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ICH In My Display Tank


mystersyster

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Today I saw my larger of the two royal grammas iching on the sand. He has been doing this for about an hour now. I THINK I can see small with spots on his tail, as well as his girlfriends. My starry blenny has no signs but iches as well.

 

I have a mccosker, and melanurus wrasse that I don't think are infected. Guy at the LFS is willing to lend me a 10 gallon tank in order to set up a QT. I am leaving in 15 days for vacation, and can't just leave them in a QT for a month with copper medication. What are my options here. Should I set up a QT and hope for the best after 15 days?

 

Params:

 

1.025

 

Nitrate: 0-5 (API)

Phospate: 0

Temp: 79-80

 

I appreciate any help, thanks.

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How long are you going on vacation for? My only concern is how to keep ammonia down in the QT while you are gone.

 

All fish are considered infected at this point and need to be removed and the tank left without fish for 12 weeks.

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How long are you going on vacation for? My only concern is how to keep ammonia down in the QT while you are gone.

 

All fish are considered infected at this point and need to be removed and the tank left without fish for 12 weeks.

Thanks. Setting up a QT now. Going to be using cupramine that I picked up tonight. I have a flasher wrasse. Do you know if copper is safe for flashers? As well as all the fish I listed above? I plan on dosing at .15 to start as recommended by the LFS. I'm really worried right now... I'm having a tough time finding info and it's a time sensitive matter. First time dealing with this :/

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How long are you going on vacation for? My only concern is how to keep ammonia down in the QT while you are gone.

 

All fish are considered infected at this point and need to be removed and the tank left without fish for 12 weeks.

 

 

Thanks. Setting up a QT now. Going to be using cupramine that I picked up tonight. I have a flasher wrasse. Do you know if copper is safe for flashers? As well as all the fish I listed above? I plan on dosing at .15 to start as recommended by the LFS. I'm really worried right now... I'm having a tough time finding info and it's a time sensitive matter. First time dealing with this :/

 

Dose to .4. I had my fish at .4 for 1 month. Minimum effective dosage is .2. So .15 won't do anything. The last month of treatment(3 months ends tomorrow) they have been in 0 copper water. From what I have read most wrasses will tolerate copper.

 

Put a TON of filter floss in your current tank. Leave it in there for a week. Move it to the QT tank and run it in a HOB filter. You won't have to worry about ammonia. I always keep filter floss in my tank for that exact reason. I put it in my HOB filter 3 months ago and have never had detectable ammonia or anything in my QT tank.

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Dose to .4. I had my fish at .4 for 1 month. Minimum effective dosage is .2. So .15 won't do anything. The last month of treatment(3 months ends tomorrow) they have been in 0 copper water. From what I have read most wrasses will tolerate copper.

 

Put a TON of filter floss in your current tank. Leave it in there for a week. Move it to the QT tank and run it in a HOB filter. You won't have to worry about ammonia. I always keep filter floss in my tank for that exact reason. I put it in my HOB filter 3 months ago and have never had detectable ammonia or anything in my QT tank.

You're a life saver bro. I ordered an aquaclear overnight from amazon. This is especially important because I'm leaving for Denver in 2 weeks. The house sitter we have for the dogs was surprised that I had coral in my tank... she didn't know people could get coral... needless to say I don't quite trust her with anything other than topping off the QT.

 

I will be gone for ten days. Do you have any advice for while I am gone? I'm guessing I should be using that filter floss ONLY as the copper can be taken out via carbon? Thanks again!

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You're a life saver bro. I ordered an aquaclear overnight from amazon. This is especially important because I'm leaving for Denver in 2 weeks. The house sitter we have for the dogs was surprised that I had coral in my tank... she didn't know people could get coral... needless to say I don't quite trust her with anything other than topping off the QT.

 

I will be gone for ten days. Do you have any advice for while I am gone? I'm guessing I should be using that filter floss ONLY as the copper can be taken out via carbon? Thanks again!

