I am beginning to think my Purple and Powder Brown Tangs do both have Ich again. I might just try to take those two out tonight and possibly avoid having to remove them all again.

If I do have to take them all out again, which fish do you suggest I combine in my two tanks. I have a 20 gal established QT and a 10 gal I can set up but it won't really be cycled. Which fish would go in which tank? And do you think it could be avoided by just taking the two I think have Ich out tonight? Also, if I have to QT all of them, does that include my Sand Gobies, if so, don't they need some type of substrate in their QT tank?

Peace, Poppinthekap

[Poppinthekap]

In addition to my previous post's questions, does the Scooter Blenny (being a dragonet) need to be removed if I have Ich again?

Peace, Poppinthekap

[pogodzib]

If everything was done correctly, there shouldn't be any way that they would have ich still. However, if they do have ich, I divide the fish up by putting all of the fish except the 2 sand gobies, 2 neon gobies and 2 Bangaii Cardinals into the 20 gal QT for treatment and but the other 6 fish in the 10 gal tank for observation. Gobies can handle tanks without sand and are more disease resistant than most types of fish, however, if they do get sick, they can be tougher to treat since they don't handle treatments as well.

[rlcline76]

This non eating fish...have you tried anything for curing internal parasites? Perhaps metronidazole, prazipro?????

[Poppinthekap]

So are you saying the scooter blenny (being a dragonet) would still have to be removed as well, or no since they are practically disease-proof?

[Poppinthekap]

rl, the fish that was not eating was brought back to the LFS about a week ago, thanks for the suggestion though!

[rlcline76]

I had to back track a bit. it would make some sense if the clown had brooklynella and was unable to eat right now. Very nasty ailment. Glad you caught it in QT!