[splatshot]

I have a 65 gallon tank - 3 months - cycled and have added a cleaner crew and a couple of false percula and an algae blenny, 2 small soft coral.
Because these were the first fish, I didn't quarentine (dumb) and I don't currently have a quarentine/Hospital tank set up.
Now one of the clowns has Ich.
By the time I get the QT set up and cycled, will my fish be gone?
Any ideas on what I can do?
I have a fluval canister on my main display tank to provide extra filtration and flow. Can I take it off the DT and use it on my new QT tank to help speed the cycle?

[rlcline76]

Moderators, we could use a sticky for common fish illnesses since we get these questions all of the time!!!!

Just plain ich or ich that has a dusty look to it? If it is just plain old ich, you can breathe a little easier. Your tank is always going to have its own parasite load, no matter what. I would strongly suggest getting a tank for quarantine/hospital use, though! In the meantime, is your clown eating and swimming around like he would if healthy? If so, take him out and give him a freshwater bath for a few minutes if he will tolerate it and not stress out. This will help get rid of most, if not all, of those white dots. Then watch you other fish because there is a good chance they will also be needing baths unless they have a decent tolerance.

Now, if fishy is lethargic and not eating, a freshwater bath can still be beneficial. You may consider using Melafix (one medicine that is generally reef safe and can be found at Petsmart). Without a hospital tank, you are limited to treatments. You cannot use copper meds or a product called Quick Cure and has Malachite Green and Formalin and IS SUPER CHEAP. So seriously consider a hospital tank.

You can help prevent ich by garlic treating a few ounces of thawed out food. I use Garlic Extreme. It is a little on the pricey side but I only use a few drops here and there. You can also check out Garlic Guard. I've seen it off and on at Petsmart.

Good Luck!

[msbdiving]

I would take all the fish out of the main tank. Allow the main tank to be fishless (inverts ok) for at least four weeks. As long as there are fish in there the parasite has a host. I would suggest getting a quarantine tank (I have copper in mine and the fish do fine). To switch the filter back and forth between the tanks would be a vector for the parasite. I know you might have heard that copper is tabu. But consider this. It is only for four weeks or so. I don't believe it is any more stressful to the fish than shipment or freshwater baths. Do not put copper in the main tank!!!

[splatshot]

I wasn't going to switch the filter back and forth. I just didn't know if because it already has filter medium with bacteria if that would cycle the QT/Hospital tank.
Once there, it will stay there.

[camkro]

I recently purchased a new UV unit JBJ submariner. Its a powerhead and Uv sterilizer all in one. I just put it in my tank and turned it on. You can end up spending a fortune on meds and still lose your fish. Get a UV unit. It won't bother your live rock. My tank sparkles and my fish are healthy, and I know they had ich. They always do when you buy them. Good luck.

[pogodzib]

Follow msbdivings advice and get all of your fish out of your tank and let it go fallow for 4-6 weeks. You q-tank does not need to be cycled prior to putting fish in it. I would do a water change on your main tank and use the waste water for starting up your q-tank. For the next few days, do 20% water changes on your q-tank to prevent it from getting ammonia or nitrite spikes and gives time for the bacteria that was transfered will your main tanks water to multiply. I like to treat fish for ich using hyposalinity instead of copper. You should check out both methods. I think hypo is better for the fish than copper.

Below is a link on hypo treatment

ATJ's Marine Aquarium Site - Reference - Hyposalinity Treatment

I'm not sure how the blenny would handle copper or hypo treatment. They are a fairly disease resistant fish and they don't handle treatments for diseases as well as some other fish, but you can't keep it in the main tank while leaving it fallow or the ich parasites could remain in your tank.

[rlcline76]

Pogodzib brought up another good point about the blenny. They are fairly hardy. You may use Melafix in the main tank if you decide not to go fallow. Otherwise don't mess copper for the blenny. You will know if it gets sick with something. Ich is tough to find on a blenny but they can get to respirating quickly. Melafix and garlic treated food if he gets ill.

[WILLIAM1]

do you have a cleaner shrimp in your tank he likes to clean the ich off your fish. and they will love him for it.

[nelson]

how do u give it a freshwater bath