newbies Ich Journal

[desmo13]

The set-up:

 

6 Gal Eclipse

Stock ligting until today when my PC retrofit comes (adding 32w of light)

Stock filter

Aqua CLear 20 powerhead

50w heater

 

3 smal frags of coral: mushroom, 2 zoa's

 

Clean-up crew: 1 Astreal Snail, 3 Nars snails, 1 bumblebee snail, Blue leg hermit, Cleaner shrimp.

 

Fish: 1 very small O. Clown

 

Hitchikers: some small featherdusters, about a 3 inch bristleworm, very small unidentified crab.

 

The Ich:

 

A few days after getting the clown, Monday morning, I noticed a few white specs, about 4, like grains of salt or sugar on the clown. Immediatley went searching these forums. By the time I read through the myraid of posts, the specks were gone.

 

I did a 1.5g water change.

 

Tuesday moring about 2 specks were seen.again, gone within 30minutes of waking up and turning the light on the tank.

 

After more research, tuesday night feeding was some saltwater in a small dish, crushed some garlic, let it sit for 10 or so minutes, put flakes of food in, let sit for 10 or so minutes, then fed (taking not to not put any crushed garlic in the tank)

 

Wed morning, more specks than ever, 10 or so. Gone within 30 minutes. I know the cleanershrimp gets some of them.

 

Same garlic prepped food for breakfast.

 

Today, after more research, I might purchase some Rid-Ich or similar (once I am sure the chosen product will not harm corals)

 

I do not have a hospital or QT tank. I am a n00b. I am sure anything I try to do in the ways of moving him to a qt or Hospital tank will kill the fish.

 

Fish Behavior.

 

The O. Clown behaves normal, has a healthy appetite, swims fine and plays well with the shrimp and me.

 

he swims about the tank, has not yet ventured down into the tunnels and caves in the rocks. hovers around the shrimp from time to time, chases bubbles. All normal behavior same as before the Ich.

 

At night, when I turn off the lights, he goes to the surface, and treads water in the flow of either the powerhead, or stock filter.

 

In the moring, he is usually in the corner by the power head.

 

check out my gallery in the members gallery section for pics.

[Six]

Sounds like normal clownfish behavior. They never venture into cracks and holes in the rockwork, they have evolved to never be in that kind of environment... usually on an open reef slope or small atol making home in an anemone, never venturing away... and never into holes where predators may lay. So I wouldn't expect her to do that.

 

That sleeping bahevior is normal in an aquarium. Weird, yes, but normal.

 

What does the temp drop to at night? Does it drop? It really should stay stable 24/7, so if it's not, that may be why the fish is getting sick. On the other hand, it could just be sand or detritus sticking to the fish's slime coat. I know my centropyge always wakes up with sand on her side, and it always freaks me out! If the cryptocaryon (ich) is going away in 30 minutes, it's unlikely to me that it's even a disease. Cleaner shrimp help, but not that much. Unless you have an exception to the rule, which is possible.

 

Thanks for the log, BTW. Excellent information. How about water quality? What are your parameters testing at?

 

GL!

[desmo13]

What a reassuring possibility of it not being Ich, but in any event...

 

Heater is set at 79. during the day, the tank can get over 80. So I imagine that temp fluctuation is not good at all.

 

Upon further advice from the web and talking to my LFS, I have set the temp at 82.

 

I also have a shiny brand new bottle of Rid-Ich+ ,...

But am terrified to put it in my tank.

 

I have heard to follow the dosage, but do it for 16 days (the life cycle of the little buggers)

 

Ingrediants are Formalin and zinc-free Malachite green.

 

Worried about my inverts though.

 

They are not much, just a couple frags.

[harrison278]

it will kill your inverts.

[harrison278]

I battled ich at about the same time as u. with no luck i bought a chiller and my problems went away my fish are happy and very healthy.

[Six]

Clowns are pretty tolerant fish. I would treat the tank tonicly, meaning no medicine, and just be vigilant. If there's no other fish in the tank and the one fish isn't showing abnormal behavior, just try to boost her immune system with lots of feedings of good foods, like frozen mysis, cyclopeeze, formula one and two and other like foods. Heavy feedings require good maintenance, so be sure to keep doing water changes.

 

Usually that's all there is to it. Disease is the effect when stress, improper environment, or malnutrition is the causes. Fix those causes and the problem fixes itself.