 

Filter floss only. Just pack it in the HOB filter. Put it in the nastiest spot of your tank ASAP to collect as much bacteria as possible. Thankfully my QT ends today and I'll be putting my fish back in the display after work. I go on vacation for 3 weeks in 2 weeks. My display is 100% automated but my QT is manual top offs and such.

 

Remember don't use the ammonia blockers or anything in the QT. It messes with the copper treatment. Also the fish can handle a lot more ammonia then you think. Buy one of those ammonia alert badges for $7 or $8. And then do a 50% water change one day before your trip and redoes the copper.

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Filter floss only. Just pack it in the HOB filter. Put it in the nastiest spot of your tank ASAP to collect as much bacteria as possible. Thankfully my QT ends today and I'll be putting my fish back in the display after work. I go on vacation for 3 weeks in 2 weeks. My display is 100% automated but my QT is manual top offs and such.

 

Remember don't use the ammonia blockers or anything in the QT. It messes with the copper treatment. Also the fish can handle a lot more ammonia then you think. Buy one of those ammonia alert badges for $7 or $8. And then do a 50% water change one day before your trip and redoes the copper.

Will do! Luckily I'll have 15 days to get the biological filter going... still haven't dosed with cupramine yet. Wanted to let the fish settle in. Will start dosing today.

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Update:

 

20151201_121218_zps4t6ly08h.jpg

 

Bought a big bag of filter floss from petsmart. It's sitting in my sump now. Just did a 50 percent water change on the QT. Fish have been swimming around, and ate a bit. They are still very nervous though. Bought some window frame so that i can make a top from spare 1/4 inch netting and fill her up all the way. Will be getting my aquaclear 30 today at some point.

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Got the aquaclear. Built a top. Dosed to .15 for the first day. No negative reactions for any of the fish. Poor melanurus is pacing up and down in a corner since i put the filter on.

 

 

20151201_161718_zpsha6bldcf.jpg

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jedimasterben

That would have to be Moonlight Sand, Crystal River, or Torpedo Beach to be non-aragonite. Is it one of those? It looks very fine, so if it is one of those, I'd guess Moonlight sand.

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jedimasterben

Eh, basically all of their marine sands are aragonite. You can verify using vinegar. Just take some of the sand out and in a small bowl and pour the vinegar on it. If it is aragonite, it will bubble as the vinegar starts to dissolve the aragonite.

Zero fizz whatsoever. Was the concern that argonite would remove copper from the water column?

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jedimasterben

Zero fizz whatsoever. Was the concern that argonite would remove copper from the water column?

Correct, copper binds to aragonite like a magnet. Copper will bind to just about anything, though - the sand (even not being aragonite), the PVC, the filter, food, everything but the glass and silicone. For the first few days, I would measure copper at least once daily, and once the copper level stabilizes I would check it at least every other day. How long will you be on vacation? I guess it doesn't matter too much. The copper in it before you leave will kill most of the ich present (copper targets the theronts after they hatch from the tomonts) and then when you get back you can start the 28 day timer again so that you'll be able to properly monitor the copper level to ensure that all of the ich has been killed, you'll have plenty of time between when you come back and when your tank's 72 day timer runs out :)

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Correct, copper binds to aragonite like a magnet. Copper will bind to just about anything, though - the sand (even not being aragonite), the PVC, the filter, food, everything but the glass and silicone. For the first few days, I would measure copper at least once daily, and once the copper level stabilizes I would check it at least every other day. How long will you be on vacation? I guess it doesn't matter too much. The copper in it before you leave will kill most of the ich present (copper targets the theronts after they hatch from the tomonts) and then when you get back you can start the 28 day timer again so that you'll be able to properly monitor the copper level to ensure that all of the ich has been killed, you'll have plenty of time between when you come back and when your tank's 72 day timer runs out :)

Well at least it isn't argonite. Thanks for the heads up. I'd take the sand out completely if it wasn't for my melanurus. He is pretty dumb, he still tries to bury himself in the glass. I'll be on vacation for 10 days, but like you said, I'm thinking there is a goos chance it'll kill it before I leave. It looks like there are less spots this morning, so I'm guessing they are "hatching" and will be killed by the copper. Of course if my understanding of the life cycle is correct.

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