[ambertatreau]

I am so sad! This is the first issue I have had with my tank. Last night, at 10:00 when I fed my fish, they were %100 fine. This morning, my new catalina goby - I've had it for 1.5 weeks - is COVERED with white spots that look like grains of sand. My royal gramma looks ok still. What is it, and what can I do? The pictures are crappy - I'm not much of a photographer.

[ambertatreau]

Also - my tank is warmer than usual today, I keep it at 74 degrees for the catalinas' benefit, and it is at 82 right now for some reason.

[ncdiablo]

This of course sounds like ich. My suggestion is to get your tank cooler because I understand that catalina gobies like cooler temps. This will help reduce the fish's stress which is a factor for ich. Next are my suggestions for helping to get rid of the ich in a non medicated way.

1. go get garlic guard juice. Add garlic gaurd juice to each feeding. Take brine shrimp and soak it in garlic guard juice for about an hour to 2 hours. (don't need a ton of juice just a teaspoon). This will help boost the immune system which will fight off the ich.

2. go get a skunk cleaner shrimp or 3. ( I have 2 skunk cleaners and a fire cleaner). These will help clean.

I hope these steps help reduce the ich and I hope he survives.

I realize a QT tank would be best for you and take in the QT tank you can of course use copper meds. You can also try a freshwater dip to help kill it as well. Dip him for about 5 mins.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Steven

[ambertatreau]

I drove around for the last 4 hours looking for a cleaner shrimp - no luck. I will have one on thursday when my LFS gets its new stock in. Also, I got the closest thing I could find to garlic gaurd, whick is garlic juice/salt/vinegar. Please let me know if this is OK before I use it, I don't want to pickle the little guy or anything. I also was getting ready to do the fresh water dip, when I realized I don't own a net! If I can catch the little guy, I will go ahead and do it, but I don't want to stress him out too much.

[rlcline76]

Slow down.
No copper for gobies.
Get a QT. Get some melafix or maracyn.
Hopefully it is still swimming and eating.
Everytime you get a sick fish...or buy a new fish who might show symptoms of anything during QT period, look up treatment methods. Some fish cannot handle copper. Some fish cannot handle a freshwater bath and some fish cannot handle hyposalinity.

[ambertatreau]

I wasn't planning tp use copper, I don't really know what to do with it. I can't find any species specific info on ich treatment, so I don't know if a freshwater dip is good or bad...that's kind of what I was hoping you guys could tell me. The girl at my LFS said they do it before they introduce fish, so the fish has already survived it once. As for maracyn and other treatments, I heard they kind of ruin a tank. Anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks!

[rlcline76]

Google is your best friend.

GobyDisFAQs

As far as maracyn and any other treatment, you really need to do it in a QT, not the main tank.

[ambertatreau]

Whoa! That link has so much info - I am now informed Also, most of his spots went away. Any idea why? He had about 30, now there are 2. Almost gone...

[blind1993]

i am battleing it also this is a link that someone gave me and so far 3 days no spots. use garlic,ginger, and tang

Ich - Atlanta Reef Club Wiki

[ambertatreau]

My skunk cleaner shrimp came in! That in itself is something to be very excited about! He's so fun. I am acclimating him right now. I will do a fresh water dip tomorrow, and I am working on a QT tank to treat him in...how elaborate does it need to be? Do I need a fancy filter? I just hope I can save this little guy. He's so sweet. Wish me luck!

[ambertatreau]

P.S. shrimp is swimming around and is creepy