 

Sure, there are times when medicating is best, but you don't have a tank full of fish (and take note when people have disease problems, they usually have too many fish in a tank, or too many for them to care for properly)so you don't have to literally 'buy into' the medicine fixes theme other people and places will push.

 

I would certainly recommend QT and watching any new fish before putting them into your existing tank. Make sure you dont add any fish until your possible disease problems disappear for a few weeks, at least.

 

GL!

[desmo13]

Thank you for your response. since this is a small tank, 1 fish is my max. I am glad I dont have to worry about more fish!

 

Update onjournal.

 

Yesturday was a stress day for the fish I bet, but on the other hand, my corals were in heaven.

 

I installed a 32w retro light kit. Man, I forgot corals were supposed to be that color.

 

I replaced the eclipse in tank filter with a AC20 hob filter.

 

My NH was high, so I did not put any media in the filter.

 

Temp is stable at 82 degrees.

 

Fish acting normal, although he hates going to sleep. whenever I turn the lights out at night, he really paces the tank, especially the corners.

 

about 11pm, I noticed a few (3-4) white specks on him. he did spend of the day after all the mods to the tank, down low with his shrimp (I think he is hosting the shrimp? lol)

 

Dinner was the same.. get a tablespoon of his water. crush a garlic clove in it, sit for 10 min. strain the water into another cup, add food. sit for 10, the pour into the tank.

 

This morning.. woke up. only 1 visible speck. gone by the time I made his food.

 

Today, stopping by the big lfs (All about fish, in concord/pleasant hill) (all my stock is from them) to get some varied foods per your suggestion. (plus I have enough light now for their cool $9.99 frag tank)

 

I am safe adding a frag since the possibility of Ich does not effect corals?

 

I have noticed with the additional light, my corals are much healthier (I.e., they dont extend so far, open better/more)

 

My hermit is much more active as my snails.

 

My bottle of Rid-Ich is here by the computer, reminding me to be a little more holistic about this.

 

Question, I will post in the refuge board. Since I have no media in my HOB, (just my heater) should I add some cheato to it? and what side? the intake side or the output?

if the output, will it it be bad to touch the heater?

 

if I can squeeze some rubble and some of my sand in there, good idea too?

[Six]

Sounds like you're doing a great job. Ich spots dont normally appear and disappear that quickly, so I think it's something else sticking to her slime.

I'd say you're good to go with another frag. What are you thinking about adding, out of curiousity? You have a lot of choices now!

 

About the refugium, I'm in the process of researching the ways to mod a AC, so I'd suggest definitly seeking info inthe refugium forum on here. Make sure you don't use caulerpa as your macroalgae, there are better macros, like Cheatomorpha "brillo/spaghetti" algae which is always for sale in the Classified section here on n-r.com. I'd say use the basket in the AC and cut a side off and use that as a partition to keep the algae away from the heater, but thats my unexpert opinion, LOL.

 

You're doing a great job, good luck.

[desmo13]

I was thinking the same thing. already took the mesh box apart. I will also need to make sure the cheato (already did research on why not caulp) doesnt just flow in the tank.

 

Behavior twist. I dont think my cleaner shrimp (which actually is my favorite thing. I would be happy with a 75g tank of just shrimp).. but I dont think the shrimp likes the new lighting. not as active as usual. maybe just having a bad day.

[desmo13]

the shrimp.... this morning, his antennae looked curled, bent. and he is missing 4 back legs. he molted.. must have been a bad molt.

 

on the good news side: the clown had no specks at all and acting fine as usuall

 

last night was another garlic juice soaked feed.

 

Was is ich or not? I still dont know for sure.

 

But along the way, I have become a better reef keeper. A better steward of my tank. learned some good stuff. And I still have that un-opened bottle of Rid-Ich+ in front of my computer to remind me to not rush, but to learn.

 

No I need to start my deformed cleaner shrimp journal

[desmo13]

Update: 2 days have passed.

 

This evening, my clown has been swimming hard into the current. and I think Ich is at it again. this time it isnt the 3-6 large salt grains looking ting. it is more like lots of mini-micro, softer looking spots. almost "filmy"

 

I have disturbed the sand bed quite a bit today, and messed with the tank (moved some corals, introduced a frogspawn on friday, got a mag float and cleaned the tank)

 

Anyway.. I just made a batch of garlic for his food, fed him and will play the same game as before.

