is this ich?

[tapeape]

this BW clown has been in my tank for 3 days- is this Ich? If so- I need some advice on how to treat.

 

Thanks.

[Six]

yup.

 

what are your water parameters? i take it you didnt QT before adding the fish? (think about it net time as it will keep a lot of stress out of you and the fishes life).

 

what other fish are in the tank?

 

relieving some stress may be all you need unless the case gets worse, in which case i'd QT.

 

gl

[civicsit]

yea, it looks pretty bad. You need to act quick or you will loose it. That far along, it would probably be best to do a QT with copper. If you can't do that, use kick ich or ich-attack.

[tapeape]

Thanks Guys- he came straight from a supplier to my LFS- into my tank. They didnt put him in the store system at all.

 

No- I didnt QT- i am a rookie.

 

Water parameters have been stable:

temp 77

ph 8.4

sg 1.025

nitrites 0

nitrates 10

dkh 8

calcium 420

 

I do weekly water changes of 5 gallons.

 

amazing how fast this took. He was perfect the day before- overnight, looked like this.

someone else who saw the pic reccomended melafix. any onfo on this product?

 

other livestock:

orange/white clown

sleeper gobie

coral beauty

2 cleaner shrimp

snails, hermit crabs

 

all others look good

[Six]

sometimes its best to let newly arrived fish settle in at a fish store. they end up taking the hit when the fish gets sick so you dont always have to.

 

that being said, i'd QT the fish. you may need to medicate. being imported is a lot of stress and it wont end quickly. if it was already acclimated to captivity in your area via a store, i'd say differently.

 

gl

[tapeape]

Thanks for all of the info. I just want to try to do the right thing. The clown is currently acclimating to the 10g QT i purchased and set up today. I used 10 gallons of fresh RO salt water with the same SG, and PH.

Is copper needed? if so- how long do I treat him in the copper tank? I know I run the risk of losing him but I am pretty sure he will die if I do nothing.

Also- what should i do with the main tank? Should I treat with a reef safe ich tx?

[Kogut]

My question is about your temp. What's the range? I know you said 77, but what happens at night? What happens at the hottest point of the day? If it's changing even a few degrees during the day, then that is the most probably cause of the ich.

[tapeape]

great point. I range about 2 degrees per day 75-77. I currenlty do no have a heater or chiller.