 

I dont kow. lots of stuff floating in the water, maybe sticking to his protective film?

[Six]

the curl of the shirmp is normal after a molt (check my avatar, lol). sounds like, yeah, a rough , molt.

 

is your fish gasping now? or just swimming? sometimes crypt can start in the gills, which causes heavy breathing. make sure that temp isnt too high, i usually recommend 78-82ish. higher temps can help rid the fish of crypt faster, so that method is sometimes used, but warmer water holds less oxygen... and oxygen is more important. if you keep the heat higher for whatever reason, make sure there's something adding oxygen... a air stone, turbulance on the top of the water to aid gas exchange, or a skimmer (skimmers add tons of o2 and reduce heat too!).

 

Keep up the good work.

[desmo13]

fish is not gasping.

 

temp is a stable 82.

 

for flow I have a ac20 hob dumping in with a about a half inch drop and a ac20 powerhead directed along the surface. lots of bubbles going on, so I feel ok about the oxygenation.

[desmo13]

Monday morning. the large spots are back, like those in my first post. And again, every few minutes I check the fish, less and less spots. Garlic for breakfast.

 

One thing I did different yesturday (besides mess around in the tank)

 

I used some ro pure water to top off.

 

before, when I had only 8w of light, a cool room. I never topped off. there wasnt enough evaporation between water changes to do that.

 

But now with 32w of light, I see I have to.I tested the water, it was good. safeway brand pure drinking water. no additives, RO.

[desmo13]

Tuesday, no large spots. but still filmy small dots.. could those be my imagination? hypochondriach?

 

due to algea outbreaks, I have switched to feeding every other day, andlimiting the lighting period. I wonder if that will effect his condition. Tuesday night I saw him itchon a rock a coupleof times.

 

Wednesday, large dots again, only a few.

 

I wonder if he is managing to keep this under control, or just prolonging the inevitable.

[daniellemanuel]

This is really odd. I'm going through the same thing w/ my clown right now. I have a 12g dx. Everything is good, but he keep getting white spots on and off. He looks healthy otherwise and eating fine. Maybe because clowns have an additional coat of slime (protection from anemone stinging cells) it cause things to stick in it. Let me know what happens w/ yours.

[Six]

I'd really like to see some pics. would that be possible?

 

GL

[desmo13]

Update:

 

Since I have lowered the lighting period, and cut the feeding in half. the last few days, the possible "Ich" seems worse than ever. The algea is worse than ever. I just put "Chemi-clean" in. I know, I just blew my holistic approach, but after a week or so and not seeing any improvement, I got frustrated.

 

I am still resisting the urge to medicate with "Rid-Ich+".

 

I am going back to my once a day small feedings of garlic soaked flakes.

 

 

Fish behavior is still normal (swims, feeds well) Corals look fine.

 

I know with Rid-Ich+ I may risk the corals. They ar ejust little frags, nothing anyone would pay money for (besides me)

 

 

But I may have to choose to risk the corals for the fish.

 

I will not medicate unless I see the fish struggling. but by then, it might be too late?

[desmo13]

I gave in. late evening, fish looks worse than he ever did. Even some new swimming behavior. Inuked the tnak with Rid-Ich+.

 

As of this evening. light effects of Chemi-clean noticed. nt a drastic as I hoped.

 

Fish is much better, normal behavior, drastic improvement in his appearance.

 

Corals seem to be taking it in stride. The frogspawn may have reduced some extension, but it is tempermental anyway.

 

I am also back to feeding with garlic once a day. I think the overall health and metabolism of the fish benefits from this.

[Six]

I'm a fan of invertibrates, so I'd personally take the fish out before doing anything that could hurt the invertibrate population (considering bacteria, and all common zooplankton and phytoplankton are inverts as well). I guess to me a TR clown is nothing compared to an overharvested species like frogspawn. LOL. That's just me and my anal-rententive reefing for ya though.

 

Hope all goes well for you. Good luck.

[desmo13]

sheesh Six. You, SH and Ceasar777 are the voices of reason I tuned out in a weak moment.

 

I stopped the rid-ich after only 3 doses. the priority of life,and economics... 15 dollar tb clown, or 40 bucks in corals...

 

And I am not sure if the rid ich does any good.

 

So many mistakes made on this first tank... I want to do a tank right... just waiting for funds. So I am silently, secretly waiting and almost hoping? for the big crash.

 

 

this 6g will make a nice fuge or QT tank